Games must not be realistic??
We read:
"The publisher behind a video game based on one of the Iraq war's fiercest battles has pulled the plug on the title, called Six Days in Fallujah. A spokeswoman for Japanese game company Konami confirmed on Tuesday the company is no longer publishing the game, which was set to go on sale early next year.
The game, which was still in development, sought to re-create the November 2004 Fallujah battle from the perspective of a US Marine fighting against insurgents. Fallujah had been an insurgent holdout until US forces stormed it in one of the war's most intense ground battles. Six Days was developed by another company, Atomic Games, with input from more than three dozen Marines.
Before deciding not to publish the game, Konami had advertised it as a realistic shooting game "unlike any other," combining "authentic weaponry, missions and combat set against the gripping story of the US Marines on the ground."
But the game was criticised by some veterans, victims' families and others who called it inappropriate.
Source
If the objection is that some people died in the events portrayed, I guess that's the end of Westerns and war movies.
13 comments:
It's not like the game makers are using anyone's real name or likeness.
How many W.W. II games have come out over the years?
These people need to suck it up and deal with it.
--- The Timesobserver
Victims' families?
Do they mean the insurgents' or terrorists' families? Was this to be an expected big seller in Iraq?
Should Hollywood stop making war movies because of a few people who are sensitive? If so, stop Michael Moore now!
Don't like it, don't buy it. Just like changing the station on tv or radio, even going to a different internet site.
I can understand how some might feel about playing a game that brings back unpleasant memories. Or one that makes a person uncomfortable. Watching "Titanic" bothers me - I don't find watching a fictionalized account of an event where some 1100 people drowned pleasant. So you know what I do? I don't watch "Titanic". My wife loves the movie. In fact, many do. More power to her and them.
Those upset by "Six Days in Fallujah" have the same option. Don't buy the game. Don't play the game.
Taken to extremes, a favorite PC tactic, we would have to ban all books and movies that portray anything that makes someone feel uncomfortable. There are people who feel very sad when reading "The Littlest Angel". Get rid of that. "Jarhead"? Gotta go. "Saving Private Ryan"? Nope. "Coming Home" with Jane Fonda irritated me no end. You can't watch it. In fact, Jane Fonda irritates me. She needs to be banned.
Why can't the PC crowd understand that no matter what is said, done or published someone, somewhere will be irritated. They need to take a deep breath, exhale slowly, relax and go on with life.
How is this not censorship? Why should a few people, (no matter who they are) be able to stop me from viewing this game simply because "they" don't like it?
Oops, i almost forgot that we're now living in a "victim oriented" society, where the whining of one "victim" can change the lives of tens-of-millions. I wonder how big a piece of the profits whould've stopped their whining.
"They need to take a deep breath, exhale slowly, relax and go on with life."
No Anon, if the PC crowd goes on with their lives, ours will simply become much worse. They need to take a deep breath, and hold it. Forever!
The fact that the game was developed with input from 3 dozen marines should override whatever criticism comes from others.
This game could have done a lot of good, Konami needs to get their balls backs.
Besides, the military needs games like these, they're a powerful recruitment tool. Google "America's Army" if you don't believe me.
The last line of the story:
The company also develops training systems for military and intelligence organisations.
You don't supposed they opted for a military payout - turn it into a training system... Maybe the tactics were too realistic.
How is this not censorship? Why should a few people, (no matter who they are) be able to stop me from viewing this game simply because "they" don't like it?How is it censorship?
The article throws in that some people were against the game. That is not censorship. Konami never says why they chose to dump the game, so we don't even know if the criticism had anything to do with them pulling the plug.
It could simply be a case where the game didn't test well, and in these times, Konami decided not to put out a game that was not going to be economically successful.
Its not as if game makers haven't made other games despite people voicing concerns.
The bottom line is that the article makes a sloppy, implied connection between the game not being released, and someone being speaking out against the game. Until Konami says that is the reason they pulled it, we are all making assumptions without basis in fact.
Try taking a class in "reading between the lines, 101", DUH!
Anon 2:08AM....
This is not "censorship." Only a government can "censor" something. I wish people would stop using the word censorship to encapsulate everything like this, because it's rarely actually censorship. It's usually just pandering.
This is a private company making a decision. It may be a stupid decision that is based on mamby-pamby feel-good crap that makes my eyes roll nearly out my skull, but nonetheless....it's their decision. They can leave this opportunity up to one of their competitors, if they like.
Try taking a class in "reading between the lines, 101", DUH!So let's see.... games such as GTA which have not only had negative comments, but have actually had Congressional hearings about them are still on the shelves and yet you still think that Konami pulled the game because a few people were against it?
This is the same company that has MetalGearSolid, the Silent Hill series, and the Castlevania series and you want to believe that they pulled this game because of some negative opinions.
Right.
Sure.
Nice assumption.
And you know what they say about people who "assume."
Firstly I agree, this is not censorship. This is a business taking a commercial decision.
Now, what does 'inappropriate' mean in this context? Does it mean that they didn't enjoy it? That they found it disturbing? Exploitative? Too graphic? That they couldn't work out the controls?
What of those whose input made it possible and whether they thought it appropriate?
I would think that the best thing for war games is to make them as realistic as possible - maybe then some people will understand how horrifying war really is.
People die in many video games. I guess the difference is people dying realistically.
Unrealistic games like "Need for Speed" are much more dangerous. My son commented that it's hard to drive a real car after playing it because he becomes conditioned to crashing intentionally.
Maybe some people are afraid for kids to get a semi-realistic representation of what war is really like.
It's the same logic that allows/encourages kids to watch cartoons with violence but not the same violence with live action.
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