In the wake of considerable media attention, much of it negative, University of Massachusetts freshman Grant Cerulo made the decision to pull his "Riot UMass" computer game off his University-provided Web site this past weekend. But he still said, "it's just a game."
The 18-year-old Ashland, Mass. resident sparked controversy after several news reports described the violent assaults the main character made on police officers in the "Riot UMass" computer game. Several television stations in Boston and Springfield interviewed him since the Daily Collegian broke the story in early November.
"[The reporters] just asked me how I made it, what was my inspiration, and do I feel it's in poor taste," he said. "You know, it is controversial, but it's just a game."
Cerulo said he decided to pull the video game because he wanted to have a good relationship with school officials over the next four years. He added that despite the negative portrayal his game received in the news media, he loves the UMass Amherst campus and did not want to tarnish that reputation.
"I love the campus, this is a great place. [The game] is just a reflection of what we see," Cerulo said. "UMass is confused if they think that people don't know riots occur here."
Riot UMass was created in response to several campus disturbances, according to Cerulo, a couple of which turned into riots of celebration after several Red Sox victories over the past couple of years. Over 100 students were arrested this fall in disturbances in the Southwest Residential Area.
The computer game featured a cartoon character posing as a University student in a Red Sox baseball cap, punching riot police officers until they succumbed to their injuries, lying in a pool of blood. The student could also pick up weapons dropped by police officers along the way to use to fight cops. A bottle of beer was used to measure how much life the character had remaining.
Cerulo's new game, simply called "Zoo Mass," features the same main character in the previous game, but on the campus pond, feeding ducks. A player can use the computer space bar to feed the ducks grain. After one duck is fed, it gleefully runs away while the player is bombarded with more ducks to feed. The point of the game is to feed as many ducks as possible. In this version, the player's life is measured in apple juice.
Cerulo said Zoo Mass is a mockery of Riot UMass.
"People are calling [Riot UMass] ultra violent. I mean, the game is not ultra violent. Ultra violent is like, guns and 'Kill Bill,' so [Zoo Mass is] kind of just making a mockery of people getting over excited about it," he said.
Cerulo said he was not completely surprised that his game received media attention, but did not think it would escalate much.
"I never even finished the game when people started looking at it. It's not like a professional creation. It's just kind of this silly thing," he said. "It surprised me that it got so much attention."
Cerulo claimed that all the response he has personally received about the game has been positive.
"Alumni have e-mailed me with support. People who went here in the 70's they played it and they were saying things like you handled the situation well. Kids, and everyone I've talked to - all my friends love it," he said.
However, the response to his creation has not been so positive on feedback forums on mainstream media sources.
"There's been... people saying in the [Boston] Herald on forums that I've been raised by wolves," he said.
He said he takes all the criticisms in stride.
"I kind of laugh at it because I know there are people out there who don't get the big picture ... You just gotta ignore them."
After the game received considerable media attention across the state, University officials released statements condemning the game.
"We find it regrettable and discouraging that a student had designed a game that involves making University police officers targets," said UMass spokesman Ed Blaguszewski. "It doesn't reflect well on the relationship we'd like to build between students, police and the community as a whole."
Despite the University's concerns, they admitted Cerulo was within his first amendment rights to post the computer game on his Web site.
"We don't have the authority to remove the game or censor it," Blaguszewski said. "That doesn't mean we endorse it or support its distribution - we clearly don't. But based on the legal advice we received, it's not within our domain to remove the game."
However, Cerulo removed the game from his Web site anyway, sighting the administrations concerns.
"I respect what they said. I didn't want to set a bad example," he said. "If people were going to look at me for a model of what to do, then I thought the best decision, overall, was just to take it off."
