Eric Harris And Postal

Does anyone know what he thought about the game? Are there any accounts of him enjoying Postal?

For those that don't know:
Postal is a PC game that was released in November 1997, its basically like Hatred but in the 90s. The game was based on shooting sprees that were happening around that time. You play as some guy only known as "The Postal Dude" who strikingly wears a black trench Eric would later wear during the massacre, and basically just shoot everyone in sight (mainly cops and random strangers). Now for some reason this game didn't receive backlash from the media and from angry video game critics and such and was mostly ignored. However, Postal 2 is more well known and did cause almost a shitload of controversy.

Eric reportedly played Postal during his Junior year, but nothing is known about what he thought of the game and if he liked it, and after Columbine the media mainly blamed Doom rather than Postal.

TheOne99 wrote:

Does anyone know what he thought about the game? Are there any accounts of him enjoying Postal?

For those that don't know:
Postal is a PC game that was released in November 1997, its basically like Hatred but in the 90s. The game was based on shooting sprees that were happening around that time. You play as some guy only known as "The Postal Dude" who strikingly wears a black trench Eric would later wear during the massacre, and basically just shoot everyone in sight (mainly cops and random strangers). Now for some reason this game didn't receive backlash from the media and from angry video game critics and such and was mostly ignored. However, Postal 2 is more well known and did cause almost a shitload of controversy.

Eric reportedly played Postal during his Junior year, but nothing is known about what he thought of the game and if he liked it, and after Columbine the media mainly blamed Doom rather than Postal.  

I find it very puzzling that no-one thought to blame this game on the massacre, considering its content, subject matter, and the fact that one of the killers played it. The only conclusion I've come to is that the reports might have been wrong, and that Eric did not play Postal, but IDK if that is a correct assertion.

QuestionMark wrote:

TheOne99 wrote:

Does anyone know what he thought about the game? Are there any accounts of him enjoying Postal?

For those that don't know:
Postal is a PC game that was released in November 1997, its basically like Hatred but in the 90s. The game was based on shooting sprees that were happening around that time. You play as some guy only known as "The Postal Dude" who strikingly wears a black trench Eric would later wear during the massacre, and basically just shoot everyone in sight (mainly cops and random strangers). Now for some reason this game didn't receive backlash from the media and from angry video game critics and such and was mostly ignored. However, Postal 2 is more well known and did cause almost a shitload of controversy.

Eric reportedly played Postal during his Junior year, but nothing is known about what he thought of the game and if he liked it, and after Columbine the media mainly blamed Doom rather than Postal.  

I find it very puzzling that no-one thought to blame this game on the massacre, considering its content, subject matter, and the fact that one of the killers played it. The only conclusion I've come to is that the reports might have been wrong, and that Eric did not play Postal, but IDK if that is a correct assertion.

I think the claim that Eric played it probably came from a classmate, maybe someone saw Eric playing Postal on a school computer maybe(I thought of this when the principle said he saw student's in the school library before the massacre playing Grand Theft Auto and Doom on the computers), maybe Eric owned the game for his PC but probably didn't like it that much and went back to Doom which I can kinda understand since the gameplay may get boring after a while. But then again, Postal would fit Eric very well considering his thoughts and views, so I dont see how Eric would have not liked it. But yea im just as puzzled as you are

Sorry I'm a few days late on this but it took me a while to remember where I read it.

In Jeff Kass' book Columbine: A True Crime Story he writes:
Eric came to enjoy Postal, named for the act of "going postal." As the Wall Street Journal wrote in a front page story, the game "comes in a box riddled with fake bullet holes and features a gun toting character who goes beserk." It invites players to 'spray protestors, mow down marching bands and charbroil whole towns.' As children writhe on the ground, bleeding and screaming for mercy, the assailant must pick off police and other 'hostile' attackers. To quit the game, the lead character must put a gun in his mouth and pull the trigger."

He then goes on to say that Eric's favorite game was Doom. Kass doesn't say where he got the information about Eric playing Postal.

thelmar wrote:

Sorry I'm a few days late on this but it took me a while to remember where I read it.

In Jeff Kass' book Columbine: A True Crime Story he writes:
Eric came to enjoy Postal, named for the act of "going postal." As the Wall Street Journal wrote in a front page story, the game "comes in a box riddled with fake bullet holes and features a gun toting character who goes beserk." It invites players to 'spray protestors, mow down marching bands and charbroil whole towns.' As children writhe on the ground, bleeding and screaming for mercy, the assailant must pick off police and other 'hostile' attackers. To quit the game, the lead character must put a gun in his mouth and pull the trigger."

He then goes on to say that Eric's favorite game was Doom. Kass doesn't say where he got the information about Eric playing Postal.

The underlined sentence makes me even more suspicious of the claim that Eric played Postal at all.

QuestionMark wrote:

thelmar wrote:

Sorry I'm a few days late on this but it took me a while to remember where I read it.

In Jeff Kass' book Columbine: A True Crime Story he writes:
Eric came to enjoy Postal, named for the act of "going postal." As the Wall Street Journal wrote in a front page story, the game "comes in a box riddled with fake bullet holes and features a gun toting character who goes beserk." It invites players to 'spray protestors, mow down marching bands and charbroil whole towns.' As children writhe on the ground, bleeding and screaming for mercy, the assailant must pick off police and other 'hostile' attackers. To quit the game, the lead character must put a gun in his mouth and pull the trigger."

He then goes on to say that Eric's favorite game was Doom. Kass doesn't say where he got the information about Eric playing Postal.

The underlined sentence makes me even more suspicious of the claim that Eric played Postal at all.

Agreed

QuestionMark wrote:

Kass doesn't say where he got the information about Eric playing Postal.

