Poll: Should the Android app Dog Wars be taken down?

[Hertzey]

I am a big supporter of video games. I love playing them and watching my husband play. I believe games should not, for the most part, be censored.

This being said, this new Android app Maddening [https://market.android.com/details?id=kagegames.apps.DWBeta&feature]. Should we, as gamers, defend this or despise it? How does it make us look defending it?

What do you think?

 

[Gigano]

Should it be forcibly taken down?

No, I don't believe in censoring fictional depictions of any kind. Freedom of Expression to the maximum extent compatible with not causing discernible real world harm and such.

Would I personally miss it being available if it was voluntarily removed?

Not in the slightest.

...Pretty much the same emotional elements - and rational arguments against - at work as with the article on this one [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/columns/the-needles/7388-Lets-Not-Ban-RapeLay]; Disgusting, but harmless.

As for how defending its legality makes "us" look?
a): Who the hell cares if you're doing the right thing?
b): Like someone who appreciate freedom of expression, as well as extending civil rights even to unpopular and controversial uses of it within the scope of harmless plurality.

 

[Serioli]

The thing is, you're not talking innocent animals... You're talking about innocent 1's and 0's.

It's a game, like the guys killed in CoD, MoH et al. Like the prostitutes and civilians murdered in GTA, the various species I have commited genocide against in space and fantasy 4x type games.

So my vote has to be no, before you even consider things like free-speech and so on.

EDIT: Don't get me started on my crusades against various races in the Civs either...

 

[Bento Box]

Dog Wars should be taken down as soon as Happy Tree Friends stops existing.

Dog Wars should be removed as soon as Rockstar goes belly up.

Dog Wars should be taken down exactly as much as the airport scene in CoD should be removed.

It's distasteful (to me), but bad taste is no reason to censor anything. Ever. Murder is against the law. Murder sims are not, and this is exactly analogous to that.

 

[smithy1234]

Though it is indeed offensive gamers can choose not to support it and even condemn it. Causing much negative feedback for the developer and severely limiting their future developments. I believe in free speech but you pay for the consequences if you abuse that power.

 

[AngryMongoose]

There is quite a major difference between torturing and killing dogs, and torturing and killing FICTIONAL dogs. For example, I'm torturing and killing a few hundred fictional dogs RIGHT NOW, and no dogs were actually harmed, so no foul.

Not that this game seems appealing to me.

 

[Therumancer]

I am a big supporter of video games. I love playing them and watching my husband play. I believe games should not, for the most part, be censored.

This being said, this new Android app Maddening [https://market.android.com/details?id=kagegames.apps.DWBeta&feature]. Should we, as gamers, defend this or despise it? How does it make us look defending it?

What do you think?

No, not even remotely.

Honestly I don't like real world animal fights, but at the same time I think there are far worse things people have gotten away with, or are getting away with. Among them the whole "Juarez" game glorifying the drug cartels, and of course that wonderful playable Taliban battle (or excuse me "Opposing Force").

Like it or not, gladiatorial events involving animals have been a staple of games for a long time now. "Pokemon" is basically all about capturing animals and making them fight each other. Likewise in games like "Gladius" you could have bears and wild cats and stuff on your arena team. Some people might find this distasteful because of the real world context, but honestly I think it's less of an issue than many other things, and if I can't defend a slippery slope ruling there, I can't really support one here.

Besides, you open that door and the next thing you know you'll have people going after MMOs because Hunters, Beastmasters, and other characters train wild animals and creatures as "pets" and use them to help fight other animals so they can gain treasure and such.

Ban "Dog Wars" and three years from now people will be saying that we need to pull "Torchlight" despite it's age due to it's portrayal of animal cruelty in having a cat or dog accompany you on your adventures.

 

[Wolfram23]

It's fine... I don't see how it's ok to kill "humans" in a FPS but this is crossing a line? Or how about training animals to fight eachother... in pokemon.

 

[Juventus]

if this gets taken down, then nintendo, gamefreak, and every single person that has played pokemon should be thrown into prison. after all they promote the capture of wild animals, and training them to be your slaves to fight other trainers...

 

[Giest4life]

Why is this different from the 10 bill ion (or something like that) being murdered in Call of Duty?

 

[Laxman9292]

In response to this how many people refused to play Pokemon because their Mightyena happened to square of against a Growlithe? Are you a terrible person because you felt no remorse in that virtual dogfighting ring? Nope.

 

[Rensenhito]

If that should be removed from this little hivemind we have going, so should World of Warcraft. Hunter class, anybody?

Captcha: 199 istomph.
Wit mah hooves.

 

[Weaver]

I don't see how it's any different from Pokemon.

 

[Plurralbles]

I like how you can commit GENOCIDE in many games but if you harm a virtual animal all of a sudden people flip their shit.

 

[Zhukov]

No.

Unless you want to get rid of all those games that involve killing people.

 

[Scabadus]

Should we, as gamers, defend this or despise it?

Must we pick one? I think it's a game made in poor taste and I won't buy it for myself, but as long as no real animals were harmed to make it I'll defend its existance.

 

[Zantos]

Is it a little bit like worms and hedgewars? Sounds interesting. We shouldn't despise it, it's not like some moron is going to go out and get actual dogs to do this sort of thing.

But if they do, we know Fox will have all our heads for it.