Some Serious BS #1

[Nickelstein]

I'm starting a new opinion thread about certain things going on in my country that usually has to do with contreversial video games. If your not living in th Sates you probably never heard of this knew video game called Six Days In Fallujah. Its the very first actual IRAQ WAR video game. Unfortunately its been pulled because Konami decided to chicken out due to the responses of the American public. Atomic Games(developer) is now alone without a publisher.

To be honest I think its really hypocritcal that people are judging this game. Games like MGS4 or COD4 depict "fictional" wars in Middle Eastern countries that resemble Iraq or Afghanistan. No contrvesry on these to games but as soon as there is a game based off of the real conflict people are up in arms.

If your in a country that is in NATO (like Germany with its ISAF or Kommando Spezialkrafte aka KSK) I like to have your opinion on it.
Or if you are in the UK what is your opinion on it?
Do you think it should be pulled or do you think it should be published if Atomic games manages to find a publisher?

Its your opinion

[Jeff]

I think the problem with Fallujah is that it advertised itself as a realistic war game and claimed to have consulted with real marines but it did not seem to live up to this standard. It's basically Gears of War with a different skin from what I have read. More on this here.

[neon_git]

By all accounts (except the developers) this game was exploiting a real world situation in which real people are, even now, really dying in order to make money. That seems a pretty crass marketing gimmick to me and I'm glad Konami pulled the plug.

I'd have no problem with a game set in Iraq if it was presented in a way that gave the player a deeper insight into what it was actually like, but from what I've heard the game was anything but.

[Gabez]

I think the best kind of response to a question like this has to come from someone with real experience. Like Gabe's grandfather (from Penny Arcade):

Q. What do you think about gamers playing video games based on World War II?

A. I haven’t really paid enough attention to the games themselves to be able to tell you truthfully, but I would think, if it’s just people shooting one another, I don’t think it’s a proper thing for young people to do. I think it sets a bad example for them, because they get into the mood of doing that, and that begins their lifestyle. And that’s not the lifestyle you want.


Q. When groups of gamers are playing these games together it is common for some of them to play as the enemy. They might play as Germans defending the beach at Normandy for example. What's your opinion of that?

A. Well, it ties back in to what I already said. I don’t think it’s an appropriate game. I think they can make games that will interest kids, that don’t have to include war. We don’t need to be killing each other in games. There’s other ways of strategizing and using the kind of skills that make those games popular.


Q. Is there anything you would like to say to gamers who are fans of these sorts of games?


A. If [the games] are what I think they are, I think [the gamers that play them] should stop and take a look at what you’re actually doing. Try to reason through and ask what’s the advantage of what you’re doing. What kind of an education is that giving you?


Q. Do you think they would have a different opinion if they’d been through an actual war?

A. Yes. Definitely.

(from http://www.penny-arcade.com/2007/12/07/)