The underlined sentence makes me even more suspicious of the claim that Eric played Postal at all.

Is that because you don't trust Kass? He mentions Doom and doesn't source that info either and we know that to be true. Not saying you're wrong, because I have no idea, just curious as to whether people feel Kass is on a Cullen-like level or if you have another reason for doubting it.

thelmar wrote:

QuestionMark wrote:

Kass doesn't say where he got the information about Eric playing Postal.

The underlined sentence makes me even more suspicious of the claim that Eric played Postal at all.

Is that because you don't trust Kass? He mentions Doom and doesn't source that info either and we know that to be true. Not saying you're wrong, because I have no idea, just curious as to whether people feel Kass is on a Cullen-like level or if you have another reason for doubting it.

I have no opinion on the man one way or the other, I'm just saying an unsourced, unverified claim that's popped up a grand total of once is probably not credible.

QuestionMark wrote:

TheOne99 wrote:

Does anyone know what he thought about the game? Are there any accounts of him enjoying Postal?

For those that don't know:
Postal is a PC game that was released in November 1997, its basically like Hatred but in the 90s. The game was based on shooting sprees that were happening around that time. You play as some guy only known as "The Postal Dude" who strikingly wears a black trench Eric would later wear during the massacre, and basically just shoot everyone in sight (mainly cops and random strangers). Now for some reason this game didn't receive backlash from the media and from angry video game critics and such and was mostly ignored. However, Postal 2 is more well known and did cause almost a shitload of controversy.

Eric reportedly played Postal during his Junior year, but nothing is known about what he thought of the game and if he liked it, and after Columbine the media mainly blamed Doom rather than Postal.  

I find it very puzzling that no-one thought to blame this game on the massacre, considering its content, subject matter, and the fact that one of the killers played it. The only conclusion I've come to is that the reports might have been wrong, and that Eric did not play Postal, but IDK if that is a correct assertion.

Probably since Doom was a much more popular game. Same reason people would blame Marilyn Manson rather than KMFDM.

I posted on this awhile ago: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

After reading the description of Postal I feel like Eric would've played it. He was a total edgelord and would view playing it as being all rebellious and EVIL and shit.

sympathyforEandD wrote:

After reading the description of Postal I feel like Eric would've played it. He was a total edgelord and would view playing it as being all rebellious and EVIL and shit.

Yeah that's part of the odd thing about the claim that he actually did play it. It seems like something he'd be into, yet no reliable evidence exists of him having actually played it.

QuestionMark wrote:

sympathyforEandD wrote:

After reading the description of Postal I feel like Eric would've played it. He was a total edgelord and would view playing it as being all rebellious and EVIL and shit.

Yeah that's part of the odd thing about the claim that he actually did play it. It seems like something he'd be into, yet no reliable evidence exists of him having actually played it.

True, but they were teens in the peek of video game tech at the time, with PC's, N64 and Playstation. If we didn't have that 2 second video of Dylan playing soul caliber with Brooks, we would of said he probably never played it also. Let's not forget they were gamers at heart and seemed to be up to date with the culture too. So I don't think it is far-fetched to think at least one of the 2 kids who massacred kids would of played a game where they can simulate killing people .

i wish i could remember who but i was reading statements in the 11k and someone did mentino that eric played postal. zack comes to mind but i can't say for certain if it was. if someone reads the associates section of the 11k they will find it. also someone needs to ocr the 11k so it can be searched lol. it wouldn't pick up a lot of words of course but perhaps better than nothing.

Take into account that Postal was a pretty shitty game mainly relying on pretty graphics and atmosphere. Everyone was a fucking bullet sponge there, including the protagonist, controls were atrocious, generally, the gameplay was shit when compared to Doom.

I think he liked it as a novelty, perhaps even finished it but never played it as much as Doom series.

I have always been curious as to how Eric (and Dylan) would have felt about Postal 2. Like, would they have liked (IF they liked it) solely for the mayhem you can do in it or would they have been smart enough to see the satire and social commentary in it?

OneDoomedSpaceMarine wrote:

Like, would they have liked (IF they liked it) solely for the mayhem you can do in it or would they have been smart enough to see the satire and social commentary in it?

Maybe both?

If anyone remembers that "Hatred" game that came out a few years ago, that seems like something Harris himself would have made.

Postal 2 wasn't really that good. It had good ideas, and was somewhat amusing, but the implementation wasn't that great. Granted I didn't play it until many years after its release, maybe if I'd played it at the time I'd have been more impressed and perhaps had a nostalgic bias.

I found it! [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] was right.

Was reading through Zach Heckler's police statement (pg. 10755)
"He also identified a video game, "Postal", as being a game Harris often played, and noted it involved nothing but killing."

So Eric DID play Postal.

thelmar wrote:

I found it! [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] was right.

Was reading through Zach Heckler's police statement (pg. 10755)
"He also identified a video game, "Postal", as being a game Harris often played, and noted it involved nothing but killing."

So Eric DID play Postal.

Holy crap! Nice find! I didn't think this claim of all things was going to be confirmed. The more you know.

QuestionMark wrote:

thelmar wrote:

I found it! [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] was right.

Was reading through Zach Heckler's police statement (pg. 10755)
"He also identified a video game, "Postal", as being a game Harris often played, and noted it involved nothing but killing."

So Eric DID play Postal.

Holy crap! Nice find! I didn't think this claim of all things was going to be confirmed. The more you know.

Mystery solved! If anyone was going to find it, it was going to be [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]! Good job.

Is there any photo/video evidence of Eric's copy of Postal?

Eric played Postal? Wow, I didn't know that. Postal and Postal 2 are among my favorite games.