Concentration Camp Game Canceled Due to Backlash

[Jabberwock xeno]

As a (sort of jew) I find this is is completely offensive...

No, not the game, the fact that they stopped production on it. The fact that we are willing to make a game about horrid events means that we can move past anger and spite and move on, while still remembering the past.

 

[silver wolf009]

This is why we can't have "The Only Escape Is Imagination"

Or nice things in general for that matter.

OT: While it is within their rights to be aggrivated at this game, is it really worth boycotting it into oblivion? The correct awnser is no.

On the topic of Holocaust related material in games, I just realised how odd it is that a Call of Duty game hasn't done something similar to the airport level involing a concentration camp. Not that I appluad the idea of having the player jump into the body of a nazi during a stationment in a camp, but I just realized that its kind of odd that they missed out on such a controvosy for marketing.

 

[Ekonk]

Goddammit, NEVER BACK DOWN! Never ever! If your cause is just - which it, if it is the depiction of jews fighting the nazis, definitely is - never back down!

Although the guy saying that it's both "Nazi shooting fun" and also "realistic, moody and detailed" makes this a bit less credible.

 

[megs1120]

Speaking as a Jew, the ADL can drop dead. If there's anything history has shown, it's that we can deal with getting our feelings hurt. Maybe now that the mod is dead, they'll have lets of free time on their hands. Let's hope they get to work on something that matters.

 

[Koroviev]

If the Holocaust is off-limits for creative mediums, then why was Inglorious Basterds so successful? Oh yeah, video game makers don't take themselves seriously /:

 

[mjc0961]

Bullshit the Holocaust is off-limits for video games. After playing GTA IV and Red Dead Redemption, I bet Rockstar could pull of a damn fine game about the subject material these guys were trying to make a mod out of. The only problem with this is that first, they were making it a mod for Wolfenstein 3D, which means it's not looking any kind of think piece that's respectful or whatever. It just looks like another run-and-gun FPS. And second, they caved. I can understand why that Fallujah game had to go, if nobody was going to publish it then there isn't much those guys could have done about it. But you're making a mod for an existing game. There is nobody to stop you but yourself. Don't cave just because they want you to, if you really think you were doing something decent and respect, then dammit finish the mod. Don't let some people censor you just because they see video games as toys and not art like books or movies.

 

[mechanixis]

Oh my christ...

IF YOU ARE MAKING A GAME ABOUT AUSCHWITZ, DO NOT DESCRIBE IT AS "JUST BLAST-THE-NAZIS FUN".

When I saw the headline I was really hoping the guy had made something artistically significant about the Holocaust, but a tasteless Wolfenstein clone really isn't meaningful or worth protecting.

Nothing should be 'off-limits' in games, but the problem is we can't seem to grow up and let go of them being 'fun'. Schindler's List isn't 'fun'. Apocalypse Now isn't 'fun'. But if a game comes out and doesn't deliver cheap thrills and empowerment fantasies, we say it's a bad game. You can't blame the public for pattern recognition - they have no reason to expect a game will treat its subject matter with dignity.

 

[Jumplion]

ha...in the sources it is only said that his intentions might be good but it's just a crude depiction...I don't see anything about them saying the subject is off limits in games...

Thanks for that, neither did I. Journalism at it's finest, folks.

From now on, I'm going to read the damn sources from these news posts.

 

[Dfskelleton]

If this were a modern game, I might be a bit more "eeeh" about it, but a FREAKING WOLFENSTEIN 3D MOD? That's ridiculous. Then again, the holocaust is a touchy subject. Wolfenstein 3d is to me, more of a fun, time wasting for the lolz action game. This might not be the best way to present the holocaust. However, even if we did make a perfect, beautiful and senseive game featuring the holocaust, like maybe a game where you play as a single Marine sent in to help save the jews, would be torn to shreds by the media. In fact, I should make a game like that and then make sure I never give in to the controversy.

 

[mechanixis]

Oh! Because it would "trivialize" it. Was World War II trivialized? The Cold War? The War in Iraq?

