Concentration Camp Game Canceled Due to Backlash

[Baresark]

While theres potential for a game based around the event, it needs to be done in a tastefull manner. This was not the way to do it.

That said it doesnt look worth the effort to ban. A modern mindless shooter doing it perhaps.

If you're going to cover a sensitive historical event then do it sensitively, especially in a medium thats not got out of the get attacked at every turn stage. If you dont then you'll make the suituation worse not better.

I can't agree with you. The way you talk about tasteful is just a way of dumbing it down. There is nothing tasteful about the way Muslims are depicted in modern shooters. But you don't see the public outcry there. No one complains when a "terrorist" depicted in games gets killed, we cheer and go about our day. Where is all the tasteful sensitivity then. No, it's because we are talking about the complaints of Jewish folks, most of which were not alive at that time.

I'm not trying to jump down your throat, but you can't be sensitive to one group, then joyously destroy the likenesses of others. I think we could agree that there is no video game with this premise they would ever allow through, without a big fight.

 

[Baresark]

I would love to play a straight-up simulation of the Jewish Holocaust experience. You're a craftsman with a family. You play a family/business management sim (farmville meets Sims) for the first two hours.

Then the nazis attack. You spend the first act of the game running from them. You're trying to find where to hide, who to trust, what to sacrifice to remain free. Imagine the opening scene to Inglorious Basterds, from the perspective of the people under the floor.

You get captured. You're taken to Auschwitz. Your children are put in a separate camp. You're forced through the daily tedium of moving stone-piles back and forth to break your spirit. Your character gets gradually more emaciated as starvation sets in--this affects everything from your movement speed, to the state of in-game menus.

Eventually you get a Sophie's-Choice-style moment. Get your family out, at the cost of your own life, or join in the mass camp uprising. One leads you to watch as your whole family is gassed. The other leads to you being lined up against a wall and shot.

Something properly bleak and depressing that has something it wants to say, rather than just "did you know Auschwitz was a thing? Let's put a game there!"

I sense a rather intense Minecraft mod coming, LOL.

 

[Peteron]

Tasteless? Off-limits? So the Jews aren't allowed to fight back? That's the message being sent. I will admit that the way it is done in was inaccurate as all hell, but why should the story of the prisoners or the guards be off limits? To deny the stories of their lives is to deny their very existence. I can't think of anything more wrong than that short of actually taking someone's life.

No, you are as incorrect as humanly possible. Seeing as the people who complained happened to be of Jewish faith, you really think the message they would be sending is that Jews aren't allowed to fight back? Read what you typed once more and tell me if that makes sense. They did not want this game being made because it is tasteless and will not honor the dead, but rather make it into a fun videogame. That is no way to honor those who died during the Holocaust. And I am German and I know this! As for the person who said "movies can be made of the holocaust, why can't games?" That is because movies aren't just for entertainment, they can be emotional and honorable with lots of meaning. Games however, are nothing more than mindless entertainment. I am not picking on games, I am just stating they are entirely different.

That is where you are wrong. It's a video game, it's meant to be fun. It's not 7th grade history class, there is nothing to be gained by taking away what it is meant to be. People like you are a joke, you think your fighting for something, but you really just furthering the agenda of political correctness and stomping on publication rights of companies. Every game about WW2 is not about honoring the dead, most are just frag fests that are won by killing more of them than they kill of you. But this one, because it contains Jewish characters, has to be about honoring the dead. Grow up and think before you talk. You are the exact same type of person that mourns a single event till the day you die, and because you can't move on, no one else is aloud to. Gimme a break. Also, a lot of games these days are made in such a way that brings out strong emotions in the people who play them. Games haven't been mindless in a long long time. Actually, the production values of games today are just as big as your movies that aren't just for entertainment... and on that note, it's fuckin' movies, you only watch them because you want to experience a particular set of emotions, for your entertainment. The very definition of entertainment is Something that amuses, pleases, or diverts, especially a performance or show. Movies, music and yes, even video games fit into all these categories.

