Call of Juarez: The Cartel Irks Texas Police

[Andy Chalk]

Call of Juarez: The Cartel Irks Texas Police

Police in Texas are unhappy with Ubisoft's upcoming Call of Juarez: The Cartel [http://www.amazon.com/Call-Juarez-Cartel-Playstation-3/dp/B003O6E6EI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1297704505&sr=8-1], which they say glorifies drug-related violence in Mexico and could even help push teenagers into the lifestyle.

Not much is known about Ubisoft's [http://www.ubi.com] plans for the next Call of Juarez game except that it will take the series out of its wild west roots and drop it into the modern day instead. But that's enough to earn it a thumbs-down from law enforcement in Texas, where the game's apparent tie-in to the ongoing cartel wars in Mexico seems to have struck a nerve.

"Unfortunately there are companies that are looking to capitalize on the violent situation in Mexico which has had a very negative impact on the country," Brownsville Police Chief Carlos Garcia told the Brownsville Herald [http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/articles/video-122763-game-call.html]. "There have been spillover cases in certain areas of our country with cases of kidnappings and murders. This is a serious topic and this is just another violent video game."

"It doesn't matter if it deals with the cartel in Juarez, the Gulf Cartel or the Sinaloa Cartel. It is simply not something that is appropriate for our youth," he continued. "This leaves lasting images and ideas in teenagers who get caught up in the game and may try to make it a reality and live the violent lifestyle they see in these games."

Cameron County Sheriff Omar Lucio said he's not familiar with the game but that the title "leads one to believe that the game deals with narcotic trafficking organizations." He echoed the idea that the game could leave impressionable teenagers with some very wrong ideas about drug cartels, which could lead them to imitate what they see in the game. "Sadly enough these kind of games are protected by freedom of speech, but the violence that comes from cartels is not a game and it affects us all," he added.

Unlike Sheriff Lucio, I don't find it sad that videogames are protected by the same First Amendment rights enjoyed by books, movies and music. The real-life cartel violence in Mexico is abhorrent but once again the idea that not all games are for all ages seems to have been lost in all the noise. I also find myself wondering how the Sheriff feels about similar claims directed toward games like Modern Warfare [http://www.amazon.com/Call-Duty-Modern-Warfare-Xbox-360/dp/B00269QLI8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1297704941&sr=8-1], which in the past have faced accusations of being subtle recruiting tools for the U.S. military. Would he agree? And if so, would he he as critical?

Call of Juarez: The Cartel is currently slated for release on July 1 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.


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[Griffin Herod]

The man is an idiot, plain and simple.

 

[manythings]

The man is an idiot, plain and simple.

The jokes on you, statistics show that 800% of people who played GTA became satan worshipping cannibals.

 

[MelasZepheos_v1legacy]

Something has just occurred to me about situations like this.

If you were a drug cartel member looking to find new ways to get respectable mules, wouldn't you try and big up your own lifestyle by using games like this? Some people have joined gangster culture because of the songs, videogames and movies which portray it glamourously, and it's not inconceivable that a canny dealer would use it to his advantage to try and hook people in.

A middle class white male, your average videogamer, is the ideal mule, because they are less likely to be stopped by security or police.

Of course, by that logic nothing illegal should ever be portrayed in anything except an incredibly negative light, but then again, I don't see any songs or movies glorifying the drug trafficking lifestyle, and it's entirely possible this game would.

 

[deth2munkies]

As a citizen of Texas I'm a bit torn on this actually.

On the one hand, it's probably complete bullshit. Just another generic shooter against the backdrop of the drug war. I got no problem with that as it avoids direct realism and keeps the game fun and less conflict-ridden.

On the other hand, if it really does glorify these kinds of gangsters, I personally know people who are flirting with that lifestyle and are avid gamers. I like to think their preferences for games and RL choices can be kept separate, but his statements do hit a bit close to home.

Either way, the game should come out, but it's in bad taste if it really does glorify the drug trade. I'd also reply that my comments on this are far removed from most of these stories simply because of the direct and real subject matter rather than generic war or generic city violence.

 

[Casual Shinji]

I can understand that the people who have to deal with the nitty gritty of the cartel wars might be a little annoyed by a game that revels in it, but in the world of entertainment you're bound to annoy someone.

Am I the only one who unwittingly read the police chief's quote in a Mexican accent?

 

[Aiden_the-Joker1]

Who said it glorified the cartel? Maybe your character is fighting against them? Yes it may not be appropriate for the youth, that is why it has the number in the corner showing that it is not and they shouldn't play it, it is intended for adults.

 

[lacktheknack]

The man is an idiot, plain and simple.

He's drawing a logical conclusion: That stylizing gang life as "chic" could cause teens to jump on board.

Sure, he's probably wrong, but it doesn't mean he's an idiot.

 

[Daemascus]

Did it ever occur to him you might be fighting a cartel in the game, not working for one?

 

[lacktheknack]

Did it ever occur to him you might be fighting a cartel in the game, not working for one?

The only games he's probably heard much of are Grand Theft Auto, Saints Row, and maybe Kane and Lynch (I saw a lot of people getting mad about that one, too), so...

