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Finding out about a game that has been released in a couple of European Countries has brought me out from my enforced hiatus to post my feelings about this:
Usually I’m the first person to defend “freedom of choice” and will stand up for a game/movie like GTA3/State of Emergency by saying “It’s a game, it allows you to do things for fun with no consequence”.
Except I’ve become aware of a game that has me genuinely concerned as to who would play it and why.
“Hooligans – Storm Over Europe”. A PC game about football hooligans.
Now it’s not cartoony, it’s very realistic and real-world like in appearance. The aim of the game? According to the website:
The object is to become the most notorious group of Hooligans in Europe. You must kill, maim and destroy the opposing Hooligan teams. You muster and control your faithful troops by administering drugs, alcohol and of course a good dose of violence every now and then. They must become true followers of your faction, for better or worse.
Not only good strategic skills are required but also a good political mindset and managing capabilities to keep your troops happy and violent.
Whoever is victorious and catches the publics attention in the media, will end up the most notorious Hooligans in Europe and the world! A title that every Hooligan with his heart in the right place loves to fight for!
You get bonus points for “attacking civilians to increase your wanted rating and bonuses for targeting minority groups”.
If you go to the website, you are greeted with a nice black and red image of a skinhead glaring out at you.
The forums are filled with racial hatred and “Firms” organising meetings and the most viscious racial abuse directed at other countries.
Some of the avatars you can choose are swastikas and other nazi symbols.
Game Ltd have refused to carry this game, and HMV and Virgin are coming under serious complaint from watchdog groups for stocking it.
It’s also not being released in Germany or America and Trading Standards are investigating the game to see if it contravenes the “Incitement to Racial Hatred” act passed since Sept 11th.
In Germany, it is illegal to have games displaying any symbolism of fascist iconography, and it is also illegal to use Nazi ideology as a basis for entertainment – rightly so but the UK has no such restrictions, we rely on public decency and morals.
Now I know this is just a game and all that, but what makes me unhappy is the reasoning behind the game. It’s one thing to play an undercover/ex cop trying to bring down a crime syndicate (GTA3), but it’s another thing entirely when the idea of a game is to commit racial murder and acts of hooliganism for the sole purpose of “Being the number 1 firm in Europe”.
And if I had any doubt about the intention or morality behind this game, then a visit to the forums for this game (I wont give out the URL as I object to Nazi propaganda) will indicate just where the game developer’s feelings lay. Several moderators have joined in the boasts about “the good old days” and making continued racial slurs and abuse towards people.
A game is a game, I understand that. And I’m not suggesting that by playing this game you will instantly become a nazi thug.
But seeing as we are in the 21st century, and especially since Sept 11th, I find it abhorrent that somebody still thinks it’s a good idea to bring out a game that rewards murder and racial hatred as if it were a noble thing.
If there was a game to be released called “Auschwitz Death Camp 2002: The Revenge” then there would be international outcry and, hopefully, condemnation from the world. But having investigated this game as best I can and as best as I can tolerate, I can see no difference between this game and tattooing a swastika on your head and “bashing p***s” as one poster proudly boasted.
The main game that caused contention last time was “GTA3”, but that had a strict moral guideline in it.
You could attack pedestrians if you wanted to, but you were working to bring down a criminal organisation. The wholesale slaughter was just there if you felt inclined to do so, and you would be arrested or shot after a few moments mayhem. You were working towards a goal that was pro-legal, you fought gangs etc to bring order and calm to Liberty City.
However, Hooligans exists solely to murder and cause violence for the sake of it.
You could say the same about State of Emergency, but they use the “Globol Corps” plot and you get penalised for attacking civilians, and if you look, all of your opponents are faceless white-people, there is no mission that involves attacking minority groups.
I’m not going to demand that Hooligans be banned, or that stores shouldn’t stock this game, I stand by personal choice and, unfortunately, that extends to allowing right-wing Nazis their say as well.
But I am extremely offended and unhappy about the notion that a game exists that promotes and actively encourages murderous, racist, thuggish behaviour for the sake of it.
The reward in commanding loyalty and devotions amongst your skinhead followers suggests that the feelings and emotions of the games developers involved in this game are not being ironic or making a comment about society.
This is bigoted, Nazi behaviour under the banner of “entertainment” and that is what I object to, not the game, but the ideology behind it.
Usually I’m the first person to defend “freedom of choice” and will stand up for a game/movie like GTA3/State of Emergency by saying “It’s a game, it allows you to do things for fun with no consequence”.
Except I’ve become aware of a game that has me genuinely concerned as to who would play it and why.
