I watched CSI Miami and then CSI NY last night. Rarely do I watch those shows, and I was very surprised, well more like disgusted, at all the blood and gore they showed. Granted they were on after 9pm, but it was network television.
One only has to see young men coming out of bars to know we have a testosterone problem in this country. Add to that the nationalism and racism that is on the upswing and we have a bigger problem.
I was recently thinking that the man I admire most is the Catholic priest I know who runs a soup kitchen near Tiger Stadium. He is a peace activist too. The last few times I spoke with him he didn't mention God or anything. Actions speak louder than words (wanted to add that in light of all the recent "Will the real Christians please stand up?" posts).
It's a nice theory. But video games are hardly the boogieman here. Of the bunch listed none contain any reference to Al-Quaida, though 2 include generic terrorists (Rainbow 6 and Counter-Strike), one allows you to play as the terrorists (CS) and one is a long running series about a counter terrorism unit (R6) that predates 9/11 by 5-6 years.
It's pretty clear in the first few lines that this author has never played any of the games he's listed out. He's pulled both new titles and titles that came out a decade ago to complain about (while avoiding newer ones that are close to doing what he claims these do - protray modern conflicts). It's like turning to someone who has never driven a car to write an article on aggressive driving/road rage.
The author also chooses to ignore that both CS and the Battlefield series are quite unrealistic games that are designed explicately as arcade action games rather then realistic military sims.
Later the author acts like there is some kind of military consperacy to develop an promotional tool with 'Full Spectrum Warrior.' That game was developed first as a squad command training tool for the US Army. The fact it was published as a game later on wasn't a grand consperacy. And in that game, you don't even control any of the soldiers directly, your ordering a squad around setting up fire suppression/covering fire/flanking to win the game.
Later on the article then finally gets to talking about the one game that is a recruitment tool - America's Army. But, he gets that entirely wrong too talking about how it was developed by Epic/Lucasarts/Dolby/Lucasfilm/Gamesply.... in doing so he tosses his final bit of crediablity right out the window. All he's done is list out the companies whose technologies are licensed to create the engine the game runs on. It's akin to saying Goodyear developed a race car because it's tires are on it.
But yes, America's Army is a recruitment tool, who knows how successful it really is though, it's hard to tell. But, in all honesty what is so bad about that. You sit there and claim that it presents a rosey idealized view of war. This is true that in general these games censor out the worst (or lack the processing power to show it), but they censor out less then you would get talking to your local army recruiter who is only going to tell you about career paths and 'seeing the world.'
Adam Elkus needs to find a subject to write about that he knows something about and leave attacking video gamse to someone who at least understands what he's talking about a bit.
Posted by Siberian at May 22, 2006 05:25 AMYes, pessimist, I knew that the military was making video games designed to simulate battle and is marketed to young men. I've even seen commercials on tv for war games. But there is still a difference between the military brass encouraging kids with these games or using them for training, and the games kids have played for years. It's not the game seller's fault that the brass want to blur the lines between fiction and fantasy. They're the culprits, not the games themselves.
Juxtaposing the article about the wargames with stories about war crimes, does not a correlation make.
Posted by iamcoyote at May 22, 2006 05:32 AMRmnscnt f Jhn Krry's Gnghs Khn tstmny. ght g vr rl bg.
[Editor: ignore=off]Ignoring any correlation (or lack thereof) between video games and war crimes, I think there's a larger moral issue in this article that demands our attention:
The issue of war crimes.
Ignore for a moment all the suggestions of cause and effect between video games and actual atrocities.
Have we really dealt with the hard facts of the war crimes described?
Whatever the cause behind such atrocious behavior, it is that behavior that concerns me and that I think deserves some acknowledgement as being unquestionably unacceptable.
Shooting innocent people, including children, in cold-blood is nothing to be proud of. If this is, as the article suggests, the standing policy of the U.S. military then I am in no manner proud to be associated with either such policies or the people who craft them.
If my attitude classifies me as un-American or un-patriotic in the minds of some, then so be it.
Proud to be associated with a government that orders children and families killed in cold blood? I shall never be!
Posted by Richard Harlos at May 22, 2006 06:57 AMpss, mst xcllnt, nd cls t th trth. s y qckly nt n th bv cmmnts, gd rprsnttv f r mnstrmrs f dprvty, wth th xcptn f bn, th clsr w pprch th trth bt rslvs, s ntn, nd s n ndvdl, th rlng clss ds, v thr pr srrgt gts f prvrsn, scrm thrs vhmnt dnls.
