Video Games About 9/11

A critical look at 9/11-inspired video games and the ethics surrounding them.
---REFERENCES-----
GAMES
Grandfather Killed: www.newgrounds.com/portal/vie...
Samagotchi: www.dailygames.com/games/osama...
The Only Solution: www.newgrounds.com/reviews/po...
Trade Center Defender*: www.albinoblacksheep.com/game...
Bad Dudes vs. Bin Laden: www.newgrounds.com/portal/vie...
9/11 Simulator: www.newgrounds.com/portal/vie...
9/11 Jumper: www.newgrounds.com/portal/vie...
Turbin Hunt www.newgrounds.com/portal/vie...
*The original Trade Center Defender has never been reuploaded, however, in 2003 an unnamed French programmer uploaded an identical recreation of the game. Footage was used from the recreation.
BOOKS
The Expressive Power of Videogames: mitpress.mit.edu/books/persua...
Philosophy Through Video Games: www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listi...
ARTICLES
The Life Story of Dorothy Gibson:
www.thehistorypress.co.uk/art...

[@PaperWill]

Consider a donation, big or small, to the FDNY Foundation, the official charity for members of the Fire Department of New York City: www.fdnyfoundation.org/donate

[@lavenderinthedark]

my parents lived just an hour north of the city at the time, and they were getting ready to go on their honeymoon to hawaii. the problem was, their flight was scheduled to leave jfk airport on 9/12. luckily they werent in the city at the time, as evidenced by the fact that im typing this right now, but they obviously werent going to hawaii. we didnt lose anyone that day but we were scarily close.

[@craigjoe8691]

Her name was Abby Denton

[@ricardo-2022]

You fitting Russian:you are hero You fitting American:you are te***st

[@craigjoe8691]

@@ricardo-2022 lol que?

[@MrCadet08]

I was a teenager in DC on 9/11.....9/11 was the reason I joined up. I lost 14 of my friends avenging that day and irreparably damaged my body and life. But now 22 years later I have to hear some youtuber wax philosophically about how revenge was bad.

[@nancyok]

The fact a 9/11 game came out 12 hours after the attack literally made me loudly say "TWELVE HOURS??" at my computer screen.

[@moonlightostrich3690]

shows how long youve been around

[@moosesues8887]

Bro has Jesus’s autograph

[@thegameranch5935]

@@jacobjohnson6766 uhh what?

[@AsymmetricalCrimes]

@@thegameranch5935 He's a conspiracy theorist who believes 9/11 was predicted in movies from the 1980s...

[@HOSS257]

@@AsymmetricalCrimes yeah as if some evil guys in suits were like "you know what would be great? If we totally put in a couple little clues in some movies 20 years early just so some people on the future-internet will look back and go hey that's 9/11"

[@omnibusprimephd7914]

Saying "trying to solve the issue of terrorism through violence is pointless" back then, was an incredibly unpopular opinion. Anti-war people were brutally ostracized from politics immediately post 9/11. If that was their original intentions, then they are owed some big time respect for that.

[@satsubatsu347]

I worked in a hunting and fishing store and had a shift the day of... You are wrong. People buying ammo that day were out to protect their homes not their nation.

[@xp8969]

@@satsubatsu347 not sure what comment you were trying to reply to but you obviously clicked on the wrong one because your reply is entirely tangential and unrelated to the point of this comment

[@Andregrindle]

Agreed, went through that at the time myself in terms of being a socially ostracized anti war person with a well rounded perspective. Didn't know of these games, as I wasn't online until 2002. But did know painfully well about the anti Arab sentiments. Sometimes first hand, even if I'm not Arab.

[@billjones642]

@@Andregrindle ​there was also an anti-western sentiment at the time. something about 2 buildings being brought down with thousands of civilians inside.

[@drufusthedufus]

‏‏‎ ‎

[@rudeboyberret5279]

I love this video because when you were talking about the old titanic movie, I was like “Oh no, don’t tell me we made 9/11 games only a month after it happened” and you’re just like “Heavens no. They did it only several hours after.” OH OK

[@PaperWill]

That “oh heavens no” me laugh lol

[@kg7219]

They call that a framing device :)

[@davidarvingumazon5024]

@@PaperWill Sound of Freedom (Movie): Don't forget me. Please.

[@NK-le5hs]

You mean at 9:11 Pm?? (More 911) 911 what's your emergency THE EMERGENCY IS THERE IS A REAL EMERGENCY ON THIS DAY 911 operator: WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHAT'S YOUR EMERGENCY? caller: THE TWINS TOWER WTC 1 PLANE CRAS- **2ND PLANE CRASHING NOISES** caller: 2 PLANES FROM TERRORISTS CRASHED INTO THE 2 TWIN TOWERS SEND POLICE SEND FIRE TRUCKS AND AMBELINCES 911 operator: OK OK I'LL SEND THEM

[@demonizedlife2640]

OH OK Means "One Hit Knock Out" right?

[@jessejamez707]

My dad was in prison when 9/11 happened. Man that story was wild af. He was already on 23hr lockdown so when word hit the tier of what happened rumors spread so fast that by the time it reached it him they thought America was being invaded and world war 3 started. Prisoners started freaking tf rioting setting shit on fire throwing shit out their cells. Clogging and overflowing toilets. It was complete mayhem! Prisoners thought they were going to be left in their cells to die as they saw guards living work. My dad was so scared all he could think about was us. He didn’t know if we were safe or what the hell was really going on. He was so scared!

[@Tay12345]

Wow that’s crazy

[@Savagecordero]

Is your dad ok

[@maria-melek]

Crazy because I was just thinking about that today. I thought: “I wonder how the news reached prisons or how prisoners felt and reacted?“ I wasn’t alive until early 2002.

[@dduffy6870]

​@spinosauro666 Well it depends what he's in for

[@SiPakRubah]

​@@spinosauro666What if he went for a wrong reason? What if he was sent there just because they had to do crimes for a living, for their family, because normal jobs doesn't help much their conditions? What makes you so entitled to throw any conclusions without knowing their backstories? Huh? You think you're a saint, just because you never went into the prison?

[@myeyeswentdeaf6213]

I’m a NYC union iron worker. I was working on Williamsburg bridge when that happened it was such a clear day that from there we saw it clearly. They stopped work on the bridge in fear of more targets (like bridges) Twin Towers was built by my union. There were a few old timers who actually built it. We all went down there with all the tool we could bring. I worked Ground Zero for 3 weeks till they dragged me back to the bridge. It was, well idk, I can’t even explain. People don’t think twice about all the bombs the US drops. But to be in the middle of the horrors and devastation something like that leaves changes you. Even seeing it, and the emotions I had, I was still against the war. Atrocity for atrocity doesn’t end well for either side. God bless

[@queenvagabond8787]

Yeah, a terrible tragedy, as you say, I'd hoped it would've bred more empathy for all those killed in US wars of aggression, but sadly it only got us another 20 years of wars... :/

[@creed8712]

@@queenvagabond8787not sure how you could think so many civilians deaths on a single day would breed anything but fear. And as a ketamine addict living in a swamp once said. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate and hate leads to suffering

[@DennnisTheGreat]

Thank you Good sir!