“Hooligans – Storm Over Europe”. A PC game about football hooligans.
Now it’s not cartoony, it’s very realistic and real-world like in appearance. The aim of the game? According to the website:
The object is to become the most notorious group of Hooligans in Europe. You must kill, maim and destroy the opposing Hooligan teams. You muster and control your faithful troops by administering drugs, alcohol and of course a good dose of violence every now and then. They must become true followers of your faction, for better or worse.
Not only good strategic skills are required but also a good political mindset and managing capabilities to keep your troops happy and violent.
Whoever is victorious and catches the publics attention in the media, will end up the most notorious Hooligans in Europe and the world! A title that every Hooligan with his heart in the right place loves to fight for!
You get bonus points for “attacking civilians to increase your wanted rating and bonuses for targeting minority groups”.
If you go to the website, you are greeted with a nice black and red image of a skinhead glaring out at you.
The forums are filled with racial hatred and “Firms” organising meetings and the most viscious racial abuse directed at other countries.
Some of the avatars you can choose are swastikas and other nazi symbols.
Game Ltd have refused to carry this game, and HMV and Virgin are coming under serious complaint from watchdog groups for stocking it.
It’s also not being released in Germany or America and Trading Standards are investigating the game to see if it contravenes the “Incitement to Racial Hatred” act passed since Sept 11th.
In Germany, it is illegal to have games displaying any symbolism of fascist iconography, and it is also illegal to use Nazi ideology as a basis for entertainment – rightly so but the UK has no such restrictions, we rely on public decency and morals.
Now I know this is just a game and all that, but what makes me unhappy is the reasoning behind the game. It’s one thing to play an undercover/ex cop trying to bring down a crime syndicate (GTA3), but it’s another thing entirely when the idea of a game is to commit racial murder and acts of hooliganism for the sole purpose of “Being the number 1 firm in Europe”.
And if I had any doubt about the intention or morality behind this game, then a visit to the forums for this game (I wont give out the URL as I object to Nazi propaganda) will indicate just where the game developer’s feelings lay. Several moderators have joined in the boasts about “the good old days” and making continued racial slurs and abuse towards people.
A game is a game, I understand that. And I’m not suggesting that by playing this game you will instantly become a nazi thug.
But seeing as we are in the 21st century, and especially since Sept 11th, I find it abhorrent that somebody still thinks it’s a good idea to bring out a game that rewards murder and racial hatred as if it were a noble thing.
If there was a game to be released called “Auschwitz Death Camp 2002: The Revenge” then there would be international outcry and, hopefully, condemnation from the world. But having investigated this game as best I can and as best as I can tolerate, I can see no difference between this game and tattooing a swastika on your head and “bashing p***s” as one poster proudly boasted.
The main game that caused contention last time was “GTA3”, but that had a strict moral guideline in it.
You could attack pedestrians if you wanted to, but you were working to bring down a criminal organisation. The wholesale slaughter was just there if you felt inclined to do so, and you would be arrested or shot after a few moments mayhem. You were working towards a goal that was pro-legal, you fought gangs etc to bring order and calm to Liberty City.
However, Hooligans exists solely to murder and cause violence for the sake of it.
You could say the same about State of Emergency, but they use the “Globol Corps” plot and you get penalised for attacking civilians, and if you look, all of your opponents are faceless white-people, there is no mission that involves attacking minority groups.
I’m not going to demand that Hooligans be banned, or that stores shouldn’t stock this game, I stand by personal choice and, unfortunately, that extends to allowing right-wing Nazis their say as well.
But I am extremely offended and unhappy about the notion that a game exists that promotes and actively encourages murderous, racist, thuggish behaviour for the sake of it.
The reward in commanding loyalty and devotions amongst your skinhead followers suggests that the feelings and emotions of the games developers involved in this game are not being ironic or making a comment about society.
This is bigoted, Nazi behaviour under the banner of “entertainment” and that is what I object to, not the game, but the ideology behind it.
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Yep.
And there will be whiny posts about "being superior" to follow.
But there's nothing wrong with being proud of the fact that I could read and write and comprehend better at 5 than a lot of people here.
And to think that most of them are at school.
Teachers man, you should pay these people more than ice-cream men because only they stand between them and me.
Don't get angry, get smart.
Or at least get creatively angry and use your imagination instead of taking a deep breath and slapping your face against the keys.
And there will be whiny posts about "being superior" to follow.
But there's nothing wrong with being proud of the fact that I could read and write and comprehend better at 5 than a lot of people here.
And to think that most of them are at school.
