Duke Nukem Forever Multiplayer Exchanges Flags for "Babes"

[sleeky01]

Capture the Babe is exactly what it sounds like. Instead of a flag, players have to pick up a "babe" and bring her back to the home base. The babe will sometimes freak out, and players have to give her a "reassuring slap," which is "more goofy than offensive" according to OXM. Hail to the King wasn't detailed, but is apparently a "King of the Hill" mode.

I don't know about that. I really hope that's a misquoote. It's not the 1950's anymore.

I'm thinking it's a slap on the butt, rather than across the face.

 

[mannaroth]

hehe Duke Nukem is so silly.

You are absolutely right. Duke Nukem is SILLY! Let's look at it this way. The primary reason people won't like it? CHILDREN. And why are people concerned about children playing such games as Duke Nukem is that kids learn by mimicry. Now let's look at it like this:
Parents don't want their kids playing these games. Don't buy it for your kid, or if your kid buys it, take it away or whatever. Don't protest the release of the game in the first place.
Morons (fox) don't want people playing the game at all? Adults (believe it or not) do NOT learn by mimicry. In fact, adults don't learn very easily (Source: I did year 12 psychology), through any form of media.

Simple solution? DON'T LET KIDS PLAY THE GAME. SLAP AN R OR AO OR WHATEVER ON IT. Parents, don't buy the game! Seriously, nearly every "game related crime" the parents either buy the wildly inappropriate game (let's say GTA 4 for a five year old) or just completely turn a blind eye when the kid plays it. Now, this wouldn't be so bad if when the kid starts mimicking behaviour, which can happen in rare circumstances, especially in children below the age of 10, they turn around and blame the developers! Not the kid that plays it to much, not themselves for letting the kid play it, not the store that didn't tell them that GTA 4 has murder and such other activities, but the developers.

I got off on a rant so let me finish with my personal views on the Duke Nukem Franchise...

WOOOOOOOOO! DUUUUUUUKE! CAPTURE THAT BABE! DUKE DUKE DUKE DUKE DUKE!
I've been waiting for DNF for a while, I'm glad it's out. I'm so getting the balls of steel edition.

Dude jesus why are you ranting at me? I can buy the game because I'm old enough to, I bought Duke Nukem Time to Kill when I was like 12 and you know what. I loved it! Best game ever and I was totally ready for it and my parents were cool with it

 

[ShadowKirby]

You can't possibly be serious.

What gave it away? The fact that I wrote "ANSWER ME!"? Good, have a biscuit.
So no, I was not serious. I mean, I don't think it's going too far, but I don't think you're a preachy self righteous type either.

1)That's not "meaning", that's your interpretation of what happened behind the the creation of this mechanic, not a perceived meaning within the narrative or the gameplay.

2)If you don't want to think about stuff, that's your problem buddy. But don't ***** about the fact that I take the higher road and decide to do some critical thinking about the media I consume.
Also, what you call pseudo-intellectual rant and amateur sociology is just some of the basic stuff you learn in media communications and cinema theories classes at university.

1 - Quite correct, and it is, as far as anyone with actual, you know, useful things to do, is concerned, also the only thing worth knowing about the non-issue at hand, and even then it barely registers.
The meaning behind it, I cannot think of. That's probably because there is none.
If I tell a joke, must the joke have a meaning deeper than simply being a joke?
For instance, just yesterday, I was playing Dragon Age Origins.
I was trying to enter the mage tower via boat, and the templar didn't want to let me on.
I had Sten in my party, who happened to have some cookies with him, which he used to bribe the apparently hungry templar.
When asked where he got them, he told me he had taken them from a fat child in a village we had passed, for his own good, "He didn't need any more".
I chuckled.
What is the deeper meaning here? Does this say something about the Qunari, a warrior race who are born into service to their lords, and spend their entire lives in service to these lords, never smiling, never having fun, never doing anything but their duties to their lords until they die?
Is it perhaps an allegory to the fact that no matter how much society tries, we will always try to have some fun, through whatever avenue is available, no matter how opressive a culture we live in?
That, even in a society where individuality is practically forbidden, men will still differ from one another in small ways?
That the human spirit cannot be bound by laws and instructions?
Come to think of it, maybe the Qunari are supposed to be Soviet Russia. GASP!

See what I did there? I applied your motto of critical thinking to something that absolutely did not warrant it.
The stoic man had cookies, and took them from a fat kid.
Ha ha, the stoic man likes cookies.
Ha he, the kid is fat.
There's your goddamn meaning.

2 - I do want to think about stuff. I want to think about important stuff, like my savings account, or who I should vote for, or what to name my child. You know. Important stuff.
But you are, once again I'm afraid, wrong.
You see, you're not supposed to do any critical thinking when playing a Duke Nukem game.
Or watching The Expendables, for that matter, which, I just have to ask, what insights did you glean from that movie that I, not having been awarded the great and prestigious honor of attending a cinema theories class, could not see for myself?
To get back to the point, no.
If you must overthink everything, I will not hold you from it, but you cannot so pompously claim the high road because I refuse to waste my time considering whether or not a man stealing cookies from a fat kid is supposed to mean anything.

