This is not the first time that New College has hit the headlines for a gaming related story. In May Cherwell reported how a hoax email, ostensibly from Warden Curtis Price, was sent to all undergraduates.
Both the Warden and New College students took this prank in good humour, but the FIFA ‘12 incident is being viewed as a rather more serious matter.
Mehdi Badali-Magtalo, a New College student and FIFA afficionado, commented, “This is a heinous crime. Dozens of people enjoyed that copy of FIFA. This is a torrid and despicable act. What I would say to the thief is ‘you can’t run, and you can’t hide’.”
The last time New College had a copy of FIFA stolen was over the interview period last December. Rumours that a bitter candidate took it after an interview went badly are unconfirmed.
On that occasion, FIFA ’11 was replaced by the JCR at a cost of £40. After this the JCR brought about a new system for paying for video games by which a certain amount would be allotted per term for spending on video games.
Current JCR Vice-President Louie Dane proposed a motion earlier this term which revised this system and set aside £200 for a gaming budget. He commented “I think it’s a real shame that someone from New College JCR could feel sufficiently alienated from our community to steal such a popular game.
“On a more serious note, however, I can understand why the perpetrator may have considered this the only way to stop my Olympique Lyonnais juggernaut.”
College peer supporter Arjun Pillai showed concern that the loss of the JCR’s copy of FIFA could have a negative impact on students’ welfare.
“Playing on the PS3 is an excellent way of unwinding after a stressful day doing academic work. It is also a good way for students to spend free time in the evenings without drinking alcohol or leaving college.
“I can only hope that students will embrace the rest of our games selection with equal enthusiasm while arrangements for a replacement FIFA ‘12 are underway.”
Replacing the copy of the game may involve petitioning the Vice-President for another £40 from the games budget, a move which could prove controversial amongst students who would prefer the money be spent on other games.
Other potential solutions to the crisis include a FIFA specific JCR motion or a whip-round among students who are particularly keen to FIFA 12’s return.
