America being attacked a cliche?

[Hero in a half shell]

Britian hasn't been invaded since 1066.

THEN WHAT THE HELL WAS THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN?!? Sure seemed like a goddamned invasion to me!

Yes, it was an invasion... an unsuccessful invasion. The UK hasn't been invaded in almost a millenia, I don't care what country you are, that's impressive.

And unsuccessful invasion is still an invasion nonetheless. Invasions don't have to be successful, all they have to do is debilitate and demoralize the enemy.

Opps, sorry, I wrote that post with the express purpose of outlining the difference between an invasion and a successful invasion, and I managed to completely mess it up.
A successful invasion would be one in which the invading power actually achieves their reason for invading (regime change/territory gain/etc.) and holds onto it. I meant to say "The UK hasn't been successfully invaded in almost a millenia", which is objectively true.

Anyway we're totally getting off point here, the reason America gets invaded so much is because (a) The target demographic for most games is by American companies, for American audiences
(b) An invasion is one of the biggest military threat a country can face, and the easiest way to portray a current superpower as being the underdog in a war.

 

[Mark Flanagan]

'eh I'm a non-american big Red Dawn fan so I like it as it lets me whisper (I'm too polite to shout) Wolverines! as I shoot Russian foot soldier number 12 in the nuts. Ah Red Dawn, when movies were simple and involved school children fighting a guerrilla campaign against a Communist invasion.

 

[Moonlight Butterfly]

I keep reading the thread title as 'America being attacked by a cliche.'

which just makes my mind wander into the fantastical.

OT: I don't think it's a cliche as such but I think the whole idea of invasion is to shock as it a pretty disconcerting idea for westerners that America could be invaded.

 

[Thaluikhain]

I keep reading the thread title as 'America being attacked by a cliche.'

which just makes my mind wander into the fantastical.

OT: I don't think it's a cliche as such but I think the whole idea of invasion is to shock as it a pretty disconcerting idea for westerners that America could be invaded.

I read it as that as well the first time.

But...what's so disconcerting about the US being attacked...again? Only so many times alien or British or British alien forces can burn down the White House before it gets to be old hat. Like most cliches, it might have been an exciting idea once upon a time, but nowdays, it's a bit "meh".

 

[Moonlight Butterfly]

I keep reading the thread title as 'America being attacked by a cliche.'

which just makes my mind wander into the fantastical.

OT: I don't think it's a cliche as such but I think the whole idea of invasion is to shock as it a pretty disconcerting idea for westerners that America could be invaded.

I read it as that as well the first time.

But...what's so disconcerting about the US being attacked...again? Only so many times alien or British or British alien forces can burn down the White House before it gets to be old hat. Like most cliches, it might have been an exciting idea once upon a time, but nowdays, it's a bit "meh".

Well as a Brit when I saw 9/11 had happened I seriously thought that was it, World War 3. I remember watching the news in my bf's flat and thinking 'Oh crap.' amoung other things So the idea of an actual invasion of America would be even more scary I think.

 

[Jodah]

Its just easier to portray America as the good guys if they are being invaded. Lets face it, the number one target market for those games is America and people tend to like games where they are the good guy.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Well as a Brit when I saw 9/11 had happened I seriously thought that was it, World War 3. I remember watching the news in my bf's flat and thinking 'Oh crap.' amoung other things So the idea of an actual invasion of America would be even more scary I think.

An actual invasion of the US, perhaps (despite logical impossibility).

But still, an actual invasion by space faring aliens would be even worse, and yet nobody feels too frightened when playing Space Invaders.

 

[Moonlight Butterfly]

Well as a Brit when I saw 9/11 had happened I seriously thought that was it, World War 3. I remember watching the news in my bf's flat and thinking 'Oh crap.' amoung other things So the idea of an actual invasion of America would be even more scary I think.

An actual invasion of the US, perhaps (despite logical impossibility).

But still, an actual invasion by space faring aliens would be even worse, and yet nobody feels too frightened when playing Space Invaders.

Try playing it for a really long time. They just keep coming! D:

Also I'm pretty sure they are invading Japan for eating thier sea creature brethren. :|

I was just trying to say why games developers use this scenario becuase if you think about it in a serious frame of mind, It's really quite offputting.