No, not at all actually. See, I am the right one here. I am not fighting for anything, simply stating the game developers should have seen their actions as insensitive and that they Jewish community are in their full right to prevent its publishing. This is also historically innacurate. The Jews did not rebel or fight back, so this was not like any other war game. They were slaughtered by the hundreds. I do not weep under these events, I simply sympathize the Jewish communities wishes. Now here is a piece of advice for you. Think before you write anything here. This isn't your average forum, so don't go being hostile towards everyone you see. You have been warned. And I would say trying to make enemies with your pathetic argument wouldn't be the best idea now would it?

 

[Kurokami]

THAT IS BULLSHIT!

Fuck everyone who gets offended at a fcking game. Shit. No one, or almostno one, is fcking alive from those camps anymore. It's history. Get over it.

It was the msot interesting premise for a game of hte year.

Damnit.

I know a lot of people from the camps.

you are the exception to the rule.

Were they all very upset?

About the genocide yes, the game they wouldn't even know about and I imagine the feelings would be mixed, a whole lot of people that age don't understand gaming in the first place, those ones would be fairly offended, I know a few who would probably actually be quite interested in it as they'd share a similar opinion to me on the idea of this game, that its just another mark of history that would be nice to play.

I don't mind the holocaust in games, but depicting the concentration camps in an action shooter seems wrong to me. It would have to be a very well done game with a story like Heavy Rain to pass, not some dumb wolfenstein ripoff.

Why? Jews don't like playing the victims, why not chuck 'em a virtual gun and have them shooting at some Nazis. Personally I agree that an epic story could be made out of it, but even if it is just like some sort of mindless, ball-first type shooter, why is that such a bad thing?

 

[Spectre39]

The idea that a project can be banned because of knee-jerk political correctness is sickening. Screw 'em. Censorship is more evil than the holocaust.

 

[Kurokami]

While theres potential for a game based around the event, it needs to be done in a tastefull manner. This was not the way to do it.

That said it doesnt look worth the effort to ban. A modern mindless shooter doing it perhaps.

If you're going to cover a sensitive historical event then do it sensitively, especially in a medium thats not got out of the get attacked at every turn stage. If you dont then you'll make the suituation worse not better.

I can't agree with you. The way you talk about tasteful is just a way of dumbing it down. There is nothing tasteful about the way Muslims are depicted in modern shooters. But you don't see the public outcry there. No one complains when a "terrorist" depicted in games gets killed, we cheer and go about our day. Where is all the tasteful sensitivity then. No, it's because we are talking about the complaints of Jewish folks, most of which were not alive at that time.

I'm not trying to jump down your throat, but you can't be sensitive to one group, then joyously destroy the likenesses of others. I think we could agree that there is no video game with this premise they would ever allow through, without a big fight.

Muslims aren't depicted in modern shooters though, terrorists are. And they depict terrorists as terrorists (surprisingly enough). The fact that you see a Muslim when shooting at the guy is your issue, admitedly it's taboo to show the terrorists as human but that's a seperate issue.

 

[Chibz]

This is why we, gamers, can't have nice things. Some group bitches, the developer folds.

They really should've said "Zark you, this is our game. Our story to tell."

 

[Kakashi on crack]

I have no problem wish religion, I have a problem though when they pull this crap.

Games need to be allowed to represent themselves in a multitude of ways, and, in general, breath. We get games that have caused the demorilazation of our very society, and do nothing about it, but when we try to create a game featuring a real historical event, which, by the way books, movies, and everything else under the sun has promoted, we get bashed for it?

A game isn't entirely art, it's an interactive experience that can be used for education, enjoyment, emotional response, and many other things. It can be art, such as dragon age's storyline, or Oblivion's graphics which at the time of its release seemed realistic, or at the same time, it can be an "interactive experience" such as the modern warfare series (after MW2 it was no longer art IMO, but rather a way for people to enjoy themselves interactively.)


