do other countries get offended?

[Archamedes 10]

Here is the thing, it depends on the game or to be more precise it depends on the target audience.

Call me close minded if you want but I do get annoyed to say the least at games like modern warfare or C&C generals or world in conflict for example. My problem with those games is the they trivialize real-life-like events into simple white vs black (or in this case evil brown ragheads, or evil red russkies). The issue here is that those particular games are clearly targeting young teens (nobody pays attention to game ratings). I know it may sound ridicules but the unfortunate realty of this world is that a lot of young people (and some adults) take a lot of their perception of the outside world from movies and games. That obviously doesn't mean that they would go on thinking that Russians are pure evil for example, but since they cant be bothered with researching history or at least listening to real slightly objective news, it will be all that much harder for them to form a real uninfluenced opinions about real world events.

On the other hand I don't mind games like Operation flashpoint, Arma 2, Operation Arrowhead or combat flight sims like lockon or falcon 4. they might also have some of those "enemies" but they either put it in a real world context or make things a bit more complicated than simple black and white. But most importantly the target audience here is very different those are people (adult and young) that have patience and hopefully are not influenced by games or movies except in the pure entertainment sense of course.

I agree, i also see a point to what you mean by teens, especially those who love the hollywood brainwashing. The fact of the matter is most of the teens playing are not educated or aware of who the enemy is or why they are fighting. Everyone knows there was a world war 2 but if you asked your average world of warcraft leech who the nazis were and why they were fighting, do you think they could give a positive answer? "they are evil people who murdered jews and killed lots of americans but we beat em."

[jakerod 254]

Personnaly I'm a "bit" well totally offended with the massive anti french "racism" particularly since the after 2003, "our choice to not invade Irak with the coalition", it was a really bad time to be french online back then.

For the record, when I hear people say Anti-French stuff in the states, I defend you guys and point out their ignorance of history.

[nodunit 397]

For the record, when I hear people say Anti-French stuff in the states, I defend you guys and point out their ignorance of history.

Same, I shake my head every time I hear someone say something negative about the French, about those who gave us a gift which we idolize so much (statue of liberty).

Reading this thread is interesting, I have to agree with others, it would be nice to play a game as other countries or from other points of view, rather than my own which is pretty much viewed in 90% of war games.

@ Archamedes enter in youtube "Dining with terrorists", it should return a number of videos, basicly a journalist goes in and wants to see things from their view.

Edited April 28, 2010 by NodUnit

[Tonci87 163]

My Opinion:

I Like playing as an American, because they have interesting Weapons. But I would really like to see a new scenario, without Americans or russians. In Fact, I would really love to see a game about the Balkan War (I`m croatian^^)

[sudayev 27]

I concur with some of you stating that many games are American centric and such. For the first time it was very exciting when I played MoH1 or COD1 but now I get bored quite easily with the same WWII scenarios (heavily scripted) about americans storming the beachhead or snowy villages in the Ardennes, not to mention that heavily cliched phrase "covering fire" almost like taken from Tom Hanks mouth.

Game makers - create more games with Tommies, please! :) I always enjoyed playing as a Commonwealth fella fighting somewhere in Crete or North Africa. Hidden and Dagerous 2 is the GAME.

I'm looking forward to see some decent WW2 games where action takes place on: Crete, Yugoslavia, Italy (Monte Cassino), Winter War (Talvisota), Tropical warfare somewhere in the Pacific (Commonwealth theatre), Warsaw Uprising and Resistance ops in France.

[Dosenmais 10]

So do people in Germany and russia in particular get annoyed when playing these games that you are in effect forced to fight against your own country?

So i am german, and the only thing that annoying me, is the German Speech in American produce Games and Films. Since Stanley Kubricks Doctor Strangelove think all People German talk like that Guys.

And in Call of Duty World at War, every damn written sentence was totaly Wrong.

I mean, what the ****?! That doesn't make any sense. Nobody says "Motherland". And the grammar is also wrong.

Edited April 28, 2010 by Dosenmais

[VanhA-ICON 11]

So i am german, and the only thing that annoying me, is the German Speech in American produce Games and Films. Since Stanley Kubricks Doctor Strangelove think all People German talk like that Guys.

Lol, "So, döctor Jones... Vee meet again"

I don't get offended but if a game gets very uber-flag waving then it is kind of awkward and annoying.

It is a shame that in FPS there isn't much choice in choosing the sides.

I like to make my missions in A2 balanced so there's also Russian missions.

The situation is much better in games like "Soldiers-Heroes of WW2" and "Close combat" RTS style games.

