I wonder how these countries feel when games portray them as the enemy...

You look at a lot of the Western developed games (and some Eastern) and the notice the common enemy that is marked. Russia always seems to be one of them; followed by the Chinese and people of the Middle East. It always seems like media in general makes these countries the enemies, and games seem to do this on many occasions.

The MW series pinpoints Russian terrorists along with Afghans.

The new MoH game sets players in the Middle East to engage against them.

MGS1 and 2 (3 is set during the Cold War, so that's a different story) seem to point out the Russia is still the enemy.

Is it just me? Or is there a subtle influence games are having on the perspectives we have on these nations?

I don't think games have much an influence on nations we don't like. I think it's cultural. Americans don't like Russians. We haven't like them for a long time. When they were communists during the Cold War in the 80s we didn't like them. When they put missiles in Cuba in the 60s we didn't like them. And though alot of it has died down with the USSR and all, Americans generally don't like Russians, but it's not the level of hate it used to be.

I don't think games have much an influence on nations we don't like. I think it's cultural. Americans don't like Russians. We haven't like them for a long time. When they were communists during the Cold War in the 80s we didn't like them. When they put missiles in Cuba in the 60s we didn't like them. And though alot of it has died down with the USSR and all, Americans generally don't like Russians, but it's not the level of hate it used to be.

sayyy-gaa

Yea. Russia still seems like Russia even with them not be communist now. The people may be free, but the government just seems, you know....

And besides games are just like movies and books, just fiction.

Besides Fallout 3, i dont remember killing Chinese people.

I was thinking about this a few days ago i mean you dont see any Aussie bad guys?

I'd feel worse about being portrayed as the hero. Assuming we're talking about war games. Ugh, so much false and hypocritical patriotism that shows 0% respect for the events they actually portray.

And besides it's not the villains that rack up the most kills generally.

Plus who hasn't wanted to shoot Paul Hogan and Steve Irwin? 8)

Besides Fallout 3, i dont remember killing Chinese people.

Zerocrossings

Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising

I'd feel worse about being portrayed as the hero. Assuming we're talking about war games. Ugh, so much false and hypocritical patriotism that shows 0% respect for the events they actually portray.

And besides it's not the villains that rack up the most kills generally.

Plus who hasn't wanted to shoot Paul Hogan and Steve Irwin? 8)

Foolz3h

[QUOTE="Foolz3h"]

I'd feel worse about being portrayed as the hero. Assuming we're talking about war games. Ugh, so much false and hypocritical patriotism that shows 0% respect for the events they actually portray.

And besides it's not the villains that rack up the most kills generally.

Plus who hasn't wanted to shoot Paul Hogan and Steve Irwin? 8)

Blackbase88

I think that there is a negative effect. Sure people might say they're not influenced, but how do they know that it does not influence implicitly? Also, it just rubs their leaders/people the wrong way, like a message for them saying that we believe you and your people are capable of committing such atrocious acts of violence.

It is part of the western world propaganda. Don't think that we democratic countries are free from the government trying to control us. You said that the influence is subtle but I think it's pretty straight forward: Russia= evil comms-->kill evil non capitalists

I thought the same thing while playing through Battlefield: Bad Company 2's campaign mode.

Are these countries even aware that we play games in which they play the enemy?

Must say, I'm not a fan of war games that focus solely on "terrorists".

I think you're looking at this backwards. The games aren't shaping our cultural perceptions; our cultural perceptions are shaping the games. Making the Russians or the Chinese the enemies aren't anything new in any form of media.muthsera666

It's a reciprocal relationship; both fuels each other.

You look at a lot of the Western developed games (and some Eastern) and the notice the common enemy that is marked. Russia always seems to be one of them; followed by the Chinese and people of the Middle East. It always seems like media in general makes these countries the enemies, and games seem to do this on many occasions.

The MW series pinpoints Russian terrorists along with Afghans.

The new MoH game sets players in the Middle East to engage against them.

MGS1 and 2 (3 is set during the Cold War, so that's a different story) seem to point out the Russia is still the enemy.

Is it just me? Or is there a subtle influence games are having on the perspectives we have on these nations?

D00nut

I highly doubt it. Movies have been showing one country against another for quite some time now. I expect people to take it as just fiction and not reality.

[QUOTE="muthsera666"]I think you're looking at this backwards. The games aren't shaping our cultural perceptions; our cultural perceptions are shaping the games. Making the Russians or the Chinese the enemies aren't anything new in any form of media.one_plum

You really think that the ill will most Americans hold toward Russia and China, much of held by those who don't even game, is fueled by games?muthsera666

The initial influence is obviously from other things, but games just exacerbate our impressions of them. And yes, I believe people are that suggestible.