[@virtual5448]

@@scaleworksRC Conspiracy mate, sorry to burst your bubble. WTC 7 was majorly damaged, the north side of it being almost completely destroyed, it collapsed later that day because of the pressure of the building laying itself out on the north face of the building.

[@scaleworksRC]

@@virtual5448 Wrong

[@meganhash7840]

12:39 I'm gonna put on my broadway nerd cap to answer this one. Mamma Mia opened the October after 9/11 on Broadway and, despite what a lot of critics thought would happen, it became extremely popular. It was escapism for the people of New York, to just watch something silly and fun as a distraction from the mass trauma they had suffered

[@amarie1001]

and don’t forget about The Producers, that reopened on Broadway about 2 days after 9/11!

[@lainey6474]

I remember how desperate America was for relief, it lead to Food Network gaining popularity.

[@moonmannd7501]

That and it was probably in whatever actual subway photo the dev used for the background

[@jackcrawford304]

Also Harry Potter coming out around the same time

[@ColinsCoolStuff]

Zoolander was too

[@Popperhilton]

Not So Fun fact: In 2002, a bootleg GBC game called Terrifying 9/11 was released. It contained actual footage of the attacks which is impressive for a Gameboy game but is also quite disturbing. The game is just Metal Slug but it has cutscenes of Bush and Bin Laden talking to each other.

[@Ranixo286]

Honestly yeah I was expecting to see that game in there

[@Gamer-cm5nl]

The Only Solution sounds a bit like the "Final Solution" Proposed to the Third Reichs Leader, Adolf Hitler about the jews./ The Holocaust.

[@EmoMinecraftBuilder]

Year I was birthed

[@hoffenheim_central]

born?@@EmoMinecraftBuilder

[@drunkpaulocosta9301]

​@@hoffenheim_central it's actually Bornthed. You carry the 2

[@sothisishowusernameswork.2043]

I love how the game where you play as the terrorists got less hate than the one where you defended the tower.

[@claudia-ob2wv]

Probably because it was 9 years down the line. For many, especially for young people, it would have been something they never lived through

[@xibalbalon8668]

In the grand scale of things they killed less civilians than the US did in the aftermath

[@ZekoNeko12]

I remember in 9th grade, my class was asked by my teacher "who here was alive during 9/11?" And only two people (including me) raised their hand. My teacher actually went "wow, you guys are the last generation to live through it." Keep in mind, we were born in 2000 or early 2001 but still. Being from New York and realizing that my family friends' family could have died is insane. My older sister was around 7 and the teachers were freaking out but trying to explain to the kids what happened. Imagine being a kindergartener and being told your parent or family member isn't coming home. It's heart breaking.

[@FelineBlue]

I got asked that at one point in school as well. It was around that time in September and the teacher started talking about how tragic it was and how she remembered feeling and then was confused why we were all just sort of staring blankly not knowing what to say. We had to tell her that we were all born late 2000/early 2001 (and we are in the UK) so we wouldn't have any attachment to it. I've also realised that I really don't have any way of knowing what that would have felt like. We grew up seeing mass shootings and terrorist attacks on the news so often that it's not even shocking anymore when it happens, which is a horrific realisation.

[@ioncekilledamanwithmyshoe]

If you and your class was in 9th grade, shouldn't most of your class have been the same age as you?

[@ZekoNeko12]

@@ioncekilledamanwithmyshoe me and the other kid were a bit older than everyone else! We were held back for some reason (not because of grades)

[@nicklikesradio]

I believe i was in first grade. I got moved to the second grade classroom to shelter in place.

[@201hastings]

@@FelineBlue you didn’t have any attachment to it? Okay. That’s like saying you have no attachment to WW1 and 2 even though it literally shaped the world as we know it.

[@frozyre7854]

I remember a site called StickDeath and as the name implies, it is in fact an animation site where stick figures are killed. In the wake of 9/11, there were TONs of animations and games on that site, geared towards the middle east that I remembered. The hate was indeed real.

[@PaperWill]

Wish I had found that earlier. Thanks!

[@g1ng3rsn4ps]

I mean....given what had just happened. Now given, you gotta target it towards the right place (which we obviously did not), but would people have been wrong to have anti-German sentiment during WW2? I don't think so. To dislike the nation and/or people's hurting and harming for no reason isn't odd, it's human. It's fair. We're allowed to be like "oh no F***CK this and f***ck y'all". Having strong emotions and being like "NO MORE" is like...I'd hope so? Again, you have to have the right targets though.

[@younggamer7218]

@@g1ng3rsn4ps Tell me this Was it right that there were japanese internment camps? I don't think so.

[@guy-sl3kr]

@@g1ng3rsn4ps I mean given what happened afterwards... The atrocities the US committed in the middle east in the "war on terror" are orders of magnitude worse than what happened in New York. The retributive attitudes of the American people no doubt greatly supported the terrorism of the US military. The "right targets" should never be unarmed civilians.

[@middleeastern5796]

Weird how nobody ever balmed Israel for the 9/11 attacks. They just start their own country on occupied land and expect the people that occupied it to just be cool with it, while they employ Mossad agents to do covert terror operations. Or the fact that the debris from 9/11 was immediately shipped to Israel and destroyed. They attacked the US because Israel had been attacking them. The attacks, of course, we're scouted and expected by the U.S. and Israel intelligence agencies but still allowed to happen. Why? For opium. For lithium. For slavery and to keep Israel powerful and in control. I wouldn't put it past them to frame Islamic people for the attacks. Just hire a billionaire real estate mogul from Saudi Arabia to take credit and then allow him to disappear. Tell us you've killed him with no evidence at all. Kill all members of the team that supposedly killed him and keep it going for decades. People are stupid and unwilling to do anything about it even if they know it's all just a show for power, drugs and money. Destabilize Israel's biggest threats and keep sending them money for more nukes. Can't say anything bad about them because then you're branded as an anti Semite. Very convenient and easy, considering how gullible people are.

[@AdamOwenBrowning]

wow. I did not expect to get weird flashbacks to playing 1 or 2 of these as a completely ignorant child. I laughed at it back then and read people raging on 4chan about 9/11 years upon years afterwards. I was raised Muslim and let's just say that some kids I went to school with aren't currently enjoying their freedom because cops foiled their plots. I'm almost ashamed to say I found myself tearing up in this video. I think you handled it excellently from a sensitivity point of you as well as being wholly well-rounded on an informative front. We were mired in anger and atrocities, both sides, I was taught such hatred that I have come to leave behind. Many haven't Fulp's little message that there are nice people who wear turbans in his town touched me. Those men are my uncles and my cousins, you know? Thank you for this upload, sincerely.

[@elliottryan13]

I respect how this wasn't made loaded with biased opinions and someone ranking about "bad taste." The "matter of fact " approach definitely has me interested in future projects. I will definitely be subscribing.

[@Erlik0_89]

Y’know what tics me off? The fact that the games trying to spread a good message were bombarded with hate while the games doing the opposite went without anyone saying anything bad about them.

