WWII and Educational Games

[RobfromtheGulag]

I was speaking with a co-worker today and he noted that he and his family were museum lovers, and we got to talking about the Holocaust Museum, and I cut loose with my theory that WWII is really pervasive in pop culture nowadays. He thought it might be a resurgence, which I guess could also be the case, maybe it had a lull in the 60's and 70's.

But if we look at movies, games, and media now, you see a lot of WWII stuff, especially in games. I put forth the idea that someone could make an educational WWII game to offset the masses of fictional settings and misinformation we spread about. He thought no such thing could possibly happen.

So what are your thoughts? Could a game about a historical period be released, be successful (ie Fun / Enjoyable to play), and be educational, as in have accurate portrayals of setting, people, language, political setting, so that a player comes out of the experience with accurate historical knowledge? I'd like to think so.

 

[DJDarque]

I think it could happen and could very well work, but I doubt it would happen. The age where people play "educational games" is at a younger age so they probably wouldn't be interested. And vice versa, someone who is interested in WWII probably wouldn't be interested in a game as a medium to learn about it. Generalizing of course.

 

[Squilookle]

This is pretty much the dream game I'd want to make. Covering the entire war, from all sides. It'd be big, but by god would it be thorough. The only WW2 game you'd ever need.

 

[smearyllama]

Just saying, but the original few Call of Duties were actually based on real people.
3 actually did have some generic, but alright, drama in it that made it stand out for me.

Still, an educational WWII game would be pretty cool. Similar to that one game that they mentioned in extra credits last week? (Not Six Days, but the one about the Holocaust)
Teaching people about all the sides might do a little to get rid of the "OMG DID YOU SEE US KILL THOSE JAPANESE????" that you get from a lot of kids playing CoD now.

 

[Nunny]

I dont realy know if it can be done, the moment you add a player they are just going to screw everything up. Best you could do is a realistic simulation of soughts.

 

[MetaMop]

I found Assassin's Creed 2 to be quite educational. I know there's plenty of twisted facts and weird crap in there, but it still taught me alot about Renaissance Italy society and history, since many of the characters in AC2 were real people.

I'd really like a historically accurate WW2 game, hopefully one that doesn't just follow the usual "US and UK forces fighting through Europe" stuff. One thing I liked about COD2 is that it's the only WW2 game I can think of that remembered the Russians and the terrible war they fought. Creating a realistic, accurate and maybe survival-based WW2 game set on the Russian frontlines would be great, in my opinion.

 

[Wintermoot]

maybe if they would include a Nazi/Japanese campaign most of the WWII games only let you play Russians or Americans and always protray them as heroes who did nothing wrong

 

[MetaMop]

maybe if they would include a Nazi/Japanese campaign most of the WWII games only let you play Russians or Americans and always protray them as heroes who did nothing wrong

Playing as Nazis,eh? Can't imagine that going over well.

MEDAL OF HONOR: GET THE SCHEIZER OUTTA FRANCE!
Includes: Jew-scouting side missions and retreating across Europe! Marvel as you immerse yourself in historically accurate crimes against humanity, knowing that the same countries that you invaded and slaughtered will continue to habitate collectives of white supremacists decades later!

 

[Bobic]

maybe if they would include a Nazi/Japanese campaign most of the WWII games only let you play Russians or Americans and always protray them as heroes who did nothing wrong

Playing as Nazis,eh? Can't imagine that going over well.

MEDAL OF HONOR: GET THE SCHEIZER OUTTA FRANCE!
Includes: Jew-scouting side missions and retreating across Europe! Marvel as you immerse yourself in historically accurate crimes against humanity, knowing that the same countries that you invaded and slaughtered will continue to habitate collectives of white supremacists decades later!

It'd be good to see the german soldiers portrayed as something other than nameless clones to be shot at. Real people with real emotions and all that. Plus you could use this as the final cutscene.

 

[MetaMop]

Mitchell and Webb clip earns you 10,000 awesome-points!

 

[Wintermoot]

maybe if they would include a Nazi/Japanese campaign most of the WWII games only let you play Russians or Americans and always protray them as heroes who did nothing wrong

Playing as Nazis,eh? Can't imagine that going over well.

MEDAL OF HONOR: GET THE SCHEIZER OUTTA FRANCE!
Includes: Jew-scouting side missions and retreating across Europe! Marvel as you immerse yourself in historically accurate crimes against humanity, knowing that the same countries that you invaded and slaughtered will continue to habitate collectives of white supremacists decades later!

look I dont condone the acts the Nazis (NOT germans) commited in the second world war but if you want to make something historicaly acurateyou got to include them in the game