Rumor: Iran Responding to Battlefield 3 with Anti-Israel Game

[Hevva]

Rumor: Iran Responding to Battlefield 3 with Anti-Israel Game

The head of the Iranian National Foundation for Computer Games claims a game called Attack on Tel Aviv will hurt America in the way Battlefield 3 hurt Iran.


As was expected by many, Battlefield 3 was banned [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/114404-Iran-Bans-Battlefield-3] fairly quickly in Iran for its depiction of American soldiers roaming around Tehran looking for nuclear weaponry. Now, the next stage of Iran's response to the game has been announced by the director of the country's National Computer Game Foundation (NCGF). It's a game called Attack on Tel Aviv, and nothing is known about it other than its title.

In keeping with the calm rhetorical tone [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahmoud_Ahmadinejad_and_Israel] set by Iran's vocal leader in recent years, NCGF head Behruz Minaii told the Fars News Agency that, "The United States is governed by the Zionist Regime so Attack on Tel Aviv would make Americans angrier than a game about an attack on Washington."

"We have submitted several letters of objection to the developers of [Battlefield 3] but we have yet to receive a response," continued Minaii.

According to the Tehran Times, Minaii tried to get answers at the Dubai World Game Summit from Gears of War studio Epic Games (which is odd, unless it's a translation error or incorrect) but was not impressed with the response. "Their reaction was that it is only a game and we should take it easy, but with the game set in Tehran, it is simply not acceptable," he said.

It is worth noting that Minaii revealed nothing about the game other than its title, leading some to wonder whether or not it's actually in development. Iran and Israel have threatened each another with various acts of retribution and aggression far more colorful than a game over the years, and if this game does appear on the market one day it'll present an interesting opportunity of sorts for the community to discuss the paradigms surrounding national censorship. Or, more scope for some anti-Semitism and Iran-bashing. How could it possibly go wrong, I wonder?


Source: Tehran Times [http://www.tehrantimes.com/arts-and-culture/93351-iranian-game-makers-preparing-attack-on-tel-aviv-]


Permalink

 

[DiMono]

It's a video game; it had to be set somewhere and Tehran drew the short straw this time. They have to know what the public perception is, and they should be smart enough to figure out that just because it happens in a video game doesn't mean people think it's happening in real life. If they can't figure that out, then that's their problem.

As for "Attack on Tel Aviv," I can't wait to see it. In order for it to come out and still be relevant, it's going to have to be released within the next few weeks, which means they'll have to severely rush development, and the bugs that get left in should be absolutely hilarious.

 

[Treblaine]

In keeping with the calm rhetorical tone [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahmoud_Ahmadinejad_and_Israel] set by Iran's vocal leader in recent years, NCGF head Behruz Minaii told the Fars News Agency that, "The United States is governed by the Zionist Regime so Attack on Tel Aviv would make Americans angrier than a game about an attack on Washington."

"We have submitted several letters of objection to the developers of [Battlefield 3] but we have yet to receive a response," continued Minaii.

According to the Tehran Times, Minaii tried to get answers at the Dubai World Game Summit from Gears of War studio Epic Games (which is odd, unless it's a translation error or incorrect) but was not impressed with the response. "Their reaction was that it is only a game and we should take it easy, but with the game set in Tehran, it is simply not acceptable," he said.

But Digital Illusions CE (DICE) who made the game is an entirely Swedish developer!?!

America controlled by Israel?

This is Hideo-Kojima-on-acid level of insane idiocy, only it's not the final cutscene of a freaky-deaky video game, it's the ACTUAL words of an ACTUAL politician?!?

 

[health-bar]

oh Iran....

Spoiler

Im really liking this Zionist conspiracy theory here though. maybe we should make a game just on that.

 

[Staskala]

The Escapist, the internet's home for high-quality journalism

...

The Iranian National Foundation for Computer Games is obviously not a government organization.
It would be more than surprising if Iran of all places had a government office solely dedicated to the cultural advancement video games.
Also, considering Teheran Times previous records it's doubtful if Behruz Minaii ever even said that or if he actually works for the NCGF.

 

[Akimoto]

If Tehran - or anybody else- thinks developers and publishers had the time to respond to the calls of other countries other than their home base or fan base I say good luck. I've seen games that carry more controversy than BF3. That being said, an alternate reality where the roles of Iran and the world are reversed should be pretty interesting. If you get my drift...

Wait, why am I taking this seriously?

 

[Akimoto]

EDIT: system double posted, sorry!

 

[Something Amyss]

This is Hideo-Kojima-on-acid level of insane idiocy, only it's not the final cutscene of a freaky-deaky video game, it's the ACTUAL words of an ACTUAL politician?!?

To be fair, I'm pretty sure Ahmadinejad is actually running Iran as part of some ARG for a big budget video game/movie. Kojima COULD actually be behind this.

Anyway, I'm not sure how this is going to "hurt America." Though given how Fox News seems to think video games are real, they might spazz out over this.

 

[Something Amyss]

Solution to all this nonsense:

Put all futuree games in the nation of Uzbeki beki beki stan stan.

Though it does raise issues of violating a Herman Cain trademark.

 

[Tony2077]

i hope this rumor never pans out the extremist are already screwing them over they don't need to do it to them selves as well

 

[Frizzle]

Hey you know all those people that were tired of games in vietnam and about WWII and bitched about boring modern day shooters?

