Police slam Reservoir Dogs game for being too violent

The UK's Association of Chief Police Officers has slammed Eidos's forthcoming Reservoir Dogs game for glorifying violence against police.

Speaking to the Yorkshire Post, an ACPO representative said: "Anything that encourages violent emotions, including such emotions towards members of the police service, is particularly disturbing and can only be described as offensive.

"It is disappointing to find violent video games on the market that may cause psychological harm to those who play them."

The spokesperson's comments were echoed by Tom McGhie, chairman of the West Yorkshire Police Federation, who described Reservoir Dogs as a "sickening glorification of violence against police officers.

"Anything that encourages that type of behaviour, when police officers are suffering more attacks than ever before, should be banned," he continued.

"It's impossible to see how such a game can have anything other than a highly damaging effect on how people perceive and react to police officers."

Harrogate MP Phil Willis also jumped into the fray, declaring that he was "staggered" the game was allowed to go on sale.

"It sends out the message that the police and authority figures are there to be targeted and dispatched, desensitises people to the idea of killing and undermines normal moral values," Willis added. He also suggested that those playing Reservoir Dogs would be encouraged to behave in the same way as those who murdered PCs Sharon Beshenivsky and Ian Broadhurst.

Leicester East MP and well-known anti-videogame campaigner Keith Vaz has tabled a Commons motion arguing that the game should be banned, due to the fact it "promotes and supports the infliction of extreme violence and cruelty."

The British Board of Film Classification observed that the game has been given an 18 rating, with a spokesperson stating: "It contains nothing that is particularly stronger than things found in most 18-rated games."

This isn't the first time Reservoir Dogs has come under fire - last month it was banned from sale in Australia after the country's ratings board ruled that it was too violent.

However, the game is still due to go on sale in Europe for PC, PlayStation and Xbox this autumn.