Poll: How about a ''Vs. America' shooter?

[GeorgW]

I'd love one for a change. Homefront will take place in America, that's the first step. I guess the media wouldn't like it and that's why no one has tried it, but come on now! Who even listens to Fox news anymore?? Also, why would you play as a bad guy just cuz it's against America? America is at least as evil as some of their "enemies." I'd love a game that portrayed America as the villain. It wouldn't even requre much imagination, just have Bush be the president
Also, there is no poll.

 

[Halceon]

1: It wouldn't sell. It just wouldn't.
2: It would be TOO controversial. Remember the furore that occured when EA tried to offer you the chance to play as the Taliban, in multiplayer only? (even if it was just a publicity stunt) And imagine Fox News - even if we clearly portrayed the player characters as villains and had them suffer a downfall, they're unlikely to let it slip by unnoticed I'm afraid.
Basically, it's not going to be possible, not at the moment when we have soldiers fighting overseas and a hyperactive media.

This is why we can't have nice things. People who say something's impossible, shouldn't interfere with people who are doing the impossible.

 

[Jewrean]

Clint Eastwood did it with movies, so why not with games?:

Letters from IWO Jima
&
Flags of our Fathers

I actually preferred the movie from the Japanese point of view. It was by far the superior movie. It was much more brutal and what made it wonderful was the fact that it wasn't the same tired old American cliche troop of dick heads that you don't care about.

If anyone ever bitched about controversy I would point them towards those movies. Hell, if the PC Nazis had their way: Das Boot wouldn't have been made either (which was an amazing film).

I say break against the trend of 'History is written by the victors'.

 

[Mr. Omega]

Yes, I'd like to play as some other nationality apart from American, British, or the occasional Russian. There are more than 3 nationalities that you can play as, people! And there can be bad guys apart from Middle Eastern people or Russians!

As for a Vs America game, don't make them pure evil. It's why I don't like the "Vs Russia" games, they make the Russians pure evil, and this would just make them American for shock value. There are two sides to every war, so at least try to justify their actions, not "We're invading because we feel like it!".

 

[gellert1984]

When will we ever be able to play as Nazi Germany? I want to be the bad guys for once, dammit.
It would be a welcome change of perspective. Something new in the world of gaming.

Company of heroes: Tales of Valour, one Op has you playing as the ace crew of a Nazi Panzer.

 

[smythn]

there is usually only ever one reason as to why this would be a bad idea to use in a game, going back to some of "extra credits" quotes, there is usually a reward system built into games and this is what makes them playable, imagine finishing a game to find out all that you have done within that game amounts to nothing and that you were on the losing side all along, some of us might get angry, the rest of the game could have been good but a bad ending can completely destroy even the best of stories.

left 4 dead tried this during the first chapter of the game, remember how you felt when all of the survivors just gotten to the chopper and are safe and sound, like you had managed to achieve something worthwhile?

the original plan of that scene was to have the chopper pilot say that he had been bitten and wasn't feeling too 'funky fresh',the developers took this out because when you finished the level and heard about the pilot being bitten, there was no sense of accomplishment, no reward so to speak.

an example where this was a bit overused is Dead Space, you went around the ship fixing one thing after before being told that something else was completely fried, this follows the idea of the "Skinner's box" but only yields rewards through the RPG system of credits and upgrade system, remember how you felt when time after time you were told to fix something else for the umpteenth time? got a bit old really quickly didn't it, but that had a compelling storyline to carry it.

i'm not saying that either of these games are bad, i myself have already pre-ordered "dead space 2" and play "left 4 dead 1/2" with my friends whenever i get the chance because the reward is that massive sense of accomplishment. there are certain cases where the idea of being on the losing side has worked, but it is very rare.

 

[Merkavar]

i would think that a vs usa game wouldnt sell and if it did people would call you a terrorist or say the game is made by terrorist or some such non sense. games like cod and battlefield already get this cause you can play as the opfor which are chinese or arabic. they claim that its terrorist training simulators. so imagine if a games primary role was to be a vs american game

 

[Earthmonger]

American civilians? No. They're innocent*.
American government and armed forces? Hell yeah, I'd annihilate them for their own good.

 

[Patton662]

The various groups in USA (Fox propaganda machine...) would destroy the game and it's developers. Just like 6 days in fallujah got obliterated. Many Yanks seem to have a need to always be the good guys no matter what. It is really sad that all war games are so one sided.

 

[xdiesp]

Military FPS are recruiting tools for the military, the last thing they want is making you aware that the "enemy" is a man just like you. They must be inhuman monsters whose point of view cannot be shared, and must be exterminated.

When it's just spacemarines I can still oversee the glaring jingoism, but present day FPS are just too hypocrital for my tastes.