[@tomservo75]

Exactly. Save the towers? Bad. Make a video game glorifying carjacking, no problem at all.

[@nivea4x252]

This is America

[@Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmiam]

Boo hoo

[@AnP865]

The absurdist style of the defending towers game is likely to wind the majority of people up - even if they don't stop to think about the underlying message, immediately on an unconscious level you detect that it doesn't have a clear moral message based around revenge, and in those neo-conservative days this type of irony or absurdism was very dangerous, a lightning rod

[@Syndie77-gk4xk]

Well the thing is, the target audience for One Solution are bloodthirsty would-be genocidaires, whereas the target audience for a 9/11 empathy simulator is... empathetic people. Empathetic people are more likely to be offended by a game than Nazis who want to commit genocide.

[@pharoahcaraboo9610]

art isn't always comfortable. sometimes, you have to be uncomfortable to experience something. 8:46 isn't in poor taste, it's just brutally honest. of course it's unpleasant to be given the choice of burning to death or jumping to your doom, but it's a choice some people made that day. it's the truth, and it's not pretty or comfortable.

[@WobblesandBean]

In what world is whack a mole with Bin Laden "brutally honest"? Edit: Ha... youtube formatting, got me again. Honestly, I agree. The previous one where you do flips and tricks is DEFINITELY in poor taste, but the Oculus one is poignant and humbling.

[@Goldenkitten1]

Yeah I think people just had a knee-jerk reaction. That anything that doesn't portray 9/11 with care and kid gloves is out to hurt people. When really, all it was doing was trying to give people a view into what a terrible tragedy it was and what real people had to go through before their deaths.

[@mubarak5123]

its just a bait game the games made to make people mad so they will become popular and most the time they work

[@ripnob]

Yo, wrong timer. You picked the osama bin laden wacking one, instead of the simulator one, which is 8:46 (title) not 8:46 (time) Maybe edit it to show the timer then title, cuz a few people are being confused.

[@book-obsessedweirdo8677]

The actuall time stamp is 14:34

[@HPsawus]

Considering the timeframe, trade centre defender honestly looks pretty well made.

[@theace7002]

I honestly think games like 8:46 need to be made. As somebody born 6 years after 9/11 i honestly sometimes forget how bad it truly was. I feel most of gen z feels the same way. We either not born or dont remember that day. We need games like 8:46, or even like the youtube video i watched that showed tv broadcast from 7:50 to 12:00 from September 11th. These help newer generation get a look on how the day events truly felt

[@JustGuitarThings]

Bros talking like he was there 😭

[@alexeraven]

Yeah i was born in 2009 and don’t know what it was like

[@hanscuperwithavengence3445]

CNN, maybe other news networks as well used to replay the live stream on 9/11. With the 25th anniversary coming in two years maybe they’ll do that again.

[@SessVlogs]

It’s honestly also useful to those of us who do remember 9/11. The years following the event got so muddied by politics it was easy to forget the human tragedy at the centre of it. We need reminders of that, we need to hold on to a little bit of that trauma to help ourselves avoid it in the future. I know I’ll have to teach my kids and grandkids about Bush and Iraq and conspiracy theories blah blah blah, but first and foremost I want them to understand how _numb_ that day made me feel. How 12-year-old me and my peers had to learn a lot of adult lessons WAY before we were ready. How I’m _still_ grieving the life I thought we’d all have because 9/11 changed EVERYTHING.

[@wildercerrate7295]

It should be noted that the first man to die from a hate crime relating to Muslim hatred was a Sikh man named Balbir Singh Sodhi who was assumed to be Muslim and was murdered for it.

[@carreviewer6345]

:,(

[@Roddy556]

A synagogue was attacked here in Canada. Shows how stupid some people are.

[@kg7219]

Yea I’m half Indian and post 9/11 do u kno how many people have made jokes abt me having bombs and crashing planes and shit?!? And I’m like DUDE THEY WERE SAUDIS WTH

[@ihatelagalot]

only murder on 9/11

[@Jiub_SN]

@@F0restcallyou're genuinely fucked up dude. Seeing all of your comments makes me realize how warped some people are. Please seek help. Hating others shouldn't be how you feel better about yourself

[@WhatSmada]

Months prior to 9/11 one of my neighbors killed himself and the rest of his family - including his wife, 6 year old twins, and a 9 year old who all went to my school. I say this because that day and 9/11 were the only days we had off from school. I wouldn't say that is the only reason I don't believe I avoided xenophobia, as I saw people from far and close do terrible things...but I do think it is a reason... I was 10 at the time and I remember specifically asking adults as how simply revenge will curb the violence and no one had a straight answer. I still don't have an answer to any of this...

[@PaperWill]

It's those points where we hit the real lows that, as hard as it is, we need to look around and make sure other people are OK too. I think a lot of anti-Islamic sentiment could only grow because average people were too busy with their grief.

[@officialshutterfly]

Im replying a bit late but I'd say 9/11 was the revenge. The events that lead to 9/11 are not nearly talked about enough. Violence is never the answer and it's always tragic for people to lose their life but relatively speaking, that was just a slap on the wrist compared to what America has done.

[@applesandgrapesfordinner4626]

Sorry for that family though. I wonder how xenophobia connected with it?

[@jokekopter2509]

​@@PaperWill1:06 you realise that lot of the cast was mostly survivors shearing there stories,just for some people not even effected to get mad at movie in which survivors took role. That like if somebody got mad about All Quite on the Western front (OG one),where it's cast was majority veterans. Imagen if someone got mad about that like Titanic,see my point?

[@PaperWill]

@@jokekopter2509 Yup! I talk about that at the end of the video

[@therealwisemysticaltree]

2:53 those 2 shots put together are absolutely beatiful and horrifying at the same time

[@FingerStyleGuita63]

What an absolutely incredible intro. Informative and interesting and incredibly well presented. Most impressive intro I've ever seen in a KZbin video

[@SpaceMonkeyBoi]

As an Arab that was born in Massachusetts, I had faced animosity because of my heritage. Had a social worker say I lived in a compound, and that I was the next sandy hook killer, and that my family was doing bad things to my sister. I look at 911 documentaries and feel that same sense of dread that most other people feel. Luckily it seemed to stop after 2016-2017, but the prejudice is still there in smaller pockets.

[@uss_liberty_incident]

Maybe there wouldn't be such a negative image if muslims stopped blowing themselves up?

[@EpicGhostShadow]

I'm sorry you had to go through that

[@MomMom4Cubs]

The Sandy Hook thing makes no sense, being that the killer (I won't say or write his name) was so obviously not Arab American. I'm sorry you were needlessly bullied by such stupid people!

