A new Kickstarter campaign is aiming to help make first-person shooters feel more natural.

There is no denying the draw of first-person shooters in the gaming world. Halo is pretty much an event every time it gets a sequel, Call of Duty will sate your appetite for World War II scenarios, and even Dead Island mostly takes the guns out of the first-person shooter concept. In a world where guns are getting more and more legislated, video games are the only place a gun aficionado can get their fix without hassle.

The Delta Six is a controller that could make police very nervous in the wake of the shootings around the transition between 2012 and 2013. The controller looks much like an assault rifle, potentially giving gamers a more natural feel in first-person shooters. Holding an actual gun could definitely add some realism to the game, provided they make it light-weight enough.

The controller being funded through Kickstarter will have you moving, reloading, zooming in and out, and obviously firing as you make your way through enemy territory.

As previously stated, the Delta Six will likely come under fire if politicians get a wind of it, as what originally required something that barely looked like a weapon (unless you’re Batman) can now be controlled by the use of something that actually looks like a gun. Some scenarios could be considered terrorist training in the wrong context. Imagine a game like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, where you’re literally gunning down airport security with an assault rifle. The real thing wouldn’t be that much different, aside from actual people being shot.

Kickstarter‘s funding page for the Delta Six comes with a video showing how it works, as a woman suits up and then grabs what looks like a real assault rifle, loading a clip into it and aiming at the camera.

What do you think? Is the Delta Six controller from the Kickstarter campaign pushing the first-person shooter controller too far?

Kickstarter Campaign Aims To Make First-Person Shooters Feel More Natural is a post from: The Inquisitr

President Obama on Wednesday announced support for a new ban on military-style assault weapons. Critics are frustrated, saying the term itself is misleading and based on appearance more than purpose.

Jeff Serdy of AJI Sporting Goods in Arizona said:

“The number one myth is these are machine guns. They’re not machine guns. They’re semi-auto, meaning I pull the trigger one time, I get one bullet.”

Serdy is among those who claim the features that identify these guns as “assault” weapons have little to do with how deadly they are, according to FOX News. They feature “a telescoping stock, pistol grip, ability to accept a magazine, and a flash-hider.”  And technically, any weapon capable of dealing physical damage can be used in an assault: That computer monitor, laptop or mobile device you’re looking at could be used in an assault. Serdy said:

“This AR-15 is no more dangerous than this hunting rifle which is used for woodchucks all across the East.”

The ban seems to focus on hand-held projectile weapons capable of holding clips of ten rounds or more.

A statement released Wednesday from the Violence Policy Center says:

“The combination of improved and expanded background checks, effective bans on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines, and stronger anti-trafficking laws will work together to prevent another Newtown and to stem the daily gun violence that tears apart too many families and communities.”

A bill much like what Obama is calling for will apparently see the light of day thanks to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who also pushed a similar ban that expired in 2004.

The new Feinstein bill will also aim the ban toward 120 specific weapons, such as the popular AK-47 usually mentioned in rap music, and AR-15, easily accessorized guns often referred to as the Barbie Doll of guns. The AR-15 is the top selling gun in the US, with nearly 50 percent of users claiming they use it for target shooting.

According to some polls, “Everybody” wants to get rid of “assault weapons”, but nobody really has a clue what that means, says PolyMic.

The editor, Mike Cooper, has challenged many PolicyMic commenters to define the term “assault rifle.”  Not a single person has been able to do it.  This does not surprise him, since there is no such thing as an “assault rifle.”

Since nobody can tell you what an “assault rifle” is, Cooper offers the next best thing. Direct from the text of the the 1994 federal assault weapons ban, rifles meeting the following criteria were banned:

“any semiautomatic rifle with a detachable magazine and at least two of the following five items: a folding or telescopic stock; a pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon; a bayonet mount; a flash suppressor or threaded barrel (a barrel that can accommodate a flash suppressor); or a grenade launcher.”