 

[Something Amyss]

Based on the fact that Medal of Honor barely sold despite all the furore AND EA's marketing efforts I'm going to say it's unlikely.

Except EA's approach pissed EVERYONE off, by first advertising the Taliban, then "removing them."

I suspect you mean that it would not sell in the US. But the gaming world is much bigger than just one country.

Yes, but America is a huge market for games and a huge market for shooters.

Clint Eastwood did it with movies, so why not with games?

Because games aren't movies, and most studios don't have the reputation Eastwood does.

The first part seems obvious, but nobody's trying to get the supreme court to declassify movies as art for the sake of banning the sale of questionable content (which this would surely end up falling under).

The second part is important, too. Game developers are viewed pretty poorly by the general media. And even the general public. Clint Eastwood is a respected director. People are less likely to attack an acclaimed director, since they assume it will be treated with respect.

Six Days in Fallujah should demonstrate that even when things are done with respect, the media will go completely insane.

 

[-Samurai-]

When it comes to an FPS, I don't care who I'm playing as. As far as the campaign, as long as it makes sense, I don't care. Give me a gun and a target and that's what I'm doing.

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

The various groups in USA (Fox propaganda machine...) would destroy the game and it's developers. Just like 6 days in fallujah got obliterated. Many Yanks seem to have a need to always be the good guys no matter what. It is really sad that all war games are so one sided.

Is it really so strange that the market that houses most of the developers and purchases most of the games might not, in general, like the idea that they aren't the good guy?

The solution, of course, is obvious enough. If you want this game made then put together a team willing to do it for free. There are countless platforms that will provide the basics. Of course, the solution, you'll note, presumes people willing to work for free. No major publisher would carry it. Most retailers would refuse to stock it for the very reason you mention. Making money off such an endeavor would be difficult to say the least.

But then, you might ask why you want such a game. You need a reason to make the presumed good guys the bad guys and you need to handle it with care. Otherwise it's not different than playing as the terrorists in Counter-Strike.

 

[josemlopes]

i would think that a vs usa game wouldnt sell and if it did people would call you a terrorist or say the game is made by terrorist or some such non sense. games like cod and battlefield already get this cause you can play as the opfor which are chinese or arabic. they claim that its terrorist training simulators.

I loled to that, at least the "NEWZ" understud what actually happened, and there is an actual mod that serves as propaganda but that is no ones fault, what the hell was DICE suposed to do? They cant blame games, its like giving a piece of paper to a guy and he draws something anti american, suddenly we blame the paper.

 

[Danish rage]

As a Dane i would like to play as a Dane, prefeable one stationed at Armadillo. Other than that, i have no need to bash our ISAF partners.

 

[Merkavar]

why not play a

there is usually only ever one reason as to why this would be a bad idea to use in a game, going back to some of "extra credits" quotes, there is usually a reward system built into games and this is what makes them playable, imagine finishing a game to find out all that you have done within that game amounts to nothing and that you were on the losing side all along, some of us might get angry, the rest of the game could have been good but a bad ending can completely destroy even the best of stories.

what about playing as viet kong or north koreans(sort of won) that way you beat the americans. sense of accomplishment achieved

 

[EightGaugeHippo]

Using FPS creator I made a WWII game where you play as a werhmact troop, fighting US marines and British Paratroopers.

But I would like a real game, where the usual "good guys" are the enemy.

 

[Patton662]

The various groups in USA (Fox propaganda machine...) would destroy the game and it's developers. Just like 6 days in fallujah got obliterated. Many Yanks seem to have a need to always be the good guys no matter what. It is really sad that all war games are so one sided.

Is it really so strange that the market that houses most of the developers and purchases most of the games might not, in general, like the idea that they aren't the good guy?

The solution, of course, is obvious enough. If you want this game made then put together a team willing to do it for free. There are countless platforms that will provide the basics. Of course, the solution, you'll note, presumes people willing to work for free. No major publisher would carry it. Most retailers would refuse to stock it for the very reason you mention. Making money off such an endeavor would be difficult to say the least.

But then, you might ask why you want such a game. You need a reason to make the presumed good guys the bad guys and you need to handle it with care. Otherwise it's not different than playing as the terrorists in Counter-Strike.

You need to show people that sometimes they aren't right, criticism is vital for
self-improvement. You can't live in your personal bubble thinking that you are the best most just and amazing people ever. Sometime you need to be reminded that not everything is OK, that you need to be skeptical and look at everything from more than one point of view.
I think that a game where USA is not the protagonist would sell pretty well both in and outside of the US. No one tried it up until now because of the stupid uninformed people who cry terrorism at everything that's not super American.
I have to also point out that WWII games are selling pretty well in Germany even though every single one portrays them as the villains.