1) So to you, a joke about a quanari taking cookies from a fat kid (that's funny), is on the same level of a guy picking up a chick on his shoulder and slapping her ass to calm her down? Come on, they can be both jokes, but they are not the same thing. The first is a little joke sneaked up in the game that has no real impact on the story as an whole (intent=being funny), while the second is an integral part of a play mode.

2)I can think about all that stuff and also about the media I consume. Maybe you don't think it's important but I certainly do. I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on that one. Also, do not tell me what I'm supposed to analyze or not. If I think that there is something wrong with what DNF is doing, I have the damn right to say, whether you believe there is place for analysis or not.

Also, cut the snark.

 

[Robert B. Marks]

I know lots of people are offended here by this, but I've been doing some reading on this, and I think this might just be a send-up of video game sexism and misogyny rather than real sexism and misogyny.

Here's the thing - a send-up works by exaggerating something to the point of stupidity, or somewhere near it. As has been clarified a number of times, the "capture the babe" game involves getting into the opponent's base, grabbing their girl, throwing her over your shoulder, and running off. If she starts to freak out and cover your eyes, you give her a soft slap on the hindquarters to calm her down.

Now, we haven't actually seen what this looks like in the game, but the description IS over-the-top and ridiculous. Think of it this way - if you went to a beach, grabbed a random woman in a bikini, threw her over your shoulder, and tried to calm her down by giving her a soft pat on the rear, would she:

1. Become quiet, submissive, and accepting of her fate; or
2. Claw your eyes out.

If you voted for one...um...well...wow. Just wow. But, reality is on #2, and everybody playing will know that. So, the game is taking a sexism and objectification that is already present in video games, and making it over-the-top and ludicrous. That does indeed look like a send-up to me.

Whether it's a send-up that is actually funny, well, only time will tell.

 

[frans909]

When the protesters start inevitably flipping out, I look forward to shouting "you're doing it wrong!"

Protesters... Another thing that Postal 2 already dealt with. Games are bad, they make you mad!

 

[Blind Sight]

I'm going to rent this and show it to my feminist roommate. Her reaction will probably be more fun then the game.

Apparently some folks on the Escapist don't understand what satire is, but to each their own.

 

[justnotcricket]

What bothers me in particular is the 'Carte Blanche' factor.

Whenever people object to the gross chauvinism inherent to Duke Nukem's identity, they're met with 'Oh, you just don't understand Duke and the Duke universe. It's not offensive, it's funny'. This is exactly the problem. Sometimes, it just stops being funny. Sometimes, it just stops being satire and starts being openly awful. How much can a game/movie/series whatever get away with based solely on the 'Oh, it's just a laugh' factor?

I'm not trying to suggest there's some sort of anti-feminist, pro chauvinist conspiracy going on here. I just think that stuff like Duke Nukem shouldn't be allowed to get away with progressively more insulting themes just because it appeals to a fourteen-year old mentality that will shortly start wondering why it has such trouble attracting girls.

Stereotypes are used so often in comedy because they're funny. I'm sure there aren't any ridiculous pro-chauvanist, anti-feminism freaks at Gearbox, but Duke's a funny character because of how ridiculously, unrealistically chauvanist HE is.
It's ludicrous, it's surreal, it's everything good comedy is built on. A badass chauvanist chomping on a cigar kicking alien Pigcops in the face with his boot. Come the fuck on... Be serious, you're extracting issues about morality and taste from this? I hope to God you've never seen a Troma movie... You'd have a field day with them.

Is it considered an inadequate post if I just say 'QED'? =S

There's no need to start swearing at me, I haven't called for Duke to be banned or for all action game heroes to become SNAGs, my point was merely to wonder, once you start writing things off as 'Oh' it's just for a laugh', how far someone or something can get away with venturing into the realms of poor taste before they get called on it.

I don't like the idea of Duke giving babes a 'reassuring slap'. I don't care if its 'just on the ass' (excuse me?!?). It's offensive. Someone further up in this thread tried to make the point that it was just like any action hero giving any hysterical character a sobering slap, but it's not. If you're OK with using a slap as a means of 'reassuring' communication with women, then I pity the females in your life.

 

[Cheesus333]

There's the basic, playful misogyny seen before which - whilst still childish - is at least inoffensive. But come on, seriously? Kidnapping women as a gameplay objective? And pimp slapping? Please. I know they're appealing to a demographic and everything, but this seems a little ridiculous.

 

[Triforceformer]

I get it's all a big joke, but even I think "reassuring slap" is going too far

It's just a little spank. It's not like he's actually punching her. Overall, I'm really liking what I'm reading here.

 

[Fuselage]

Here is my opinion on this matter.

 

[Declan Skews]

For the love of all that is gaming, I really hope this gets past the Australian classification board. Please, Australian OFLC, let us have this one?

