Skip to main content

Long read: The beauty and drama of video games and their clouds

"It's a little bit hard to work out without knowing the altitude of that dragon..."

If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

Postal fan launches attack

On Moscow synagogue.

Controversial Running With Scissors title Postal is in the news again after a man who is said to be a fan of the game launched an attack on worshippers at a Moscow synagogue.

According to Russian news site Pravda, 20 year old Alexander Koptsev entered the building yesterday at about 5.30pm and launched an assault which left eight people injured. Four of those hurt were taken to hospital and are said to be in a "severe condition."

Koptsev's father told Pravda: "My son has never been a member of any religious or political organisation. I think that he could see all those Nazis, extremists and skinheads only on TV."

The father went on to reveal that his son enjoyed bodybuilding and playing computer games, and it was later stated that his game of choice is Postal. According to Pravda, Koptsev "Was playing computer games a lot. It is not ruled out that the man has committed the crime in the state of temporary insanity because of the games."

Koptsev's father also told newspaper Kommersant that a book he spotted on his son's desk may have something to do with the attack.

""We hardly have any books at home. That is why I asked him what kind of book he was reading," he said.

"He answered that the book was about Jews and how they sold Russia. He did not want to talk about the book with me."

A Rabbi who witnessed the attack said the incident came to an end after Koptsev was seized by a synagogue official. He is now being held by police.

The news comes on the same day that Running With Scissors issued an announcement proudly proclaiming that gamers in all of the countries where Postal is banned, including Australia, New Zealand and Korea, will now be able to get their hands on the game - since it's available online via Softwrap.

"We believe that people have the same right to play any game they want to as they should have the right to read books, see films and listen to music of their choosing," said RWS CEO Vince Desi.

"Our games are ESRB rated and their contents clearly explained. No one is being harmed and the Earth will not spin off its axis because a game with a notorious reputation is sold around the world via the Internet."

Read this next