[QUOTE="D00nut"]

You look at a lot of the Western developed games (and some Eastern) and the notice the common enemy that is marked. Russia always seems to be one of them; followed by the Chinese and people of the Middle East. It always seems like media in general makes these countries the enemies, and games seem to do this on many occasions.

The MW series pinpoints Russian terrorists along with Afghans.

The new MoH game sets players in the Middle East to engage against them.

MGS1 and 2 (3 is set during the Cold War, so that's a different story) seem to point out the Russia is still the enemy.

Is it just me? Or is there a subtle influence games are having on the perspectives we have on these nations?

fend_oblivion

I highly doubt it. Movies have been showing one country against another for quite some time now. I expect people to take it as just fiction and not reality.

[QUOTE="D00nut"]

You look at a lot of the Western developed games (and some Eastern) and the notice the common enemy that is marked. Russia always seems to be one of them; followed by the Chinese and people of the Middle East. It always seems like media in general makes these countries the enemies, and games seem to do this on many occasions.

The MW series pinpoints Russian terrorists along with Afghans.

The new MoH game sets players in the Middle East to engage against them.

MGS1 and 2 (3 is set during the Cold War, so that's a different story) seem to point out the Russia is still the enemy.

Is it just me? Or is there a subtle influence games are having on the perspectives we have on these nations?

fend_oblivion

I highly doubt it. Movies have been showing one country against another for quite some time now. I expect people to take it as just fiction and not reality.

The only people who have their perceptions of these countries and people changed by games are brainless tools regardless. Those people can be influenced by pretty much anything, including the evening news, which gets through to far more people than videogames. Some people were just put on this earth to be sheep, to be taken advantage of. Me, I don't really care. I know the difference between fantasy and reality. Their are no good guys and bad guys anymore, this is a gray world, not a black and white one.

Games/movies are much more influenced by real world events than vice versa.

Why are Nazi's such a popular foe in games/movies? They earned their reputation through world events ( WII). The Russians earned their reputation during the cold war.

Notice that the use of Middle Eastern and African enemies is a relatively new phenonemon. It reflects the rise of the terrorist threat in the world. The real world events came first, then they became movie/game bad guys.

If every game had a Nazi hero and a Canadian bad guy do you really think that this would overcome the public perception of Nazis as evil and Candadians as harmless? Doubtful. Real world events have a much greater impact on people's perceptions than movies/games do. When games/movies reflect real world events they can reinforce perceptions that people already have. But when they go against real world events they aren't going to have much of an impact.

Think about this, whenever there is a World War 3 topic in OT, people automatically assume it is the good guys of US and Europe vs the bad guys China and Russia (obviously, it is assumed that the latter two countries would commit the first act of transgression :roll: ). Some go as far as to believe China may one day orchestrate a full scale invasion or launch a nuke on American soil.

I think this would be an epic game- especially since i see this war being inevitable eventually. it's great too, since the Chinese are really a bad people that are destroying the world in every way possible- (human rights, and especially the environment)- i would love to kill some Chinese. Furthermore, there could be a dual invasion- places in the US like San Francisco and New York, and the huge cities of China plus whatever else environments they would need since China is a hugely diverse country.hank03

Posts like these are one of the reasons why I'm terrified of the effects of media propaganda.

I never really take it that seriously. I think it's just because the Russian accent is easy to pull off, and there's a rather rich historical background there. But I guess I can't relate to the feeling, the only time I think my country was the evil one was in The Mighty Ducks. Man, we were ridiculously evil in that film :P

[QUOTE="Zerocrossings"]

Besides Fallout 3, i dont remember killing Chinese people.

hank03

Wow, are you serious? That is just plain disturbing.

Hah I was thinking about exactly the same thing who knows how Vladimir Putin feels. However, not to be anti-patriotic but I really would like to see some sort of European Spec ops game where America is the enemy (even though I am American). I just think it would put a different spin on things and it'd be great to see Glenn Beck's panties tied in a knot.TacticalDesire

Play the entire series of MGS or read the summary. There's a bigger picture. Actually, just learn the plots while you play...

Yeah, there's Ocelot, the Gurlukovichs and Russian GRU forces, but there's also Dead Cell, a U.S. Navy-Seal counter-terrorist unit, the U.S. who developed Metal Gear Ray, the U.S. Army who developed Metal Gear Rex, and the rest of the other countries who developed Metal Gears, resulting in Ray. Vulcan Raven, a Shaman who was raised in Alaska. Sniper Wolf, who was Kurdish.......

......come on.

And Big Boss and Solid Snake were initially for the U.S.......with the governments turning against them and them doing the same, eventually fighting for a different idea entirely....Outer Heaven.

FINAL EDIT:

Ugh...MGS was developed in Japan.

[QUOTE="hank03"][QUOTE="Zerocrossings"]

Besides Fallout 3, i dont remember killing Chinese people.

calvinsora

Wow, are you serious? That is just plain disturbing.

lol, not really. That's just plain retarded.