They can now be quiet and go play this game. THANK YOU IRAN!
...yeah i didn't think I'd ever say that.....

 

[Hevva]

The Escapist, the internet's home for high-quality journalism

...

The Iranian National Foundation for Computer Games is obviously not a government organization.
It would be more than surprising if Iran of all places had a government office solely dedicated to the cultural advancement video games.
Also, considering Teheran Times previous records it's doubtful if Behruz Minaii ever even said that or if he actually works for the NCGF.

That's why the article has RUMOR plastered across its head and doesn't refer to the NCGF as a government body. It says it's Iranian, but that's it. As for Minaii, he's definitely in charge of the NCGF and was totes in Dubai for the conference where the TT alleges he was asking Epic for info about BF3 (I know right?).

 

[SyphonX]

I'm sorry, but he makes a perfectly fine point.

So much television, books, films, and games are based around attacking the middle-east. Iran has been a go-to "hot zone" for many years. For games, they finally just called it what it's been all along, Iran. BF2 was "Iran-inspired".

He's also absolutely correct that people would flip their shit over a game attacking Israel, way more so than attacking Washington. The zionist-remark is a bit sketchy, but it still rings true. The neo-con base is zionist in America, this is a fact.

We have US officials and media pundits talking about attacking and bombing Iran nearly every single day. We had a presidential candidate joke about bombing Iran. Newt Gingrich wants to hire John Bolton as his Sec. of State. Bolton has wanted "military action" on Iran since before the Bush administration, and he openly talks about it all the time.

It's called rhetoric, and a lot of people need to take a good hard look at themselves in the mirror, have a bit of introspection on the matter. How would you feel if you lived in Iran? Would be pretty frightening wouldn't it? Considering the US military has hundreds of bases completely surrounding Iran on all sides, and is even occupying two of it's bordering countries.

This is warranted, and he is absolutely correct in his rhetoric.

 

[SyphonX]

Double-post.

 

[Treblaine]

Spoiler: nothing to see here, huge misunderstanding

This is Hideo-Kojima-on-acid level of insane idiocy, only it's not the final cutscene of a freaky-deaky video game, it's the ACTUAL words of an ACTUAL politician?!?

To be fair, I'm pretty sure Ahmadinejad is actually running Iran as part of some ARG for a big budget video game/movie. Kojima COULD actually be behind this.

Anyway, I'm not sure how this is going to "hurt America." Though given how Fox News seems to think video games are real, they might spazz out over this.

To be fair, I didn't mention "Ahmadinejad(sic)". The article concerning this post did say:

the country's National Computer Game Foundation

Iran is very active in all aspects of technology and media, it is a hugely politicised society and has been since the Islamic revolution. It's not surprising at all that the government has a ministry responsible for making video games and other digital works that - for want of a better term - is propaganda. So that would be a politician in charge of a ministry, or department or whatever you want to call it.

PS: I wish Kojima was behind then then it would be properly crazy. Instead I think we will see a lot less silliness and a lot of dehumanising smears against Jews and generally calling for their genocide. Ah but of course they will all say they aren't being literal, Sean Penn I'm sure will leap to their defence like he said their "Death To America!" chants were just a figure of speech...

Just last week Iran invaded the British embassy and bodily expelled all British nationals from the country severing all diplomatic relations.

So this video game bullshit is wandering into a political mess us gamers would be best to stay out of.

Who knows, at the end of it Battlefield 3 may get a Fox News endorsement...

 

[Irridium]

Oh calm down.

New York gets blown to shit countless times in games, you don't see them complaining about it. Or much people complaining about Washington getting fucked in Modern Warfare 2. The city, Washington. Not the person. If it was the person then yeah, complaints would probably be had. Especially if it was full on graphic- you know what? I'll just stop here.

Though having so many games featuring the Middle-East lately... it is getting pretty old. And I suppose people would flip their shit if you played the attackers attacking the US instead of the defenders.

 

[Something Amyss]

To be fair, I didn't mention "Ahmadinejad(sic)". The article concerning this post did say:

Excellent pedantry, my good chap. Sure, I went out of my way to mention the way the country was being run as a blanket statement to avoid just this sort of thing, but you managed to plow right through that. Good show, chap.

And you even threw in a "(sic)," though an online search seems to indicate no problem with the actual spelling of the President's name. Well played, good sir.

To clarify:

Yes, you did not mention Ahmadinejad by name. No, I did not claim you did.

So....

 

[Something Amyss]

New York gets blown to shit countless times in games, you don't see them complaining about it. Or much people complaining about Washington getting fucked in Modern Warfare 2. The city, Washington.

And considering the persecution fetish we have, that's pretty impressive.

Which means Iran has a bigger persecution fetish. I didn't think that was possible.

Well, I did, but I needed a way to run with it.

 

[SyphonX]

Oh calm down.

New York gets blown to shit countless times in games, you don't see them complaining about it. Or much people complaining about Washington getting fucked in Modern Warfare 2. The city, Washington. Not the person. If it was the person then yeah, complaints would probably be had. Especially if it was full on graphic- you know what? I'll just stop here.

Though having so many games featuring the Middle-East lately... it is getting pretty old. And I suppose people would flip their shit if you played the attackers attacking the US instead of the defenders.

You're not taking it in the right context.

Which country has a huge military-industrial complex? I'll give you a hint, it's not Iran.