Hw bt ths qstn? Why r crtn ds nd ntns, f th lk f ‘fghtng gnst vl,’ sd s cnnctv gl. Cnnctv t wht…r nnt dprvty f rblln, vlnc nd prvrsn. Y cn tk n rhd, rgrdlss f dctn, wll, s lng s h’s bn ‘dctd’ wthn th lst thr dcds, nd lt ths cltrl wnd dmmy tll y xctly wht vrsn f dprvty r scl cmmn sns dctts fr tdy. r crp rlrs jst lv s s vry, vry mch. Bt, jst lk hmgrl cyt, thy r gttng vry trd f m sqkng t lttl trths, vn wth mdcr dtl. Bt, hy, dn’t wnt t rn t lng.
[Editor: ignore=off]I think it's a contributing factor. It's part of our culture that creates young men who have been desensitized to violence and whose capacity for empathy and compassion has been stunted. For these types, the alpha male posturing of people like Rumsfeld, Cheney, and Bush are quite attractive. Bendito probably falls in that category. As things continue to get worse under the leadership of these chickenhawks and more and more mainstream Americans come belatedly to the correct conclusion about the chickenhawks, guys like Bendito start to look pretty pathetic. It would be amusing if it was not built on so much tragedy and corruption.
Posted by Mike at May 22, 2006 07:17 AMConsidering the popularity of this game, maybe someone should make a videogame where you're the leader of a country and you rack up points for dismissing UN conventions, keep your population in check through censorship and fear or by brutal repression or combination of both, developing (& using!) nuclear weapons, and generally being a unilateral world terror.
Or would that just encourage George Bush and all his admirers and competitors?
This is somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but if I was a game programmer, I'd be writing a pitch and running for the boss's office right now. You could make millions . . .
Posted by idiosynchronic at May 22, 2006 07:18 AMI'm no "homegirl" scout/psychofuckwad, and you know nothing of truth, obviously, since you declared yourself and bedittohead prophets yesterday. Just because the voices in your head say you're the "elect," doesn't make you tuned into the truth. It just makes you in need of medication.
Richard Harlos is again right. Instead of trying to make war crimes sexy by tying them to video games, how 'bout we examine an administration that has broken all the tenets of law that were once taboo to civilized nations?
Posted by iamcoyote at May 22, 2006 07:33 AMUh, that didn't come out right - How 'bout we examine an administration that has broken all the tenets of laws and endorses actions that were once taboo to civilized nations?
A little better?
My fuck you to scout still stands.
Posted by iamcoyote at May 22, 2006 07:36 AMidiosynchronic, they already made that game.
It's called Tropico and you play a 2-bit dictator of a 3rd world island nation. ;) Bush is just doing it on a larger scale.
Posted by Siberian at May 22, 2006 07:58 AMI'm digging the new lovefest between scout and Bendito.
I love it how the internet brings people with common interests together.
Quite beautiful.
Posted by snark at May 22, 2006 08:05 AMsnark, is there a heirarchy amongst prophets, I wonder? I don't think bendittohead's inclined to be the bottom in this love affair. Gives speaking in tongues a whole new meaning, now, doesn't it?
Shit, I just made myself gag.
Posted by iamcoyote at May 22, 2006 08:19 AMcyt, 'm srry. Nw, bt 'prphts.' ll tr Chrstns r prphts, bt nt f th lk whr, lk n th ld Tstmnt, Jhvh spk n drm, vsn, drctly, r n 'prsn,' t th blvr. ll Nw Tstmnt blvrs r prphts n trms f shwng th trth f th Bbl. Nthng t d wth vcs, jst rdng th Bbl nd gttng th ndrstndng.
Nw, ht t cnfs thngs, bt ll ppl r 'prphts' r n rlgn r nthr. Ths w hv prphts f Bl, sclr hmnsm wth ts ttndng scntsm nd vltnsm, Hndsm, Tsm, nd bt 23000 mr pgn 'sms' f mn-md flshnss.
S, s y sspctd, y'r prpht, t. Ths wll mk y hppy fr bt, tw scnds?
That laughter you hear, scout/psycho, is the world laughing at you. Take your mythology and shove it where benditto's head's now firmly ensconced. The truth is that you are mentally ill, and need help.
Hey, idio, that evil genius game kinda looks fun, actually.
