What do you think of all the Black Ops Controversy?

[LostintheWick]

I had to look up the ad because of this thread...
That a great ad with great visuals. Makes me want the game and I didn't before.
These people are just trying to stir up controversy because that is what sells news.

 

[Buizel91]

You know what i am getting sick of? And it's only been out just over a week?

Black Ops threads -_-'

But anyway, I don't think anything of it, these are stupid people that just want to push game's into a pit. Why should i listen?

If they have something decent and true to say, i may listen...But i can't see that happening for the price of Bacon...

 

[Canadamus Prime]

Meh, I don't care. I don't even like Call or Duty.
I do have to wonder what the *genius* who thought up that ad was thinking though, it seems to me that it's not the kind of thing the games industry needs right now. I mean people are already waving the torches and pitchforks against video games, I really don't think that ad is going to help matters any.

It shouldn't have hurt, though. It's hard to predict the things that will set people off, and this really does look like a harmless ad.

Are we talking about the same ad? Because an ad featuring ordinary looking people shooting shit up doesn't seem like a particularly good idea in the face of accusations that video games cause real life violence.

 

[claw38]

I personally don't care about Bryant or COD, but even I'll say this is stupid...I'm waiting for the day people stop finding video games the most offense thing ever when there's content much worse that can be found in books, movies, music, and even on tv.

 

[ThorUK]

1) Who's Kobe Bryant? (ok googled him)
2) Where's this ad. then? (ok googled that too)

Seeing as the answer to the first two questions lies in America, I think the key to the whole 'contoversy' also lies in the US. Having watched the ad, I can safely say anyone who found that offensive is wrong in the head - I laughed, because it was funny in a ridiculous sort of way. Frankly, having watched your link I can only conclude it was either a very slow news day or some Washington lobbyist had nothing better to do than slate said basketball player and/or the games industry.

The far bigger story here is that fact that Treyarc managed to make a God-awful game and then sell millions of copies purely off the brand name.

 

[UnderCoverGuest]

About the only controversy I heard about this game was on NPR on my way to work a few days ago; talking about how Cuba doesn't like the fact that you kill Fidel Castro. Frankly I agree--how many games are going to try to lend themselves an air of maturity and reality by having you kill famous figures in world history? Personally, I'm more interested in a video game not when I'm killing some international dictator or HITLER--but rather when I'm playing a video game that has creativity and innovation in its characters and concept.

Anywho, let's take a look at the video. Hmm. Well, my opinion is that ESPN media and other media is delightfully uninformed about video games, enjoying talking to one another in their ignorance. On the other hand, advertising promoting the game is pretty silly as well. Personally I'd enjoy it if games weren't advertised. Whoa, that guy on the right is going apeshit. "Completely out of bounds!" "Bulletproof!"

Meh, he has a point. "A soldier in all of us," is that really the Black Ops advertising blurb? Well in that case it's just dumb advertising. Black Ops is a game, probably always will be--I'm sure when in the future we're plugging ourselves into virtual reality simulators for a living, Black Ops won't even show up under "Classic Retro Gaming". In short, this whole thing is temporary. The next big video game media scandal is probably going to be about something else, and Black Ops is just going to fade away over the next year or so. People will still play it, but I mean it'll leave the media lens fairly quickly. Surprised I've written three paragraphs about it though, don't know what got me interested.

 

[Jodah]

Reason number 7031 that I hate people.

 

[Something Amyss]

Are we talking about the same ad? Because an ad featuring ordinary looking people shooting shit up doesn't seem like a particularly good idea in the face of accusations that video games cause real life violence.

Because people are now going to suspect Kobe Bryant's gonna go on a killing spree. Granted, Kobe ain't the best role model, but still.

The only thing that's going to seem like a "good idea" in the face of these accusations is not marketing, selling or producing violent games.

 

[Zhukov]

There isn't a fucking controversy here. No controversy, no debate, no nothing.

It's just a bunch of reporters trying to fill in a time slot with something interesting enough to sell advertising space. Cross that with a few people who want to get their face on TV by making a mountain out of a molehill and you get this kind of dross.

In short, don't worry about it. It'll be gone within a month.

