How would you feel about a game with ISIS as the enemy?

[Bob_McMillan]

Remember when ISIS made that propaganda video using GTA V? The video has been taken down, but here's the link to the Escapist article: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/137573-Islamic-State-Steals-Rockstars-GTA-V-for-Recruitment-Video

I think people were so offended by it because of two reasons: it was giving ammunition to the anti-gaming crowd and they used a video game as propaganda for horrible and sickening acts. So how would you feel if America, or NATO, or hell whatever country or organization out there who has a bone to pick with ISIS made a propaganda game where you blow up ISIS enemies with the several payloads of explosive democracy? I remember the Army used to use CoD in recruitment centers. Man, people were pissed with that. Yet, this time it's pretty black and white: ISIS has proved themselves time and time again they are the most abhorrent people on earth. What would be so wrong with a game like this then?

I personally think that I wouldn't mind playing a game where the main objective is to kill ISIS soldiers, but I also think that the propaganda part will take over and turn this into a World vs Middle East thing.

 

[BathorysGraveland2]

It could be quite interesting if you took on the role of a Kurdish YPG/YPJ soldier in the brutal Battle for Kobanî. Or a Peshmerga soldier pushing the IS out of Iraq. I think the former scenario could lead well for a video game with a very bleak, apocalyptic atmosphere given how gritty that battle was, and how decisive its victory has so far been.

Playing as a US, or other western soldier, would be lame though. It's a far away war being led on the ground by local boots. Unless the game would be an aircraft-focused game, then the protagonist really should be either Kurdish, Iraqi or possibly of the Free Syrian Army.

EDIT: But since we know the game industry really does not have the balls to take any risks these days, if we do see a game set in the Islamic State War (does it have an official term yet?) it'll be with a US Marine/Ranger or British SAS.

EDIT EDIT: Actually, why not have it set in Nigeria against Boko Haram? It's a similar situation, but jungle warfare is so much cooler than desert/urban warfare. We would even have a charismatic and slightly eccentric antagonist there with ‎Abubakar Shekau.

 

[Barbas]

I'd be interested. I'd also be interested in playing as a Hiwi on the Eastern Front, or a Nationalist soldier in China in the Second World War. I'd like to see more stories that I haven't seen before and I'm not familiar with.

EDIT: I'd also like to see more of the following: Gurkhas, Yugoslavian and Polish resistance fighters, Belgian paratroopers, Royal Navy deckhands on the Antarctic run, pilots over Britain, Fallschirmjäger in Crete and much, much more. There is so much more left to tell and all the time in the world with which to tell it.

 

[Seishisha]

I think considering recent times and events it would be in bad taste at best and insensitive at worst. Beyond that i don't realy have much of an opinion.

Capcha: enter the following "half done"

Just like my post it feels half done.

 

[Danny Dowling]

same as we always say; if it fits then fine, do it, if you're using them because you want to be edgy or something then no.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Ironically I think ISIS would consider something like that a win for their "brand".

 

[AlouetteSK]

Would be an interesting concept, if you were to move away from a 'murican as the protagonist. If they put in the research, it'd be interesting to see how the game plays from the perspective, of say, a native Middle Eastern. Not only do you have a group that's ****-ing up your religion through extremism, you have to deal with 'muricans trying to come in and save the day via bombing runs. Unfortunately, this would take a lot of research to do it right, and I really have no faith in any current game companies to pull this off properly. Regardless, it would be a hot-button landmine to try and dance around, as it is still a current-day situation.

 

[chuckman1]

It could be quite interesting if you took on the role of a Kurdish YPG/YPJ soldier in the brutal Battle for Kobanî. Or a Peshmerga soldier pushing the IS out of Iraq. I think the former scenario could lead well for a video game with a very bleak, apocalyptic atmosphere given how gritty that battle was, and how decisive its victory has so far been.

Playing as a US, or other western soldier, would be lame though. It's a far away war being led on the ground by local boots. Unless the game would be an aircraft-focused game, then the protagonist really should be either Kurdish, Iraqi or possibly of the Free Syrian Army.

EDIT: But since we know the game industry really does not have the balls to take any risks these days, if we do see a game set in the Islamic State War (does it have an official term yet?) it'll be with a US Marine/Ranger or British SAS.

EDIT EDIT: Actually, why not have it set in Nigeria against Boko Haram? It's a similar situation, but jungle warfare is so much cooler than desert/urban warfare. We would even have a charismatic and slightly eccentric antagonist there with ‎Abubakar Shekau.

My feelings exactly. I want to play as a Kurd or Nigerian instead of the same old American/Brit.
But yeah I say killing ISIS seems like a fun game.

I agree with what someone else said, I want more fronts in war covered. I want a WW2 game with more than 6 characters all from different countries, including axis. It would set of so many nerves but be so worth it.

