Battlefield 4's a "New Form of Cultural Aggression", Says Chinese State Media

Adam Jensen_v1legacy

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Sep 8, 2011
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Mindless said:
But if we look at the sanctions they are in place because of their nuclear program,North korea have about the same sanction on the nuclear program(But it shifts depending on how much food NK needs) If warmongers had been running the government behind the scene or if the senate had just been filled with them NK wouldn+t have been able to threaten the whole world with nuclear armageddon in the spring http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/07/north-korea-threats_n_2826846.html without a swift and large invasion when even Iran and China says that NK needs to take it easy http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/390207/North-Korea-China-warns-it-will-not-allow-war-on-its-doorstep-as-even-IRAN-calls-for-calm
The reason why no one in the western world isn't doing anything about North Korea is because their allies wouldn't allow it. Besides, there's not much of value there.

Mindless said:
Iam not from the U.S(lives in Sweden) but to say that it is full of warmongers is stupid maybe world police and slightly annoying. There would have been more wars if the U.S was as militaristic as people thinks and most wars in the last 30 years haven´t been longer than a couple of months of real fighting.(Yes Iraq lasted about 7 years but 6 of those years were occupation/peacekeeping)
P.S The EU is lifting the sanctions against Iran
http://www.independent.ie/world-news/middle-east/iran-nuclear-deal-eu-will-lift-sanctions-in-coming-weeks-29782130.html
I'm not saying that warmongers run the show. But they are trying to get their way. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. These days it's a little harder because the people aren't as naive and frightened as they were after 9/11. Things change.
 

Frost27

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Jun 3, 2011
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Given that the enemy leader is General Chang, I just pretended I was fighting Klingons the entire time.

The game does portray the U.S. in a heroic light, true, but in the sense that they save China from an internal coup by a rogue element. The problem is, you "save" China by protecting and facilitating the return of a democracy minded progressive liberal leftist Chinese activist who's presence stops the fighting. THAT would offend the powers that be in Beijing.
 

Kittyhawk

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This is a problem that will never be solved. The whole truth of it is that no nation likes to look bad in the eyes of others, but things each nation does with their autonomy is what usually puts them as the big bad.

Recent examples are Russia's and Uganda's stance on LGBT peoples, based purely on that dangerous kind of religious ideological thinking, when they quickly forget that The Bible is a guide to live by, when in the end of all situations, people must decide for themselves. Some people want to be sheep and not really think or decide on anything, but the smarter ones that see the big picture will always question and attempt conversation, protest and open dialogue. This kind of stuff shows any people can be taught to think like sheep.

Also recently, we've had the U.K look bad in the Assassins Creed 3. This can be tricky to take from Ubisoft, a french developer, also knowing that the french government help fund the American Revolution (AC3 history is also a little skewed). I can admit that as a nation built on empire building, I can admit that the U.K has done wrong along that path to where it is today, but the good easily outweighs the bad.

I'm afraid that the Chinese government is getting all bent out of shape for nothing. Games are a type of creative art, and in such creative endeavors, everyone and everything is fair game for critique and yes, even nations. Unfortunately, we can't all tell stories of the Warring States period of history, over and over, because those are the best bits of a nations past. From the No Russian airport scene in CoD, to the scenes of attack on the U.S, everyone gets their turn to play the bad guy in these games, even some Americanz too (see Splinter Cell). What's the point in worrying about something that's made up, than actual real events that do effect people. I'm sure most chinese people are sound good people, but the things their government sometimes do in their name raises questions more than they answer. But lets not point fingers, as every nations, like people, has their good deeds, crimes and crosses to bare.

No one person or nation is purely lily white or darkly abyss black. Best thing EA could do is reply politely, but make it clear BF while a game is also a creative work of fiction, and while in a real world setting is not to be taken as real world fact. Frankly, while China is becoming the economic big boy, I'm disliking the sour pandering to wallets, to please them that's going on in some media, especially with regards to big Hollywood films etc (eg Red Dawn, Iron Man 3).
 

Erttheking

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Oct 5, 2011
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Desert Punk said:
Allow me to rephrase my complaint, can we please have a modern military games where we control NO ONE from the US military? Where we have only foreign chracters.
 

Elvaril

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As opposed to communism, which has been destroying Chinese culture for decades.
 

marurder

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This news doesn't surprise me. The Chinese media (govt) has and will continue to use the 'victimized nation' card as much as they can. They will simply say this is a case of western powers trying to keep China weak through 'soft power' and link it to atrocities caused in the past. This article isn't made for non-Chinese consumption, but for those Chinese that consider themselves the 'elite' and so they cannot trust other powers.

China has been doing the same thing - albeit more directly AND govt funded. Aimed at Japan AND the USA. With very little plot and as a training tool for young Chinese.

I think it should also be mentioned that an increasing amount of Chinese believe America is 'the enemy' nowadays. And China is more on a war footing.
 

