Games, like any other medium, can handle topics maturely, and present them in a new light that causes one to think differently about them.
Or they can let you tear open someone's chest with dual chain-blades. If developers want to handle it in a mature manner, then they have all the right to. If they want to use them for cheap attempts at emotional engagement, then they should keep them far away.
Of course I would. Does it mean more games are going to run into issues with having really alienating viewpoints? Hell yes, but it also means there are going to be those games that end up being so memorable because of what they say. Should Star Trek have taken out it's obvious political and humanist messages? I don't just mean one viewpoint either. I'm fine with pieces of fiction having a very specific ideology, but I would also love to see characters themselves in games have their own politics.
PS: You can also have either allegory in political messages. AKA "Stop worshiping this God you crazy aliens! We future humans no longer believe in such harmful nonsense!" OR stuff ripped directly from the current headlines "This war that we are fighting in Iraq is unjust". One is probably more controversial.
Personally love games that have some religion tints like Darksiders / Dante's Inferno or the religious crap in Dragon Age. But would that be considered "religion" ? If so, more of that. But I'm against mixing in serious real-life issues into my gaming. I use gaming to get away from reality!
In theory, I'm all for both. If the storylines of some games want to be taken more seriously, then they won't be able to avoid discussing these issues. On the other hand, I'm kinda concerned that they won't be able to implement them all that well outside of a thin excuse plot. After all, outside of some triple-A franchises the plot usually gets shoehorned in at the last minute after all the gameplay features have been developed and/or rushed out the door so the production company can book the revenue for the quarter. So I'm not too sure how to answer this one.
I would like to see a game where the USA is shown as the bad guys for once. It would be awesome. True underdog story of the free world against the "Land of the Free", I would pre order right this second if someone announced this game.
Depends how it's presented. I'm not so keen on anything that heavily pushes a certain point of view, instead I'd rather see issues presented in ways in which the player is prompted to make up their own mind.
If they are done right, why not? Those are topics just like any other. The thing is, it's really hard to use them in a way that doesn't "hurt someone's sensibility". People are way, way too touchy.
Games are art. Art is for entertainment, and for exploring complicated issues and ideas. Therefore, yes. Not all games need to, but I think that more games should touch on social issues. And, though this process is slower than I like, they are.
I'd love too, I'm all for deeper stories in video games and when a game can put across religious or political commentary and do it well I'm interested, just as I would be with any other entertainment medium. I thought the political overtones in games like Bioshock and Mass Effect worked very well and I'm honestly surprised that so many people here are against seeing more of that kind of thing.
" Games, like any other medium, can handle topics maturely, and present them in a new light that causes one to think differently about them. Or they can let you tear open someone's chest with dual chain-blades. If developers want to handle it in a mature manner, then they have all the right to. If they want to use them for cheap attempts at emotional engagement, then they should keep them far away. "
" I'd love too, I'm all for deeper stories in video games and when a game can put across religious or political commentary and do it well I'm interested, just as I would be with any other entertainment medium. I thought the political overtones in games like Bioshock and Mass Effect worked very well and I'm honestly surprised that so many people here are against seeing more of that kind of thing. "
Agreed. This thread is actually depressing me a little bit. It reminds me of a thread I came across while browsing GameFAQs where a bunch of people were saying how much they hate RPGs. Are some of you people incapable of handling maturity and depth? There's nothing wrong with political and religious undertones to a game if they're done well. It'd frankly be more awkward if any sort of message never made it into video games at all, considering that all other forms of media involve political or religious shades to them at some point or another. Television, movies, music, books, even paintings.
Games, like any other medium, can handle topics maturely, and present them in a new light that causes one to think differently about them.
Or they can let you tear open someone's chest with dual chain-blades. If developers want to handle it in a mature manner, then they have all the right to. If they want to use them for cheap attempts at emotional engagement, then they should keep them far away.
This. If games are to ever be viewed as a mature medium they have to be able to address real issues
If by religious you mean anti-religion and by political you mean liberal, then, yeah, I could appreciate playing a game with a superpowered Obama beating the ignorance out of tea-party protesters.
Sure, only if its thought or philosophical provoking. The substance must make the player think about religion and politics, not just shove it up somewhere in the game.
Sure, just because something addresses an issue doesn't mean it is definitive in either direction nor does it have to be antagonistic toward an opposing viewpoint. Civility is possible even in games where you shoot people in the head.
I don't understand the whole 'games is about fun, i don't want none a this crap' arguement. I mean, personally I think thought-provoking games are fun, as long as there's at least passable gameplay to go along with it. And if a game had a political/ religious theme and did it right, it would definately be thought-provoking.
I'd like to see it tried once, and then I could base my opinion on whether I think there should be more. I like it when TV shows (Futurama :D) and movies deal with these themes and, while I understand it is a different medium, I think it could work in video games as well.
Only if done properly. Which means either completely serious/meaningful way or completely irreverent but in a satirical/funny way. Anything in between though would just make the storytelling in games even worse and far more annoying (in other words either go all the way with it or don't do it at all).
Final fantasy 10 had some good religious themes in it, but anything more overt would be out of place. Metal gear was about as political as games will ever get I think. Oh and six days in Fallujah says hi.
Log in to comment