Has "Call of Duty" become the new "Hitler"?

[Atrocious Joystick]

I think you are the new Hitler. Stay out of Poland you insane douche!

I might be persuaded to concede that Call of Duty is the new Stalin though. But that is only if you agree to enter into a non-agression pact with me. (Brownie points if you don't break it)

 

[Something Amyss]

No. The negative things people think about the games aside, comparing anything or saying it's the "new" Hitler is just wrong...

Indeed. Call of Duty is wor....

*slaps self* No. Bad Amaranth!

Comparing the use of CoD to the use of Hitler is to basically do disservice on two fronts. The first is the severity of the actions of a single monster in relatively recent history as compared to "game I don't like." The second is the reason "Hitler" is so inappropriate in the first place: that being that it simultaneously relies on the severity of his actions and trivialises them by comparing them to...Well, just about anything.

Yeah. This actually fails for the reason most Hitler comparisons fail.

 

[Something Amyss]

Really, if we are to play the blame game, I would say it rests on the heads of the developers that try to copy COD, over Activision or gamers.

I wouldn't blame Activision, but gamers have rewarded the COD-ification of the gaming industry for years. Surely, if we positively enforce something by throwing wads of cash at it as a reward, we should shoulder a little blame.

 

[Amir Kondori]

So did you work your title like that to get more views? Because what you write in your post is it "the new Godwin's law", or rather, is the Godwin's Law of video game debate.

In any case when it comes to forums I would say the bar is set pretty low when it comes to discussion and debate so it really does not matter. Everyone is using all of those tactics you are not supposed to use, straw man, logical fallacies, ad hominem attacks, etc.

 

[ninjarafter]

Fuck me with a stick, but I don't know why you're getting so many annoyed responses, OP. I instantly understood what you meant and I agree with you completely. In fact, I've been thinking the same thing for a while.


My theory on why people use this line is this: They are so completely incapable of dealing with an opinion that differs too greatly from their own, that in their mind they immediately think that the person against them is dumber than dirt. "Why would he believe this, if he wasn't completely retarded. He must be."

And so, you get "Go back to playing CoD, this game is clearly not for you", or "You must like CoD" or some variation thereof. As people have already correctly pointed out, this is the same as bringing up Twilight, or Justin Bieber or Transformers.


Personally, I find it helpful since if those statements are followed by a long-ass post I know to prepare myself for some annoying elitism, or to roll my eyes and skip reading them altogether.

 

[kingthrall]

COD is what exactly it is, A cod. It sucks up all the garbage player in the bottom of the ocean and weaves through all the sediment for the money. dont know about this hitler garbage but I will admit the enormous amounts of stereotypes such as Islamist extremists and communist revolutionists are quite generalist and slightly racist in itself. The day I see an American being blown up for having the wrong sorts of views for a flawed view on democracy is the day ill pre-order a game of cod.

edit: on topic, I dont really get bothered by Cods. I eat them for breakfast when I play proper games that involve diplomacy, tactics and management. Oh I am sure cod players can count how many bullets he can pump out and micro that mouse before a reload so they can start counting somewhere.

Put it like this, you start not making games for jerks that like this game, then where do they go? They end up in my games rageing about how hard it is and why they can not play with these mechanics. Its Safer to do nothing..


I may put up a post next week on a topic similar to this, but much broader.