Update: Konami Backs Out of Fallujah

[KDR_11k]

Okay, I'm pretty damn sure at least five different people are now working on a Fallujah game that really does what the news accused this one of. Oh and I'm sure there's a 9/11 plane bowling game somewhere, too.

Me, I'm strongly opposed to all this "too soon" bullshit. Why is it fine to make a game like that about WW2 or Vietnam but somehow this scenario is off-limits? Glorifying war is glorifying war, it doesn't matter when that particular war happened.

 

[rohit9891]

Well since it's not coming out, I'd rather see a new title on the Full Spectrum Warrior series.

 

[SharedProphet]

I suppose that if Atomic games still develops it, they can publish it via Steam or other digital distribution services, without a proper publisher.

Assuming they have the cash for development. Which is a huge assumption, and not likely.

Also to add to my earlier comments: here I was (when the game was first announced) thinking that Konami were stepping up to push the medium forward. They couldn't have possibly failed to realize that at least a vocal minority would object? I suppose they did just that.

Again, I hope another publisher picks this one up.

To the people skeptical about whether they can do the subject justice: to me, that's completely beside the point. If it sucks, and doesn't adequately portray the subject matter, then let it be made and then have some intellectual discourse on that; I could even see it as a discussion topic in some college course. Maybe right now the tools aren't there in game design to do it right. Or maybe they're not the right people to do it, or maybe it would be good, or.... It would be nice to be able to say for certain that the medium and the people working on it are capable of doing something like this and making it meaningful. But how is that day ever going to come if no one tries? In my opinion, whether or not it's any good, this game should be made.

 

[Fruitloops89]

Sad, I was actually looking forward to this title too.

 

[Therumancer]

I'm honestly disappointed that Konami doesn't have the stones to stand up and tell those who are convinced that "video games aren't supposed to be realistic" to shove their ideas in a deep dark place.

Even if people try to boycott the game, it would still sell like crazy. I know for damn sure I'd buy it.

Well I think the game industry needs stones in general. They back down on the sex, violence, and disturbing imagery, and now of course they are backing off of politics and real world events (the realism isn't really the factor) that aren't ultra liberal because of the whining.

THIS is why really good games for adult/(Im)mature gamers are becoming fewer and further between.

The only question should be is if they CAN develop it, and if they believe there would be enough sales to turn a profit. In this case I believe the answer was clearly "yes" but they lack backbone.

A lot of the best games of yesteryear would never have been developed under today's mentality, and that is really sad, since it means that adult computer entertainment has been taking a lot of steps back, at a time where it is more crucial than ever for adult gamers to defend their prescence in the marketplace and increasingly demonstrate that gaming is not just for kids.

 

[johnman]

There was a similar furor with Stalker as it was deemed "insensative" to those who lives are affected by the Chernobyl incident. But they backed down after they realised it would raise awareness of said incident. I belive this game will have the same affect. I had heard of Fallujah but had no idea of what had happened there. It will be the same case for many people.
This game will raise awareness of what happened and help pay tribute to those who lost their lives.
Also if you dont like it dont play it.

 

[Rooster Cogburn]

My problem is not that people don't want this to be made. It's that they don't want this to be made, but are perfectly OK when far, far worse is done in other mediums.

 

[kawligia]

That is powerfully lame.

This kind of game could have shown people what it's like to be faced with split second decisions. When a non-combatant gets hurt or killed, people only seem to look at the situation in hindsight. They are able to take all the time in the world to calmly analyze the situation and then ***** and moan about the effects or what they should have done.

They fail to realize what it's like to have to make those decisions AT THE TIME when their lives are on the line. It's not so damn simple and easy when you have only miliseconds to gather information, consider alternatives and consequences, make a decision, and then act on it.

Do you really think a video game could reenact a situation like this, even one bit? I highly doubt it. You fuck up, you just restart, knowing whats gonna happen for the next try.

I didn't say it could have been a perfect life simulator. But the first time you play through each part, you WILL get an IDEA of what it's like to have to make a split second decision that WOULD have serious consequences for a person making it IRL.

The fact that you can revise your choices in HINDSIGHT by reloading, only adds to my point that it's hard to "gather information, consider alternatives and consequences, make a decision, and then act on it" in the blink of an eye.

No it's not a perfect life simulator, but it will give you an idea and (hopefully) make you think about it.

