A lot has happened around the serious game '1378(km)' in the two years following its release, which not even the tabloid BILD could stop. Despite the enormous media storm that hit the creator and the university, the game was successfully released after a short delay. The emotional reporting by BILD was met with pushback, not least from the German Press Council. Once released, the public could see for themselves what the game was truly about.
The media had invented a narrative that contradicted the game's actual rules. The core message – who shoots, loses – was completely ignored or replaced with claims of a bloody hunt for East German citizens. It is easy to judge journalists who write about a game they have NEVER played. Only literal garbage can come out of that. Who writes a review of a book or movie without reading or seeing it? To judge or condemn computer games, they must first be played!