Judge Posner on Killing Zombies

November 1st, 2010

Truer words have never been printed in a reported opinion.

AMERICAN AMUSEMENT MACHINE ASSOCIATION v. KENDRICK:

Most of the video games in the record of this case, games that the City believes violate its ordinances, are stories.   Take once again “The House of the Dead.” The player is armed with a gun-most fortunately, because he is being assailed by a seemingly unending succession of hideous axe-wielding zombies, the living dead conjured back to life by voodoo.   The zombies have already knocked down and wounded several people, who are pleading pitiably for help;  and one of the player’s duties is to protect those unfortunates from renewed assaults by the zombies.   His main task, however, is self-defense.   Zombies are supernatural beings, therefore difficult to kill.   Repeated shots are necessary to stop them as they rush headlong toward the player.   He must not only be alert to the appearance of zombies from any quarter;  he must be assiduous about reloading his gun periodically, lest he be overwhelmed by the rush of the zombies when his gun is empty.

H/T Mike Sacks