 

[Therumancer]

I also don't think it's a bad thing that video games are protected by the first amendment.

That said, I see nothing with taking an America-centric view on certain things. I mean a recruiting tool for out military is just fine, we're encouraging national service, and the promotion of our own interests. That's not exactly bad.

On the other hand what we're dealing with here seems to be the promotion of an anti-societal agenda. Most crime games (there are exceptions) take place totally in the realm of fiction. They use fake cities, and a ridiculously inflated view of things so that they are difficult to take seriously. What's more there is a clear message that your character is the bad guy, even if most of your enemies are just as bad.

In comparison this game is dealing with a real place, where there is an actual ongoing battle. I don't think providing propaganda for the other side is a good idea.

I'm a big supporter of the abillity to play bad guys in games, and the "crime sandbox" genere in general. However it's possible to take anything too far, and if this game is what it sounds like, I agree that it's taking that one step over the line. Change things to set the game in a fictional city "somewhere in Mexico" and I think that will make all the differance.

This is not to say that the game should be banned, or the first amendment rights violated. That would be an even greater issue. I'd rather see this game released than the censorship. However I will say that the lack of responsibility on the part of game developers with things like this is going to add fuel to the fire. If someone was to point a finger at this game as an example of a game with a negative influance and no redeeming qualities whatsoever, I'd be hard pressed to defend it... and this is coming from a guy who defended things like the "No Russian" mission, and various other crime games.

Timing matters a lot as well, a game like this done 20 years from now when the cartel wars are over with, and presented in a retro sense is quite differant than doing it when this is going on right now. Similar to what I said about playable Taliban in a certain online shooter.

Opinions vary, and I know a lot of people are going to disagree, but basically this is stupid, irresponsible, and asking for trouble. It seems almost like someone is creating a game SPECIFICALLY to give censors something to use for ammunition, and that's the last thing we need.

 

[kaizen2468]

Seeing a lot of drug dealers get killed will make people want to become drug dealers? I'd worry more about a shit economy and poor communities doing that not to mention people having kids who aren't prepared to raise them.

 

[emeraldrafael]

Well... I can kinda see where he's coming from, and he has a point. He's just going about it the wrong way.

 

[Griffin Herod]

The man is an idiot, plain and simple.

He's drawing a logical conclusion: That stylizing gang life as "chic" could cause teens to jump on board.

Sure, he's probably wrong, but it doesn't mean he's an idiot.

Then he should have waited to see if maybe the game had you fighting the cartel instead of working for them. It's not a logical conclusion. It's him not doing his research. He even admits he never looked up the game, just saw the title. That makes him an idiot in my book.

 

[lacktheknack]

The man is an idiot, plain and simple.

He's drawing a logical conclusion: That stylizing gang life as "chic" could cause teens to jump on board.

Sure, he's probably wrong, but it doesn't mean he's an idiot.

Then he should have waited to see if maybe the game had you fighting the cartel instead of working for them. It's not a logical conclusion. It's him not doing his research. He even admits he never looked up the game, just saw the title. That makes him an idiot in my book.

Because you've never made an assumption based off of personal experience in your entire life.

You're only mad about it because it involves video games.
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That, by the way, was another assumption from what I've gathered from personal experience.

 

[dakorok]

The problem I find with this man's statement is his complete lack of knowledge on this subject. He knows nothing of the game, yet he's condemning it?

 

[L34dP1LL]

I was born in Cd. Juarez, and believe me, nowadays that place is a ghost town for what my friends and family tell me. And for someone to make a game that might represent current events just doesn't seem right to me. And don't take me wrong, I've played dozens of violent games ever since I was a kid, so this isn't coming from someone who doesn't know what he's talking about.

I've seen the 1st amendment card being tossed around for several games, but I wonder if we would defend that right for every game, for example "Six days in Fallujah", that was a game that got cancelled for being too "controversial" and the events described in it were too recent.

Now, I understand that for the family of the soldiers that participated in the events a game like this might seem disrespectful for the memory of their loved ones, and maybe this way you can understand how I would feel if a game portrayed the current events in Mexico.

All I'm trying to say is that every game should get the same treatment and scrutiny as the others, and if they plan to do a game like this, they better do a damn fine game, so it doesn't come off as a cheap GTA knock-off that tried to sell some copies by being controversial.

 

[Corpse XxX]

My god, is stuff like this ever gonna end?

If games were to blame for every bad thing now.. What did they blame a some 50 years ago?

Games have such small blames regarding criminal activities compared to pretty much everything else in this world..

 

[Parnage]

This is one of those things that hits close to home to anyone living in Mexico or a boarder state and get to hear about all the lovely, kidnapping,beheadings,mass graves and stuff they don't talk about because they get paid to keep it under wraps. Then to see a game about it? Or in the same area? Yeah it's a tad disturbing to people and I can't blame him or anyone for being put off by this.

Now I don't know enough about the game to support or condemn it but depending on the content yeah plenty of folks could have reason to be irked by it. Luckly, no one is forcing him to play it or experience it and it's unlikely at best this will decide in any grand factor rather or not some teen decides to go gangbanger.