Arabs in games.

[MASTACHIEFPWN]

I had a discussion like this with my brother the other day, and it was hilariously ironic.

He said in America, we are taught to hate no one, and I countered saying we are obviously taught to hate them.
He gave me some bullshit backfire, and said that those people deserve to be nuked because they all hate us.
all of them.
WTF?

We as a society dehumanise them so we can justify our actions in their country.
>100,000 civilians dead?
Who cares, they all apparently want us dead!

 

[Total LOLige]

I thought it was the Russians that were demonised in shooters? If a game is set in the middle east then why not? I don't think people will assume that arabs are all evil just because they played a video game and arabs are the bad guys.

 

[370999]

Because if you want to make a contemporary enemy for your American military chap Arabs aka Islamic terrorists, is your first call of choice. Or the Ruskies. So blame the war in Iraq and Afghanistan more then a overt sense of race hatred.

I imagine as America focuses more on South East Asia we can look forward to shooting more Chinese people, and if that ain't progress I don't know what is!

 

[LetalisK]

The same reason zombies are used so much in games. Racism.

OR it's because people grossly over-exaggerate how often Arabs are actually used in games as enemies because a certain video game series uses some as a side-kick villain in a vain attempt to be topical.

 

[Random Fella]

Because Americans have been taught to hate terrorists
Well, everyone has, but a lot of Americans have been taught that terrorists are all arabs and they do what they do just because they are evil.

 

[WindKnight]

Also because developers seem to struggle with the concept of a non-American protagonist.

Bloody Assassin's Creed. The original one I mean.

OT: I'm half-Arab, and I wish devs would stop being so closed-minded. Assuming that gamers can't handle ethnic protagonists is condescending PR bullshit.

I'd love to see a COD themed game played from the POV of Afghanistan militia. Your poorly equipped, defending your own people against terrorists, and, well, depending on how 'dark' you're wanting to go, paint your western allies in an ambiguous light, maybe even go so far to have a request for backup/airstrike turn into a friendly fire incident.

 

[eevangoh]

Oi, all of you jumping to defend the Russians' image in video games: stop it. I'm Russian and it's totally fine, we don't need a champion. Guess it's because we aren't nearly as PC as the Americans, so we don't feel like a Russian villain is a personal affront to all of us.

The Arabs: well, it's kind of obvious, isn't it? Some of the real-world bad guys of the 21st century happened to be Arab, America waged war on two separate Arab-culture countries and is likely to go to war with a third one anytime soon... An average person instantly associates a bearded Muslim guy with 9/11 and the London bombings, so they make for good stock villains. Besides, it's not like they're the target audience of these games, so predominantly American game developers and publishers don't have to worry about losing a market.

That is not to say I support demonizing Arabs in fiction, but you asked "why?", not "what do you think about it?".

 

[Lovely Mixture]

They should just make a game where members of every ethnic/religious group are villains/enemy combatants. And have them led by a *gasp* well written and charismatic villain.

Snippage

Is that... Gentleman Ghost? Like, the Hawk-Man villain?
If so, sweet because I love Gentleman Ghost!

Also, we must all bow before the undisputed king of english villains;

Snape would make Call of Duty way more interesting.

RIP Hans Gruber, the best action movie villain ever, we hardly knew yeh.

 

[Ryotknife]

plenty of games in which an american is the villain.

every major player in the world today gets their spot in the evil limelight. people are making mountains out of mole hills.

in fact, i would say there are more games and series in which american group/individual was portrayed as an antagonist than Arab/Middle East group/individual.

case in point (just from looking at my steam library):

alpha protocol
modern warfare 2
command and conquer series (tiberium wars)
in red alert 3 the american president goes rogue in the allies campaign and you have to put him down permanently.
dues ex series
FEAR series
farcry 1
farcry 3
front mission evolved
halflife 2
GTA series
Saints row 2
Tom Clancy Splinter cell conviction

 

[bafrali]

ı blame 9\11.It pumpe americans with idiotic patriotic fuel against Arabs, Muslims etc, etc.Yeah we get it.People died and it was bad.It has been happening all around the world and millions of people were dying already.It maybe the worst day of your recent history.But in ongoing global conflict, it was tuesday

 

[TheIronRuler]

Why are they demonised? Is it just because most modern shooters need some ethnic non american/english sods to blast into gory oblivion?
And when will this change?

Surely the entire people from ages 6-15 have had a predetermined mindset of arabs and muslims, and this CANNOT be a good thing.

So please, state your opinion or eat a falafel, whichever you prefer.

I prefer a Shwarma in a Laffah.

Most of the conflicts today that involve NATO are in the middle east - Afghanistan, formerly in Iraq, and the Pentagon is supporting media that demonizes those guys. No, seriously, pick up a movie with the support of the pentagon. It's right up there with making the army cool.

 

[RESURRECTION21]

I blame the wars in the middle east and propoganda.

Kind of the same reason why Russians are also a common enemy; because of older bigots on the dev team who remember a little something called the Cold War.

I wouldn't mind eating a falafel if you have any to spare, though.

what he said but also it has been in westrn pop culture since crusades in every thing books movies tv comics and now video games there is a good documentary on youtube called reel bad arabs but it only about the movies but it gives you a good idea about it all

 

[TheIronRuler]

plenty of games in which an american is the villain.

every major player in the world today gets their spot in the evil limelight. people are making mountains out of mole hills.

in fact, i would say there are more games and series in which american group/individual was portrayed as an antagonist than Arab/Middle East group/individual.

case in point (just from looking at my steam library):

alpha protocol
modern warfare 2
command and conquer series (tiberium wars)
in red alert 3 the american president goes rogue in the allies campaign and you have to put him down permanently.
dues ex series
FEAR series
farcry 1
farcry 3
front mission evolved
halflife 2
GTA series
Saints row 2
Tom Clancy Splinter cell conviction

They're evvvviilll corporations, not just American.

 

[Lead Herring]

Because they aren't white people?

I'm really confused as to why there is so much confusion on matters like this. I mean you can sugar coat it all you want, but it's true.

Yeah, that's why Russians and Nazi's are such a popular choice.

Honestly I'd say its due to the devs trying to construct a scenario based on current world politics to create a believable crisis. Which is still pretty dumb because the Middle east are always going to seem like underdogs and the Russians arent actually a believable threat. Solution? The Chinese could pose a threat to America if you could think up a dumb enough scenario to make them fight, but no one would risk loosing them as a possible market. For a truly intimidating opponent I'd say, I dunno, America maybe?

Because why not?

If it exists, shoot it, they just happen to be the current trend.

I don't think anyone has a problem with fighting arabs, it's just when you're fighting them all the time that it starts to affect people attitudes. I understand the previously mentioned Russians feel the same way.

 

[kommando367]

I think the last time I killed anything in the middle east in a game was in Assassin's Creed.
Russians and PMCs are the most common modern shooter antagonists. I think a better question is why are those 2 so overused?