[@havanadaurcy1321]

They still have a HA HA COMMIE DIED SO FUNNY with Chileans. 9/11/1973 was America saying to Pinochet 'Kill them all'

[@maximaldinotrap]

As I said before, this situation is eerily similar to anti-Japanese sentiments after Pear Harbor

[@edisonlima4647]

On the subject of torture simulators, I still remember how a LOT of people in my country felt absolutely shocked when the tv show "24 Hours" first aired, clearly portraying torture as not only a logical choice, but as moral, trustworthy and as a net positive. That one random tv show totally affected how other nations saw America by being the first introductions many foreigners had to the Patriot Act, and it was probably a huge step in taking from America the self-imposed title of "sheriff of the world" and "guardian of Democracy". It made a lot of older American movies and short stories suddenly feel extremely... insincere. As people born in Latin American nations, we all grew watching American media finger wagging and always showing torture as someone that mostly only happened in South American dictatorships and as a definite shorthand for "a barbaric nation", while American characters were always making grandiose discourses about human dignity and "not lowering to their level". Many procedural tv shows used to have that one episode in which the cast goes to a Spanish speaking country and have to save a member of the group from being tortured by mustacheoed member of "the government". The solution being, always, to decifer a crime the local police is too incult, rude AND corrupt to solve..

[@maybepolly_]

i agree. suddenly every single thing they criticized us, these supposedly "barbaric" countries, for, became a good and moral thing so long as it was americans doing it to a very specific group. the hypocrisy was finally out there for all to see.

[@tylerramos7633]

The USA doesn’t use torture they use “enhanced interrogation” double speak at its finest.

[@g1ng3rsn4ps]

@@maybepolly_ there is literally no moral platitude you can make for NOT torturing and killing people lien bin laden, r*pists, child r*pists and murdered etc. What protections or humanity do they deserve and why do you want it for them KNOWING what they do and *want* to do?

[@calupoh9788]

@@g1ng3rsn4ps That's not what they said at all, this conversation is about the double standards the American government holds about acts such as torture, that they deem it ok when it's them doing it to people who "deserve it" according to their own standards, but then go and point the finger at other countries, calling them barbaric and underdeveloped for doing the exact same thing

[@sebbypebby462]

Shut up.

[@PseudoFanboy]

VERY satisfying to hear about some of these interpretations of media - the Trade Center Defender and 8-46 discussions are great and the Titanic plot twist (for want of a better term) at the end tied it all together really well

[@BreakifyTV]

Good video, brother! I hope KZbin didn't demonetize or limit ads on this video, as I see it as very educational, professionally made, and a project that required a lot of work and research!

[@Saavik256]

Dorothy Gibson literally wore *THE SAME DRESS* in the movie as she did on the night the Titanic sank. Imagine if Jackie Kennedy starred in a movie about JFK's assassination and wore the same dress she wore on that day.

[@Shenaldrac]

How good of her to maintain historical accuracy.

[@arryacc]

I remember when I was young my dad brought a me CD full of games. One of them was a fps where you shoot Bin Laden in a magazine stall and you have to avoid shooting a civilian who Laden had hostage. As a non american I didn't know much of the context but knew that he was a terrorist. This video reminded me of that. Anyway loved the video essay.

[@PaperWill]

I wish I had come across that game during my research! I didn't see too many published titles on CDs I'm afraid.

[@hemangchauhan2864]

Same bro Another Indian here Grew up on Flash and some 9/11 games were there too

[@juliarhodejacobs]

@@PaperWill Do you remember me taking you to the shooting range and paper cutouts of Bin Laden were the targets?

[@alismith589]

Rest in peace to all the victims of the attack and many thanks to the first responders who gave their lives to help

[@CommieCatgirl]

the words you said at 16:21 resonated with me because i was born November 21st 2006 a little over 5 years after the September 11 attacks i grew up learning about what a tragedy it was but not feeling the panic and shock first hand as my parents did leaves me with a feeling i can only describe as a 'guilty innocence' so i will look into 8:46 to help me see the tragedy for my self in a way no story or video can convey

[@solrazii4151]

This was a really interesting topic that I’ve never considered before. The amount of time and care you put into research is really admirable, it couldn’t have been easy, and the video as a whole was not only taken seriously but engaging to watch. Thank you for such a fascinating and well made video.

[@PaperWill]

I really appreciate this comment. It was a huge time sink, but it's easily the video I'm most proud of. Hope you like the next one!

[@daviddickerson9922]

@@PaperWill thank you for doing this respectfully

[@Matthew-oi6kz]

In my opinion, I think you handled this with the PERFECT amount of respect.

[@PaperWill]

Appreciate it, Matt!

[@craycraywolf6726]

Agreed!

[@kieranwastaken6433]

I was born post 9/11, and although I understood the tragedy, for the longest time it felt so disconnected. One year on 9/11, a teacher showed us a documentary. It was supposed to be about fire fighters but it occurred during 9/11. As such we saw inside the towers, we saw the streets, and the collapse of the towers. I cried at this because it gave me a look from the point of view of someone who was there. Only then did it truly sink in, the true weight and tragedy finally connected to me.

[@vulpes7079]

Was that the one by the Naudet brothers? It had the same effect on me, to be honest

[@reneesimpson7094]

This was a wonderful video! You are a very talented creator. I’ve only watched two so far but I’m going to keep going. ❤Thanks for your thoughtful and thought provoking video!

[@ZimVader-0017]

The Oculus [8:46] game reminded me of a book I'm reading about surviving disasters, be natural or human made, that was recommended by the police officer who was teaching us active shooter drills. In one of the chapters, the author interviewed a 9/11 survivor, and her experience was that she and everyone else on her floor were basically robots following the instructions of previous training exercises they had gone through (obviously, that previous training had been the average "in case of an office fire" type of training). She said that it was an unnatural calm, and her hind mind kept telling her that the explosions was just that someone had made the printer explode and that she was going to be back in her office cubicle in a couple of minutes while that was resolved. They just calmly and orderly made their way down the stairwell, and it wasn't until she was in the lobby and she saw the giant pieces of rubble right outside the glass doors that it finally clicked and she went into trauma/survival mode. In those last couple of minutes, she "lost" her eyesight, a normal response the brain has during survival mode and she had to be walked to the exit by a coworker whom she has never met. She only remembers a soft female voice and a firm hand guiding her by the shoulder. She didn't really process the whole experience until MONTHS later. It's amazing how the human brain works and reacts to situations. You see people always saying what they would do and wouldn't do in such situations, but the fact of the matter is that you simply don't know how your brain will react.

[@fourkz]

The comment about how people might not understand how impactful 9/11 was really hit hard. I was born in 2004, years after the attack, and that already rings true. When I was a kid, being dragged along to remembrance events I thought, “what’s the point? It was years ago, why can’t we move on?” and I didn’t have any empathy for it because I was just a kid, hearing the same stories over and over about what happened over a decade prior and half a continent away. I guess the recency didn’t hit me, since many times I would compare it with things like The Titanic or the Holocaust, being confused since it seemed so insignificant in comparison, but that was just because I only had hindsight. I wasn’t alive when it happened, so of course I’d treat it the same as the other tragedies I had heard of.

[@hylianmango8272]

Tbh idrc

[@cxx23]

Sorry I'm late. What's crazy is that the holocaust was also not that long ago when we were kids.