Posted by iamcoyote at May 22, 2006 09:15 AMExcellent post and very sobering Pessimist. We are raising a generation of brownshirts who will never know what this Country use to be.
Posted by Judith at May 22, 2006 09:25 AMIf you're in a hole, stop digging. The "video games cause violence" meme was disproved the first time anyone pointed out that war crimes predate video games by quite a few years.
As a matter of fact, I suspect there is a bit of influence in the other direction. Just try pointing out to your average teenager that there's no respawn in real life. Tell them to play their favorite point-and-shoot in Last Man Standing mode on the hardest difficulty level with only one life. Makes them think.
pss, frgt t mntn tht bgnnng wth vdvll nd ll th Nw Yrk thtr crp t th trn f th 20th Cntry, p t bt cpl dcds g, th scl scnc ltrtr s rplt wth ll srts f stds shwng th md ttck pn hmn dcncy. Hwvr, y'll fnd, s w gt clsr t th prsnt, prbbly tn tms th mnt f 'stds' spprtng hypthss f tdy's mnstrmrs, whch s, dn't wrry, t-dn't-cs-n-prblm. nyhw, ll f ths rly 'stds' wr fnncd by r crp lrds. W fnd Jdy Mllrs ll vr. nc thy gt th bll rllng, tht s, bjctfd thr crp f trsh n th mnds f ll th rblls yng, th psychlgcl mmntm ln kpt r nntly prvrs cnstntly srchng fr pttrns dprvty mntnnc.
Th bv s s ld s hstry; hwvr, w hv mngd scty f dcl dlts tht lv wht thy r fd bcs thy cn't s nr hr th dffrnc btwn Bblcl trth nd th slf dstrctn f thr prsnc f prvrsty.
Pss, pry tll m, why wld ny fl rg gnst typcl crp plcy f sng vry ‘lgtmt’ mns f scrng prft. sng th cvr f prft, ths bys gt wy wth th ttl dstrctn f scty, vn whl th mllns f vctms lv thr grly sght hnd-fd dprvty, bt lngsd th gnrl flng tht ‘smthng s nt rght.’ f crs, th prblm hr s tht rfs t sy tht lv my dprvty, vn whl ht vryn’s ls’s.
Nw, th mmnt tht w, s scl cltr, rcgnz r wn nnt prvrsn, tht s th mmnt tht r rlng clss f brtl crp lrds, nd thr nsty mny hndlrs ncvrd, vryn wll sy, ‘ths r th fls tht trckd s?’
Whn d y thnk th bv wll ccr? Nvr t th hnd f mn; bt thr’s lwys hp tht Jhvh ds whl lt f y pnngs.
Anyone considering military service should also consider watching "Baghdad ER", the HBO documentary which aired Sunday night. It might offset the rosey scenario currently being spraypainted by some quota minded recruiters.
Posted by TIKI AL at May 22, 2006 09:40 AMTIKI, I saw that, but I'm not ready to watch it yet. I can't even watch the fictional ER without being overwhelmed by the relentless blood and guts. And I love gory video games and Tarantino movies. They are not the same as the real thing, no where near it. Unlike scout/angelofthelord, most gamers know the difference between fiction and reality.
Posted by iamcoyote at May 22, 2006 10:17 AMI've read repeatedly that the controls for Evil Genius are awful. The demo I had bore that out because I couldn't figure out how to make it do anything without the manual. (I'm not saying operate it - just make it jump - it's a rule of thumb I use for bad user interfaces)
The Tropico game is close - but (ahem) no cigar. (Readers should see the screen shots of El Presidente) You still have to raise your population out of squalor, ect., and have some benevolent goals for your country and citizens in order to hold on to power. How liberal! I want a game that lets me rule as an utter despot with secret police, a cowering legislative branch, secret slush funds, a crazed look in my eye, and a sealed bottle of whiskey in the bottom drawer of my desk.
Posted by idiosynchronic at May 22, 2006 11:02 AMJudging by the number of people that voted for this administration, Im starting to lose faith that the citizenry in general distinguishs between fiction and reality. One thing that political media campaigns and alot of video games have in common is that they explicitly appeal to preconscious fears and power fantasies. There seems to be a concerted info campaign going most of the time that amounts to a war on critical thinking and viable creative thought. The rise and mass marketing of religious fundamentalism with its comic book, video game theology, is another glaring example. The ideal appealed to is a nation of impulse buying, impulse voting, impulse acting adolescents and "the dots" that pess is connecting have practically become the air we breathe. IMHO
Posted by jondee at May 22, 2006 11:05 AMAnd banana dictatorships are sooooo 80's.
