Infinity Ward: B-B-Balls of Steel

http://news.spong.com/article/19606/Activision-Confirms-Civilian-Slaughter-Scene-in-Modern-Warfare-2

Thoughts?

Yeah, it's bullshit that it's not given a teen rating like it would be in a movie theatre.

no real thoughts except that the media is vastly overblowing a freaking video game scene. From TFA: "Apparently we want our games to be realistic, just not so realistic as to prick the conscience of the player." - if it pricks your conscience, you should probably double-check that you can tell the difference between real life and a game.

Well I've seen movies where civilians die... Can't see where it's any different for an M rated game.

/Wait's for Jack-ass Thompson to come back from the dead... ;)

idiots.

Game has "violent" scene or sometimes so called "sexual" material(Mass effect anyone?) and then some people go nuts. SERIOUSLY Why aren't people complaining the same way about Movies and why is the media continuing to be so retarded? O_o

If it won't let me put a gun in a stroller and blow a baby to pieces, it's not worth my time.

It was probably done more for the shock value than being an attempt at profundity. While I feel it is in poor taste, it is no more so than any movie, book or comic of similar content.

There has been some uproar around the Internet about just how acceptable a scene that shows innocent bystanders being killed is within a video game.

bwahahahaha

Instantly made me think of this Syndicate mission.

EDIT: HAHAHA even better

Snarboo said:

It was probably done more for the shock value than being an attempt at profundity. While I feel it is in poor taste, it is no more so than any movie, book or comic of similar content.

I don't agree.

Think about it: killing civvies in videogames has become so normal and guilt-free. I see IW trying to bring the realism into a situation like that, slapping every GTA-playing granny-killer in the face and saying "This is what it's like to kill an innocent".

Also, keep in mind that the game doesn't FORCE you to do anything. Like GTA, any kills you rack up are yours alone.

This is so horrible because you PLAY AS A TERRORIST in a game that you would expect to BE THE HERO! It's just in bad taste for them to do this. Terrorism is a very touchy subject right now and they are full of fail. There are other ways they could have done this... A cinematic maybe? Or let you play as a civilian trying to run from the terrorist, that would have been better gameplay wise too. The funny thing is they want to charge an extra 10 dollars for this game because "they think its worth it" I refuse to waste my time with such shit. I cant wait for this to show up on the news. This time I will agree with the media.

Shuck said:

This is so horrible because you PLAY AS A TERRORIST in a game that you would expect to BE THE HERO! It's just in bad taste for them to do this. Terrorism is a very touchy subject right now and they are full of fail. There are other ways they could have done this... A cinematic maybe? Or let you play as a civilian trying to run from the terrorist, that would have been better gameplay wise too. The funny thing is they want to charge an extra 10 dollars for this game because "they think its worth it" I refuse to waste my time with such shit. I cant wait for this to show up on the news. This time I will agree with the media.

You actually play as a undercover CIA agent during that mission.

Think about it: In most games, you hear that the BBEG is evil because he killed a few people offscreen. What better to motivate your hatred and subsequent righteous fury than witnessing what he did firsthand?

Mr. Freeze said:

You actually play as a undercover CIA agent during that mission.

Think about it: In most games, you hear that the BBEG is evil because he killed a few people offscreen. What better to motivate your hatred and subsequent righteous fury than witnessing what he did firsthand?

My mistake. It still doesn't make it any better IMO. It's still wrong. I don't need any motivation to kill terrorists. Just as I didn't need motivation to kill covenant in Halo, combine in Half-Life, or demons in Doom.

Mr. Freeze said:

Think about it: killing civvies in videogames has become so normal and guilt-free. I see IW trying to bring the realism into a situation like that, slapping every GTA-playing granny-killer in the face and saying "This is what it's like to kill an innocent".

It's more context than content. Games like GTA and Postal 2 are more dark comedies than po faced war dramas and in both cases you either play a citizen that has chosen to run amok or a criminal. In Hitman, you're an emotionless contract killer who kills rich and poor, innocent and guilty alike. In all of those games, there are repercussions for killing the innocent and you are not forced to as part of a mission.