[@kevincloud574]

@@hylianmango8272 tbh gfy

[@Red1676]

@@hylianmango8272 grow up.

[@CreeperCart]

@@hylianmango8272 what is the point of that reply. Honestly, tell me. Some people...

[@Ashley_dear]

Ngl, I was not expecting to get so involved with this video. I’m very impressed with this

[@yvs707]

This was solid! Very well written, and you wrapped it up in a good way.

[@TiredCapybara]

As a US middle eastern person who was a child during 9/11 and grew up in the shadow of the attacks, I really appreciate how you tackled how people reacted post 9/11. There was a sense of unity, but only towards some people. Middle easterners (or those perceived as such) were met with a lot of bigotry and abuse, and war. The consequences of the US's response and sentiments towards middle easterners post 9/11 are still being felt to this day, nearly 22 years on. Amazing video on an incredibly fascinating topic, seeing how people end up reacting to mass tragidies and how community and ideas form in the shadow of said tragedy has always been a point of interest for me. This extends to media made based off of tragedy. This video handled a sensitive topic with the grace and detail that it deserves.

[@LOKSTED]

War was completely justified when Afghanistan refused to hand over Bin Laden. The country was a terrorist breeding ground with the Taliban authority enforcing backward religious rules You’re not suggesting we should have let it go, right?

[@R3SerialDreams2]

Born in 1997. On 9/11 I was only a month and 9 days from turning 4, the only memory I have of it is sitting on my dad's knee while he had the TV feed pulled up on his PC (during the time of physical cable TV, there were some PCI/PCI-Express cards that would allow you to plug a cable line into your PC and get TV) and seeing the second plane hit. I had no idea what was going on, I remember genuinely asking him if it was an accident, and I think the only thing he said was "No." I have nothing but disdain for anyone who condemns an entire group for the actions of a crazed few, and I'm grateful that I was able to grow up around so many different cultures that would give me such valuable insight.

[@tbird81]

Middle Easterners, particularly those from Iran, Palestine (not that that's even a thing), Iraq, Yemen, were dancing in the street saying Allah wants blood or something.

[@darkdest6664]

@@tbird81 Source? bec iv NEVER seen or heard of that story. And dont give me the "BS" that you were there, unless you have sources, STFU

[@lucianablume3801]

I wasn’t around in 2001 and I haven’t ever really felt the impact of 9/11, I was only ever able to acknowledge the horrible events from an emotional distance. That being said, in a weird way this video gave me a lot of insight into it. Great video man!

[@PaperWill]

I'm really glad to hear people born after 9/11 enjoyed this. I mentioned this in another comment, but the truth is, its your generation that really had to deal with the worst of the aftermath. Sorry we didn't do better for you.

[@crazyminegamer2339]

Totally! Seeing some of the gameplay of [8:46] gave me some idea of what happened - and this is coming from span Aussie who’s never laid a foot on foreign soil, so I’ve never even had a reason to care about it. It isn’t a part of my countries history and it happened before I was born so it’s hard to find any value in showing some invested interest in it.

[@queenvagabond8787]

I was a young adult at the time. So weird to think how long ago it was now. I remember being worried as I (rightly) predicted that a result of such an attack would be an increase in paranoia, racism, an increased surveillance state and the curtailing of the rights of citizens. That, in-fact, those terrorists would be allowed to succeed in their goal - to create terror in the populace and in western governments. It was officially the true end of the greatest decade - the 1990s. Well, when I say 'greatest,' I am of course ignoring the terrible sexism, racism, homophobia and transphobia that was just taken as given back then... but also it was a decade when Queer voices were really starting to be heard again, and interesting novel concepts of gender expression and theory were being coined. It was the decade where the internet was the anarchic brave new world where anything seemed possible. the 11th of September was the catalyst that started the downfall of that situation and began what would lead to the 'walled garden' internet of web 2.5/3.0....

[@coastercloudy]

I was born early 07 and ive been to the museum u should try to go so much info

[@teddybearable]

@@PaperWill I was born in 2002 in Australia, so I've never really seen 9/11 as having anything to do with my life, though I've always known it was a world-changing event. Seeing the footage of the empathy simulator along with your incredibly vivid description made me tear up. This is such an interesting video, thank you for making it :)

[@TWPO]

10/10 video on a very difficult to approach subject. You nailed it.

[@LITTLE1994]

I remember some video games made before 9/11 did show the Twin Towers in plain view, and they stopped since. But I never knew about THIS.

[@ChadVanHalen5150]

A similar topic from a similar point of time was the Columbine game phenomenon, it's weird how edgy flash games became the go to trauma response for early 2000s kids

[@queenvagabond8787]

yeah, Columbine happened in my last year of school, only a few years before that, the Dunblane massacre happened at a school in Scotland (where I grew up) and it completely changed gun ownership rules in the UK. I found it hard to believe that a similar tragedy would prompt almost no changes at the federal level in the US, and its crazy that 20-odd years later, and after many more horrific school shootings, still nothing has changed :/

[@jacklynbrown1768]

Don't forget Pico's school was released like a month after Columbine, that's why I mostly hate the game, such poor taste

[@brown-eyedcheese5440]

@@queenvagabond8787 as a us citizen: it is not at all surprising unfortunately. the us government is deep in the pockets of groups like the NRA (national rifle association). if after sandy hook (a school shooting where young, rich, white children died) there was no change, there will never be change.

[@bradenpetty3828]

@QueenVagabond guns are important in american society. Even at this point if the government tried to take them (which they shouldnt, its our 2nd amendment right to bear arms) only law abiding citizens would give them up and comply, which leaves the criminals, people you dont want to have a gun to begin with, a major advantage over their victims who recently gave away their ability to defend themselves. The amount of guns per person in america is insane already, cant remember off the top of my head what it is exactly and would be unpractical to attempt to have them be turned in or even registered.

[@derpydino17]

@@jacklynbrown1768It was actually released 2 weeks after.

[@redwolf6213]

What I like about these games is that they feel like a time capsule for the emotions on the times. Though these games are can be mostly hateful, it will help future generations know the pain people felt on that day. I was born in 1997 and was a toddler when the event happened. So seeing these games as an adult is creepy yet very enlightening.

[@PaperWill]

That's an interesting point I hadn't considered. While some of the games are in pretty bad taste, it's also true that they represented the feelings of people at the time.

[@SpaceKebab]

but stvc is a 45 year old that talks like a 14 year old so make of it what you will

[@RabbidTribble]

This was a far more nuanced video than I expected and I think it’s fantastic

[@scott9594]

Excellent work! Subscribed :)

[@cameraman9016]

These videos are so high quality, you should definitely be bigger

[@PaperWill]

We'll see! I'm pretty thrilled with 1k subscribers, honestly haha.

[@_.Dylan._]

@@PaperWill 1k in a month is not bad but if more people see these videos more will sub because they’re great fucking videos haha

[@PaperWill]

@@_.Dylan._ Here's hoping! My long-term goal for the channel, by the end of 2020, is 10k subscribers. Hopefully we can get there by December!