Semi-automatic rifles aren’t being banned unless they accept over ten rounds per magazines and have not only one but at least two of these seemingly arbitrary features. These extra features are only necessary in a war-time situation, which begs the question of who is getting weapons of that caliber easily enough that we need a civilian ban on them?

What Exactly Makes An Assault Rifle? is a post from: The Inquisitr

The shooting in Connecticut, as well as several others nationwide over the holiday season, has sparked debate among the higher-ups over a topic that has a lot of gun owners outraged. Our government wants to put stricter laws on our usage of guns (in particular, assault rifles).

Two men were seen walking down a Portland street armed with assault rifles, causing quite an outcry among passerby. They told police they were exercising their rights given by the Second Amendment and hoping to educate the public on gun rights. Several calls were made to 911 on Wednesday afternoon, with reports of two men weatring assault rifles on their backs walking through Portland’s Sellwood neighborhood.

The two 22-year-old men, when confronted by police, openly told them that they each possess a valid concealed handgun license in Oregon, according to FOX News.

One of the men, who declined to release his full name, stated:

“Exercising my rights with a rifle to try to decrease the demonizing of peacefully exercising your rights in public.”

The men were identified as Warren Drouin and Steven Boyce Portland in a followup by authorities. Officers informed them that carrying a gun openly is legal in Oregon, as is carrying a concealed gun with a valid license. But doing one or both may generate 911 calls and trigger situations that literally waste police time. They were not arrested due to the passive nature of their display of the weapons, says Oregon Live.

Drouin and Boyce said they were hoping someone would approach them instead of calling the police. One of the men suggested:

“What they really should do is observe the person to determine if the person is aggressive. We’re not doing anything threatening to anyone.”

The Portland Police Bureau still urges anyone to call 911 immediately if they see any suspicious activity involving a gun.

Assault Rifle Owners In Portland Walk The Streets For Gun Rights is a post from: The Inquisitr

Newtown, CT – New and disturbing details are emerging regarding the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting that occurred on Friday morning in Connecticut.

Adam Lanza, 20, shot mother Nancy Lanza multiple times in the head before moving on to Sandy Hook Elementary and gunning down 20 children and six adults. Nancy was killed by 4 shots to the head, while she still lay in bed. Authorities now believe that Lanza took his own life as first responders arrived, reports MSN.

Authorities have, for the first time, officially ID’d Adam Lanza as the shooter, and have ruled his mother’s death a homicide, and his own death a suicide. They also revealed that the Bushmaster AR-15 assault rifle thought to be used in the massacre was indeed his primary weapon, and that he used multiple high-capacity magazines in the attack.

Lanza forced his way into the school by breaking through a window, and opened fire shortly thereafter.

CNN reports that Lanza still had hundreds of rounds of ammunition on his person when he was found, and that he used one of his pistols to take his own life.

“We surmise that it was during the second classroom episode that he heard responders coming and apparently at that, decided to take his own life,” said Governor Dannel Malloy.

A fourth weapon, a shotgun, was apparently left in the car and unused in the attack.

These new weapon-specific details emerge just a day after Chief Medical Examiner Dr. H. Wayne Carver gave details from the autopsies performed on the children and adults gunned down. He said that some of the children were shot as many as 11 times each.

Asked whether the children suffered, Carver said, “If so, not for very long.” Asked how many bullets were fired, Carver said, “I’m lucky if I can tell you how many I found.”

We’re still waiting on a timeline of events leading to the Newtown massacre, questions as to why Nancy Lanza had such a high-powered arsenal in the house, and what experience Adam Lanza had with said firearms. Speed on the investigation has picked up, but we sadly may never know why Adam Lanza did what he did, as authorities have still yet to determine motive.

Sandy Hook Weapon Details Emerge, Nancy Lanza Shot In Head ‘Repeatedly’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

Nancy Lanza, mother of Adam Lanza — the 20-year-old gunman who shot dead 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. on Friday — reportedly took her sons to a shooting range and taught them how to use firearms.

