Six Days in Fallujah May Not Get European Release

[Andy Chalk]

Six Days in Fallujah May Not Get European Release

Atomic Games [http://www.konami.com/] portrays the violence in the game.

At Konami's recent Gamer's Day in Frankfurt, a Konami Europe representative told GamePro.de [http://www.gamepro.de/specials/konami_gamers_day_2009/1960679/konami_gamers_day_2009.html] that a decision on the game's future in Europe had yet to be made, and would depend on how the in-game action and violence is portrayed. The subject matter is extremely sensitive and Konami appears to be concerned about the potential reaction if the game is seen as glorifying or trivializing the battle.

The unreleased game has Keane Ng reports [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/90759-Six-Days-in-Fallujah-Triggers-Outrage], a trailer Konami showed off to game journalists didn't lend much credence to the publisher's claim that the game will be a realistic, documentary-style presentation of the war. If Komani decides that Six Days in Fallujah is too much videogame and not enough relevant social commentary, it sounds very likely that it will find itself limited to a North American release, where audiences are inherently more sympathetic to the soldiers on the ground and, presumably, receptive to a videogame built in their experiences.

via: Destructoid [http://www.destructoid.com/rumortoid-six-days-in-fallujah-may-not-come-to-europe-128746.phtml]


Permalink

 

[Low Frost]

Sighing and facepalming.
Personally, I want this to be saving Private Ryan quality violence. Maybe if devs stop glorifying war and start being as stark and chilling as such a subject should be, children would not keep such skewed ideas of what it entails.

 

[Jursa]

Wait a second... I'm supposed to feel sympathetic to the legions of soldiers I kill?

 

[Abedeus]

WHYYYY!!

WHY, SANTA, WHY!!!

Oh well, GRAW felt weak.

 

[Sixties Spidey]

Oh whatever. Besides, that game looks crappy to me.

 

[Falien]

I suggest that, when Elite IV is made, they skip American and Japanese releases - the game's requirement of having a functioning brain in order to play might come across as controversial for the overseas markets...

 

[oliveira8]

Just cause it wont be sold in European doesnt mean...we arent going to pirate it!! Muhahahahhahahahha!!

 

[ShyWinter]

Controversial, eh? I'm somehow not surprised that a war can be violent and unsettling.

 

[cainx10a]

Wait a second... I'm supposed to feel sympathetic to the legions of soldiers I kill?

You mean, legions of Iraqis defending their damn homes from invaders?

 

[Tech Team FTW!]

Sighing and facepalming.
Personally, I want this to be saving Private Ryan quality violence. Maybe if devs stop glorifying war and start being as stark and chilling as such a subject should be, children would not keep such skewed ideas of what entrails look like.

Fixed : P

Well, this game is definately not getting released in Australia.

 

[Arbre]

If Komani decides that Six Days in Fallujah is too much videogame and not enough relevant social commentary, it sounds very likely that it will find itself limited to a North American release, where audiences are inherently more sympathetic to the soldiers on the ground and, presumably, receptive to a videogame built in their experiences.

Become a proud soldier of the Empire, hunt down the Rebels and recover the plans of a weapon of mass destruction.

*cough*

I wonder what kind of "experience" for this "social documentary" we're talking about here, though.

Perhaps this one [http://ivaw.org]?

 

[PirateKing]

I haven't heard of this game. Which is weird because I usually hear a lot of things.

 

[Artheval_Pe]

and would depend on how the in-game action and violence is portrayed. The subject matter is extremely sensitive and Konami appears to be concerned about the potential reaction if the game is seen as glorifying or trivializing the battle.

What the hell are they smoking ? All right, games can be contraversial in Germany or in the UK, but Europe is not only composed of these two countries.
In France, the mainstream media doesn't give a s*** about video games, except for GTA IV. But they were payed by Rockstar to bring on the controversy. The fact that the media are a bit touchy on the subject in two european countries is not a good reason from entirely banning a game off a continent.

Plus, the Black Hawk Down game came out without a problem a few years ago. I can't see where the problem is with Six Days in Fallujah. The next Medal of Honor is even rumored to be set in Afghanistan.

As Shamus Young would say it better than me, if it doesn't come out in Europe, it's just going to be more pirated than Spore. And Publishers will complain about piracy as always.

 

[TsunamiWombat]

Who cares if it's game-y? It's a game.

 

[9of9]

Wow. My respect for Konami has gone up significantly reading that.

Seriously guys, essentially, the publisher in this instance is pressuring the developers into making a game that approaches the subject matter seriously, rather than trivialising it...

That's not a bad thing...

I wish they weren't the only ones that took a 'don't make your game meaningless controversial crap or we won't publish it' stance.

 

[nova18]

The unreleased game has Keane Ng reports [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/90759-Six-Days-in-Fallujah-Triggers-Outrage], a trailer Konami showed off to game journalists didn't lend much credence to the publisher's claim that the game will be a realistic, documentary-style presentation of the war. If Komani decides that Six Days in Fallujah is too much videogame and not enough relevant social commentary, it sounds very likely that it will find itself limited to a North American release, where audiences are inherently more sympathetic to the soldiers on the ground and, presumably, receptive to a videogame built in their experiences.

Whoa whoa whoa, there are a lot of Europeans with soldiers in Iraq.
Nearly every night here in the UK we hear about the british soldiers killed, so it's not just the Americans who will be sympathetic towards the cause.

Ruling Europe out altogether would be a rash move for that reason alone.
Other than that, its been said before that the more real this is, the less people will see it as entertainment.
Like it or not, Im going to pick the game that plays like a game than an interactive documentary.

I guess we'll have to wait until its released.
I'll probably rent it before I buy though, just to be safe

 

[CoverYourHead]

I don't want this game to be fun I want it to be like a documentary that will make me think about the subject matter of the game. I want this to be like book or video talking about soldiers lives, but in game form. That said, I probably wont buy it, but I defiantly want to see it and see what's going on.

 

[scotth266]

Well, at least Konami is giving pause before releasing this. It might actually be worth looking over if they do it as a serious thing.

 

[Elf Defiler Korgan]

War games have such potential (MGS series) to get to the issues, philosophy (necessity/imperial creation of necessity) and power interests around war. Instead they so often become jingoistic flag-waving spectacles (I'm looking at you call of duty and the horde of America is kick arse games).

If a game was objective, far more narrative driven, and not concerned with demonisation or elevating either side, then it contributes to understanding warfare. Then it certainly should not be banned.

"Personally, I want this to be saving Private Ryan quality violence. Maybe if devs stop glorifying war and start being as stark and chilling as such a subject should be, children would not keep such skewed ideas of what entrails look like."

Here here.