[@prince_nocturne]

I need to share my personal anecdote. I lived in Western New York, near Buffalo, in 2001. I was a sophomore in high school. Right next to Niagara Falls, which the powerplant there provides power for 2/3 of the state, at least at the time, potentially a prime target for an attack. It was also near an Air Force Base. I heard the fighter jets flying over my school later that day, counted the military helicopters that morning before I knew what was happening. It was... numbing... and terrifying. Fast forward five years. I'm working at a theater. The year Flight 93 was released, the movie about the flight that the passengers fought back and crashed in the field. I used to do this pitch for people to get membership cards in the theater before the movie previews starts. Then the previews starts. And everyone hears those words. "I think we're being hijacked." Dead silence. The atmosphere was so thick it was actually hard to breathe. Everyone still felt it. It was still a fresh wound, and those words were all it took to open them up again. No one knew what to make of the fact there was this movie. It was 5 years, and even the makers were unsure if it was enough time, but they made it. I never watched the movie, and I never will. Not out of spite, or outrage. I just... don't want to live in that time again. To feel that pain again. I knew people that were volunteer fire fighters that went to help with the cleanup and came back... changed. Like they lost something in the rubble they can never get back. I don't know if it's ever long enough for people that lived through it. But at the same time... the stories should be told. The events should never be forgotten. It's a tricky subject.

[@MomMom4Cubs]

I'm a Rochesterian, and shit got real when they evacuated RG&E and Rochester Tel(where my mother worked), along with the skyscrapers. I won't watch United 93 for the same reasons. May they all rest in peace.

[@JulianWilson03]

This is an incredible analysis good job!

[@equableartist2295]

I think you went about this very well kudos thanks for all this great info

[@geileskind64]

I remember loving newgrounds as a kid and i remember even in years like 2006 the amount of osama binladen games and looking back its weird realizing why they were there

[@miamaria7397]

A significant difference between Dorothy Gibson's Titanic film and the torture games is that Gibson was retelling something she went through first-hand, and there was no interactive way for the audience to take revenge on the enemy (which isn't even a person).

[@Vuer89]

Great work, sir. Very informative, tactful and respectful

[@lordblazer]

this was an incredible video essay. thank you for your presentation

[@FelineBlue]

Really interesting video. I was born April 2001 so I was only a few months old when it happened. Being a literal infant (and also not being American), I never saw the reactions or immediate aftermath of the attack, so this was an interesting look into the thoughts of average people immediately following. I did however grow up in the world in the years afterwards, and one thing that this video made me realise is that I have no way of understanding how it would have felt to see a huge attack like this for what would have been the first time for most people. As I grew up, I saw terrorist attacks so often in the news that I _got used to it._ Seeing mass murder was such a frequent occurrence in my youth that it stopped being shocking to me at some point. If that isn't an indicator that the war on terror was fruitless, then I don't know what is. I guess that game creator was right - trying to solve terrorism through more violence is pointless.

[@XOFInfantryman]

Uhh Not American here either No its not, i got way different message. One that gave off vibe of self righteous "better than others" bs

[@kitty3257]

I found your channel via a Reddit post and I'd just like to say how impressed I am with the research and, for this particular video, respect that you put into your work. Keep it up man, you really deserve more attention! You've certainly earned my sub :)

[@PaperWill]

Thanks Kitty. Early on I figured that while I can't really compete with production value of big channels, it doesn't cost a dime to research a few hundred hours.

[@train_dude_youtube9]

7:28 bro the emotion in will’s voice sounds like he was about to burst into tears! This guy deserves his respect for his content

[@buzinessdog]

such a well researched and written video. props

[@alisondenu5317]

In late 1979, going almost all the way into early 1981, there was an Iranian hostage crisis. This was the era when arcade video games were at their absolute peak of popularity, and home computers were beginning to sell like hotcakes by people who were into video games. When the hostage crisis was in full swing, there must have been a hundred different Space Invader clones that all had some sort of Ayatollah theme.

[@MrPooleish]

I remember playing these games in the months and years after 9/11 on school computers. I didn't realize it at the time, but I absorbed the worst messages from these games, and it took years to undo the damage some of these games did.

[@nerd2814]

Glad you came around and realised what these messages are and undid the damage - some never realise, which is the most terrifying of all.

[@JDoe-gf5oz]

Muh trauma from playing silly video games!

[@Tavares0709]

​@@JDoe-gf5ozWhat's your point? Can't a man recognize that the media he consumed was flawed and regret that he once held those views to heart, can't he change, must he always believe what his peers say, I say you are an Idiot, even in trolling.

[@wildfire9280]

@@JDoe-gf5oz Muh we have to kill random people in endless wars for profit

[@TickingClocks]

​@@JDoe-gf5ozCrackhead

[@Factual_thot]

Good job. Excellent commentary

[@LazarusSpeaks]

Knowing youtube, I'm surprised they didn't censor half the things you said. I thought you would have to at LEAST censor Osamas name. Good video. Never knew about any of this

[@claukhatib]

Brad taeste in music bought me here, great video dude, you really caried a heavy topic with respect and professionalism. I was 2 years old and in California when 9/11 happened, my family moved from south america to america a few moths before 9/11. Sadly my last name is iranian, and my father was between jobs when it all happened. After it, my father wasnt abble to get a job and was afraid of everything because of the discrimination. My family ended up leaving the country and going back from where we came from. Those were dark times for middle eastern people and immigrants.

[@PaperWill]

I'm so sorry that happened to you. The idea that we were all unified in the face of terrorism was, ultimately, a lie. We were unified in fear. I'd like to think the US has gotten better, but who knows. By the way, where did Brad send you from?

[@claukhatib]

@@PaperWill I Sadly think not, police brutality, racism, conspiracy theories, and cult like fanatism to political figures are bigger or the same as they were before. But things can get better. He posted here on youtube, pretty sure that if you go to his chanel and go to his post tab you will find it

[@thecolorpurple4807]

@@claukhatib I’m sorry. holy fuck holy fuckin fuck the body of yours is lightning before the thunder.

[@astrofox2409]

At around 7:30 in the video, where you mention an interview with a dev of Trade Center Defender, I felt my heart sink as I stopped to think about the past two decades of American Occupation in the Middle East. When we pulled out in 2021, only a few months after the publication of this video and nearly twenty years after 9/11, Afghanistan just fell seemingly overnight. It felt as if those two decades were just meaningless - like we were only trying to delay an inevitable. I was born in the year 2000 and trying to wrap my mind around the fact that we've been there for as long as I have been alive still doesn't quite click. It became a norm, a cultural and societal expectation for you to just hear about it on the news every evening and to see the trope of a soldier returning for the holidays every Christmas.

[@angeline6477]

I was thinking about that as I watched the video too. I was born in 02, so the war in Afghanistan literally lasted my entire childhood. It was such a normalized yet faraway (and, in the end, pointless) thing.

[@directedbystal]

same bro

[@insanevictor]

Just stumbled upon this video. Don’t know how, but it was so well made and delivered! Thank you!

