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Antiwar group targets Ubisoft, America's Army

By Brendan Sinclair, GameSpotPosted Aug 6, 2008 12:51 pm PT

Group claims publisher and US military are recruiting children in violation of international law.

The America's Army games have served as a recruiting tool for the US Army since the line debuted in 2002 with a free-to-download first-person shooter. While the Army has been clear that the games are targeted at young Americans to increase their interest in military service, an antiwar group this week is saying those potential recruits were too young.

The group Direct Action to Stop the War (DASW) is taking to task the Army and its sometimes-partner in the America's Army series, Ubisoft, for what it calls the recruiting of children in violation of international law. DASW claims the Army is specifically targeting boys as young as 13 with the game, which is rated T for Teen. The United Nations Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict specifically forbids the recruitment of children under the age of 18.

The group said in a statement that it met with Ubisoft North America president Laurent Detoc, who informed them that the publisher was through making America's Army games. An Ubisoft representative did not return GameSpot's request for confirmation on that point.

DASW also wants a warning label attached to the game. The suggested label would read, "Warning: this video game has been developed by the United States Army to recruit children under the age of 17 in violation of the U.N. Optional Protocol and international law. Combat service has been known to cause death, irreparable injuries, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and lifelong feelings of overwhelming guilt."

The group has planned an antiwar rally for today in San Francisco's South Park--a block from Ubisoft's offices--to call attention to its grievances with the games.

373 Comments

  • faithless_8ball

    Posted Dec 8, 2008 7:42 am PT

    The suggested label is too long to fit the box, so you can shave it up your azz.
    bend over and let play the game. what's wrong wit ya?

  • LUGIAHUA

    Posted Nov 1, 2008 9:01 pm PT

    You are not a military service man or woman unless you signed up and took oath in front of Star-Spangled Banner

  • amanorda

    Posted Oct 6, 2008 3:06 pm PT

    STILL AN ACE GAME!!!!!

  • ComradeKomarov

    Posted Sep 21, 2008 2:23 pm PT

    I think the best part about what the anti-war group wants is the warning label - do they really think anyone is going to append to one of their products not only something so frightening, but so utterly ridiculous.

    "...known to cause death, irreparable injuries, [PTSD] and lifelong feelings of overwhelming guilt." That's like asking a food chain to put "may make you explode from being too fat, may make you depressed about being fat, may make other kids taunt you for being fat". Yeah, it's possible, no matter how improbable, but it's just not something you put on a box. People know damn well what combat service does, no matter how glorified it is. If they can outweigh the dangers, that's their own decision.

    Besides, most people who play AA to a level where it would be "recruitment" tend to be those who would go into military service anyways.

    What a lawsuit-oriented world this is.

  • Latteralus

    Posted Aug 29, 2008 12:10 pm PT

    I completely agree with Grantsplace2004 on his last post. I just joined the United States Army about 2 months ago and I'm loving every second of it.

    People fail to realize that the Army doesn't just go around fighting Wars. We have desk jobs too, we have just about any job the Civilian world has.

    I played AA before I joined the Army but it wasn't even close to the reason I joined. I joined because I wanted to serve my country and get a good education.

    The AA website shows just about what Military service looks like. They give you options to turn off the blood effects and all that but really it should be (*)'s decision to play the game.

    That's like looking at Walmart. Do they advertise? Do they make every effort possible to get you to think of Walmart as your personal shopping choice?

    " a_tiger101

    Posted Aug 19, 2008 6:04 pm PT

    I wonder how many boys got killed by this game in real life wars after joining the US army"

    Let me tell you, MEPS which is the Military Processing Center is where you Enlist to join. Now before you can even join they make you understand every aspect and they read you all your paperwork and explain every detail of your enlistment to you. Then you have to sign everything stating that you have read it. Then the person who was reading it to you has to sign it as well stating that she/he read you it.

    Now I went in at 4AM, got out at 6PM. In that time they explained everything to me. If these "boys" want to join they have this same process. You don't just go in and 10 minutes later you walk out being a Soldier. I'm sorry but your misinformed. - PFC Barnett

    (*) = Whomever might be looking into playing

  • a_tiger101

    Posted Aug 19, 2008 6:04 pm PT

    I wonder how many boys got killed by this game in real life wars after joining the US army

  • Lord__Darkstorn

    Posted Aug 18, 2008 6:42 pm PT

    I think that America's Army should be marketed as a recruiting tool instead of a game. We all know that it conditions us to want to "fight them terrorists" yet does little in the way of fun (it is a fact that AA sucks). The Army is at fault here for using a video game as a direct army recruitment tool without a warning. So letthem put on a warning, no big deal.

  • Fancelot

    Posted Aug 17, 2008 7:46 am PT

    Russia's citizens aren't protesting, because everyone who doesnt watch "free media lol lol" news knows that Georgia attacked Russian citizens first with the backing of US special forces, and US funded mercenary groups. BTW I hate the UN and their attempts to tramp of America's sovereignty, however our aggressive interventionist policies that are only for short term gains and have no regard for long term consequences is retarded and BS.