EDIT: What I'm trying to say is: -NOTHING- should be off-limits if it's displayed in a serious, professional way. Nazi zombies? fun, but not professional, from the sounds of this game? Yes, it seems unprofessional, but the guy put a lot of passion and research into it, so it has a serious feel to it.

 

[Death916]

the people that were put on probation 4 this is bullshit. stop trippin off of political correctness escapists if people arent even being rue/mean/racist/outta line dont fuckin report them. im tired of these overbearing mods.

 

[numbersix1979]

Frankly who cares about a cheap-ass game that's A) A damn Wolfenstein mod, B) Obviously made purely to incite controversy, and C) Defended by a developer who apparently insists on being referred to by screen-name doomjedi?

Ugh.

It's like that Columbine RPG that came out a few years ago. Can we just please ignore this one, before it gives the entire gaming community a black eye?

 

[Kakashi on crack]

By the way, forgot to mention this in my post:

Before everyone goes off protecting those of jewish decent because of the holocaust, remember that during that time the nazis also executed gays, cripples, and basically any minority group. Yeah, they killed a lot of jews, but they also killed a lot of -OTHER- minorities, you don't see gays fighting over the whole holocaust debate though, or crippled people, now do you?

I took this arguement to one of my friends, who is of jewish decent, and who in fact has a grandpa who lived through the holocaust, and he personally cannot stand the fact that so many people are sympathetic without knowing all the facts.

 

[Ruairdhri Wright]

Actually there was a Quentin Tarantino film called "Inglorious Basterds" which was basically about just that.

 

[Ruairdhri Wright]

Nobody pulls this shit when they make a film about the holocaust. The ADL can go fuck themselves if this is solely because it's a game.

I imagine they might have taken issue if Schindler's list was about a super jew marine with a SMG in one hand, a list of names in the other, & a smirk on his face.

Actually there was a Quentin Tarantino film called "Inglorious Basterds" which was basically about just that.

 

[Jrtlaktalk]

So we can make games that are 'obscene' to other people, like the cubans, the somalians, the french, the pope... but when it comes the the holocause (inadvertent, but appropriate, typo) it is a no-go area? The ADR's list of 'protected persons' appears to be pretty exclusive.

 

[Petromir]

While theres potential for a game based around the event, it needs to be done in a tastefull manner. This was not the way to do it.

That said it doesnt look worth the effort to ban. A modern mindless shooter doing it perhaps.

If you're going to cover a sensitive historical event then do it sensitively, especially in a medium thats not got out of the get attacked at every turn stage. If you dont then you'll make the suituation worse not better.

I can't agree with you. The way you talk about tasteful is just a way of dumbing it down. There is nothing tasteful about the way Muslims are depicted in modern shooters. But you don't see the public outcry there. No one complains when a "terrorist" depicted in games gets killed, we cheer and go about our day. Where is all the tasteful sensitivity then. No, it's because we are talking about the complaints of Jewish folks, most of which were not alive at that time.

I'm not trying to jump down your throat, but you can't be sensitive to one group, then joyously destroy the likenesses of others. I think we could agree that there is no video game with this premise they would ever allow through, without a big fight.

Theres pleanty of outcry when specific groups are used in anything but the most serious of simulations.

The whole reason for the relitive lack of outrage over terrorist based games is that their methods are whats wrong not their reasoning. Its intersting as well that you immediately assume terrorist=muslim and that a certain style of dress = terrosist, and indeed that arabian dree= muslim. There are pleanty of terrorist groups out there that are very different to said recent steryotypes. There are also games that have covered them.

