Gaming and WWII?
November 23, 2005 10:44 AM Subscribe
Are WWII FPS's popular and/or controversial in Germany and Japan?
I've always wondered this too... everytime I play the old 1942 game, for example. I don't think it was any different in Japan... I can't imagine a game ever coming out in the US where you're portrayed as the "good guys" fighting against the US.
posted by BaxterG4 at 11:36 AM on November 23, 2005
posted by BaxterG4 at 11:36 AM on November 23, 2005
I don't know about Japan, but in Germany the swastikas are generally removed from any FPS with Nazis.
In Germany at least, it seems like pretty much everyone who isn't old and crazy or young and jobless recognizes that the Nazis were really, really bad. In that context it seems less weird that the Germans would be portrayed as the "bad guys".
As an aside, it seemed like there were plenty of people playing Vietnam war FPSes every time I went into an internet cafe in Saigon.
posted by borkingchikapa at 11:52 AM on November 23, 2005
In Germany at least, it seems like pretty much everyone who isn't old and crazy or young and jobless recognizes that the Nazis were really, really bad. In that context it seems less weird that the Germans would be portrayed as the "bad guys".
As an aside, it seemed like there were plenty of people playing Vietnam war FPSes every time I went into an internet cafe in Saigon.
posted by borkingchikapa at 11:52 AM on November 23, 2005
Once when I was in Japan they were advertising the hell out of the first Medal of Honor game on television. It depicted planes bombing ships at Pearl Harbor. The television ad ran for weeks and I saw the game for sale at a lot of shops so I don't think there was any controversy associated with it.
posted by LukeyBoy at 12:56 PM on November 23, 2005
posted by LukeyBoy at 12:56 PM on November 23, 2005
I can't imagine a game ever coming out in the US where you're portrayed as the "good guys" fighting against the US.
How about Civil War games? (Though technically both sides are "Americans" so it's not the same. Plus, has there ever been a CW FPS?) Or in some games you can play as either side -- the board game Axis & Allies, for example, though I can't think of any video games off-hand. Surely there are some though.
In Germany at least, it seems like pretty much everyone who isn't old and crazy or young and jobless recognizes that the Nazis were really, really bad. In that context it seems less weird that the Germans would be portrayed as the "bad guys".
Yeah, the Nazis are bad guys. But I know as an American, most of my friends' grandparents were involved in WWII. Certainly it's the same, if not more, in a place like Germany. Even if the cause was wrong, and the leaders evil, it still would strike me as odd to be fighting against my own country's young men, who could easily have been my own grandfather. I guess culturally, as an American, it's hard to imagine being totally defeated in a war, and what that would mean.
(Modern example: How many people have tremendous ill-will toward George W. Bush, yet still say they support the troops he commands? I can't imagine a "You Be the Ba'athist Insurgency!" game being all that popular here, regardless of how unpopular Bush's policies are. [Not that Bush in any way compares to Hitler, but a similar theme of "soldiers fighting for their country, rather than the leader".])
posted by SuperNova at 2:37 PM on November 23, 2005
How about Civil War games? (Though technically both sides are "Americans" so it's not the same. Plus, has there ever been a CW FPS?) Or in some games you can play as either side -- the board game Axis & Allies, for example, though I can't think of any video games off-hand. Surely there are some though.
In Germany at least, it seems like pretty much everyone who isn't old and crazy or young and jobless recognizes that the Nazis were really, really bad. In that context it seems less weird that the Germans would be portrayed as the "bad guys".
Yeah, the Nazis are bad guys. But I know as an American, most of my friends' grandparents were involved in WWII. Certainly it's the same, if not more, in a place like Germany. Even if the cause was wrong, and the leaders evil, it still would strike me as odd to be fighting against my own country's young men, who could easily have been my own grandfather. I guess culturally, as an American, it's hard to imagine being totally defeated in a war, and what that would mean.