[@looneytoastywolf]

Damn i never knew about these games on NGs, its like a time capsule of the feelings of those times ( of course i wasnt on newgrounds when i was that young and the wildness of 9/11 going on..) but wow this was wild to learn all this! Amazing vid Now I DO REMEMBER THAT SIMULATOR GAME i saw it a bit when it first came out but never alot of the gameplay then i forgot about it after so many years till this vid wow thats the most ive seen of it! but wow, that gave me shivers... Dang Also yes you handled this with tons of respect :)

[@MyHairIsAbnormal]

I was sick and home from school the day that it happened (I was in 4th grade). My dad left the news on TV as he took my mom to work and I remember watching the entire thing play out. He drove home after it had happened and jokingly asked what he had missed in the news (he assumed that I had changed the channel). He was totally oblivious and when I told him that the Trade Center was hit by planes, he didn't believe me. That was until he came into the living room and saw the TV for himself. He was completely speechless at first and then immediately called a relative that we had in NYC to see if he was OK (he worked right by the WTC). He didn't respond to the calls until hours later and it turned out that he was fine and had not been in the area when it occurred. The idea that such a significant act of terrorism could happen here was well beyond shocking at that time. I was very young and only kind of realized what was happening, but it wasn't long before I saw the societal impacts that it had. The weight of the disaster slowly dawned on me over the next few years and to this day, I am deeply disturbed by both the event itself (I can't make myself rewatch a lot of that footage anymore) and the frightening impact that it had on our society. I grew up in a pretty left-wing town, but all over there was an increased sense of anti-Muslim prejudice. As for games and stuff like that... I remember a handfull of poorly made games that came out in the wake of the disaster (though I don't think any of the ones that you mentioned were among them). I mostly found them on newgrounds and mofunzone. I remember seeing other symbolic manifestations of the anger that many people were feeling. My mom had a friend that we visited every now and then who had a dart board of bin Laden's face that had knives sticking out of it. You saw similar stuff featuring G.W. Bush too where I lived when the Iraq War got underway. He's been getting a pass as a friendly old guy who paints mediocre portraits in the past few years, but I mean... he was a war criminal, so...

[@yaoimandel1293]

I was 9 on 9/11/01 and I remember being more upset that recess was canceled because I was a dumb child that was unable to grasp just how serious the situation was.

[@FelineBlue]

I wouldn't say that made you a dumb child, I don't think anyone that young would have been capable of fully comprehending what happened that day.

[@belstar1128]

Yea i was 6 back then i just wanted to watch cartoons but there was a special news broadcast.

[@DarkMagickan]

​@@belstar1128Stupid TV stations, interrupting cartoons for breaking news. How dare they?

[@silentbanana209]

This made me sad. Great video!

[@JordanSullivanadventures]

Fascinating. I'd love to watch a video about your research process

[@DiamondFireX]

This was very powerful, thank you for putting so much time and emotion into it

[@PaperWill]

Thanks for watching, Diamond. It was definitely a rough ride putting this together, but I'm proud of the end result.

[@juliarhodejacobs]

Humans are the most remarkably gifted and remarkably flawed of all the species.

[@PaperWill]

Truth

[@gamingwithastranger3358]

Bro this was a really good video I really loved it

[@lect0n7]

For me, it was the beginning of my High School Junior year. I had a dentist’s appointment at like 11am, so I stayed outta school that day…I remember, after watching enough of it, I needed to do something to get my mind off of it, so I went to my bedroom…and I was playing _Counterstrike_ & of the probably 6 different servers I joined, there was people in each of the games with names like _Osama bin Laden_ so, gamers around that time definitely had a dark obsession with what went on there…

[@HarlanDaleAbsher]

As somebody who was 11 years old on that fateful day and saw everything go down on TV at school, I think you did a very good job covering this topic and were very respectful

[@thespread]

The transition between the reaction shots just after 2:53 is really powerful. Well done.

[@PaperWill]

No joke, I've been watching basic transition tutorials in my freetime to get better editing in my stuff. Thanks for noticing.

[@Knightmessenger]

4:00 so another aspect of the Grandfather Killed backstory that doesn't check out is that he supposedly fell from the observation deck. The planes hit before the regularly scheduled time of the deck opening.

[@BertrandRussell2]

Controlled Demolition. The Towers were built with the plan for them to be demolished. Bush graduated yale in 1968. 911 became the calling code for emergencies in 68. Construction on the towers started in 68. New York Jets won their only superbowl in 68. Israeli shekel had two towers and a plane in 68.

[@MrMatt_2023]

Thank you. Almost didn't watch as I ... well, it just was weird. You provided your audience (..me) with a very thoughtful history of... Lord knows what, but a piece of Americana that was startling to discover, and rewarding to listen to and try to understand. You did a great job. Again, just, thank you. You are a brave soul. Keep it up.

[@skyepilot4074]

I was born after 9/11 and I always felt such a disconnect from it since there's been so much terrorism everywhere and I knew about all the xenophabia that people experienced afterwards. Your video though helped to remind me how devastating it was especially when you mentioned 8 : 46.

[@boomerangmonkey8263]

I was born two years after it and I know the disconnect you feel. In my experience, it's harder to feel the greef when I wasn't there, but I DO feel it.

[@mistertwister2000]

I remember on the SleepyCast podcast Chris O’Neil (OneyNG) talked about how he made a game where you control the plane that hits one of the towers. He mentioned that he didn’t mean it maliciously, he was just a kid who didn’t know how to process it and his first response was to make an edgy remake of it, something the other members of the podcast seemed to sympathize with

[@seansmith6255]

Newgrounds was (and still kinda is) an experience

[@clowneryjohnson5208]

Not surprising tbh

[@TheeSlickShady]

Very well presented Great vid; I subbed 👍🏼

[@DexFighter-jb2hx]

OMG this is this first time watching you and it was the best

[@cinnaboofid8193]

This is one of the most interesting videos I've ever watched on the platform, and I think you did an excellent job handling the material with care, without being TOO sensitive.

[@alligatorghost]

I love coming across videos about concepts I've never seen anyone talking about before. Thank you for your work, your respect, and for going through all that footage you poor thing please take care of yourself

[@sleeplessmaniac09]

Never heard of u til this video but I’m subbing

[@hammerbroseph]

I found this video to be quite inciteful, Paper Will! You _did_ treat the subject with the appropriate sensitivity. Considering that the people who made these games _witnessed_ the events unfold on live television for many weeks, they felt the need to convey their bitter feelings to the public, receiving support from those who could relate. Some of these games carried out the messages in unnecessary fashions, while others were thought-provoking, and weren't made to laugh off what is clearly a horrific tragedy. Nowadays, people have made so many Tik Toks and memes parodying 9/11, but I wonder if any of them have good intentions, or just exist for clout. I think it's the latter, but I hope there are _some_ well-intentioned people out there. Thanks for the interview, Paper Will! God bless you! ~ Hammer Broseph 5/14/2023

[@grittygoombah]

i deeply appreciate the care and attention you brought to this piece. you manage to discuss the topic with respect and nuance. thank you for this, i will always look forward to seeing more work from you.