 

[Gladion]

I didn't say it could have been a perfect life simulator. But the first time you play through each part, you WILL get an IDEA of what it's like to have to make a split second decision that WOULD have serious consequences for a person making it IRL.

The fact that you can revise your choices in HINDSIGHT by reloading, only adds to my point that it's hard to "gather information, consider alternatives and consequences, make a decision, and then act on it" in the blink of an eye.

No it's not a perfect life simulator, but it will give you an idea and (hopefully) make you think about it.

Now please tell me - couldn't this be made in a fictional setting? Sure it would be harder, but far away from impossible.

Edit: I don't know whether this would really work in a game anyway. Imagine you walk accidently a few metres too far and drop dead immediately, being taken out by someone who was hiding on some spot you couldn't see. You'd just go "wtf, what did I do wrong?", I don't think it would really deliver the emotions you think - but that's just hypothetical, we won't find out unless someones gonna publish the game.

 

[Kiefer13]

A severe lack of spine on Konami's part. I'm disappointed.

 

[jebussaves88]

If there's one thing that could finally cement gaming as a respected media, it would be a documentary-type game, or a simulation such as this.With this cancelled, it looks like it'll be a bit longer until a truely educational, informative or thought provoking game is released. Then again, it may have turned out shit anyway.

 

[cainx10a]

Okay, I'm pretty damn sure at least five different people are now working on a Fallujah game that really does what the news accused this one of. Oh and I'm sure there's a 9/11 plane bowling game somewhere, too.

Me, I'm strongly opposed to all this "too soon" bullshit. Why is it fine to make a game like that about WW2 or Vietnam but somehow this scenario is off-limits? Glorifying war is glorifying war, it doesn't matter when that particular war happened.

I mean, I LOVE insurgency. When it was released, I had "tears in my eyes" playing the game with my clanmates, even spewing out racist shenanigans like "get your rat ass in the air raghead and pray to alalalallalalah, nade incoming" or [insert random racist jokes aimed toward american soldiers here]. I am by no mean racist as I spend more time defending middle-eastern and colored people (because apparently I am quite brownie chocolate brown).

But fact remains, that Konami aimed for a documentary and instead received, an action game that wasn't even realistic, see Shacknews article "6 days in Fallujah and One Small Problem.".

Documentary that glorifies War or a one-sided perspective is Propaganda. But I still believe a decent interactive documentary can be done, like this here [http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull&cid=1159193495996].

Note: I don't have any interest in that game, so i never really bothered to find out if it was released, as the news is pretty old. Then again, am not too big on adventure games.

 

[Lord_Ascendant]

this is disappointing, it sounded like a controversial but may become a good game. Make people understand just what it was like to be in real combat.

 

[_Nocturnal]

BRING ON THE FALLUJAH PEGGLE LEVELS!

Seriously, people should make all kinds of games on all kinds of topics.
Games are a young medium and shouldn't fear trying what works and what doesn't work.
I'd go as far as to say that if they do not try and expand beyond the known boundaries, they doom themselves to stagnancy and afterwards - fall to obscurity.

So, yeah, Konami made a mistake.
But I'm optimistic that it'll teach others to be braver, when Atomic Games hit the jackpot.

 

[ElArabDeMagnifico]

SPINELESS COWARDS! You're publishing the fucking SAW video game, that's destined to suck way more than the iraq game EVER could.

Also:

Plenty of gamers and games journalists have pointed out that it wouldn't be considered so controversial to have a book or movie about the conflict in Fallujah, so why is a game coming under such heavy fire?

Those were controversial, and also box office bombs and just cheap cash-ins to take advantage of how people felt at the time, so even if "controversy" wasn't the issue, it's clear that the timing was off.

I still think this game's existance won't do any harm, but it's pretty pathetic for konami to back out of this.

 

[Mrsoupcup]

Well that doesn't surprise me. Still it did look interesting.

 

[Jharry5]

It's a shame they were forced to back down on what was a unique and interesting concept for a game. I can't see why this is any different to the mountains of games based on the Second World War - even though that war happened 60 years ago, there are still veterans alive and families who lost relatives in it (hell, a relative of mine was KIA, but I still play COD).
Maybe it was the realism factor (that it was based on actual accounts, rather than a fictionalised propagandised view of the on-going war - something that'd make the US military look bad) that made it so controversial?