Billy Suicide billed 'irresponsible'

Maker responds to criticisms

A new Flash-based game called Billy Suicide is provoking a certain degree of outrage in the British press, groups like the Samaritans also urging for the game to be pulled from the internet.

Game creator Dave Lasala has hit back at the criticisms of his creation, after The Telegraph spoke with organisations such as the Samaritans and PAPYRUS (both of whom work to prevent suicides). The title was described as a "catalyst to influence the behaviour of people who are already vulnerable."

The game is on offer through Funny-Games, and sees you battling to keep Billy alive in a comic battle, as you tackle Financial and Mental health bars while dealing with various activities.

"I wanted the game Billy Suicide to be an exaggerated self-portrait," Lasala told UK site Eurogamer.net. "I also wanted to use it to look at a difficult subject with a sense of humour. I feel I have some authority on the subject, having rescued two brothers from suicide attempts.

"Anyway, it seems to me that people blame violent art, angry music and horror movies for negative behaviour because it's easier to reduce complex issues down to a neat one-sentence solution, like, 'If there were no violent movies there would be no violence.'"

He concluded, highlighting that the overall point of the game is to keep Billy alive, in any case.

By Luke Guttridge