Halo 3 comes out next Tuesday. It may be "just a videogame" but it's a huge event that's almost impossible to miss on tv and the net. Part of the marketing blitz is a series of trailers called "Believe" and they've caused a big stir lately. I'll describe them briefly, but if want to see them for yourself here's the official link: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/h/halo3/believe/default.htm
A war veteran walks through a memorial museum, answering questions about his experiences. He finally stops at a huge diorama, taking it in and recounting his memories of the place. We see an enormous battlefield, soldiers from both sides pack the landscape fighting still amongst ruins and their fallen brothers. The men, indeed everything see we, are made of plastic, miniatures frozen in a moment of time in the middle of a battle that's been over for decades. The looks of fear and anguish, of desperation and defeat, of grit and determination, those are real enough though, even if etched in plastic. This is what war looks like.
As moving as many, most even, have found it, there are those that say it is distasteful and disrespectful. None of it happened, the battle is set centuries in the future, the enemy are genocidal aliens, and the old man's memories like everything else are scripted fiction. To use such techniques, imitating a documentary and interviewing a "veteran" like we've all seen for World War 2, cheapens and disrespects the real wars and the real survivors. And worse, it's all for money; it's an advertising campaign for a videogame. This is what the detractors say.
So here's the question, is it in poor taste, dishonoring the memories of those who have fought and died for us? Is it, in fact more disrespectful to show the imagined aftermath of a devastating war than it is to use the memories and names of actual troops in real wars from our past? Games set in World War 2 have become so popular, with so many different ones put out a year, that has become its own sub-genre of shooting games. Real units, real battles, sometimes real names, used in games which have almost nothing to do with reality apart from their backdrop.
What do you think? Is invoking the image of old soldiers, veterans, their remembrances and memorials too sacred to be used? Would you feel differently if it was a scene in a movie?
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7 comments:
Obviously imitating a war veteran’s experiences to sell a video game is not too distasteful. I can recall just recently a film was made to reenact the September 11th terrorist attacks. Millions were made, and only a small percentage on the dollar went to help families. I felt it unpleasant to re-live that.
There are forged movies, books, and plays that reenact most of the globes wars. Now that we live in a world with advanced communications, a video game is just another way to deliver such fiction or non-fictional messages.
After graduating from high school in 2005, I wanted to join the marines. I remember going to a job fair and the military was promoting recruitment with a simulated war video game the government had prepared. So in seeing this, I see no problem with advertising the game that way. I think the big controversy may even turn the video game into a years best seller.
I had never seen or heard of this game before your post. So, I went to the link and watch the videos. I see how people who are into action, blood and gore would find this game appealing. On a side note, the technology is pretty neat!
I personally wouldn't purchase this type of video game but I also don't like to watch TV shows or movies that depict violence and tragedy especially when we have so many of our own going through similar things that are mirrored in these type games. I guess it's a bit to "real" for me...
Melodi,
Just to make sure I'm clear/it's clear, the actual game isn't like the videos. That was just an actor and the plastic set of the battlefield. The game it self looks considerably more "gamey" and actually has a rather bright color palette. That's actually one of the other things people complain about, it not really showing what the game is like. The intention they had for it was to convey a feeling, a sense of awe and grandeur for the war in this game. It is afterall the last chapter of a trilogy and lots of people have been waiting a long time to "Finish the fight" the official slogan.
Thanks for taking the time to respond, but even more so for checking something out that you wouldn't ordinarily watch or be interested in.
I see nothing wrong with the video game. I dont think its distasteful at all. Ive been playing halo ever since the first one came out and i dont think it depicts that realistic of a war for people to be offended by. The game has super humans against aliens, thats not very realistic. I think people should just relax and not be so uptight.
I think I might be offended if I was a veteran or something. To have your service/experience reduced to a simple game might be seen as a slap in the face. I don't think war should be considered a game.. It wasn't fun or amusing for the people that were there. The killing and violence was real, not something animated on a screen. My grandfather is a WWII vet and I know he was angry when some video game came out a couple of years ago.. I don't know the name of it, but it was the one that caused a lot of controversy. As a whole, I think video games are too violent anyway.
That's a good thought. There should always be a respect for those who have fought in the past. The game and movie makers are taking on a huge responsibility in creating their media as well as altering stories.
The games that I have played usually do follow a decent story line that does respect war veterans. War is never something that should be taken lightly. The purpose is usually not to reflect but to entertain. At the same time, and depending on the game, it may help people become more aware of the sacrifices and intensity of what has happened. They can be pretty realistic.
In this day and age, I really don't feel theres anything wrong with the game, with so many other issues that people have to deal with on a day to day basis i'm sure theres not going to be too many people speaking against it. If there can be games where people SIM to be drug dealers and gang leaders, i'm sure this game will be just fine.
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