 

[GonzoGamer]

Is this really a controversy?
That video is pretty funny.
As a white guy, I think the white guy in the video isn't just pants on head retarded, he's completely phony.

Seriously, I thought Fox News had the monopoly on overblown fake outrage.

They inject way too much emotion into what they call news and now it seems espn is injecting way too much emotion into sports. There are already plenty of dbags who put way too much emotion into sports. They don't need help.


I just find it hard to believe that any of them are really upset by any of this. If anything I'm now a little angry that the commissioner probably wouldn't let Kobe be in a gta commercial.

 

[psivamp]

I just watched the ad. It's not a particularly good ad, but seriously, how do you look at that and blow up about it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZB1JQ_tfbHM

People are dumb. Studies may suggest that violent media influences aggressive tendencies but video game sales are through the roof and violent crime has been decreasing since the mid-1990's...

 

[Woodsey]

I think better games should get all the stupid attention.

And there's nothing offensive about the ad! They've got a fucking hot-dog vendor shooting akimbo whilst something blows up behind him. It's called "humour".

 

[theguitarhero6]

Hmm, is that what people think of video games?
Damn society, I thought we were over this.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

Are we talking about the same ad? Because an ad featuring ordinary looking people shooting shit up doesn't seem like a particularly good idea in the face of accusations that video games cause real life violence.

Because people are now going to suspect Kobe Bryant's gonna go on a killing spree. Granted, Kobe ain't the best role model, but still.

The only thing that's going to seem like a "good idea" in the face of these accusations is not marketing, selling or producing violent games.

Not at all, but there is such a thing as tactful marketing. A concept that's apparently lost on... wait who makes CoD? Activision? Well their marketing department anyway.

 

[mParadox]

If there is controversy surrounding games, i always follow this quote: "Ignorance is bliss".

Think nothing of it.

 

[Cheesepower5]

Hope it gets banned; still think the controversy is stupid.

 

[Exile714]

The ad made my wife want to play Black Ops, and she's not into FPS at all. She said it looked like everyone was having fun and she wanted to have that kind of fun too. She's not a gun-murderer, and surprise surprise, didn't even realize there were famous people other than Jimmy Kimmel in that ad.

So, naturally, I now fear for my life because apparently violent video games make people want to kill each other. I'm just surprised she's lasted this long with a (video game) serial murderer like me.

 

[AnAngryMoose]

Ok, number one. I'm a 25 year old black american male.

What exactly does that have to do with anything? How does your gender and/or race correlate to the perceived Black Ops controversey? Sorry that just struck me as odd.

OT: I couldn't care less.

Because the guy on the advert seemed extremely vehement towards Kobe and a lot of people saw it as racist.

 

[Illithidae]

The point of the advertisement was to point out that everyone has the fighting spirit inside of them. Everyone can wield a gun and do what needs to be done if they put their mind to it.
The game is CoD:BO, a game about war and a game about doing what has to be done for the greater good.

I see no problem here.

 

[CheckD3]

Seriously, this whole thing is as intelligent as a fart jockey's bloody, shitty underpants

It seems like people who don't like something have to find SOMETHING wrong with ANYTHING they don't like and cause a stir. That Alliance of Global Justice place reminds me of a group that has no fun, so they want no one else to have fun either.

People need to get over themselves, Jack Thompson lost his job that he probably spent a shit-ton on to get to it, and he was so over the top and retarded about his stand that he lost his job, so no matter what he does now, Video Games beat him, and they weren't even trying.

CoD at least, regardless at how good or bad the story is, was able to stick in the mission at launch, and I actually respect them for it. I would love them to make a game where you face American soldiers as a different power during any war, real, fictional, or historical, but to play in an assassination attempt is a bold statement.

The day that VGs get no controversy on a daily/weekly basis is the day I dream of, and know will probably (sadly) never come, since people and they're own retardation will find something wrong with everything.

On the Black Ops shit, it's just stupid. Any other entertainment format of presenting the SAME material is award winning and ground breaking, on a video game, it's a travesty and disrespectful. Fuck that, fuck them, and fuck them again. Let my people game! Free of hate, free of unneeded and unwanted controversy, and free of the hate that infects generations both of the past, of the future, and over the present