I want Eastern bloc goosestepping, suicide bombers, and radicalized students as playthings.
Mwahahahahaha!
Posted by idiosynchronic at May 22, 2006 11:05 AMAM Talk Radio is the video game of historical and political analysis.
Posted by jondee at May 22, 2006 11:11 AMIdio, my son's a major gamer and some of the ones I've seen him playing require so much planning of armies, harnessing resources, building the cities, etc, that it doesn't look fun anymore. I'm sure he could run a war more efficiently and effectively than bush or rummy.
Me, I'm more of the simple shoot 'em up game lover. In fact, the cat cannon's pretty much my speed; it's hilarious when the kitty lands on the bed of spikes. And no, I don't want to fling a kitty on a pile of explosives in real life - oh wait, yes I do, I hate cats...
'scuse me while I duck out, avoiding the flying bricks!
Posted by iamcoyote at May 22, 2006 11:38 AMI hate cats...
What's with the whole stiking their ass in your face all the time?
And what's with hair balls? Was that God's idea of a joke or what?
Posted by snark at May 22, 2006 11:48 AMThey're offering a sniff of the ass because they like you, snark! And they ack up hairballs 'cos they ain't gotta gizzard. And they'll piss on anything that's not already been pissed on just for fun. Blech!
Posted by iamcoyote at May 22, 2006 12:17 PMsnark, is there a heirarchy amongst prophets, I wonder?
Yes, indeed! There are many jesuses running around. We call them schizophrenics. Some smear their feces on walls to mark their territory. These are the top prophets in the community.
One of the reasons for the video games is it increases kill ratios. During WWII, psychologists studying kill ratios found that a very low percentage, about 25%, of soldiers in combat were making all the kills. A change in training was made so that instead of using bullseye targets, the military switched to popup targets with human outlines. Soldiers were behaviorally modified to pull the trigger at human shapes. Kill ratios went up dramatically. Video games are an extension of that modification.
And, as a note: Along with kill rates increasing, PTSD increasd dramatically. You can condition a person to pull a trigger on sight, but it's tough to make them like it.
Posted by phidipides at May 22, 2006 01:35 PMjn, ww, y hd sm bsltly n trgt pnts. xcllnt.
[Editor: ignore=off]phd, sspct tht th wr strss stff s smply ttchng bt f mrlty lg ftr th fct. Wht 'm syng s tht whn th kd cms bck ftr dlng wth dth, th smll nd ddgng y blls rllng ff th dd hds, thy cm bck nd wndr why thy cn't sht p th kk gngstrs tht md fc thm, r th frwy drvrs tht drv wthn th sptl sphr f lmttns, tc.
Th strss s tht thy cld kll th sm kks thr, bt nt th nn-cnvctd crmnls hr. Lk t ll th strss tht th crp lrd frnt lnrs t th WH nd n th hll 'fft hv csd. Rmmbr hw GW lwys tlkd sht bt th DC kks? Nw tht's dlyd strss.
[Editor: ignore=off]That, folks, is what we call "word salad" - a schizophrenic trademark.
Posted by iamcoyote at May 22, 2006 04:50 PMOMG Scout, I knew you were a religious freak, but you've dialed it up a notch...insane...
Posted by Roy Batty at May 22, 2006 05:03 PMcyt, wll, w lv n n nsn wrld. Nw, 'v bn glty f prhps bng rthlss, bt 'm nnplssd bt wht s s srprsng bt pst-trmtc-strss? n thng fr sr, y cn't py whl lt f ttntn t th kk psychlgst, sk phd. Sh mntnd tht sh s clncl/psych., yt csss p lk bkr bb.
She mentioned that she is clinical/psych., yet cusses up like a biker babe.
Fuck yeah! I used to get folks coming out of "christian therapy" where the therapist would get pissed-off if the person cussed. Nothing like someone slipping into a psychotic episode being told by a therapist that a big magic invisible person is going to help them if they read the correct bible passage! Cock-sucking, bible-thumping, pack of worthless shills for jesus christian therapists. Fucking quacks, the lot of them.
Posted by phidipides at May 23, 2006 06:51 AMThe Jessie Macbeth video has been debunked as a total fraud. A little research would help.
Posted by Russ at May 24, 2006 10:19 AM