Relax, the Red Cross is not going after gamers for virtual war crimes

Matt Hawkins Contributing Writer, Video Games

While not nearly as juicy as “Jamie Lee Curtis is a hermaphrodite, swear to God”, this whole deal about the International Committee of the Red Cross going after gamers for violent gameplaying is pure b.s.

While normally on the ball, here’s a rare instance in which the Taiwanese CGI news crew has their facts completely wrong…

The deal is this: last week, Kotaku first reported that the Red Cross was investigating whether or not the rules of the Geneva Convention should be applied to virtual warfare. But many didn’t read the fine print, and plenty of outlets reported as something that they’re actually pursuing. To the point that, the other day, the Red Cross had to set the record state by saying no, they are not going to prosecute gamers for war crimes.

Still, their FAQ does still state that the Red Cross is considering the “various ways in which the rules applicable in armed conflict could feature in simulations.” Regardless, I’m pretty sure everyone who has a “totally awesome” kill streak in Call of Duty has nothing to worry about. Well, other than contemplating one’s place in the universe if the aforementioned skill is the only thing that sets you apart from the rest of us. In that case, it’s business as usual.

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