(Modern example: How many people have tremendous ill-will toward George W. Bush, yet still say they support the troops he commands? I can't imagine a "You Be the Ba'athist Insurgency!" game being all that popular here, regardless of how unpopular Bush's policies are. [Not that Bush in any way compares to Hitler, but a similar theme of "soldiers fighting for their country, rather than the leader".])
posted by SuperNova at 2:37 PM on November 23, 2005
I imagine it would be kind of a thrill to switch sides and bomb the living daylights out of your own country. It's the ultimate taboo, or well up there anyway. Imagine: you aren't American anymore, or you aren't Japanese... you stand apart from history. What are you? The appeal of games has always been that you decide.
posted by It ain't over yet at 4:26 PM on November 23, 2005
posted by It ain't over yet at 4:26 PM on November 23, 2005
Or maybe, there's something of a thrill being able to participate in a version of the Second World War, where you don't have to reflect on being on the losing side.
posted by Atreides at 5:52 PM on November 23, 2005
posted by Atreides at 5:52 PM on November 23, 2005
in germany it is punishable to idolize or lie about the nazi time and to show signs/paraphernalia in "lower art forms" so video- and puter games cannot just show swastikas/flags/medals and can also be censored for mispresenting the nazi time
german media censorship is very strong in general, it's a rather ridiculous and old system, there's also some scapegoating [is that a correct word?] now and then and games are used as a topic in politics just like abortions or welfare
the average historical awareness and knowledge here is rather high and the fps genre is very popular and played by
people of all classes
i remember that band of brothers had lots of advertisement for medal of honor on german tv
i honestly can't see thrill or taboo in ww2 settings for games
..and asian kids learn more about ww2 and nazis in games than in school ; )
sorry for a pointless post
posted by suni at 7:33 PM on November 23, 2005
german media censorship is very strong in general, it's a rather ridiculous and old system, there's also some scapegoating [is that a correct word?] now and then and games are used as a topic in politics just like abortions or welfare
the average historical awareness and knowledge here is rather high and the fps genre is very popular and played by
people of all classes
i remember that band of brothers had lots of advertisement for medal of honor on german tv
i honestly can't see thrill or taboo in ww2 settings for games
..and asian kids learn more about ww2 and nazis in games than in school ; )
sorry for a pointless post
posted by suni at 7:33 PM on November 23, 2005
Thanks for the post suni, not pointless at all.
(and yes, I think scapegoating is the right word)
posted by loquax at 7:47 PM on November 23, 2005
(and yes, I think scapegoating is the right word)
posted by loquax at 7:47 PM on November 23, 2005
I can't imagine a "You Be the Ba'athist Insurgency!" game being all that popular here
In the new game 'Battlefield 2: Modern Combat' for XBOX that I recently purchased you can be the United States, the European Union, the Chinese, or the "Middle East Coalition," who are very obviously arab terrorists.
posted by Steve_at_Linnwood at 11:48 PM on November 23, 2005
In the new game 'Battlefield 2: Modern Combat' for XBOX that I recently purchased you can be the United States, the European Union, the Chinese, or the "Middle East Coalition," who are very obviously arab terrorists.
posted by Steve_at_Linnwood at 11:48 PM on November 23, 2005
A very quick glance at German gaming charts from the last year or so and amazon bestsellers shows a distinct lack of WWII themed games, although this could also be related to a anti-videogame violence attitudes in Germany. As for Japan, my reading skills are decidedly poor so I could not even begin to tell you although it could be said that FPSs in general are not as popular there as they are amongst European and US gamers.
posted by longbaugh at 11:11 AM on November 24, 2005
posted by longbaugh at 11:11 AM on November 24, 2005
You could play as both an evil China and a "global terrorist group" against a vaguely NATOish team in Command and Conquer, couldn't you?
posted by loquax at 7:34 PM on November 24, 2005
posted by loquax at 7:34 PM on November 24, 2005
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by loquax at 11:18 AM on November 23, 2005