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

[Death916]

Ya cuz america is the bad guys, ok. Idk why people try and say that when they know Were a benevolent country who does no wrong. /sarcasm

 

[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.

No. It would not sell well for precisely the reason that you won't get it into a store and I'd be willing to bet even digital distributors would refuse to carry it. The premise alone is all it takes for this to be assured.

But that doesn't mean it isn't worth the effort. Authors and poets, directors and musicians, scientists and philosophers, all have tried their hand at pointing out the futility of war. They have all tried demonstrating that the good guy and the bad guy are, most often, simple matters of perception. But video games have not. Even when games try to scratch at this idea the player is still a superhuman one man army. The message tends to get lost as a result. No matter how noble your narrative intention, if you crafted a game as solid as Modern Warfare with an equally compelling narrative only to switch the teams so to speak your gambit will have been a failure. It would take more than simply switching jerseys to get your point across.

I am convinced that one could make a powerful experience from the basic concept of "what if my country wasn't the good guy" but the process would be difficult and the payout all but non-existent. Yes, you might make money if you do things right but that is a hell of a long shot. Thus why I say you should endeavor to do it for free.

So why do stores in Russia stock games where Russians are the bad guys? Modern Warfare 2 and World In Conflict sold pretty well there even though a big part of both games' plot was about killing Russian soldiers invading USA. Also no one seemed to have a problem with the WIC's add-on where you took command over the Russian forces. It seems that it's only shooters that get the special pro-American treatment.
I think you are over thinking the topic, I don't want a game where you point out everything that USA ever done wrong, show the futility of war and so forth. But I would enjoy a game where you play as a member of Vietcong, not because I hate USA and want to kill some of it's soldiers but because playing as the Vietnamese guerillas would be more interesting than playing as a Yank grunt.

 

[Merkavar]

I would like to play this type of game. Preferably as The Nazis. However this game would never happen. Can you imagine the news media exploding and jumping on this idea? They would all throw a hissy fit.Soccer moms and Fox news in particular. "OMG this video game is teaching children to hate America and to become terrorists" Thats exactly they'd see it. Morons.

playing as the nazis would mean its a WW2 shooter and they are over done and lame

 

[Assassin Xaero]

I liked that in COD MW2 we ended up fighting against americans, but not because they were americans, just because IW had the balls to stop making America the source of all good in video games.

I guess I missed that part, where was it exactly? I don't ever remember shooting any americans in MW2.

 

[The_ModeRazor]

Sounds fun. As long as it is backed up with a decent story (no, I'm not going to ignore that part, thanks) and fun gameplay. And definitely some new ideas and weapons etc.

 

[gl1koz3]

I wonder when all this "I'd like to, but not the [...] because [...]" BS is dropped. If it's done properly, it won't matter what "enemy" you play. It will be new and fun.

 

[vivalahelvig]

What if there was a game where we invaded fox news? Think of how fun that would be! They are the true enemies of all good in this world!

OT: I always wondered why you couldnt be on the german side in the campaign, it would be fun to blitzkrieg a few outerlying countries. (except poland)

 

[BENZOOKA]

I don't really mind what I'm up against in a FPS. It would be refreshing to fight against The US. And actually there are already some games, at least RTS's and some FPS's that have that kind of a scenario. Like in Battlefield - Bad Company 2 multiplayer.

 

[Xcelsior]

I would play it, and it would make a change from playing as America all the time. I always thought it weird games where you're representing humanity everyone's American. I have nothing against America, it would just be something different which I would welcome. However with FPS's leaning towards the MP side of things these days, I find the SP is taking a hit. When I play the SP for FPS's I don't even pay attention to the story that much, especially in COD games, The way MW2 ended I had no real desire to find out what happens. Unless its a game that has some continuing story that I have been following e.g. Gears of War, the story just passes by me. That being said I reckon American official's would be up in arms over it.

 

[Baron von Blitztank]

I'd definately be up for a game where you fight against America, preferably as Russians because they're awesome. It does annoy me that America is seen as the good guys all the time
Of course the problem is that the game would be heavily criticised by the News saying "Games are teaching children how to kill Americans, they're worse than teh Super Devil!".

 

[brunt32]

Too far in the opinions of US, US news would eat this up and it won't get any support. The way Games are getting treated now bad timing. God idea however.

 

[Amphoteric]

America were the "bad Guys" in the Vietnam war so That would be fun to destroy them.

 

[Darkhill]

Maybe we could start with baby steps? How about playing as a German against the French during the initial blitzkreig and the taking of Paris? Yahtzee summed it up- nobody likes the French. If that's too controversial, have the plot revolve around your character as a righteous gentile who, towards the end, refuses to shoot jews. Thus the last part involves having to sneak jews out of occupied France, being sneaky and lying your way out.

 

[Yostbeef]

I've just been playing the thoroughly adequate Call Of Duty: Black Ops and something came to mind (and was reinforced by Yahtzee's comments).

Would anyone else really like to play an FPS/3rd person shooter AGAINST America?
Don't get me wrong, this is not a hate post against the Yank nation, more a fun idea that's been done in plenty of games previously (ie. allowing you to play as the 'enemy').

For example, do you remember how cool it was when you first got to play as the bosses in Street Fighter II or as Darth Vader in some (crappy) Star Whores game?

My point is, it would kick ass to play as the Viet Cong, Iraquis or Talban scum.

This would be particularly awesome since you could be the underdog and use stealth/sabotage/underhand tactics to manipulate/terrorize/steal weapons from the mighty American Empire.

Share your thoughts...

Yes,Taliban.When EA said in the new Medal of Honor game that you would be playing as a Taliban soldier I thought they meant in the single player but it was just to represent different sides in MP.I though man,that's sounds pretty interesting playing as a Taliban soldier against a way more,better,equipped enemy who in your arguably misguided mind is pure evil.Get a chance to view the situation from the other side regardless of how wrong you think it may be,maybe even sympathize with your player character,better understand the conflict and what it means for your future.

Oh well I guess where just not ready for material like that but one day.

 

[MetalGenocide]

I'm tired of playing games as invincible unnamed American trooper number 324561028412890.
I support the creation of Vs. America games.

 

[SextusMaximus]

I smell trolling...

"Yank nation"
"Star Whores"
"Viet Cong, Iraquis or Talban scum"
"the mighty American Empire"

OT: A game were you could choose to play as one side or the other. Not something which prevents you from choice.

 

[Sovvolf]

Speaking of COD: Black Ops. There's a mission where you fight British commandos, me being a Brit... Honestly didn't care. I think that's what we are looking for in the whole "No bad guys, just two sides of a fight" thing. However I doubt this would work if they added Americans into the mix. I'm sure Fox News would have ripped the game a new hole for having the game featuring a segment where you as a Russian shoot American Troops.

That being said... MW2 did it with Brit troops killing American troops so maybe I'm talking out of my nice, well shaped arse. Though I imagine if they tried to make a full game of that... I'm doubting it would work... I imagine it would be a marketing nightmare.

 

[Valiance]

Command and Conquer Generals FPS where the campaign is based around the GLA? Yeah, that sounds good.

 

[La Barata]

Have you ever heard of 6 days in Fallujah? It was cancelled because too many troops died in it, and for being too insensitive to families. Do you actually think that any company would publish it? (I think it'd be a great game idea, but there's too much BAWWWW for that)