It should also be noted that if you can link in with current evets, even if you distance yourself from a potrayal of the actual events. This is genrally done by takign some defining chareacteristics of the conflicts going on (prefriable involving the forces of you're target audiences country, so genrally in western FPS's the US often with a UK contingent). THis means in recent years pretty much you're going to end up with a middle eastern conflict, with the US involved. Other connections are likely to include an ex-soviet block or chinease arms connection.

Modern world or historical sttings will by their very nature revolve around the relevant political blocks of the time. And yes there has been pleanty of outrage about some of the more foolish picks. Hell most mainstream games try to avoid implicitaly suggecsting that religion is at the core of any conflict.

Even so most games that do touch on such things tend to avoid the truely controverial incidents. This game did not, it went straight for it, and ignored any potential depth and just went for the lowest common denomintor. This would have been substandard for a game set in an entirely fictional setting, with no hint of genocide.

Being sensitve to one group alone would be wrong, but I see little evidence of this.

 

[Baresark]

Tasteless? Off-limits? So the Jews aren't allowed to fight back? That's the message being sent. I will admit that the way it is done in was inaccurate as all hell, but why should the story of the prisoners or the guards be off limits? To deny the stories of their lives is to deny their very existence. I can't think of anything more wrong than that short of actually taking someone's life.

No, you are as incorrect as humanly possible. Seeing as the people who complained happened to be of Jewish faith, you really think the message they would be sending is that Jews aren't allowed to fight back? Read what you typed once more and tell me if that makes sense. They did not want this game being made because it is tasteless and will not honor the dead, but rather make it into a fun videogame. That is no way to honor those who died during the Holocaust. And I am German and I know this! As for the person who said "movies can be made of the holocaust, why can't games?" That is because movies aren't just for entertainment, they can be emotional and honorable with lots of meaning. Games however, are nothing more than mindless entertainment. I am not picking on games, I am just stating they are entirely different.

That is where you are wrong. It's a video game, it's meant to be fun. It's not 7th grade history class, there is nothing to be gained by taking away what it is meant to be. People like you are a joke, you think your fighting for something, but you really just furthering the agenda of political correctness and stomping on publication rights of companies. Every game about WW2 is not about honoring the dead, most are just frag fests that are won by killing more of them than they kill of you. But this one, because it contains Jewish characters, has to be about honoring the dead. Grow up and think before you talk. You are the exact same type of person that mourns a single event till the day you die, and because you can't move on, no one else is aloud to. Gimme a break. Also, a lot of games these days are made in such a way that brings out strong emotions in the people who play them. Games haven't been mindless in a long long time. Actually, the production values of games today are just as big as your movies that aren't just for entertainment... and on that note, it's fuckin' movies, you only watch them because you want to experience a particular set of emotions, for your entertainment. The very definition of entertainment is Something that amuses, pleases, or diverts, especially a performance or show. Movies, music and yes, even video games fit into all these categories.

No, not at all actually. See, I am the right one here. I am not fighting for anything, simply stating the game developers should have seen their actions as insensitive and that they Jewish community are in their full right to prevent its publishing. This is also historically innacurate. The Jews did not rebel or fight back, so this was not like any other war game. They were slaughtered by the hundreds. I do not weep under these events, I simply sympathize the Jewish communities wishes. Now here is a piece of advice for you. Think before you write anything here. This isn't your average forum, so don't go being hostile towards everyone you see. You have been warned. And I would say trying to make enemies with your pathetic argument wouldn't be the best idea now would it?

LoL, in full admittance, I was tired when I wrote that one. And for the record, this and you are just like every other forum I've ever seen. You think your fighting for something, but you're not. Your following the logical fallacy that they apparently cannot fight for themselves when we have seen that they indeed can. I don't agree with the decisions, that's all. Also, if this game is indeed historically inaccurate, which I never for one second was under the belief it was going to be all that accurate, then you further push the point at it being a work of fantasy. Since when do works of fantasy need to be sensitive.

 

[Baresark]

While theres potential for a game based around the event, it needs to be done in a tastefull manner. This was not the way to do it.