Teachers man, you should pay these people more than ice-cream men because only they stand between them and me.
Don't get angry, get smart.
Or at least get creatively angry and use your imagination instead of taking a deep breath and slapping your face against the keys.
Please don't forget a lot of the people who post on here are young, and don't really know any better.
I'm not denying he's right. What I'm saying is that none of us can basically make a difference any more. It's not a gaming forum anymore, although I wish it was. It's turned into a chat forum, and newbies feel justifed in posting any old crap on here, because thats what they think it's for.
I don't really think there's any way to reverse it now, which is a b****r. Just let them moan senselessly at each other until they all die of Redneck Disease.
Use the new Life forum when it comes around, I reckon. Fog Chat's just not worth getting worked up about anymore.
I don't really think there's any way to reverse it now, which is a b****r. Just let them moan senselessly at each other until they all die of Redneck Disease.
Use the new Life forum when it comes around, I reckon. Fog Chat's just not worth getting worked up about anymore.
Yeah, this should have definitely been posted in Prime, but never mind that. Chat's full of idiots who look themselves in the mirror but see nothing but their face, abandoning this would be simply giving up on it... but then, it's not exactly the best topic to "save". Prime died because we deserted it. It used to be great. Let's go back there.
Sorry but Grix is right.
There are an inordinate number of people here that really, really shouldn't be allowed to interract with real people.
But since the advent of the net, any toeface with a finger or forehead rod can communicate.
But the trouble is, with the written medium, unless you have a modicum of ability, you come off as a cabbage.
And posting utterly, utterly inane things about school and nasty teachers is, quite frankly, toss.
This is a Gaming forum, chat related to games in some way.
Nobody cares if you had to stay behind and lick the blackboard because you dry-humped the dinnerlady.
Or, here's a wild idea,if you're going to put a non-gaming post...have a point. It makes it so much more interesting for the reader and those of us with more than tumbleweed blowing through our skulls.
There are an inordinate number of people here that really, really shouldn't be allowed to interract with real people.
But since the advent of the net, any toeface with a finger or forehead rod can communicate.
But the trouble is, with the written medium, unless you have a modicum of ability, you come off as a cabbage.
And posting utterly, utterly inane things about school and nasty teachers is, quite frankly, toss.
This is a Gaming forum, chat related to games in some way.
Nobody cares if you had to stay behind and lick the blackboard because you dry-humped the dinnerlady.
Or, here's a wild idea,if you're going to put a non-gaming post...have a point. It makes it so much more interesting for the reader and those of us with more than tumbleweed blowing through our skulls.
Thats fair enough, we all feel like that seeing the amount of crap on here. But, to be honest, is it going to make any difference? The only difference we can make is just to basically abandon it and use Prime for topics like this one.
I'm speaking my mind, I'm not angry, just fed up that I never really speak my mind about this, and fed up that nobody else does. On here, anyway.
There are a group of people on here that make coming on here a bad idea for a lot of people, and they make no attempt to clean up their damn act. I would love it if they took some real action, checked their spelling, tried really hard to come up with something entertaining for the forums... but no, "copularity pontest" is good enough.
There are a group of people on here that make coming on here a bad idea for a lot of people, and they make no attempt to clean up their damn act. I would love it if they took some real action, checked their spelling, tried really hard to come up with something entertaining for the forums... but no, "copularity pontest" is good enough.
Grix, calm down. We all get annoyed by this, but later in the week things will look better. Leave them to rot in FOG Chat.
I'm not arguing with you, because I honestly can't see the point. All you'll do is quote someone elses mind again, and annoy me further. Insulting you is a good way to make you leave, which, to be fair, nobody would care if you did anyway.
No, sorry, we would care, because the forums would be a good sight better, and perhaps we wouldn't lose so many damn good posters because * like you can't see that we all hate you.
No, sorry, we would care, because the forums would be a good sight better, and perhaps we wouldn't lose so many damn good posters because * like you can't see that we all hate you.
Grix Thraves wrote:
> I would honestly believe you if you took the ****ing time to write correctly,
> you dumb crap.
You didn't even take the time to read the post properly
> originally, why the hell should anyone in the world care about you? Go away to
> some teenage angst forum or something, where you damn belong, and take half the
> members with you.
Insulting someone in an arguement shows signs of weaknesses.
> I would honestly believe you if you took the ****ing time to write correctly,
> you dumb crap.
You didn't even take the time to read the post properly
> originally, why the hell should anyone in the world care about you? Go away to
> some teenage angst forum or something, where you damn belong, and take half the
> members with you.
Insulting someone in an arguement shows signs of weaknesses.
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