Blatant Propaganda in....Video Games?
Blatant Propaganda in....Video Games?
I was browsing through the Globe and Mail, and came across this article: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/
RTGAM.20061222.gtgaming2122/BNStory/AtPlay/home
It seems like content in video games have taken a new low in what kind of stuff the ESRB allows to be sold. In this game called "Left Behind: Eternal Forces", you apparently play as some sort of hero fundamentalist in post-apocalyptic New York fighting liberals, university professors, and suspiciously pseudo Arabic anti-Christ U.N forces while converting "neutrals" into Christians. It's obvious that this game was intended as a propaganda recruitment tool not unlike underground games made by terrorist and white supremacist groups, but unlike in those cases this game was commercially available to the mainstream public. Commercially sold propaganda games is not new like "America's Army" made by the U.S army as a recruitment tool, but this game seems to be an all new low.
Interestingly enough, this game received universally low scores from all major game reviewing outlets, and not because it's controversial, just that it's a terrible game overall. So this begs the question, should one be concerned with games like these or simply laugh them off along with their ludicrous premises?
Check out some screenshots:
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/leftbehindeternalforces/screenindex.html
I was browsing through the Globe and Mail, and came across this article: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/
RTGAM.20061222.gtgaming2122/BNStory/AtPlay/home
It seems like content in video games have taken a new low in what kind of stuff the ESRB allows to be sold. In this game called "Left Behind: Eternal Forces", you apparently play as some sort of hero fundamentalist in post-apocalyptic New York fighting liberals, university professors, and suspiciously pseudo Arabic anti-Christ U.N forces while converting "neutrals" into Christians. It's obvious that this game was intended as a propaganda recruitment tool not unlike underground games made by terrorist and white supremacist groups, but unlike in those cases this game was commercially available to the mainstream public. Commercially sold propaganda games is not new like "America's Army" made by the U.S army as a recruitment tool, but this game seems to be an all new low.
Interestingly enough, this game received universally low scores from all major game reviewing outlets, and not because it's controversial, just that it's a terrible game overall. So this begs the question, should one be concerned with games like these or simply laugh them off along with their ludicrous premises?
Check out some screenshots:
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/leftbehindeternalforces/screenindex.html
posted by Anonymous at 9:13 PM
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