Propaganda in the Gaming industry.

[ModelV]

It seems terribly written shooters with reused mechanics are great conduits of propaganda. This example has to be the most blatant:

 

http://store.steampowered.com/app/200020/

Edited December 9, 2011 by ModelV

[elvinkun]

I'm not sure what part exactly is any more propagandish than in any average shooter game :biggrin:

[Delikatessen]

I'm pretty sure the "Let's go fight against the Russian's 'cuz the Russians are bad, MMMMKAY?!" in Call of Duty and Battlefield qualify as propaganda if this does, too.

 

What about Homefront? That's anti-Korean propaganda. And Medal of Honor? They were saying ALL Germans and Japanese soldiers were bad, when a lot of them didn't even want to fight. In fact, there was a Christmas Truce in WWI where the Germans and the English got along, had cigarettes, sang carols, buried the dead, gave gifts to each other, etc.

 

And if I remember correctly, Fallout has some really anti-Chinese themes to it.

[ModelV]

Oh I wasnt just meaning this game I was sparing you from reading the long list with one blatant example. Plus its reminiscent to a conflict that Im not even sure its over yet...

 

As for Fallout I disagree. It doesnt take sides and is very much willing to bash both parties both American and Chinese.

Edited December 9, 2011 by ModelV

[rebalious]

In fact, there was a Christmas Truce in WWI where the Germans and the English got along, had cigarettes, sang carols, buried the dead, gave gifts to each other, etc.

 

You missed out the game of football, the proper European way :tongue:

But yeah games have long since had propaganda, be it against nazis or the red scare.

[ModelV]

Thats not quite propaganda when its about a conflict long since resolved. More historical though you never do see german sided shooter games.

 

Libya is a fresh would same with the Middle east. When your making games about active conflicts its just wrong.

[Werne]

When your making games about active conflicts its just wrong.

 

Depends on who you ask. I would say it's wrong because I lost many friends in currently active conflicts and it hurts to see games about that, but to the one that made the game it's just money. Many people see everything through numbers and they don't care what you think about it.

Edited December 9, 2011 by Werne

[ModelV]

Was that statement supposed to justify something?

[Beriallord]

It seems terribly written shooters with reused mechanics are great conduits of propaganda. This example has to be the most blatant:

 

http://store.steampowered.com/app/200020/

 

I wouldn't really call that propaganda, but the marketing of the game was about as bad as a used car salesman.

 

**Edit, and according to the ratings the game is even worse than the marketing, go figure. Nobody even took the time to write anything on gamefaqs about it.

Edited December 9, 2011 by Beriallord

[Vagrant0]

When your making games about active conflicts its just wrong.

 

Depends on who you ask. I would say it's wrong because I lost many friends in currently active conflicts and it hurts to see games about that, but to the one that made the game it's just money. Many people see everything through numbers and they don't care what you think about it.

Depends on how it's handled.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Days_in_Fallujah

 

Sometimes it's just for money, but sometimes it's more than that, either as a training tool (like America's Army), or as a way to connect with recent history so that you can better understand what it's like to be a soldier in that environment. In many ways, games about more recent events are less propaganda than ones about WWII. Most games set in a modern setting are based more on a task or reaction to an event. Most games about WWII are about some glorious deed done to save the world. There are almost no WWII games set from an Axis perspective.

 

 

As for FPS games being used as a tool for propaganda... That's nothing new. Even back in the days of Doom there were some groups using highly modified versions of the game engine to push a racist agenda (usually poorly).