After a press conference following the tragedy at Sandy Hook where the NRA spokesperson villainized “vicious, violent video games” and other forms of media as the cause for this travesty. The NRA has released their own FPS gem for iOS. The NRA licensed title NRA: Practice Range, puts players in multiple practice scenarios with different weapons.
The NRA is not the only organization to villify gaming. They are the only one I know of to call out an industry and then utilize it for marketing as well.
The game isn’t violent by any measure, you’re simply blasting targets, but I do think it’s important to differentiate what you’re actually practicing with vs. what the average gun owner would use. The only weapon available for free in the outdoor range is an M-16 which is semi-automatic instead of full-auto. The weapons you can purchase are an: AK-47, MK11, Dragunov SVD, or an AWM. This game, meant to educate your standard gun owner, and give people practice with target shooting, is therefore packed with guns that the average person would not own. I was relieved to see a handgun in the indoor range and a shotgun for skeet shooting, at least it makes sense somewhere. I suppose someone would take an M16 onto a golf course to shoot flying targets.
The NRA needs to figure out their message and find a different scapegoat, if gaming was responsible for the mindset of people willing to commit horrible crimes, then I would have been a mass murderer years ago. On another note, the NRA game might be the most boring shooter I’ve ever played. You’d be better off downloading something with some story and maybe violence.