12 Controversial Video Game Scandals That Rocked The Industry

9. DOOM Gets Blamed For The Columbine Massacre

When in doubt, blame video games.

Such was the mantra in 1999, as America searched for some semblance of rationale to account for the abhorrent Columbine High School shootings. The media did have a point... ish; the two boys responsible did claim to be fans of DOOM, Wolfenstein 3D and Duke Nukem - however it was DOOM that drew the most attention because of its overtly 'heavy metal' and Satanic themes.

And nothing says, "Shock horror, white picket fence America!" like heavy metal and Satan.

Naturally, iD Software's raucous gore-a-thon had about as much to do with inspiring young boys to kill as it did teaching them La Cucaracha, as the evidence for all video game violence has always come back that there's no direct, causal link between the two.

The Catcher in the Rye wasn't responsible for Mark David Chapman killing John Lennon, Pantera breaking up didn't provide adequate reason to Nathan Gale shooting guitarist Darroll 'Dimebag' Abbott, and DOOM should have been nowhere nearer this case than any number of contributing social factors.

Still, it didn't stop outlets of the time wading in and labelling it as such, even if they did look mighty ridiculous afterwards.