Iraq Game Sparks Outrage, Soldiers Have Mixed Reactions [Slashdot]

[DP ServBot]

We recently discussed news that Konami will be releasing a video game based on a 2004 battle in Fallujah. Many people have now had a chance to react to the game, and there has been a great deal of criticism voiced over the game's choice of setting. A group of families of soldiers who lost their lives in the war questioned "how anyone can trivialize a war that continues to kill and maim members of the military and Iraqi civilians to this day." Others criticized the game's glorification of the "massacre." Conversely, some soldiers and veterans have responded with optimism, hoping the game can raise awareness of the realities of war. Dan Rosenthal, Iraq veteran and long-time gamer, worries whether Konami will be able to do justice to the experience. Eurogamer posted a related story about the controversy over increasingly realistic war games.
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[Diosoth]

This is no different from all the games set in WWII.

[Cobra Commander]

People love being offended.
I presonally can't for a game set in Vietnam.

[roushimsx]

This is such a fucking stupid topic. Everyone keeps throwing "KONAMI KONAMI KONAMI" and then they bring up Konami's list of classic arcade games and crap. Contra, TMNT, whatever.

Jesus christ, this is just being published by Konami and is being developed by Atomic. Fucking. Games.

They're the same dudes that got showered with shittons of love for their attention to modeling a realistic morale model. Educate yourselves, foolz. Their only other FPS was Close Combat: First to Fight, which didn't get a terribly good reception because it wasn't as pretty as everything else, but it also got lauded for it...what's this?...gameplay and realism! Who would have thunk it!?!

I'm looking forward to this game, sensationalist cuntrag hack bloggers be damned.

[NayusDante]

I don't think anyone should get worked up over this sort of thing. Yes, it's going to make a very real and very current conflict interactive, but it's not going to use anybody's image or name without permission. In the end, it's going to be a game, not a history book.

Besides, I'm sure that the mod community will have a field day with it. Imagine the new character skins. I, for one, would LOVE to see Chuck Norris fighting in Iraq, alongside Batman, Cloud Strife, and Master Chief.

The key to this sort of thing is going to be making it lighthearted, not heavy and realistic. If it went for the realism route, you'd have something like Counter-Strike, where American players can actually play as Al Quida forces, and we all know that would cause the biggest gaming controversy ever.

Use the maps and data from the actual conflict, but don't tie it so closely to the current event.

[roushimsx]

If it went for the realism route, you'd have something like Counter-Strike, where American players can actually play as Al Quida forces, and we all know that would cause the biggest gaming controversy ever.

You used the word "realism" to describe Counter Strike.

You may as well use the word "arcadey" to describe iRacing.com.

[Kitsune Sniper]

I didn't know the terrorists kept screaming " NOOB PWNED FAG" at you. I mean, if CS is supposed to be realistic.

I'm interested in this game a bit. Let's hope it doesn't suck.

[NayusDante]

I meant that the design of the CS is INTENDED to be realistic. I would never imply that it actually IS in any way realistic.

[RPG_Fanatic]

I've been playing Call Of Duty 4 online every day it's the same thing, what's the difference?

[roushimsx]

I meant that the design of the CS is INTENDED to be realistic. I would never imply that it actually IS in any way realistic.

No, it's not intended to be realistic. It uses real life weapons but models them in very unrealistic ways for the sake of playability and fun.

I've been playing Call Of Duty 4 online every day it's the same thing, what's the difference?

Doublestandard having ass clowns take umbrage with it modeling a real life conflict because, oh no, it's "too soon" or something. Either that or they're too stupid to realize that Konami is only the publisher and they think that it's going to be some shitty first person Contra game.

[kedawa]

Contra in Iraq would still be Contra, and therefore awesome.

[boatofcar]

So you don't see anything wrong with making a game about a real battle in a real war that's still going on?

[boatofcar]

This is such a fucking stupid topic. Everyone keeps throwing "KONAMI KONAMI KONAMI" and then they bring up Konami's list of classic arcade games and crap. Contra, TMNT, whatever.

Jesus christ, this is just being published by Konami and is being developed by Atomic. Fucking. Games.

They're the same dudes that got showered with shittons of love for their attention to modeling a realistic morale model. Educate yourselves, foolz. Their only other FPS was Close Combat: First to Fight, which didn't get a terribly good reception because it wasn't as pretty as everything else, but it also got lauded for it...what's this?...gameplay and realism! Who would have thunk it!?!

I'm looking forward to this game, sensationalist cuntrag hack bloggers be damned.

Doublestandard having ass clowns take umbrage with it modeling a real life conflict because, oh no, it's "too soon" or something. Either that or they're too stupid to realize that Konami is only the publisher and they think that it's going to be some shitty first person Contra game.

Dude, we get it. You're pissed off about Konami...something...publishing...not developed...something..OK nevermind, I have no idea why you're getting all nerdraged up.

[NayusDante]

Let's put a hold on more comments until we get a demo. Once we can see the actual scope of the gameplay, then we can pass judgement.

[roushimsx]

Contra in Iraq would still be Contra, and therefore awesome.

You need to play Delta Force: Black Hawk Down, then. For whatever reason Novalogic made the game essentially a first person run and gun and it was quite awesome, if completely different from what everyone was expecting. Never got around to playing Team Sabre...

Dude, we get it. You're pissed off about Konami...something...publishing...not developed...something..OK nevermind, I have no idea why you're getting all nerdraged up.

Because by placing the emphasis on the publisher and conveniently ignoring developer, they're (and by "they" I mean every second rate hack blogging about it on major sites) automatically creating the impression that this is just going to be some cheap, shitty cash in looking to sell on controversy alone. That's just absolute bullshit. The developer has a rich history of doing military-related games (including building a version as a training tool for the USMC).

In terms I'm sure you could understand, it's like talking about Activision's Guitar Hero series and talking about Harmonix' music games. One gives an entirely different impression than the other. Likewise, it'd be akin to referring to discussing Star Ocean as a Square Enix game and using that to draw comparisons to Final Fantasy.

And no, I don't see anything wrong with making a game about a current conflict and actually basing it on real events. It'll make for a nice distraction from the onslaught of war games that directly crib from hollywood movies and tv series. They seem to be making some interesting decisions in balancing the gameplay with historical accuracy, but the depth that these guys are going into researching the events really put other studios to shame.

From reading interviews and previews, it sounds like if anything the game is going to carry a pretty anti-war subtext with it anyway. It focuses on the real story of the servicemembers and how the fighting affected them while also showing the effects on the insurgents and innocent population as well.

FWIW, the battle that it depicts occurred five years ago; it's not like it just happened last week. If you want that (or simply want to shit on the idea), you can get it from Kuma War.

[Cobra Commander]

So you don't see anything wrong with making a game about a real battle in a real war that's still going on?

No. Is there something wrong with it? WWII is the only "safe" real war setting we have, and I must say it's getting old really fast.

[Half Japanese]

No. Is there something wrong with it? WWII is the only "safe" real war setting we have, and I must say it's been old for years.

Fixed that for ya.

[boatofcar]

No. Is there something wrong with it?

Personally, I think it's too soon. Just my opinion though.

[kedawa]

It's not really too soon.
The war is just taking way too long.

Maybe we'll get a srebrenica massacre game next.

[AZ Legend]

I don't see the difference between games and movies or even documentaries that portray the current war we are in. If they want to make a realistic game about a true event, they have to make it as accurate as possible.

There is some sensitivity about the subject with some, but for many people this will just be another game about a historic event.