Timedraven 117

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erttheking said:
Can't we just have more games where aliens are invading? Seriously, fuck those guys. And as an American, I'd wish we'd stop blowing our load everywhere. Yes, thank you COD and Battlefield, we're awesome I know it. Can you please make a game where the main character ISN'T a part of the USA military? Just for a little fucking variety? Can we go back to the days were we actually played as the British and Russians?
I will have to assume that is in the future or the past since with the United States military supremacy keeping the peace for the most part most European countries don't see a need to maintain a effectively large or active military force. SO if we go into the future the problem we are talking of won't exists, or the past when you stood in a line and shot at each other or your killing Axis. Although i really did enjoy the Darkest of Days Game. First one who got the Civil war right.
 

FrozenLaughs

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Nobody plays Battlefield or any other modern FPS for the story. It is a 10hr diversion to teach controls and hand out a few trivial achievements.

Multiplayer is where it's at. And to be fair, every match is US vs China. Meaning every other match or so, China wins. (yeah I know Russia is in there too. Shhh... )

We made a game where China wins ~50% of the time. That's far better than your real chances. Take what you can get China. You don't hear Americans freaking out over every game that is made in another country that portrays us as the villians.
 

Mersadeon

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Jun 8, 2010
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So actually, they are not pissed about showing someone as the bad guy to make them look bad, they are just pissed that IT'S THEM. That's what I get from that.

Also, that is hardly a new concept. After WWII it was the Germans for all those shooters, then there was a short interval showing various Communist Satellite States as the bad guys, then Soviet Russia itself. That went on for a long time, then it was "New Russia", which in fiction just equalled Soviet Russia. Then Terrorists (sometimes with Russians attached). We danced around the Chinese for a while with Homefronts North Korea (which was obviously MEANT to be the Chinese). And it's not like China isn't doing the same. Seriously, THEY get to complain?

EDIT: Okay, to everyone who says "but the Americans get cast as the bad guys too" - yeah, PARTS and FACTIONS of Americans, but almost no game paints the entirety of a nation and its culture as the enemy. I don't know if Battlefield does that (I don't even know why they bother to put a Singleplayer in there) but I do know a lot of games that pander to the 'Murica crowd do that, especially with equating all Russians to Soviet Communists and ALL of Middle Eastern culture as "TERRORIST".
When America is the bad guy, it is almost always American Mercenaries, or the American Military-Industrial complex.
 

MeChaNiZ3D

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I have little doubt that it is, and that US developers sometimes like making games in which the US are the heroes, and US players like playing them for that reason. And maybe it's even more so when someone you don't like (China, Korea, Russia) are the bad guys.

But China are dicks in real life, their media and just general viewpoints demonise the west plenty, and it doesn't amount to shit because it's a videogame.
 

TheRealCJ

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DrRockor said:
Why is it that Homefront is the only modern war game that has used North Korea as the bad guys? We're all in agreement they aren't good and don't really care if they get upset right?
Because I don't think ANYONE'S suspension of disbelief is that impressive.
 

TheRealCJ

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JazzJack2 said:
Li Mu said:
You can raise 'student suicides' and I could mention 'US school shootings'.
I could also bring up the mass execution and imprisonment of political opponents/dissidents, the occupation of Tibet, treatment of workers etc
That's some very thin ice you're treading on, especially when you think of things like: Guantanamo Bay, The various CIA operations to overthrow democratic leaders in order to make Bananas cheaper, and the pathetic wages that low-level employees get.
 

Imperioratorex Caprae

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May 15, 2010
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My question is this: Is there any fictional conflict that a videogame could do aside from alien invasion that wouldn't end up devolving on forums into a discussion on how every wargame is 'Murica being the badasses?
My answer is: This is fiction we're talking about for one thing. Tom Clancy books have done a lot of real world potential conflicts such as China vs. Russia with the US aiding Russia, Russia vs. the US, stuff like that and it happens to be if you read the subtext that its not the country as a whole, but a few people who are responsible for the conflicts happening.
That being said BF4 isn't demonizing China at all, much like I feel the Modern Warfare series wasn't demonizing Russia. Both those stories, while probably not the best writing, do happen to mention the conflicts aren't what they seem. That in Modern Warfare, Russia only invades due to an intentional outing of a CIA agent by Makarov and the war escalates due to a misunderstanding. In BF4 as I understand it (and its even mentioned in the original news post) that its not China but a rogue Chinese general.
And even games that feature Middle-Eastern folk vs. the US, its not an entire nation but a handful of radicals/rogues who are responsible for the conflicts.
My point is that just because an antagonist is of x-race doesn't mean the story is demonizing the entire country. If people are so ignorant of story comprehension thats not the fault of the game developers, but the fault of the people who can't read/watch a story and get the fictional facts correct. Reading/visual comprehension isn't common anymore, and it isn't up to the developers to spell every damn thing out for people to get it, even though it should be fucking obvious.
I don't understand why its automatically a 'Murica powertrip simply because a game happens to feature the worlds largest and most mobile armed force as the protagonist. Now I'd agree America hasn't always been right in the way they handle things in the real world, but then a lot of other countries are just as stupid in their foreign policies... I won't get into politics here because I don't feel like arguing.
I just don't understand the soapbox mentality people get whenever a subject like this comes up. Stand up and bash America because of a video game... really? Seems like the popular thing to do. Whatever floats your boat I guess but geez...
 

