Stop Picking on the Russians!

[NinjaDeathSlap]

And the Middle East for that matter. Big time war games are always about blowing up insane modern day Soviets or some vague Middle Eastern country. And I'm sick of it.

The Russian thing does annoy me because the Cold War ended a long time ago. However, it is worth remembering that in most of the games where you fight Russians your main enemies are not the Russian government in themselves. For example in the Modern Warfare series. In the first one, you fight Russian separatists and at times actively work with the Russian military against them. In the second, you do fight the Russian military, but they themselves are being manipulated behind the scenes by Makarov and Shepard, who are your main antagonists.

As for the Middle East, would you rather a vague Middle Eastern country, or a very specific Middle Eastern country? The various conflicts going on in that region at the moment are big News, so a conflict in the Middle East is a very relateable scenario for gamers, that's all. Yes, I'd rather there was a bit more variety but I think It's over-reacting a little to see it as institutionalised racism in the video game industry. Bear in mind that these people are all given very good reasons for them being the bad guys, the game is never just saying "Shoot the funny brown men because it's fun!" even if that's how some of the less intelligent CoDtards are inclined.

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

What we really need is more space Nazis. Worked all right in the Killzone series.

Apart from the fact that in Killzone all of the 'Nazi's' were British We've had a long history of being made the bad-guy's too, and it get's particularly offensive when we're being compared to the people we fought in WW2.

 

[Spoon E11]

You don't fuck with Russians, just look at this!

Spoiler: This really happened

That is part of the training required to become a spetsnaz. I wouldn't think they would go down so easily.

It's a ballistic knife GAWD.

lol anyways OT:

how about UK & other "small" allied countries (ausstralia, canada ect.) vs USA.

 

[khoryos]

Personally, I'd like to see something like Stargate captured in a modern war game - alien invasion, fought here and now with present tactics.
When we get alien invasion games, they're either set far enough into the future for it to feel disconnected from us (Halo) or set after the invasion has been fought and lost (Resistance).
The interesting part, for me, is the transition - How we change in response to first contact.
Going back to my example of Stargate, human society and capacity changes over the course of the show - from a modern-day society to a basic starfaring one, and I think that a game could capture that same sense very well.

 

[Synek]

Why does it allways have to be USA vs something.
Why can't it be like Sweden vs um... Denmark!
Considering all the time Sweden and Denmark has been fighten before.
Or Antartica vs the north pole.

 

[Dutch 924]

The Russians aren't even the bad guys anymore. America's biggest threat from another country is either China or North Korea.

I suppose when people are using bad guys from the Middle East, they can say that they are terrorists, because nobody likes terrorists.

An easy enemy to do in games could be mercenaries. They were used a lot in older games, but have been less common lately.
It worked too; it was difficult for anyone to relate to the "men who like it rough from behind" --Yahtzee

 

[vivalahelvig]

We need more WWII games, i think. And games about games about WWII.

 

[Michael Hirst]

We do need more variety in shooters, sometimes I am perfectly fine shooting just generic Russians etc but I remember the old days of it always being aliens or Monsters or even Dinosaurs, you know before Turok was completely butchered on PS3/360.

I do find it amusing that Russia is always the antagonist even though they haven't been involved in any of the major wars of the past decade. There was that incident in Georgia but that's not the same as Americas 10 year Afghanistan campaign.

Maybe we need a war game where America isn't involved becuase it has collapsed or become isolationist etc. What if you were a Japanese SDF trooper defending against a Korean/Chinese invasion or a Rebel fighter in the UK which had come under attack because America wouldn't stick up for them. Hell why not even create a civil war scenario in a certain country, doesn't have to be America.

Of course we could always forget about generic human wars and go back to fighting Demonic hordes and Dinosaurs but that would almost be interesting and require better game design. Why hasn't a mecha T-Rex with laser beams for eyes and missile launchers been a boss battle lately.

 

[Gunjester]

USA versus Canada
USA versus the Ocean Men
USA versus the Eastern European potential crossdressing supervillain
USA versus USA: Republicans versus Democrats in a fight to the death.

Annnnd Canada is as ridiculous as Ocean men...

 

[GigaHz]

In soviet Russia...

I guess this makes a bit of sense. But come on. I'm pretty sure Japan makes fun of us all the time. In fact, they do. Listen to this assumingly American guy:

<youtube=ssJA53ywRHw>

I find that clip endearing.

So to Japanese people, we sound like people from the Sims.

It makes a strange sort of sense.

 

[Anthony Wells]

I'm looking forward to a game where there is a civil war in America: North vs South, set in the future.

how about east vs west? that would make a much more interesting game than north vs south in my opinion

 

[Soviet Heavy]

USA versus Canada
USA versus the Ocean Men
USA versus the Eastern European potential crossdressing supervillain
USA versus USA: Republicans versus Democrats in a fight to the death.

Annnnd Canada is as ridiculous as Ocean men...

None of them are any more outlandish than a land war in Paris against the Russians. Plus, it would be pretty entertaining watching us Northern Folk fight on our own turf against the gung ho 'Muricans that modern FPS shooters love so much.

 

[IamLEAM1983]

You know who we need in shooters? Monsters. Not aliens, I mean vampires, demons, the like. They are a much better target.

I'd agree. Vampires, werewolves, mummies... Let's bring back the old Hammer Horror monsters in the gaming scene! Fuck zombies, we've had enough!

So long as no one reminds me of Vampire Rain. Ever. I had to suffer watching a friend play this and stubbornly attempt to find some good in it. It was painful. Possibly the most painful thing I've experienced, and I've had intra-muscular Botox injections in my thighs. With no anesthetic.

Yeah. Ouch.

Captcha: Professeur vantan
What am I going to meet some sort of Vietnamese teacher next semester? You turning into a soothsayer or something, Inglip?

 

[The Random One]

Why does the US have to get involved? Why not something different? I'd love to play a game about the Lybian resistance, for example.

EDIT:

Whoever has Texas on their side wins.

Texas is its own side, or I'm calling bullshit.

 

[ultimateownage]

Us English are always the villains in films. Suck it up, Russians.

 

[Anthony Wells]

how about east vs west? that would make a much more interesting game than north vs south in my opinion

Whoever has Texas on their side wins.

whats your reasoning behind that good sir?

 

[DOOMGUY '93]

Id actually like to see america as the bad guys for once (Im american and by the time this post goes out i might already be in custody of the CIA) like for example, Russia has war with lets say china, Russia wins but is heavily crippled. america is overpopulating so they invade Russia to take over and move the population over there. you play as a Russian spetznas trying to repel the invasion with SAS support (i like the SAS). there, that works. oh and you switch gameplay with spetznas and SAS between missions

 

[JayDig]

The USSR was 'Merica's arch nemesis for 3 decades and neither side got much use out of their respective 'James Bond villain' facilities and orbital death rays, so now game devs get to bring the big showdown to life, under the guise of Russian Ultranationalists.

Also, I think Russians are mostly white people and not as poor as other regions; just in case the white guilt of western gamers nags at them while killing poor brown people.