The Daily Telegraph quotes local resident, Dan Holmes, owner of Holmes Fine Gardens, a landscaping firm in Newtown, as saying that Nancy, 52, mother of Adam, 20, and Ryan, 24, was “a big, big gun fan.”

Reportedly, Holmes also said Ms. Lanza once showed him a high-end rifle she had purchased, noting that “she was very proud of it. She loved her guns.”

Similarly, the Denver Post reports that Holmes witnessed Nancy talking about her gun collection at craft beer tastings at the local restaurant and music bar called “My Place.”

“She had several different guns,” said Holmes. “I don’t know how many. She would go target shooting with her kids.”

It’s now understood that Adam Lanza shot his mother in the face at the home they shared, before driving three miles and forcing his way into Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Court records show Mrs. Lanza was divorced from Peter Lanza — now vice president of taxes for GE Energy Financial Services — in 2008.

According to The Denver Post, Adam Lanza’s former high school classmates said they thought Adam had “Asperger’s Syndrome or another developmental disorder.”

The state chief medical examiner has stated that the chief weapon used in the attack was an assault rifle. Reportedly all the victims died of more than one gunshot wound and their deaths have been classified as homicides, The Guardian said.

The Daily Telegraph also notes that the guns Adam Lanza used were “owned by his mother and kept at their home.”

The paper added that:

“Lanza was armed with a Sig Sauer and a Glock handguns, typically capable of firing 15 rounds and 17 rounds each. He also had a Bushmaster assault rifle, capable of firing 30 rounds before needing reloading. A fourth gun was said to have been found in his mother’s car. In all, more than 100 shell casings were found.”

Revelations about Nancy Lanza’s history with guns come after public statements today from the Lanza family.

In Kingston, New Hampshire, a police officer read a statement on behalf of James Champion, the brother of Nancy Lanza, that said: ”Our hearts and prayers are with those who share in this loss.”

The officer continued with an additional statement from Nancy’s mother, Dorothy Champion, that read:

“We reach out to the community of Newtown to express our heartfelt sorrow for the incomprehensible loss of innocents that has affected so many.”

Following the release of the victims’ names, Robbie Parker, 30, father of Emilie Parker, 6, one of the children killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School, released a poignant statement today. That statement (in part) is as follows:

“[...] It is a horrific tragedy and we want everybody to know that our hearts and prayers go out to them. This includes the family of the shooter. My daughter Emilie would be one of the first ones to be standing and giving her love and support to all those victims because that’s the type of person that she is, not because of any parenting that my wife and I could have done, but because those were the gifts that were given to her by her heavenly father [...]“

Describing his daughter as “an incredible person,” Mr Parker then said, “and I’m so blessed to be her dad.”

The Daily Telegraph reports that police are currently investigating a claim that Adam Lanza argued with four school staff members the day before the shooting and that three of these staff members were murdered the next day.

“The fourth was being interviewed by police as officers searched for a motive,” said the Daily Telegraph.

Reportedly, one member of staff switched on the school’s public address system during the attack so that the sounds of gunfire would alert teachers on the premises to the emergency. This action is believed to have prompted a “lockdown” procedure that involved teachers moving children into safe areas.

Dr Janet Robinson, the school superintendent, told news outlets: “A lot of children are alive today because of actions the teachers took.”

As a result of the Sandy Hook horror, recent reports of shootings at an Alabama hospital and an alleged averted tragedy at an Oklahoma High School, the gun law debate is once again front and center of America’s national conversation.

Nancy, Mother of Gunman Adam Lanza, ‘Would Often Go Target Shooting With Her Kids’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

Washington, D.C. – Seth Horvitz was in the market for a new flat-screen television, so he ventured into the Amazon Z-shops to find the best deal. After selecting the item that best suited his budget, Horvitz purchase the TV and waited patiently for his box to arrive. When his snazzy new slice of technology finally shipped, he was shocked to discover he’d received something else in its place.

