Games and politics, politics and games, talk about unhappy bedfellows. I say games can be pretty much whatever you want them to (except for cheese...definitely not cheese). Yep, I'm officially bored with the games as art or politics of social commentary debate, but not cheese, and did you know the French subsidize it over here in Germany so you can get brie for less than a U.S. doll--erm...as I was saying...I know you're bored too. You probably don't care whether you're stalking Osama bin Laden in Unreal Tournament or plugging growly alien thugs between squats, dives, and online tallyhos.
Just gimme the gun, point me at the bad guys, and get out of my way, that's about the extent of my political involvement in TomClancy'sMedalOfBattlefieldSplinterDutyVegas. Games are so carpe otium. You know, seize the R&R, or just seize something. Like in Starbreeze Studios' The Darkness when one of your snake-heads whip-latches onto some random unlucky dude and snaps him around like that space octopod in Hellboy, or the Whomping Willow in Harry Potter and the Ratty Unwashed Fella From Alcatraz.
Back to games and politics: Today marks the launch of a computer game called "Special Force 2: Tale of the Truthful Pledge" which, according to EUX.TV, allows you to relive the "defeat" of Israel courtesy the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah. It's apparently a first person shooter that lets you mow down Israeli soldiers and blow up Israeli tanks. A blurb on the box claims it "embodies objectively the defeat of the Israeli enemy and the heroic actions taken by heroes of the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon." Oh yeah, Hezbollah designed the game itself, or at least they're taking credit for it, and hoo boy, sounds like the kids can't wait to get their hands on it.
Children living in [Beirut's southern suburbs], like Ali and Hassan Hammiyeh, have long been looking forward to the game. "I'm eagerly awaiting Thursday to go and buy it. I want to feel like a Hezbollah struggler," said Hassan, whose family strongly supports Hezbollah.
And check out this:
"In this game you can be a partner in the victory. Fight, resist and destroy your enemy's Merkava tank in the game of force and victory," a Hezbollah member said. "The game features the battles that took place in southern Lebanon in July between our strugglers and the Zionists. Special Force 2 also offers mental and personal training for those who play."
Mental and personal training? Is this where we're headed? Games as political weapons? As ideological (pick any) and tactical training, incitement, and dare I say indoctrination tools? It's easy to make fun of some guy supporting a really dumb regulatory game sales law, but where should we draw the line (with games, which unlike films and books tend to make light of most subjects) if the content's out there on the savage edge?
I don't know about you, but someone help whoever decides a Darfur-Janjaweed game (kill the natives, assault their women, etc.) sounds like a good idea.
So what's the link to download and play the game? Why is everyone so afraid of publishing a link?
Tom Clancy games are notorious for their indoctrinating content, as are C&C games. And who can forget the popular counter strike where one can play either as American/French/German/British and most notably Israeli "counter terrorists" against Latin American/Middle Eastern "terrorists".
The makers of CS need a serious education in the original of these Israeli "counter terrorists" whose leaders have graced British "WANTER TERRORIST" posters. In fact one of the three organizations that make up the Israeli CT army was a pro-nazi self proclaimed fascist terrorist group. Don't believe me, look up "Lehi", which along with "Irgun" and "Haganah" joined the IDF.
Imagine that, a pro-Nazi Jewish fascist terrorist group painted as a "counter terrorism" organization. And the writer asks "Mental and personal training? Is this where we're headed? Games as political weapons?". No Mr. Packam, we crossed that line years ago.