For example in "SHOWW2" German campaign starts off with player being Michael Wittmann trying to push through US lines with his tank crew. Great stuff.

Of course with ArmA series I can boost some nationalism myself with enabling the FDF mod....

:D

[Daddl 10]

So i am german, and the only thing that annoying me, is the German Speech in American produce Games and Films. Since Stanley Kubricks Doctor Strangelove think all People German talk like that Guys.

Ah, but then nobody ever did such a perfect 'mad Nazi scientist' again afterwards - rip Peter Sellers! And the funny thing is that he did it while Wernher von Braun (a former Nazi party member and Waffen SS officer) was in more than one sense THE American 'rocket scientist'...

Anyways: games are basically stories you play through - if the story is good and supports the action, then I don't care much if I play as an American or Russian fighting Germans. If the story is just bad and starts getting too much into stupid clichés then I might be offended - not because of having to 'fight against my own people' in a game, but because of the stupid story telling involved.

[Zipper5 74]

I wouldn't say I get offended by it, far from it. But no matter how much I might like Spidey, I had one of those "Oh come on..." moments in this trailer when he lands in front of the American flag at the beginning. I mean, I respect Spidey's an American hero... But seriously. Seems others found it the same, and it was eventually edited out of the trailer later on.

6vrI3La4zuo

[Pathy 0]

It's the same thing in films really. People don't generally identify with the villains, even if they're of the same nationality. When I watch [.....]The Patriot, I don't get angry because the brits in the film are portrayed as the evil villains. :)

Didn't you realise, the Brits were the heroes of that film? :butbut: :D

[ProfTournesol 956]

It's the same thing in films really. People don't generally identify with the villains, even if they're of the same nationality. When I watch Braveheart or The Patriot, I don't get angry because the brits in the film are portrayed as the evil villains. :)

But the Red Coats are always the villains, aren't they :D (I'm kidding, i was drinking some beers in London last week. I love this town, much more enjoyable than Paris IMHO.)

In my country, the Sharpe's TV series isn't even broadcasted because the French are the bad guys, isn't that deeply stupid :mad:

[sic-disaster 311]

I can't wait for Red Orchestra: Heroes of Stalingrad to arrive lol, simply because of the fact that it's the sequal to the worlds greatest and most underappreciated online shooter, but mainly because they are adding a singleplayer campaign in which you can play as the Germans, and as the Russians.

I wonder how they will pull the story telling off though since they havent got any sp experience afaik.

But the prospect of playing as a German soldier fighting in the harsh battles of Stalingrad is very, very enticing.

And i know that TWI won't fuck it up. Even if in the end they do not deliver a campaign the way i would like to have seen it (meaning not the best ever, but simply ok), i just know they wont go for the stereotype.

They love history too much for it, and even most Russians they met on their trip to Volgograd (modern Stalingrad for those who dont know it) were impressed with their knowledge and respect for the battles, allowing them into the Grain Elevator as the first Western people since the second world war had ended.

Now they got the Grain Elevator modeled to the detail, and its very, very impressing.

I honestly cant wait to play as a Russian or German soldier in a sp campaign ^^

[maddogx 13]

But the Red Coats are always the villains, aren't they :D (I'm kidding, i was drinking some beers in London last week. I love this town, much more enjoyable than Paris IMHO.)

In my country, the Sharpe's TV series isn't even broadcasted because the French are the bad guys, isn't that deeply stupid :mad:

Now that's unfortunate, because Sharpe is totally awesome. :D

[Zipper5 74]

Well, COD4 was banned from being sold over here because the Arabs were the bad guys. I'm interested in seeing what happens with OA. I had to get a COD4 DVD shipped over here from the US. May have to do the same with OA. :rolleyes:

[SASrecon 0]

Well, COD4 was banned from being sold over here because the Arabs were the bad guys. I'm interested in seeing what happens with OA. I had to get a COD4 DVD shipped over here from the US. May have to do the same with OA. :rolleyes:

BI tried to remove anything religious such as mosques, paintings, religious artefacts etc. in OA to not offend anyone :) afaik.

It's in deadfast's KoprCon 2009 videos if I remember right (think it was numbers 2/5 and 3/5)

[dmarkwick 261]

But the Red Coats are always the villains, aren't they :D (I'm kidding, i was drinking some beers in London last week. I love this town, much more enjoyable than Paris IMHO.)

In my country, the Sharpe's TV series isn't even broadcasted because the French are the bad guys, isn't that deeply stupid :mad:

It is deeply stupid, because in Sharpe generally the French are merely the "other side", and it's almost always an "internal" enemy who's the bad guy. But, hey-ho :)

[JdB 151]

BI tried to remove anything religious such as mosques, paintings, religious artefacts etc. in OA to not offend anyone :) afaik.