But yeah modern warfare that isn't just YEAH KILL THE TERRORIST AND THEY ALL WORK FOR THE RUSKIS would be pretty interesting.

Hell playing as a Kurdish fighter could almost have survival elements due to the need to conserve ammo.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

I'm tired of games set in the Middle East war zones almost as much as I'm tired of the fact that the Middle East is like that. ISIS is just another symptom of a far bigger disease. Bombing the shit out of them won't cure the disease. And making a video game about it somehow seems sick. ISIS takes every bit of exposure as victory. Even if you present them as enemies you'd be validating a bunch of primitive morons who kill hundreds of innocent people on a daily basis. No thanks. I'm not saying that I'm against making such a game. I'm not, but I'm also not for it. I'd ignore it if it existed.

 

[sageoftruth]

Not really something I'd be into. Sure, they're basically the Nazis of the modern world, but it feels like war has changed a lot since World War 2, to the point where it wouldn't make that great a game. As some others have said, it would be better if you played as a Kurd, or a member of some group that's not a military superpower like the US. These things seem more exciting if you feel like you're playing the underdog.

 

[Rayce Archer]

Jumping on the local fighter bandwagon. I'm tired of invading the Middle East, I want to defend it for a change.

 

[DEAD34345]

I was ninja'd pretty much totally by the first post, my first thought was that I'd love a game where I played as a Kurd, just for the different perspective.

Yet, this time it's pretty black and white: ISIS has proved themselves time and time again they are the most abhorrent people on earth. What would be so wrong with a game like this then?

You can't see what could be construed as "wrong" about declaring a group of people "the most abhorrent people on Earth" and then sitting around having fun by simulating their horrific and repeated deaths?

Nothing is black and white.

Don't misunderstand me, I don't personally think there's anything wrong with these games as they don't actually cause any real harm to anyone, but I can easily understand how some people can be horrified by them. It's also kind of sad that we as a species have the ability to create virtual worlds and scenarios to any specifications we can possibly imagine, and 90% of the time we use it to pretend to murder people we don't like.

 

[residentout1]

I can't see me playing a game with ISIS I mean there like 8 people in it and only three of them could put up a fight Archer, Lana and Pam but then again I could be fun to play a ISIS....unless you mean the terrorist assholds in the Middle East I can't see it being any different from fight other terrorist.

 

[Robert Marrs]

Its probably going to happen but not now. I would seriously want to play a game as a middle eastern fighting against ISIS in his homeland. I don't think anyone wants to touch it in the video game world while its currently happening though.

 

[Ihateregistering1]

Yet, this time it's pretty black and white: ISIS has proved themselves time and time again they are the most abhorrent people on earth. What would be so wrong with a game like this then?

You can't see what could be construed as "wrong" about declaring a group of people "the most abhorrent people on Earth" and then sitting around having fun by simulating their horrific and repeated deaths?

Nothing is black and white.

Why not? Gamers practically have orgasms killing Nazis in video games, so why would it be any different fighting a group of people who behead innocents, conduct mass executions, use women as sex slaves, forcibly recruit children, and murder people who aren't the correct religion?

No one complains when you kill Nazis that "Nothing is black and white.".

 

[The Artificially Prolonged]

The same as when the Medal of Honour reboot was going to include the Taliban or that cancelled Fallujah game. If someone wants to do it, go ahead and do it. However be prepared for what attetion that decision will draw and whether you feel going down that path is the right one. Do not say your going to do it and then back down when people start complaining, because if you do thaat you just make it that bit harder for the next developer that wants to tackle a sensitive subject in their game.

 

[Lightknight]

I guess I'd have trouble distinguishing it from all those other games that took place in the middle east against Arabic enemies.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

Not really something I'd be into. Sure, they're basically the Nazis of the modern world, but it feels like war has changed a lot since World War 2, to the point where it wouldn't make that great a game. As some others have said, it would be better if you played as a Kurd, or a member of some group that's not a military superpower like the US. These things seem more exciting if you feel like you're playing the underdog.

I don't think it would be better at all. A book or a movie with an intention of showing you the horrors of what these people are going through is fine. But video games, even when they are educational, are still just entertainment based on a certain challenge that you need to complete. It's kind of sick to be entertained by something that is based on the fact that people are probably dying or losing their loved ones as I sit and play a fuckin' video game about it.

 

[PlayerDos]

What I want is to play as a teen or young adult growing up in terror regions, subjected to all that propaganda and shit thinking that it's a way to be a true hero to his god and people, then find out how fucking sickening the reality really is, and doing his best to protect himself, those he cares about, and the villages subjected to it while holding firm to his faith.

Doesn't have to be a badass action guns blazing game, but I think it might be nice as a change of pace.