Phantasy Star: Fringes of Algo

Another game based on recent world events has been canceled. This one was called "Rendition: Guantanamo" and was supposed to put players in the role of a Guantanamo prisoner who was trying to escape. ABCNews has an article about this and some other games that stirred up a lot of controversy.

What do you think, are games like this going too far? What is it that makes that so? Some people argue that we have games based on past world events that involved great tragedies - like World War II for instance - and that this is no different. Are they right or wrong?

I have to say that I'm not a fan of games that chronicle world events or any other political event. It weirds me out, turning history into something that you can play and make light of. Not that I look down on those who do enjoy such games, it's just that those games are not my cup of tea.

Speaking of games that reference real life--have you guys played Eternal Sonata? It's a fictional story about a real composer. Good game--strange concept.

Never played Eternal Sonata, as I don't have a PS3 or XBox 30, but I've heard a lot of good things about it. When I need real life references in games, I play Destroy All Humans!, which references real people and events for satire, as those games parody various eras (so far they've done the 50s, 60s, and 70s.)

Anyway...I think some of it has to do with how much time has passed. A game based on Guantanamo does seem pretty tasteless, as this is going on NOW. But World War II...well, it's been decades since that war was fought, and if you want to create a war game, basing it on World War II would be quite fitting. We have games based on ancient history, too. I think for me, it depends on how much time has passed. It's hard to make light of something recent or current as opposed to things that are decades long past.

Sonata is good, but at times the composer parts seem very misplaced. Almost like they had a typical RPG game and decided to put that aspect in at the last minute. The real life stuff that game does reference is so old and unknown to most people that it gives the game a nice bit of educational value, though.

Caged Wolf wrote:Anyway...I think some of it has to do with how much time has passed.

I tend to agree. There aren't that many people around now who remember WWII, but the more recent stuff is much fresher in everyone's minds. That makes it harder for a game to provide an escape from day to day worries, which I think is something a lot of people look for in games.

I read some of the games based on recent conflicts were actually developed in part by people involved in those battles and they didn't a problem with them. That makes me wonder what WWII veterans think of games based on that war.

Think the main problem I have with a game where you play the part of a Gitmo prisoner is that it might have the negative effect of generating sympathy for them in the mainstream public. I mean, those people are in prison for very good reasons. Namely that they wouldn't hesitate to commit mass murder. So yeah, a "game" like that really does go to far in my opinion.

Historical war games can teeter and either come across as annoying on some level or be reasonably good. Call of Duty 2 for example I thought was a rather well done game for depicting realism in both historical accuracy (save for some of the mission objectives) and in depicting the brutality of warfare. It gave me a better appreciation for what our veterans had to endure. Rather reminiscent of the movie Patton I felt.

On the other hand you've got games based on current events depicting things that could happen right now. Those sort of games come across as being unsettling and often disturbing, and could even give some people some really bad ideas.

Games such as Grand Theft Auto 3 and it's sequels are probaly the best known games that literally go to far. They're terribly realistic games that drop you in playing the role of a rather realistic thug whose missions and game goals all seem to be committing as many mostly realistic crimes as possible in order to move your position up (or would that be down?) in the criminal underworld. And need I even mention the hidden "hot coffee" mini-game that garnered GTA 4 it's "AO" ESRB rating after it had already been on the market for several months.

GTA is just the better publicly known game with strongly offensive content. There was an Xbox game that was featured as a demo on an OXM Demo Disc some years back that looked like it would be a fun combat car sort of game. I wound up ejecting the disc part way through the demo game's opening movie, as it depicted what I presumed to be your character getting cursed out with excessively fowl language by some guy dressed as an evil looking clown while he was bashing the brains out of some dead guy on the floor with a golf club. And it was quite the reaslistic looking cut scene. That's a prime example of a game that goes to far I think, sorry I don't recall the title of it.

I was going to post a new thread for this topic on a certain video game I saw, but after seeing this thread, I think it fits right in here as I think this particular one is one of those video games that "goes too far". Here, read this article for yourselves and see what you think regarding this Battle Of Fallujah video game?

http://www.newsweek.com/id/200861?GT1=43002


Personally, I think this type of subject as well as the one mentioned in posts above referring to Gitmo are NOT appropriate subjects for video games. I don't know maybe it is because the places are real places and real events where people have suffered and perhaps died and I don't think that is appropriate topics for kids or adults in playing a game because to some soilder this was not play, it was real...maybe even life or death situations. Is nothing sacred or to be held in reverance any more? Maybe it is just because these events are so recent. I can sort of understand some games, etc., based on previous wars of long, long ago. Although I guess some people who lived that era may not like it so much either. Why can't there be games with a similar theme but without mentioning specific places, events, etc., sort of like anonoymous or something like that? Although I guess that wouldn't sell as well and make as much profit without using these names/subjects that are so well known and controversial during this current time period. Not my cup of tea though.