Call of Juarez: The Cartel Criticism Grows

[Andy Chalk]

Call of Juarez: The Cartel Criticism Grows

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=1297979973&sr=8-1] continues to draw fire from police and civic leaders in the U.S. and Mexico, who say the game glorifies drug cartel violence and sets a bad example for kids.

Police in Texas expressed serious concerns [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/107744-Call-of-Juarez-The-Cartel-Irks-Texas-Police] about Ubisoft's upcoming Call of Juarez: The Cartel earlier this week, saying the new game in the Call of Juarez series, which moves it from the Wild West to the present-day drug wars in Mexico, could give kids a warped impression of drug cartels and even attract them to the lifestyle. Unsurprisingly, officials on the Mexican side of the border feel much the same way and say their situation is even worse because teenagers in the country are already drawn to crime.

"Lots of kids say they want to be a hitman, because they are the ones that get away with everything," Laurencio Barraza, a youth worker who lives in the city of Ciudad Juarez, told Reuters [http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/17/us-usa-mexico-game-idUSTRE71G6B020110217]. "[Call of Juarez: The Cartel] glorifies violence, as if victims were just another number or another bonus."

Ciudad Juarez is one of the most violent cities in the world, with a murder rate of roughly eight people every day. The violence has spilled over into the U.S. as well; since the beginning of 2010, at least 40 people from the Texas city of El Paso, which sits directly north of Ciudad Juarez, have been killed while visiting.

"In games you get hurt, you die and you get another life. In real life, you only die once," said El Paso County Sheriff's Office Commander Gomecindo Lopez. The Sheriff's Office lost a jailer to a shooting in Ciudad Juarez last March that also took the life of his wife and their unborn child. "This goes along the lines of narco-songs that portray cartel leaders as heroes, but both are a gross misrepresentation of who they are. They are criminals."

Call of Juarez: The Cartel is scheduled to come out this summer for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

via: GamePolitics [http://gamepolitics.com/2011/02/17/call-juarez-cartel-criticism-continues]


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[Undead Dragon King]

I don't see how this is any different than any gang-centered game ever made.

 

[Treblaine]

Maybe a case of too soon... and too close.

Although I support freedom of speech I don't believe it is an unlimited right, and if the crime problem in that region is half as bad as I hear I can't object too much to them prohibiting at least the advertising and open sale of that game over there.

 

[KeyMaster45]

When will people get it through their heads, this stuff is not meant for children. Instead of blaming a fricking game for your problems why not man up and kick some cartel ass Mexico? Legal system be damned if you know who's causing what just beat down their door guns blazing with wanton disregard for collateral damage.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

So...the game isn't finished yet, no one has played the game, and people can only guess what it's about, but these people are absolutely SURE that it glorifies drug cartels just based on the title.

How the hell do they know that the main idea behind the game won't be DISMANTLING drug cartels?

These people are stupid.

 

[Snotnarok]

There is a (or will be) an M on the box for a reason folks, it's not supposed to be played by kids.

And what is going to play Call of Juarez when there's a perfectly good Call of Duty to scream their annoying little voices in.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

When will people get it through their heads, this stuff is not meant for children. Instead of blaming a fricking game for your problems why not man up and kick some cartel ass Mexico? Legal system be damned if you know who's causing what just beat down their door guns blazing with wanton disregard for collateral damage.

Lol, legal system and Mexico in the same sentence? Are we talking about the same country here? I mean, at least 60% of the cops there are crooked.

 

[kibayasu]

So just another bunch of idiots thinking that video games have you playing the bad guys all the time? Ok then.

 

[Woodsey]

We don't even know anything about it yet!

 

[AmrasCalmacil]

The more I hear about this game the less I like.
Most of it isn't even the drugs gang war thing, I'm more annoyed that they took a good thing with the wild west fps idea and put it in some probably dusty city streets in modern times.

 

[messy]

I know the usual argument, but the effect may be higher in Mexico if children already want to be like this. Its not like in the UK/USA where there are less aspirations to this sort of thing.

 

[The Imp]

It's Six Days in Fallujah all over again. But since no PC release - not a single fuck was given.

 

[theriddlen]

Oh come on, how's that different from GTA's etc.?

 

[archvile93]

So...the game isn't finished yet, no one has played the game, and people can only guess what it's about, but these people are absolutely SURE that it glorifies drug cartels just based on the title.

How the hell do they know that the main idea behind the game won't be DISMANTLING drug cartels?

These people are stupid.

This is exactly what I was thinking. Also, I love your avatar.

 

[Russian_Assassin]

Call of Juarez: The Cartel is scheduled to come out this summer for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

A first person shooter set in the modern day that is not about soldiers or space marines sounds an interesting premise (oh how low have we fallen to consider anything that is vaguely different an improvement), but not if it's console exclusive FFFFFUUUUUUUU-

Oh well, I guess I won't be playing this. I won't mind as long as it's not good. On a sidenote, I like how it's all about the influence on the kids, like playing games is something so important and natural as eating or breathing. If you think your kids are going to be influenced negatively from this game then don't buy it for them! Geez...

 

[dagens24]

Hmmm, now I want to go watch season 3 of Breaking Bad again...

 

[IamQ]

How can they say all this? Does anyone actually know anything about this game yet?

 

[LavaLampBamboo]

I can't help feeling if you are playing the policeman cowboy that you are probably going to be going against the cartels. I think that these people heard "cartel" in the title and assumed you were a drug lord of something.

 

[Treblaine]

When will people get it through their heads, this stuff is not meant for children. Instead of blaming a fricking game for your problems why not man up and kick some cartel ass Mexico? Legal system be damned if you know who's causing what just beat down their door guns blazing with wanton disregard for collateral damage.

So fuck justice, declare war? With their own people, that's civil war!

I'm not saying it couldn't be done, but the government would have to declare war and unleash the military who don't carry guns for self defence, they carry guns to kill. A platoon with "capture of kill" orders would clear out the Cartels but they are already so powerful they may very well just go underground and fight back with their own resources. They may very well win, or worse, this state of internal war goes on indefinitely with no resolution only increasing violence and death.

There is a better solution, but only in co-operation with the US.