Sarge034

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Imma just drop this and say you really don't make it hard to be portrayed as the bad guys China...
 

Waaghpowa

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Apr 13, 2010
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As much I want to say that China is over reacting and being hypocritical as they are known for doing some horrible things, I know that if Battlefield had the roles of the US and China reversed, America would likely start a shit storm about 'HATING 'MERICA AND OUR FREEDOM!".

It's understandable they'd be a bit upset about this.
 

Mr Companion

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DrRockor said:
Why is it that Homefront is the only modern war game that has used North Korea as the bad guys? We're all in agreement they aren't good and don't really care if they get upset right?
Because the idea that Korea could invade the US is really stupid and so transparently not possible its amusing. I mean they might as well have Britain invade America if they are going to do that. In fact that would also be more fun and less offensive because as a British person I dont care if we are the villains, in fact personally I really like that we are always the main villain.

Anyway I agree with the guy in the article it really is a form of cultural warfare to have swarms of "evil" Chinese invade for no reason at all.
 

schrodinger

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Jul 19, 2013
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Says the country who's causing cultural genocide on Tibet.

Glass houses China, glass houses.

If MMS developers want a real life bad guy why not do north korea more? That country has a thing for taking hostages and executing people anyways. Or just go back to nazis; i'm missing WW2 shooters now with the obnoxious barrage of modern military shooters.

EDIT:
Zachary Amaranth said:
Yeah, you had me at Shark Nazis. Especially if there's a Sharnazinado.
I would fund that game in a second.
 

Something Amyss

Aswyng and Amyss
Dec 3, 2008
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themilo504 said:
I really wish that modern shooters would stop demonizing countries, and im not even that big a fan of Russia and china.
The synopses I've seen don't actually actually demonise China. I have not played the game, so I can't talk first-hand, but this leads me to believe the Chinese Government might be making a false complaint.

As a trend, yes, it'd be nice if we stopped with the Us vs Them, bad guy stereotypes vs heroic American crap, but here? I'm not sure that's the issue.

martyrdrebel27 said:
Shark Nazis
Yeah, you had me at Shark Nazis. Especially if there's a Sharnazinado.

Li Mu said:
You can raise 'student suicides' and I could mention 'US school shootings'. It's hardly better.
I'd like to see numbers backing that up.

Also, not particularly sure "Japan has suicides, too" is a good argument. It sounds like a "two wrongs make a right" argument. Japan's slightly worse in terms of per capita (given Wikipedia's numbers), but not much.

jackpipsam said:
Is anyone shocked.

Just imagine what would happen if one of these big games had the stones to make the USA the antagonist.
Imagine the US media reaction.
Fox News would demand it be banned.

Three days later, a conservative would say the Shark Nazis were good and Fox News would defend their freedom of speech.

Ironically, the liberal media would more or less toe Fox's line, offering at least equal time to both the people demanding the ban and shark Nazi supporters.

erttheking said:
Can't we just have more games where aliens are invading? Seriously, fuck those guys. And as an American, I'd wish we'd stop blowing our load everywhere. Yes, thank you COD and Battlefield, we're awesome I know it. Can you please make a game where the main character ISN'T a part of the USA military? Just for a little fucking variety? Can we go back to the days were we actually played as the British and Russians?
As an alien-American, I just have to say....

That hurts, man. I mean, seriously. All I did was come here from Omicron Persei 8 in an attempt to find a better way of life, and I have been met with nothing but prejudice since. And it's even worse in games. Do you know how traumatic Space Invaders was for me? Do you know what it's like to be constantly cast as the villain? Do you?

There's a big, green bugged-eyed monster in the room, but it isn't me. It's isn't me!

...Well, technically, it is.
 

Frotality

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Oct 25, 2010
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pretty sure this is a pretty old and overused form of cultural aggression that nobody cared about until you decided to take offense to it on behalf of over a billion people. come to think of it, twisting a game's excuse to show off its mechanics for 6-8 hours into "cultural aggression" to justify YOUR offenses against said culture is quite a bit more modern a technique.
 

commasplice

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Has anyone pointed out to China that the game wasn't published by the US gub'ment, itself? 'Cause I think that's an important point to make. Even if the game did originate in the country, that doesn't mean that it's the country's official view, nor does it mean that it's the country's citizens' official view.