That said it doesnt look worth the effort to ban. A modern mindless shooter doing it perhaps.

If you're going to cover a sensitive historical event then do it sensitively, especially in a medium thats not got out of the get attacked at every turn stage. If you dont then you'll make the suituation worse not better.

I can't agree with you. The way you talk about tasteful is just a way of dumbing it down. There is nothing tasteful about the way Muslims are depicted in modern shooters. But you don't see the public outcry there. No one complains when a "terrorist" depicted in games gets killed, we cheer and go about our day. Where is all the tasteful sensitivity then. No, it's because we are talking about the complaints of Jewish folks, most of which were not alive at that time.

I'm not trying to jump down your throat, but you can't be sensitive to one group, then joyously destroy the likenesses of others. I think we could agree that there is no video game with this premise they would ever allow through, without a big fight.

Theres pleanty of outcry when specific groups are used in anything but the most serious of simulations.

The whole reason for the relitive lack of outrage over terrorist based games is that their methods are whats wrong not their reasoning. Its intersting as well that you immediately assume terrorist=muslim and that a certain style of dress = terrosist, and indeed that arabian dree= muslim. There are pleanty of terrorist groups out there that are very different to said recent steryotypes. There are also games that have covered them.

It should also be noted that if you can link in with current evets, even if you distance yourself from a potrayal of the actual events. This is genrally done by takign some defining chareacteristics of the conflicts going on (prefriable involving the forces of you're target audiences country, so genrally in western FPS's the US often with a UK contingent). THis means in recent years pretty much you're going to end up with a middle eastern conflict, with the US involved. Other connections are likely to include an ex-soviet block or chinease arms connection.

Modern world or historical sttings will by their very nature revolve around the relevant political blocks of the time. And yes there has been pleanty of outrage about some of the more foolish picks. Hell most mainstream games try to avoid implicitaly suggecsting that religion is at the core of any conflict.

Even so most games that do touch on such things tend to avoid the truely controverial incidents. This game did not, it went straight for it, and ignored any potential depth and just went for the lowest common denomintor. This would have been substandard for a game set in an entirely fictional setting, with no hint of genocide.

Being sensitve to one group alone would be wrong, but I see little evidence of this.

I don't disagree with what your saying. I used the word terrorist in quotes because a large percentage of the US population see's it this way. I would think it below us to try and turn that fact against me seeing as how I don't identify Muslims as terrorists personally. But my argument still stands. This could have been done as more than a Wolf3D mod, but I don't believe these people would ever let anything through involving this content. The group in question is easily one of the most sensitive groups around. The truth is, this mod wouldn't have hurt them, it wouldn't have helped them, those arguments are nonsensical. But, now it has hurt them and only ensured that such a thing will be produced by someone who may decide that it should be more inflammatory out of spite. Maybe it won't be any worse than it already is either, if we're lucky.

 

[Dooly95]

Come on. If the guy wanted to make a Wolf3d mod he would have just done so without mentioning "based on WW2 concentration camp escapes". The whole thing was just so he could get some publicity, and he got more than what he expected.

It's a tasteless game, I have no idea why people are getting riled up. Are they banning games based on the holocaust illegal because of this? Are they banning all wolf3d mods?

Inglorious Bastards, Shindler's List were all produced with some thought in mind. This mod? I'm doubtful he gave it anything more than "lol shooting nazis".

 

[Flying Dagger]

if it had been a game that truly enshrined the horror of such places, I think they'd be able to show it to them and they'd understand.
I don't think anyone's getting their revelations from wolfenstein anymore, especially not the original one.

probably a good call by the ADL

 

[neograpeshot]

I don't get it. It's a wolf3d mod, how did it even get enough publicity to catch the ADL's attention, much less what leverage does ADL have against the development to make them stop?
A game like that takes what to design, produce, and release? A month and couple of guys in a basement? A budget of $20 for the pizza?