[@raegregory630]

(i know this video is a year old. oops.) i can’t believe i just found this channel by happenstance. i just binged every single video you have on your channel and you are so well-spoken and clearly research so carefully and throughly. i truly respect the insane amount of work you put into these videos and can’t WAIT to see what else you do here. big ups, truly. this is good stuff and so up my alley it’s bonkers.

[@edwardcole4623]

You just gave me a comparison i never would of thought have on my own

[@7KVexus]

Dude... Thank you! I love you so much for this! Ive been saying this for years about Titanic AND 9/11. They are similar in many ways.

[@bransay3594]

PaperWill I can't express how well made this video is. My heart was down in my throat and I felt like crying my eyes out after finishing it. I thought I was coming into a video making fun of these games or playing through them. But this video had an entirely deeper meaning and was emotional for me. I never got to experience any of these emotions during the attack but this video is making me realize the pain these people went through. I never got to experience any of this yet my remorse for the people who died that day is immeasurable. Even though this video was about games I probably learned more about it then I ever had. Thank you PaperWill for deeply strengthening my understanding for this tragedy. Never Forget.

[@That-Google-Guy]

Wow man this was an amazing watch- you definitely approached it with sufficient respect. I remember going through that time in my late teens and all the blind violence and anger out in the world. Catharsis comes in many forms. I had no idea about empathy emulators that’s a whole thing I now need to explore

[@-WAY.AMP-]

Fr tho, I’m loving these videos; can’t wait for another one to come out! (We should play some vrchat more often lol) -LightShoes Highly doubt you remember me tho

[@kingjoestradamus]

This has been on my recommended for a week

[@crusaderkaiser2000]

I think you handled the subject perfectly. You really opened my mind to what games (and how games) could and should be made when processing such an important event in our countries history.

[@derekboi6375]

The editing, commentary, and analysis in this video is amazing! Keep up the good work, and I already know you are going to be large soon

[@PaperWill]

We'll see! Thanks Derek.

[@emjayajenightbloom6153]

Will, you earned a new subscriber with this video. Brilliantly structured, thoughtful, well-researched and presented - this is what other content creators should strive for. I've been fascinated by the Titanic tragedy since I was in 4th grade, and I was in my 20s on 9/11/01, but I never really considered the parallels between how both events were handled in the way that you explored here. I remember that September day and its aftermath very well, and even remember seeing one or two of the Newgrounds games you mentioned at the time. There was a sort of reckoning for the United States in those days and weeks: the mottos "United We Stand" and "Don't let the terrorists win!" were too-often coupled with hate crimes against Americans who were perceived as "terrorists" because of their appearance or culture, and calls to "go over and bomb them," even before anyone really knew who "them" was. It was made even more complex once the War On Terror began and included Iraq. Anyway, just wanted to share this to let you know that you were spot-on in your analysis and presentation, at least in my opinion.

[@PaperWill]

I'm glad you liked it, and thanks for the sub.

[@Volfeinstein]

Hey Paper Will this video unlocked a whole memory from my childhood. Ik you will nvr read this but just wanna get it out of my chest. At around 2009 or 2010 I remember playing a flash game about going into a cave of sorts to kill some Osama’s security militia and if you end up defeating them you get to torture Osama himself in the end. I was only 7 barely had any understanding of the attack. But it definitely made me curious and i ended up asking my parents about it after which they removed the game from my pc. I Just wanna thank u for the video and for making me remember of a long lost memory.

[@aaronbarrett6464]

Heavy stuff man. Thank you for this video. I feel you were extremely respectful and did a great job. I hope you took some time after finishing to unwind and relax.

[@PaperWill]

Sure am, taking 2-3 days off to binge BotW and finally watching some shows I've wanted to catch up on. Thanks!

[@PlaylistGeneral]

The torture games you mentioned were especially worrying as a genre because they're one of the few types of art that I REALLY wouldn't want kids exposed to. I remember playing a lot of these in my adolescence and really enjoying them. Something about them had an inexplicable appeal to me and in hindsight that's a REALLY fucking scary thought for your kid to have. Luckily I eventually figured out the appeal was due to emotional issues and me enjoying dominating people (IN A CONSENSUAL AND SAFE MANNER), but holy fuck imagine the amount of kids that walked away from those games and thinking "huh I guess I enjoy torturing things and hurting people." Fucking scary. Great video btw, I nearly didn't click because many others would cover this topic with minimal effort, but you really handled it in a delicate way - you have a sub from me!

[@PaperWill]

It's tricky. All the way up until the mid 2000s, there was a serious push against games being violent by some politicians and the media. Jack Thompson was the face of that movement, although certainly not the only activist. As a result, a lot of gamers grew up with a built-in reflex against "Games make kids violent!" arguments. And for the most part, they're right, most kids aren't going to play GTA3 and then go out and shoot a bunch of people. But maybe we're at a point where we can have a nuanced discussion about impressionability of kids and violence in interactive media. We can protect games as an art while still having good-faith looks at the impact of interactive violence on young kids, if there is any. I'd love to make a video about this, but I wonder if it'd just be beating a dead horse. Oh and thanks for the sub!

[@PlaylistGeneral]

@@PaperWill I think the best way to approach the discussion is to level the playing field and accept that maybe ALL types of media can influence people to act in different ways. I wouldn't say the problem is with the art - it's usually with the person who interprets it. A lot of darker alt-rock 90's music like Nine Inch Nails and Marylin Manson was blamed for inciting the Columbine Massacre and I don't think those takes are entirely invalid. That darker, self-destructive kind of media is meant to be introspective and explores concepts of self-destruction and misery to find meaning - but I can totally see some kids listening to The Downward Spiral and taking its messaging literally as "god is dead. everything is shit. your life is meaningless. kill yourself." The problem isn't AT ALL with the art itself but the way people process it and take meaning from it. And probably also how those kids parents talked to their kids about what that art meant. Same with games imo - you can totally play Postal 2 at a young age and think "the murder is wrong, but I see no problem with the way people talk to each other here. They're all dicks, they deserve each other's misery." Sorry I wrote a mini-essay here, the topic itself is so interesting to me that your response got me excited about talking about it! Keep it up! XD

[@mattwolf7698]

​@@PaperWill I think it's also the person, Some people are just more susceptible to violence from a mental standpoint and if their home life was bad or if they were bullied will also play a part in this. If someone has all that going on, I could see them getting rather obsessed with edgy/dark media. Now I'm not saying only people who do this will like that media (Also, the crime rate was high in the 70's-early 90's when violent video games were hardly a thing), I was never bullied and had an excellent home life and still ended up loving metal and GTA but maybe some kids who don't feel loved would take the media more literally, granted I'd think this would still only happen with a hand full of cases to the point where it would start causing problems. That said, while I think most kids would be fine playing it, I don't really think elementary schoolers need to be playing something like GTA, granted I think waiting until you are 17 like the ESRB wants you too is kinda crazy, most 14 or even 13 year olds could probably handle GTA well (I did.)

[@Hutch2Much]

you treated this matter really respectfully in an educational manner. great video :)