Should we care about who we’re shooting in games?

MyGaming's Tarryn van der Byl asks just how important is it for developers to take responsibility for the way they portray certain groups in games.

Is it OK to play at killing people with a character model skinned in a US marine uniform, but not an Al-Queda soldier?

[xYLeinen]

A little to late to ask that question perhaps?

[Commander_TK]

there´s a difference between fiction and reality

[LoaMcLoa]

' Now you tell me D:

[captain-obvious]

you Americans only care about your selves
havent you PPL even think about all the Russians , Germans, Arabs .. ect that YOU ppl shoot in video games ??
I don't see them bitching about it

ZOMG YOU SHOOT THE AMIRICAMZ IN DA GAMEZZZZZZ
DA GAMZZZZZ SUKZZZZZZZZ

you PPL are not the only ones that live on this world you know
but to me i dont care
its still a game nothing more nothing less

[Darkstorn]

As long as the shooting of Arabs/Russians/North Koreans is handled maturely, I have no problem with it.

My issues arise more with developers overusing certain ethnic stereotypes solely because they are easy or uncontroversial targets. Be more creative, devs!

[theKiller]

and usually i take the resistance side (including the russians) but i do play on the marine side if they are too weak or lack people and i shoot arabs without thinking twice because its a game idiots!!

americans are too proud of them selves and they lack a free thinking mind!!

do they think some american will get killed because of a game? r they that much scared and fragile to even think of the idea? well if thats the case then every day american get killed in iraq and afghanistan!! so get ur soldiers out of those countries!!

[nickjkl]

hahaha nope

[-Ikon-]

Doesn't matter who you shoot its still all a sin.

[Shang-Long]

no i mean in Infamous i went around sucking the life out of old ladies. i dont care, if your in my way you gotta go lol

[rezzah]

Wait until they add kids and babies, then lets see if its a little too late.

[granthinds]

it's a poignant discussion. Definitely worth reassessing as the human race.

[gravemaker]

i dont care. Love shooting everybody

[deadreckoning666]

THIS ^^

[SKUD]

Efffffffff YEEEA!.

[iamnsuperman]

as long as it isn't the russians i don't care... Lately modern warefare games like BFBC and COD MW have sorta focused on the Russians being the big bad guy which irritated me because fighting them is very unlikely in 2days political climate..... I don't see as playing as al qaeda as a playable side is such a big deal. It is only a game remember nothing more.....This is like when Politicians claim violent games make people kill other people which is doesn't they are just mental unstable anyway before they played the game

[George Sears]

Probably because of the Cold War rivalry, and we as Americans knowing that Russia really are formidable opponent is that they include them in there games. You get to play as Russians in World at War though. They were my favorite stages.

[skawtch]

Yes, we all play games for a realistic commentary on likely warfare scenarios that could emerge from today's political climate...

[Darkstorn]

You and I might play games for that purpose, but I get the feeling that most modern gamers (especially on consoles) just want to shoot stuff. Many people see games as a sandbox to show off physics tech, graphics, and game mechanics, not some overarching work of fiction.

However, I will say this: If gamers are so concerned about realism in video games, and then turn around and state that they're "only shooting pixels," then they are setting a double standard for themselves when they game. If you want to be fully immersed in an experience, then you cannot in good conscience convince yourself that who you're shooting is inconsequential.

[ChickeyCantor]

I hope we get a game where you play as Obama and shoot all the white presidents...

Man...the BS that will arise from that =D....

[ian72]

I don't really care who I shoot in games. Due to it been only a game.

[MGRogue2017]

No.. Why should I? All they care about is winning the match just as much as I do..

*continues to shoot enemies in MW2*

[Cairnius]

This whole debate is idiotic. We've been playing as Nazis in multiplayer FPS titles for over eight years now. No one made a stink about that - because it's the Taliban, now, people are getting up in arms?

It's sensationalist bullshit. I'm glad there's a piece on the Dtoid blogs calling out how stupid this debate is.

[The Great Melon]

The difference in the two groups is that the Nazis have come and gone. They are history whereas the Taliban are alive and kicking.

[Fishy Fingers]

I couldn't give a s***. Stick nothing but character models of my mum in a game, I'll shoot her in the face as easy as I would a Nazi.

[AssassinHD]

I don't bring my sense of morality with me when I start playing a game. It is a game. I don't care about the virtual civilians in the virtual airport. I don't care about the virtual bystanders on the virtual sidewalk in virtual New York. Hell I would sell my virtual mother to virtual slave traders if they gave me a good enough deal. It is also just as likely that I would kill the virtual slave traders and take over their virtual business.

[HelghastKid]

I need a game like this lol

[mushroomwig]

Generally I don't like World War 2 games or anything that involves a conflict between two nations because soldiers are just people doing a job, however Mercs are fine to kill because they have no soul.

[dgroundwater]

I honestly don't understand what this article is trying to say. Somehow he is suggesting the "OpFor" enemies in Call of Duty 4 are supposed to be sympathetic characters we should not like to kill? Aren't they just a well organized terrorist group led by Al Asad and (by extension) Imran Zakhaev?

Just read the first comment on the website:

"The inclusion of Al-Queda as a playable side in MP was always going to be controversial. One has to understand that to the US and its largely ignorant population the name and alignment of this faction signifies one of the pivotal moments in US history, as time goes by one sees the influence of these events ever clearer."

That doesn't even make grammatical sense. What did that even mean? This all sounds like a lot of pseudo-intellectual self-loathing to me :P

[ebgeer]

I think it is really how you want to play the game...I think in the past you didnt really have a choice..but theres a lot more games that are figuring in morality choices...which I think it is something that is incredible--and adds lots of life to a game...but also replay value. Current game playing as such-Red Dead-I could either run around town killing everyone and dragging them by a horse or stop people from doing that---i generally try to be a good guy for most games...but I think when I get through the first time I'll give it a rest for a while then go through again and just tear everything apart...

but no..you shouldn't care who your shooting..unless the game wants you to care.--its a game...in books and movies do you get a choice who you follow and who the main character kills or ruins(could mean many things)...

[George Sears]

No and when I played MW2, I loved the US stages. Haven't played an FPS located in the US before. People in Virginia should mow there lawns though.

[Tuxmask55]

I'm shooting pixels. What are you shooting?

[BaKon]

No, its games.

[shikwan]

But there is a line that shouldn't be crossed. For example; a 'sci-fi' game that pits Germans against Jews or a sci-fi game that pits a KKK-type group against Blacks.

These games where Russia, Chinese, Taliban or even Native Americans are the enemy have been ok so far...they aren't really promoting any stereotypes IMO nor are they really making these groups out to be utter monsters that have their entire kind eradicated.

From an outside perspective; they all do follow the same formula-Americans will win in the end. But what country in power wouldn't advocate themselves as victorious over all?

And multiplayer play is no big deal. I have no problems being taliban CHARACTERS shooting american soldier CHARACTERS. I don't see it as the real thing. These are 'skins' which could easily be one team red and the opposing team blue. I see it as; I'm trying to beat the other team no matter what 'skin' they are wearing.

BOTTOM LINE: It's A GAME PPL! Take it easy.