Two former Port Moody secondary students are reportedly behind a controversial video that recreates their old high school in a Counter-Strike map where combatants shoot at one another but only one, Aarman Rahim, has admitted publicly that he is involved.
Rahim, who was an International Baccalaureate student at the school and now attends SFU, issued a statement last week countering what he called inaccurate information being spread about him and the intent behind the video.
In his statement, Rahim acknowledged that he provided photographs the map's developer used to create an accurate, to-scale, digital replication of the school. He said there was no malicious intent and he doesn't condone violence in schools,
The future of the production is as yet unknown but the the video depicting Counter-Strike combatants shooting against the backdrop of the school, with its iconic rainbow lockers and "PMSS a Tradition of Excellence" sign has received more than 6,000 views and dozens of media outlets have reported on it, including the hugely popular online social media aggregator Reddit.
Last week, at the request of School District 43, Port Moody Police conducted an investigation and concluded the video broke no laws and the developer is not a threat.
Still, the PMPD stated in a press release that the project is "ill-conceived" in light of recent school shootings in the United States.
CONCERNS RAISED
SD43 is also taking the video seriously and is seeking advice but it is not known whether the video's creators will be asked to take it down.
"We are well aware of this and we recognize that it is a sensitive situation," said SD43 spokesperson Cheryl Quinton. "The district is working with the school on this matter and is seeking further advice regarding follow-up."
So far, only Rahim has come forward to defend the project; the developer, reportedly a friend from high school, has not provided his name.
But a local teacher, who asked not to be named, is asking the developer to come forward because it's not fair that Rahim take all the heat.
"Aarman's choice to participate in this endeavour was irresponsible," the teacher wrote in an email to The Tri-City News. "He has done a very good job of protecting the developer and he has shown that he is an extremely loyal friend. This was not the wisest decision especially from him.
"I, however, cannot stand by and see Aarman's reputation and future be sacrificed for something he played a very very minimal role in, no matter how poor of a choice it was to provide resources for the developers project."
GAME DEFENDED
Meanwhile, gamers are coming to the developer's defence.
Luka Culibrk, a former PMSS student, stated in an email that the school provides interesting "architecture" for a first-person shooting game that would make it enjoyable to play, and cited research he believes debunks concerns that violent video games cause violence.
Creating original maps for Counter-Strike games is not a new idea. In fact the technology has been around for several years but using well-known locations as a backdrop for first-person shooter games has been controversial.
In Montreal last month, the creator of a custom map of the Berri-UQÀM metro station for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive was told to stop production or risk a fine or a trademark lawsuit. News reports at the time stated the game map was not completed but a teaser was posted on YouTube.