According to My Fox DC, Horvitz was shipped an Army-style semi-automatic assault rifle, much to his complete and utter surprise. Confused as to what to do next with this unwanted weaponry, Seth decided to phone the local police.

“[Police] were a little confused at first, they’ve never seen anything quite like it,” Horvitz explained. “They just took my information and then said we’ll handle this weapon because it’s illegal to keep here. It’s illegal to transport in a car, so it can’t be returned.”

In order to figure out what happened between the ordering of the television and its scheduled delivery, Horvitz contacted the seller, who seemed a little surprised by the mistake. “When I contacted the seller about it, they denied knowing anything about it,” Horvitz told Wired. “They acted surprised — ‘I’d never owned a gun in my life.’ Amazon shut down their account.”

After doing a little detective work of his own, Horvitz discovered that additional shipping information was located beneath the label containing his home address. UPS, the company that shipped the rifle, had also covered the package with a number of different tracking stickers.

Although the invoice inside the box was addressed to Independence Gun Shop in Duncansville, Pennsylvania, the shop owner is a little perplexed about the situation as well.

“I’m not sure how it happened. We order a lot from the internet, but this is the first time this has ever happened,” the owner explained. “I was more or less the middleman. The guy ordered stuff from the internet, it has to go through an approved federal firearms licensed shop. You verify licenses on both ends, the shipper and the receiver, and you ship the gun to the approved ATF FFL holder.”

Horvitz, meanwhile, just wants his new television.

Man Buys TV From Amazon, Receives Assault Weapon In Its Place is a post from: The Inquisitr

Pendleton, Indiana – A Pendleton, Indiana shooting Thursday night has left two police officers injured, a police dog dead, and killed two civilians (including the suspect).

The Star Press reports the suspect of an overnight shooting in Pendleton, Jim Kenneth Bailey, arrived at the home of his estranged wife, Claudia Bailey, wearing tactical battle gear and opened fire on the neighborhood with an assault rifle. One of Bailey’s bullets wound up fatally injuring John Neal Shull Jr., the owner of a local painting company, as he was sitting in a nearby truck.

Pendleton Police Chief Marc Farrer stated of the victim:

“This is a terrible tragedy for Pendleton. He’s a great guy, a good father. He was just at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Jim Kenneth Bailey then engaged in a shootout with police officers as they arrived on the scene, leaving two officers wounded and killing a police dog. The Pendleton shooting suspect was later found by police, dead of a self-inflicted gunshot.

Police Chief Farrer went on to say:

“All my officers knew the subject who has been shot. I have two officers shot. We’re going on 14 to 16 hours here.”

According to the IndyStar, Bailey’s estranged wife was granted a temporary restraining order the day before, which forbade him from going near her. Court records from Madison County show that Claudia Bailey asked for the temporary restraining order after her husband threatened to hurt her, placed her in fear of physical harm, and stalked her.

Claudia wrote that she responded to her husband’s threat to sit outside her work and shoot everyone walking in by saying:

“I told him he doesn’t even know the people and that’s wrong, and he said he’d let God figure out who was good and bad.”

At this time, Indiana law has no requirement for the defendant in a protective order to surrender their firearms until the case goes to a hearing. Kerry Hyatt Blomquist, legal director of the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, stated that the Pendleton shooting should be seen as a reason to tighten Indiana’s lax gun laws. Police involved in the incident reported that Bailey had opened fire on officers with an assault rifle.

Kerry Hyatt Blomquist stated:

“I understand that who can predict who can and will become a mass murderer, but by God, we can stop giving them to the tools. Look at Columbine, look at Aurora, look at Pendleton, Indiana.”

Do you think that the Pendleton shooting, along with the recent shooting in Aurora, Colorado, show that our country is too relaxed when it comes to gun control?

Pendleton Shooting Suspect With Assault Rifle Leaves Two Injured, Three Dead is a post from: The Inquisitr