Postal series

Platforms: PC, Mac
Publisher: Ripcord Games, Panasonic, 1995; Whiptail Interactive, 2003
Developer: Running With Scissors

Postal arrived in 1995 on the Mac but really didn't seriously make waves until its PC release in 1997 as a third-person action game. This was the year that even game reviewers referred to the game as "a little disturbing." GameSpot's review began, "It's finally happened. The game that will make the entire Christian Coalition explode in an immense mushroom cloud of religious fervor is finally here. Mortal Kombat can't touch its hemoglobin content. The teenage hijinks of the much-denounced Night Trap are nothing compared to the all-out psychopathic killing spree of Postal. Even Carmageddon isn't quite in its league of violence."

The premise is simple: The player character comes home to find his house repossessed and, to make an innocuous descriptor an egregious adjective, goes "postal," killing everything that moves.

The controversy is no mystery.

Upon the game's 1997 release, retailers and the public protested madly. According to GameSpot news, the game was banned in 10 countries and "blacklisted" in the US. Vince Desi, the lead designer at Running With Scissors, appeared on televised debates and confronted the media at every opportunity and even debated the governor of Arkansas following a school shooting in that state. But the public wasn't the only detractor. The US Postal Service filed suit against the developer for allegedly damaging the organization's image. In June 2003, the case was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it was settled or discontinued without the opportunity to bring the case before a court again. There was no word on what type of settlement was reached between the organizations.

By May 1998, the headlines started again. GameSpot reported that an eighth-grade student from Half Moon Bay, California, had been suspended for writing a school essay he titled "Goin' Postal," perhaps after the video game, or more likely after the common phrase used to describe a situation in which a gunman or gunwoman takes his or her angst out on an unsuspecting public audience, usually of coworkers. The situation is deemed "postal" due to the alarming number of postal workers who did this in the late 1980s. In the eighth-grader's essay, the fictional character killed a policeman and two school faculty members, including the principal. Here's the essay:

The Postal series has always been irreverent.

"Goin' Postal 7:50 AM Martin has showered and has clean clothes on, and is now getting ready for school. He finds his shoes under his desk and puts them on, as well as his belt and hat taken off the coat rack. And then, the moment he's been goin over in his head as to whether or not to follow through with. He opens up his bottom drawer, sifts through his clothes and finds it. A spring shoulder holster, leather holster and leather straps, easily concealable by a jacket. And next to the holster, a loaded Smith & Wess 9-mm. automatic pistol, bought from a friend for $20, $10 for the ammo. He hesitated for a second, but then grabbed the holster and strapped on over his T-shirt, adjusting it a bit for comfort. He then grabbed the pistol, checked to make sure it was loaded, and slid it in the holster. He grabbed his coat and put it on, checked to make sure it was noticeable, and left for school.

"8:20 AM Martin arrives at his school and looks around to see what going on. After he's done checking for cops, he heads straight for the office, waving to a few friends as he passes them by. After what seems like an eternity, he finally reaches the door to the office. He takes one deep breath, draws his gun, and kicks open the door. The first thing he notices is a cop visiting the school. He takes aim as the pig turns around, eyes wide with fright. BAM! The pigs brains are splattered against the back wall. He looks to the right and sees the vice-principal hiding behind his desk. Martin takes one second to guess where the principal's head is, and BAM! Martin guessed right. And now, the moment he's been waiting for a long time. He heads straight for the principals office and busts in with his gun blasting. He hits the principal seven times before the principal drops, dead before he hits the ground. Martin hears a sound behind and begins to turn around. Yet it is too late. The cops partner, who was outside a minute ago has knocked Martin to the ground. The pig cuffs him and drives him to the police station. And yet Martin is smiling blissfully, because, you see having done away with the two people he hated most, Martin finally feels at peace."