Well, yes, yes, and yes, really. If you don't think Call of Duty is trivializing of its subject matter, you've got some reading to do (Regenerative health! Constant action and excitement! Absurd bodycounts!) If you compare it to works like Apocalypse Now, The Things They Carried, or Saving Private Ryan, Call of Duty is a teatray-shallow depiction of war that constantly proclaims 'War is Fun!' with a tiny footnote reading '(but it actually isn't)'

 

[AngelOfBlueRoses]

This game right here was a terrible idea. Simple as. But if a game carefully and thoughtfully tries to depict the scene, and properly does it justice, I don't think they should stand in the developer's way.

I agree with you 100 percent. Also, your avatar is trippy. That's the main reason why I quoted you; your avatar is so freaky and cool.

 

[joebthegreat]

I'll make a game where you're the ADL, and you go around and find people who are committing terrible crimes such as thinking bad thoughts and such. And you build camps where you put these people and hide them from the rest of society. And you can customize and upgrade your camps.

 

[Macgyvercas]

Ordinarily, I'm behind the ADL 100%, but their comment on how the Holocaust is off limits for video games (strangely enough, they never say anything about flim or books. Go figure) just makes them seem somewhat jerkish. Yes, I understand the reaction, and can even sympathize with them somewhat, but they have to understand that any event that ever happened on this planet in the last 4.6 billion years is fair game to be protrayed in any form of media. It's the same thing how the racism accusations of RE5 were baseless because if you live on this planet, you're fair game to be the bad guy.

People will make games. Some people will not like those games. Get over it. Trying to get it banned only serves to make the offended party look overly sensititve.

 

[Stuberfinn88]

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.

And It shall be forever known as "Schindler's List II: The Reckoning!" with a small quote at the bottom saying "He's Got his list, and he is checking it twice!" Gawd I love robot chicken.

 

[Jumplion]

ha...in the sources it is only said that his intentions might be good but it's just a crude depiction...I don't see anything about them saying the subject is off limits in games...

Thanks for that, neither did I. Journalism at it's finest, folks.

From now on, I'm going to read the damn sources from these news posts.

To be honest that's always good to do on here, the journalism here seems to be permanently skewed towards giving us an excuse to defend games against things.

I've been too lazy to read the sources, but this just sort of made me go "Oh, c'mon, that's just....c'mon!".

I guess I'm a bit too trusting with my news sources, and this goes for everything, not just the Escapist.

 

[jaketheripper]

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.

You mean like Uprising and Inglorious Bastards?

BOOM! HEADSHOT!

OT: i dont care, i wouldnt care if they made a game about 9/11 either, people trivialize games, but then as soon as they are about something "offensive" massive butthurt ensues. it happened along time ago, more than 27.3 years. so its funny, and all that. not really, but you get what i mean. ORGANISATIONS NEED TO FUCK OFF AND LET US DO OUR THING!

 

[Dak_N_Jaxter]

The games sounds as if it was in bad taste anyway, but the fact that they penalised it because it was a game, and outwardly stated it, kinda sucks balls.

 

[Fanboy]

I don't think the holocaust should be off limits entirely, but it is a subject that should be treated with utmost care and sensitivity. It is one of the worst atrocities in human history and I do not think these modders approached it tactfully. It doesn't matter what medium the message is delivered from, if this idea were used in film or literature it would probably be just as offensive. I think a video game equivalent of Schindler's List, where the theme is respectful to the subject matter could be achieved, but this game seems nothing like that.

 

[Berlioz]

Whats the point? are we denying that WW2 happened? that a lot of people died? that a big part of those people were Jewish? creating taboo's only make things more difficult! While i agree that this is in bad taste, i dont see why it should be banned......

This.


And seriously, what the hell, people, aren't 65 years enough? Why is the holocaust so special compared to other atrocities, either bigger or just different?

Stalin killed more people than Hitler, why aren't his actions taboo too? Make sense for once, jeebus.

The world is populated by pussies. The only people who can legitimately take offense to this are the actual prisoners of Auschwitz. Everyone else is being a oversensitive git with nothing to do.

 

[chickenlord]

i am offended aswell... to say anything is "off limits" with videogames is just fucking insulting, there's been a ton of tv/movies about the Holocaust... i demand equal treatment... if games cant depict a historical moment such as the holocaust i say every single world war 2 movie that had a concentration camp in it should be censored and edit the camp out... see if the movie will have an impact on what the Nazis did anymore...