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"Hooligan: Nazi Entertainment.?"

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Wed 20/03/02 at 10:48
Regular
Posts: 787
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.
Wed 20/03/02 at 12:32
Regular
"Not your monkey"
Posts: 2,104
Craw wrote:
> Sorry but they practically wiped out the Native Americans.

Ahh i see, I thought you were referring to Afganistan. Apologies.
Wed 20/03/02 at 12:30
Regular
"Acid Casual"
Posts: 3,038
Sorry but they practically wiped out the Native Americans.
Wed 20/03/02 at 12:28
Regular
"Not your monkey"
Posts: 2,104
Craw wrote:
has been resposible for some of the worlds most atrocious ethnic cleansing is evidence enough.


Ethnic cleansing? I dont think America attacks people simply because it doesn't like their race. It does generally have some kind of reason.

Maybe they have gone over the top in bombing Afganistan but it can hardly be described as ethnic cleansing.
Wed 20/03/02 at 12:24
Regular
"Bounty housewife..."
Posts: 5,257
Jimmy Duck wrote:
> I'm not saying it is a good thing. I hate the Nazis. Yes, loads of people woould
> like to see world piece. But the thing is it wouldn't make a good game would it.
> So that why there are games like these.


So you are saying that it doesnt matter at all what the subject matter is as long as it would make a good game.

What if GTA let you rape women, what if you could play a game where you could take peoples children and beat them up and leave them on railway lines. Come on here. This game is treading very very dodgy moral ground and needs to be stopped.

It isnt just a case of censorship, racial prejudice has resulted in appaling incidents across the world and no playing the game might not make you pick up a baseball bat and go down the corner shop and beat up the owner but it is the ideaology behind it that can get stamped into peoples minds.

Great post Goatboy and I can see why you were getting so p155ed of when you get replies like some of the rubbish that you got here.
Wed 20/03/02 at 12:23
Regular
"Acid Casual"
Posts: 3,038
Belldandy wrote:
Craws comments about the USA,
> UK and Afghanistan are stupid, and he should know they are. Comparing that to
> the Germans and the Jews is so stupid its unbelievable, unless Craw happens to
> have video footage of such actions, in which case he is the only one with that
> footage and can bring down two governments in one day. I think not, its the
> usual anti-war, no facts, rubbish.

My comment was in reply to the point Meka made about how people (or nations) should respect others views and beliefs. It was not in any way drawing similarities between the war in Afghanistan and the Nazis.

I was merely pointing out that people SHOULD respect others views BUT it NEVER EVER happens that way. The fact that America preaches freedom for the individual yet has been resposible for some of the worlds most atrocious ethnic cleansing is evidence enough.

Hence the word HYPOCRITES.
Wed 20/03/02 at 12:20
Regular
"Not your monkey"
Posts: 2,104
Sorry, reread my post.

Wasn't meant to sound like I was contradicting you! Was supposed to be agreeing with you. My bad!
Wed 20/03/02 at 12:19
Regular
"not dead"
Posts: 11,145
Gangsta Hamsta wrote:

You were
> probably just fighting whoever was put on screen for you to fight.

In my
> opinion there is a difference.

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Hooligan isn't just like any other game, a bit of escapism etc.

It's goal is simply violence, and preferably violence towards ethnic minorities.

GTA3 gave you an unrealistic game based upon the criminal world, where this is striving for a game that represents real football hooliganism.
Wed 20/03/02 at 12:15
Regular
"Not your monkey"
Posts: 2,104
Meka Dragon wrote:
No other game has simply had you beating up ethnic minorities. Yes in
> Streets of Rage you were beating up women, black people, white people, but you
> had a higher goal, kill Mr Big, as he was the bad guy, or something. The
> fighting here didn't mean anything. In this hooligans game it's mirroring real
> world violence, and you're saying 'cool'. See the difference?


Not familiar with this game but I get the feeling it didn't encourage the idea 'oh theres a black guy, get him'. You were probably just fighting whoever was put on screen for you to fight.

In my opinion there is a difference
Wed 20/03/02 at 12:13
Regular
"Infantalised Forums"
Posts: 23,089
This has nothing to do with newbie/notable.

This is to do with offering nothing at all to a thread but typing anyway because you're bored.
Go look at porn or something, unless you can offer anything of help, just keep your mittens on and go talk about cows or something.
Wed 20/03/02 at 12:10
Regular
"Stud-muffin!!"
Posts: 563
Goatboy wrote:
> Brew wrote:
> *Walks in gargling milkshake, and only hearing odd
> words*


Shut. Up.


Hey, don't pick on newbies you big beastly notable.
*Walks off in a huff*

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