Hate to say this, but unless you guys get that 18+ rating thing going on, you have no hope. Unless that is, Gearbox (whom I have every confidence in) have completely censored everything Duke so you just basically get "Nukem Forever".

 

[Declan Skews]

@cocoro67 that was funny and well said

 

[Triforceformer]

For the love of all that is gaming, I really hope this gets past the Australian classification board. Please, Australian OFLC, let us have this one?

Hate to say this, but unless you guys get that 18+ rating thing going on, you have no hope. Unless that is, Gearbox (whom I have every confidence in) have completely censored everything Duke so you just basically get "Nukem Forever".

http://www.classification.gov.au/www/cob/find.nsf/5c2433d416948a0bca25759f00820d25/5aed2ea32b6af758ca2578300057efbb?OpenDocument

No edits, no cuts, all Duke.

 

[Kroxile]

Maybe its just me, but I think all those people who are insulted by this and think its sending a message to people or those who think that this is for "immature man-children" don't seem to realize that most people can seperate reality from fiction.

I have a deep respect for women and anyone else who can earn it, but that doesn't stop me from laughing my ass off at misogynist jokes or enjoying some genuine fun in a video game that is chauvinistic to a fault.

Not naming names (you know who you are) but you need to get your heads out of your asses and realize that most people who would play this and enjoy it don't take it seriously enough to equate it to real life. Its like saying video games cause violent crime.

tl;dr - If you're one of those who is so easily offended then maybe games like Mario Galaxy are better suited to you.

 

[TheXRatedDodo]

What bothers me in particular is the 'Carte Blanche' factor.

Whenever people object to the gross chauvinism inherent to Duke Nukem's identity, they're met with 'Oh, you just don't understand Duke and the Duke universe. It's not offensive, it's funny'. This is exactly the problem. Sometimes, it just stops being funny. Sometimes, it just stops being satire and starts being openly awful. How much can a game/movie/series whatever get away with based solely on the 'Oh, it's just a laugh' factor?

I'm not trying to suggest there's some sort of anti-feminist, pro chauvinist conspiracy going on here. I just think that stuff like Duke Nukem shouldn't be allowed to get away with progressively more insulting themes just because it appeals to a fourteen-year old mentality that will shortly start wondering why it has such trouble attracting girls.

Stereotypes are used so often in comedy because they're funny. I'm sure there aren't any ridiculous pro-chauvanist, anti-feminism freaks at Gearbox, but Duke's a funny character because of how ridiculously, unrealistically chauvanist HE is.
It's ludicrous, it's surreal, it's everything good comedy is built on. A badass chauvanist chomping on a cigar kicking alien Pigcops in the face with his boot. Come the fuck on... Be serious, you're extracting issues about morality and taste from this? I hope to God you've never seen a Troma movie... You'd have a field day with them.

Is it considered an inadequate post if I just say 'QED'? =S

There's no need to start swearing at me, I haven't called for Duke to be banned or for all action game heroes to become SNAGs, my point was merely to wonder, once you start writing things off as 'Oh' it's just for a laugh', how far someone or something can get away with venturing into the realms of poor taste before they get called on it.

I don't like the idea of Duke giving babes a 'reassuring slap'. I don't care if its 'just on the ass' (excuse me?!?). It's offensive. Someone further up in this thread tried to make the point that it was just like any action hero giving any hysterical character a sobering slap, but it's not. If you're OK with using a slap as a means of 'reassuring' communication with women, then I pity the females in your life.

I treat the people in my life with as much love and respect as I can possibly muster, always feedin' them when I haven't got enough money to feed myself, sharing my stuff with them, givin' 'em hugs when they're down and a place to stay if they need it.
Duke Nukem does not realistically reflect on human existence. He is a charicature, the ideal of machismo pushed to the absolute limit and played for big, dumb laughs.
Can't say I'd go around giving any females in my life a reassuring slap on the ass, can't say I'm gonna be pissed off about it in a Duke Nukem game either..

And as for the poor taste thing, morality is relative. There is no ultimate objective moral compass out there except for a few basic things that we should all adhere to such as don't rape, don't murder, don't steal other people's shit, don't be an asshole.
In Comedy, or any other art form, nothing is off limits, and rightfully so. And to me, this game is going to be far more artistically relevant than the pile of pseudo-intellectual dross the games industry has built itself into over the past decade.
Here is a game that says "I am a video game, I am made for you to enjoy rather than for you to explore your deepest existential thoughts and fears with, GO WILD, HAVE FUN!"
Personally, I think it's about damn time.

That, and it's an 18 rated game, it's for adults who presumably know the difference between fantasy and reality.

But seriously, you should go watch some Troma movies. I'd love to see what you'd have to say about a film like Redneck Zombies or The Toxic Avenger 4..

 

[YouBecame]

I'd love to say this sounds funny... but really I can't help but think this is the kind of thing that's keeping us looking adolescent as a medium. I love games that are fun for fun's sake, but this feels like it's just missing the point and being, well, dickish.

 

[Giest4life]

So...you kidnap women and slap them if they get annoying?

*headdesk*

I don't know why, but that image made me giggle.