Poll: Americans as the bad guys

[Roxor]

Since we are all sick to death of russians/terrorists/russian terrorists being the villains in pretty much every modern warfare-type game released in the past 5 years or so, I got to thinking, why doesn't any studio take the risk of making the world's most powerful country the enemy, beyond the occasional level or two? Even as simple as a reverse Red Dawn (with the eeeevil capitalists invading the peace-loving communists... or something) would make a change from shooting people with a foriegn accent.

Here are two ideas to put the USA as the enemy:.

1. The Vietnam War, with the player as the Viet-Cong.

2. The War On Terror, with the player as the terrorists. The first mission could be organising and carrying out the World Trade Centre attacks in 2001.

 

[migo]

Vietnam with Americans as invaders would be awesome.

 

[godfist88]

seems like an interesting concept, if executed just right it could be a hit.

 

[lacktheknack]

Also, on an unrelated note, what is your avatar supposed to be?

<link=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZfmPREbTd8>Terror and trauma.

 

[Dragonpit]

Only if it had a good reason. If it was America as the villian for the sake of being a villian. It would be stupid.

American btw.

Nice to see how many hate America on here.

It's not about hating it. We just think it's America's turn at playing the villain. An act in humility, you know.

But yeah, no. I get what you're saying. Playing the villain just because just seems silly.

 

[TheSquashedOrange]

I guess it would be cool, but it simply wouldn't be possible because the Americans would have a fit. Fallout 3 actually did something a bit like that though. The remnants of the American government (Enclave) are doing everything in their power to get things back to the way they were before the nuclear war. Unfourtuately, this also means killing anyone with any radiation in them at all, they don't even have to be sane mutants, just normal people who have been exposed to small amounts of radiation.

 

[Still Life]

In Modern Warfare 2:

Spoiler

I remember the Americans becoming the villains in the end.

 

[silversnake4133]

Definitely, I'd like to see someone put out a game like that. But then again, developers have probably done so or are trying to, and we never see them because of censorship.

 

[Exile714]

I don't want to play a game where either side is involved in armed conflict with another in real life. I don't like anti-terrorist games because I know people who come from the Middle-East and their friends and family could have been killed in a similar situation. Likewise, I wouldn't want to be a terrorist fighting an American because I know people whose brothers/sons (but not daughters) were killed.

The same goes for Russian/Chechen, North/South Korea, Africa/Itself games. If it's going on, I don't want to play it.

But an America in the not too distant future, with things having gone downhill over the past few years and the US gets defensive and starts attacking the rest of America. And you play as a Canadian soldier sent to the Mexican Front to halt the US invasion? Sure, why not?

 

[Ignatz_Zwakh]

Well, if there's one thing I learned from Modern Warfare 2 and Black Ops, it's to not trust the American government.
Also, the US military (Or at least a specialized branch of it) is the main antagonist in Prototype.

 

[EzraPound]

This has sort of already happened. . . think of Half-Life, or any number of games that feature governmental conspiracies spearheaded by antagonists with Texan accents. However, most of them feel the need to couch their criticisms in dystopic terms--like, DON'T WORRY THIS IS JUST SCIENCE FICTION.

Actually, it's funny, because like the most acclaimed postmodern war films--Full Metal Jacket, Apocalypse Now!--depict the U.S. in ways that range from ambiguous to negative. Making games that were more acknowledging of the consequences of neocolonialism---though not anti-American per se--would probably help add a layer of depth to their plots.

 

[Ignatz_Zwakh]

@Lacktheknack

That video is bloody horrifying.

But in the best ways possible!

 

[instantbenz]

How about not demonizing an entire country, or just taking the Civilization approach?

The Civ approach would be cool, but honestly you KNOW there will be more games like this soon.

To rephrase op's question: If there will be a few games this year featuring America as the protagonist's country, would you rather the developers flop it to the opposing country as the protagonists?

Because really it ends up that people don't enjoy it so much due to the stupid concentration of that plot currently.

Can we take a few years off of us being the dominant, capitalist, not-so-good-guy protagonists?

 

[Citizen Box]

That would be a very interesting game indeed. I am an American and I am all for it, but I don't think we will ever see the day that this will happen. Way too much bad publicity and the media will have a field day proclaiming that it will increase the likely hood that you will become a terrorist or something.

 

[jackknife402]

Some people tend to forget there is already a game where Americans are the villians.

That is American Government, at least.

That game is Red Dead Redemption. Trust me on this one, the entire game they're talking about how bad the local flavor and society have gotten as soon as the government tries to interfere with homesteaders and such. The claim is despite the outlaws, the government is still the bad guys, only they are the ones whom make the rules.

(edit: how does one pronounce Parentheses? Specifically the beginning one? I just got that in my Captcha word...

 

[Vicarious Vangaurd]

(edit: how does one pronounce Parentheses? Specifically the beginning one? I just got that in my Captcha word...

Puh-ren-tha-sees

 

[James Joseph Emerald]

why doesn't any studio take the risk of making the world's most powerful country the enemy, beyond the occasional level or two?

This has sort of already happened. . . think of Half-Life

What about Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker? You're killing American soldiers from the CIA, who will stop at nothing to end the cold war in their favour. The funny thing is, aside from the anime-style robots, it's not that far from the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIA_transnational_human_rights_actions] truth [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Jewels_(Central_Intelligence_Agency)].

 

[RJ Dalton]

<link=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZfmPREbTd8>Terror and trauma.

Wow. That was horrid and unsettling. I approve.

 

[Jojo1378]

Well obviously they aren't going to make a full on war campaign where america is the enemy, but people have been making american's enemies in games. Look at Rainbow Six Vegas Two, your killing Americans, its not a full scale war, but its still having them be the enemy. They just work for some evil guy. Or why cant we just have a game where everyone is the enemy so you can see the perspective of the mater at hand from all sides. Now that would be cool. It also wouldn't be racially insensitive since your killing people of all nationalities.