"Rising from the heart of the city like a giant robin's egg is the dome of an elaborately-tiled mosque that just gets prettier the closer you get to it."

From the Eurogamer preview of OA.

[Archamedes 10]

Well, COD4 was banned from being sold over here because the Arabs were the bad guys. I'm interested in seeing what happens with OA. I had to get a COD4 DVD shipped over here from the US. May have to do the same with OA. :rolleyes:

only for 1 level the rest of the game is a war against russia again strenghening my point.

However the story is very cleverly put together because the russians aren't made out to be evil or the baddies.

In fact they were merely tricked into starting world war 3 by assuming it the americans that attacked their country first in the controversial airport mission. but the amricans didnt have anything to do with it. In actual fact the american general turned out to be the all out evil baddie in the whole game. So there is some bittersweet in that knowing that america wasn't quite so perfect and that the army was run by a corrupt general.

[Zipper5 74]

only for 1 level the rest of the game is a war against russia again strenghening my point.

I was talking about COD4, not MW2. MW2 is not banned over here. COD4 had a bunch of levels taking place in an Arab country.

Not only that, but a nuke was set off in said Arab country.

MW2's ending still makes no sense, even to this day. Logically, at least. Guess they just went for awesome and not making sense.

Edited April 28, 2010 by Zipper5

[scars09 9]

playing a in germany released ww2 game as an ingame american usually ends up in everyone speaking german (the americans and of course the germans) which is pretty weird as you can imagine.

i dont feel annoyed that "we" are the bad guys all the time, cause we are. wait until we finished our nazi zombie army project, revenge!!! :)

[Archamedes 10]

I was talking about COD4, not MW2. MW2 is not banned over here. COD4 had a bunch of levels taking place in an Arab country.

Not only that, but a nuke was set off in said Arab country.

MW2's ending still makes no sense, even to this day. Logically, at least. Guess they just went for awesome and not making sense.

oops my mistake, but even so still a petty reason to ban it

[kavoven 4]

I have to say that I enjoyed the Panzers Phase 1 campaign where you could play that German guy...that was something new :)

[maturin 12]

And there is a simple reason why: in WW2 games you aren't fighting "the german people", you are fighting "the Nazis". There's a major difference.

Nazis weren't allowed to serve in the ranks of the German military. So you're shooting mostly normal Germans.

But it's not problematic problematic because 70 years is longer in some places than others.

I don't think the Russians mind. Their population seems to think of the U.S. in terms of video game confrontations anyways, and they are quite happy to release games where you shoot at NATO. More power to them.

Edited April 28, 2010 by maturin

[Archamedes 10]

a lot of people are categorizing the nazis away from being german people. The nazis had family, friends and lives and those familes have spawned newer generations that live on today. They were still german citzens regardless of being nazies or being drafted in to fight. We live in a different world 70 years on we have put the past behind us and get on very well. i still listen to my grandfather as he tells me the stories of when he was a young british soldier fighting the nazis, and i am sure this is true for german people listening to their grandfathers.

Alough games do try to make villans out of the opposition you have to remember that the soldiers from both sides were human beings and fought because they were ordered to by the governments, not because they were war hungry barbarians. I feel this about the german soldiers of world war 2 as well as my own. If all the soldiers in ww2 had a choice im sure none would have wanted to fight each other.

[Herbal Influence 10]

I am fascinated by the serious and interesting discussion here.

It once again raises the feeling of being in quite an adult community of cogamers - not to mention the technical genious aspects of it all.

And it's nice that BIS games allow to create every scenario thinkable - so the community creates mods/missions with their very own view of things. And these views may differ like in real life - that's impressing, that's impressive.

And I made peace with myself concerning the fact that we are - in Armed Assault and as it seems in Operatons Arrowhead - fighting in countries that aren't well developed (in the financial and material aspects) for one reason: Watching war in the news in Iraq/Afghanistan I feel the need to overcome the feelings of being helpless and just a dumb watcher at it all in my velvet seat by doing some fights in the evening.

Just as a small and a-bit-therapy-like acting in the world that we are unable to change at all. I know my grandfather (and my (more idealistic) girlfriends) would want me to act more effectively (politically!) - but I do see no chance at all.

It's my way of mingling with the bad world in a way that helps my brain & soul getting along with the bad facts of everyday news.

Just a piece of psychological/philosophical report on my state of gaming - thoughful - after you (and me) have, as far as I can see - answered the threadstarters question.