    We the ones who trained and armed the Taliban and Bin Ladin. Boy were we wrong on this one.

    We're the ones who put Saddam Hussain in power as an ally in the Middle East. Hell when he massacred the kurds, it was with weapons we supplied him with. Look at how it turned out... we're f@cking geniuses

    We're the ones who assassinated Iran's first democratically elected president and installed a dictator only to have them get pissed (no sh!t) and helped the Shah to get into power.


    "War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength."

  • morgan_1979

    Posted Aug 16, 2008 2:57 pm PT

    Why it always have to be about WAR!?

  • monroethanes

    Posted Aug 15, 2008 11:10 am PT

    Some people really have too much free time (including me, but I don't waste others' by organizing protests). I am always in awe of the naked and ugly hubris of most protesters. Groups like DASW assumes you are too stupid to know what you're doing, so these uber-educated activists have to step in and run your life. And the Left says it stands for freedom? For tollerance? I'm pro-choice, you should be able to choose which games you or your children play and also choose if they want to enlist. Juxtapose the American Left's view of the military with your average Russian, especially during this Georgia thing. You don't see Russian Leftist groups protesting the Georgia conflict nor the Russian military. It is amazing that the affluence of the USA has produced so many ingrates and that they feel so morally superior they can judge what's best for everyone else. A few more inconsistencies with the DASW's argument - If a father promotes the military to his kids, does this count? Does it matter if the father is in active, reserve, contract, or civilian status?
    Why do military recruiters go to high schools?
    If the USA is in violation of UN law, so what? What is the enforcement arm of international law? Are the hordes of the World Court in the Hague going to invade San Fransico and sack Ubisoft? (I have no doubt that the San Fransisco citizens would welcome them as liberators, those World Citizens love international bodies and reject nationalism as evil)
    San Francisco's Mayor, Gavin Newsom I believe, wanted to disband the military and leave all defense duties to cops and firemen, why doesn't he act on his convictions and kick Ubisoft out of San Fransisco? (Don't tell me he can't, if LA can ban fast food restaurants then they can also ban violent video game developers)

  • Mp5slipknot

    Posted Aug 12, 2008 3:18 am PT

    And the game is how old now? Aren't they a little late in protesting this? I mean I'm not really for or against the war but either way you look at it, this is just plain silly.

  • don31049

    Posted Aug 11, 2008 2:45 pm PT

    Sinse when do we Americans fall under international LAW,we are a soverign nation wit a constution,im a vietnam vet,59 yrs old and not screwied up like they said ,besides its obevious they never played this game ,because it works pretty much like the military,most of the time it sucks,,

  • gpvs

    Posted Aug 11, 2008 9:29 am PT

    Rabadabdab they talk a lot of crab.

    1) If so then all war like games, movies, clothing etc should be banned, as all of these can be seen as influencing the youth.

    2) Their is no recruitment unless a signed recruitment form has been completed, and then yes they must be 18+

    3) Get a life, rather fight a worthier cause like obesity

  • LordLonewolf777

    Posted Aug 11, 2008 6:48 am PT

    I'm Sorry, I just had to laugh out loud when I read this...

    DASW should really go protest their OWN anti war propaganda in irac or any place that plays host to terrorists. This article is really, REALLY funny...

  • Cheesefreak33

    Posted Aug 11, 2008 6:07 am PT

    Wow. Didn't the U.S. Military somehow fund every war we've been in since its existence? Does history count as a recruitment tool too? I mean... we do kick some serious tail, my history book says so. Obviously, then, I want to join the military! And if the Military really did fund those wars, it's obvious spending all that money was to kick tail, and in turn creating a valuable device of propganda.

    That means there should also be similar warning labels on all History textbooks, Encyclopedias, and anything else that contains information on our country's military history, because kids under the age of 17 can read them, and then they'll want to go to war.

    I'm just scared to think that if someone from the DASW stopped by to read this comment, they might actually think it's a good idea...

  • Grantsplace2004

    Posted Aug 10, 2008 9:51 pm PT

    Just to clarify, I'm not supporting the idea of using a video game as a propaganda tool, I think its wrong and it would be a serious problem if more people actually played such a crappy game.

    However the suggested warning label is hilarious, "Combat service has been known to cause death, irreparable injuries, PTS Disorder, and lifelong feelings of overwhelming guilt", thanks for the heads up DASW, we didn't know that our bodies had a weakness to bullets and people might feel bad about killing someone.

  • Grantsplace2004

    Posted Aug 10, 2008 9:41 pm PT

    This group obviously doesn't understand what recruiting is, since these kids are not being asked directly to join the army nor is the army accepting underage recruits. If anything, these games can be considered entertaining propaganda devices that children like to play, which is hardly illegal since it falls under freedom of speech/ expression. Whether or not you think propaganda is bad or good it is protecting by the first ammendment, regardless who it comes from (even the government).

    Sorry for the semi rant.

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