In the end, you're right: it doesn't matter since they are the same thing but I guess I take issue with the idea that Infinity Ward is taking a hot button issue and using it for cheap thrills, which is pretty much all Call of Duty is. It's not an intellectual narrative that examines the reasons for terrorism and even allows you to become one as a form of catharsis, it's a 6 hour FPS designed to sell a billion copies. This is proven by the fact that not 10 minutes later you'll be killing the evil terrorists as the heroic SF or SAS forces and freedom will triumph.

Then again, it's about time gaming can do the same things we have seen a thousand times in movies.

Shuck said:

My mistake. It still doesn't make it any better IMO. It's still wrong. I don't need any motivation to kill terrorists. Just as I didn't need motivation to kill covenant in Halo, combine in Half-Life, or demons in Doom.

It's wrong for a game to give you a proper motivation to kill enemies? If you're so eager and willing to just jump in and start shooting people with no real motivation about what makes them so evil and why they deserve to die, I find that much more disturbing.

They move. Shoot them.

So what? This is the real problem.

http://gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2009/10/20/modern-warfare-2-dedicated-server-response.aspx

Another reason why this seems like a publicity stunt. Everyone has conveniently forgotten the removal of dedicated servers when they hear they can shoot up an airport as a terrorist.

geekmarine said:

It's wrong for a game to give you a proper motivation to kill enemies? If you're so eager and willing to just jump in and start shooting people with no real motivation about what makes them so evil and why they deserve to die, I find that much more disturbing.

Yes, as I said before, I don't need motivation to kill my enemies. You kill them because they are the bad guys, not unarmed innocents. It's a game, and its supposed to be fun, not mentally disturbing. Oh, and I wouldn't call playing as someone killing innocents "proper motivation"

What's the big deal, this game is rated M anyway. Innocent people die every time I play Grand Theft Auto and Sim City

Don't worry folks, you'll be given the option to skip that level if you don't want to play it!

Having actually tracked down and watched the footage in question, I fail to see how this is any worse than the GTA's and Postals before it. The public needs to get over themselves. How is this any more offensive than the numerous movies about the World Trade Center?

Shuck said:

This is so horrible because you PLAY AS A TERRORIST in a game that you would expect to BE THE HERO! It's just in bad taste for them to do this. Terrorism is a very touchy subject right now and they are full of fail. There are other ways they could have done this... A cinematic maybe? Or let you play as a civilian trying to run from the terrorist, that would have been better gameplay wise too. The funny thing is they want to charge an extra 10 dollars for this game because "they think its worth it" I refuse to waste my time with such shit. I cant wait for this to show up on the news. This time I will agree with the media.

There's nothing wrong with playing the bad guy in a game. People have been doing it forever. Touchy subject? You can go to hell if you think restricting what people should say because it makes others uncomfortable is ok. Crap like that contributes to the loss of freedom we endure every time a few idiots who don't understand statistics get scared of a few terrorists.

The funny thing is that Postal 2 (and the upcoming 3) is probably the most crude and tasteless videogame ever, but perhaps its being so extreme kept it in the darkness, and many people don't even know of its existence.

So much in fact that the media are still shocked when something less extreme periodically appears.

Perhaps this time they struck the "terrorist" nerve and that caused a bigger splash in the pond or something, I don't know. Surely nobody would give a shit about that in Europe, it would just be mindless violence like blasting mutant zombies.

Wasn't it C&C: Generals that caught some flak for having a terrorist unit?

I bet nowadays you could find people who'd bitch about Warcraft 2s goblin demolition squads. omg teh suicide bommers

I just remembered that Deus Ex Invisible War let you casually kill children, and the first thing I did when I found this out was throw their bodies into flaming trash cans and fans. I don't think there were any repercussions for doing so either.

<-- has a reason to buy Deus Ex now.

Actually, I think it's free on GameTap now, isn't it?

I think the original Deus Ex is on GameTap, but I'm not sure about the sequel, Invisible War. If you're looking to play it just for that, though, I can't recommend it. The sequel that is, as Deus Ex is a classic.