 

[Maeshone]

While it is becoming increasingly popular I don't think it's been used to the point of tedium yet. That won't happen until we've had zombie-alien ninjas riding giant robots invade the US, so the resistance has to join forces with the interstellar vampire space pirates in order to protect their freedomcakes. Then, it'll have been done to the point of tedium.

 

[OriginZero]

I'd like to see more FPS war games either set in other countries with neither side being America, or let's just take it to space. Halo doesn't count cause we still go back to Earth and he fights for Earth. How about something completely unrelated to Earth as we know it. A real fantasy environment for our FPS.

Or let's go to a realistic future type setting? Fighting across other planets. I mean, even if humans do settle other worlds, I'm sure we'll fight the inhabitants there, each other, or both. Let's move out of this past and modern funk we've been stuck in. Remember when you were getting tired of all the World War 2 games? I feel the same way about "Modern" settings now.

 

[Nikolaz72]

Well, they haven't been invaded in 300 years, give or take.

Britian hasn't been invaded since 1066.

New kids on the block actually think people want to invade them.

You mean England. England has not been invaded since 1066.

French send troops to Ireland a MILLIONANDONE TIMES. And supplied Scottland with some weaponry around 1400. Ireland and Scotland is a part of Brittain. Just thought I'd say.

 

[RJ Dalton]

Pretty much everything is a cliche these days. It's all a matter of how you play it off.

 

[Terminal Blue]

The last time the USA was invaded was in WWII when Japan invaded that small set of isles off the tip of Alsaska, though admittedly that wasn't terribly important, but it was NOT 300 years, since Britain invaded in 1812 and burned down the White House.

It's not really an 'invasion' if it's a war you started and, at the end, both sides agree to just keep to the same borders they started with.

That's like saying the Allies 'invaded' Germany in World War 2. Technically, there isn't really another word for it, but that doesn't make it the right word.

Invasion implies an aggressive war. A situation where one side attacks another and then has their territory occupied until a peace settlement can be drawn up doesn't really fit the bill.

 

[Vault Girl]

Don't worry, England is quickly becoming the new America, and that will probably be followed by South Africa if recent cinema would have us follow.

 

[k-ossuburb]

Didn't Critical Miss already cover this?

Because that's pretty much how I feel whenever I see this scenario crops up.

 

[spartandude]

While it is becoming increasingly popular I don't think it's been used to the point of tedium yet. That won't happen until we've had zombie-alien ninjas riding giant robots invade the US, so the resistance has to join forces with the interstellar vampire space pirates in order to protect their freedomcakes. Then, it'll have been done to the point of tedium.

i would so play that game

 

[InfectedStar]

Yes, very, very cliche...

 

[StBishop]

American being attacked is a cliche because Americans respond to attacks. Unlike half of Europe, they don't just put up with suicide bombers.

I think you're trying to say that it's ridiculous, not clichéd.

I would also like to point out that, to my knowledge, America has only ever been involved in two conflicts where they were not either supported by allies or supporting their allies.

The American civil war and War of independence.

So, yeah...

OT: Meh, it's common in all media to depict your own nation being attacked. It's usually dear to your heart.
I think it's becoming more common in gaming recently because of two major reasons,
1. More games are being made in the states (or by companies in/from the states) than ever before. (This isn't a fact, it's an assumption)
2. More people to whom this subject appeals are gaming than ever before. It's more common for soldiers to game than read, which hasn't always been the case. (This is an assumption based on accounts from friends who serve) Also, civilians who are generally into very bombastic and realistic entertainment (action movies, war based FPS') are more common as a gaming demographic than previously.

I guess point 2 boils down to, this has been common in all media for ages, it's becoming more common in gaming because gaming isn't just for nerds any more.

 

[Baradiel]

Well, they haven't been invaded in 300 years, give or take.

Britian hasn't been invaded since 1066.

New kids on the block actually think people want to invade them.

You mean England. England has not been invaded since 1066.

French send troops to Ireland a MILLIONANDONE TIMES. And supplied Scottland with some weaponry around 1400. Ireland and Scotland is a part of Brittain. Just thought I'd say.

I'm going to be a geography dick here and point out that Ireland is not part of Britain. Britain is the landmass that includes the countries of England, Wales and Scotland. Ireland, while part of the British Isles and Northern Ireland being part of the United Kingdom, the actual island of Ireland is not part of Britain.