10 Overblown Video Game Controversies

id Software's iconic shooter was so immensely popular, it resulted in delays at the workplace and crashes on countless online servers. Apparently, it also promoted genocide and Satan worshiping.

Religious figures went so far as to claim that the pentagrams, inverted crosses and the like would draw people away from the word of God and towards that of Lucifer. One of the level designers, Sandy Peterson, was a Christian himself and had no problems with it all. In fact, he himself designed most of the Hell levels.

The Columbine High School Massacre was undoubtedly a tragedy, yet the media were quick to make assumptions on what inspired Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold's atrocities (ironic, since they usually focus on crimes without regarding the reasons why). All they needed to hear was that they were social outcasts who liked DOOM and Heavy Metal.

DOOM is far from a realistic depiction of genocide. None of the weapons even reload, for starters, and the guns that the shooters used were not featured in-game whatsoever. Some said they designed levels based on their school to test their shooting skills, which was proven false. The game is a fantasy world, and features a fictional, tough-as-nails space marine fighting against hordes of nasty monsters from another dimension with chainguns and plasma rifles.

Apparently, DOOM and various heavy metal bands were to blame for inspiring this tragedy, simply because both were part of an underground culture, and the gunmen were fans of each. The papers decided to point their fingers simply because a game had guns, or bands were German and sang angrily, which was proof enough that they were Nazis.

Ridiculous justifications like these are exactly why this became the dumbest video game controversy in history.