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A Cartridge Too Far?
A Look at (In)Decency in War-Themed Video Games
by theturk
America loses veterans of foreign wars every day. Often these men and women are self-sacrificing, hard-working, eminently likable people who, after serving their time wish only to live out the rest of their lives in peace. Unfortunately for them, the reminders of war are often ubiquitous, especially for those armed services personnel who have seen combat and have been adversely affected by it. The popping of a balloon, a car’s muffler backfiring, or ironically, fireworks at a Fourth of July parade, can often send these brave men and women into fits of paranoia and fear. So isn’t it the apex of unintentional cruelty when a veteran watches his grandson play a violent war-themed game? Are these games making light of the horrors of combat, while somehow lacking the appropriate tone with regards to those people who have gone through it?
This phenomena is not relegated only to interactive forms of modern entertainment. While viewing the Stephen Spielberg epic Saving Private Ryan, this blogger’s late grandfather, a veteran of World War II had to leave the theatre he had been attending. Indeed, war movies are often more graphic and intense than war-themed video games. The gap between movies and video games however, is fast closing. What happens when video games have the technological capabilities of fully immersing the gamer in synthetically produced combat? Something else to keep in mind is this: war films typically carry with them anti-war themes; the main object in video games, however, is to kill more of the enemy.
Aside from the actual gameplay, cut scenes often portray intense and perhaps for some, inappropriate reminders of real live combat. I recall playing a video game based in Vietnam, where the cinematics between levels showed men playing Russian Roulette, being tortured, and ultimately returning back to civilian life broken and beaten. To be sure, movies have illustrated these very same events; however, when watching a movie, one cannot simply press start to skip it.
Still, isn’t playing war hard-wired in the human code? Whether we are young children playing soldier, basking in combat glory on a paintball field, using war metaphors in our sports, games, relationships, or life in general, isn’t war so commonplace in our lives that to indict video games for being in poor taste is to indict much of American, if not global culture?
Comments
That last sentence is your unintended disclaimer to the topic. Or atleast, the epiphany. To philosophize about the validity of war games to our youth's moral perceptions (as philosophize is all we can do), the subject really can only be taboo to those who HAVE been in war. But like anything in this world, there is your yin and your yang. Notice that not every single veteran from the 20th century opposes war themed games. This is because not all of them find them to be in poor taste, or likewise care to simply make that connection from a video game to such a real-life, indelibly grinding human experience. I'm not downgrading the validity of war trauma, but I'm simply saying that it shouldn't be a matter here - unless you're just philosophizing. Get it? It simply just shouldn't be.
To attack the "(In)Decency)" of war games I think is stepping on other grounds...an obviously more political one than ethical. One that can be paralleled with the "civil war" (sorry, just had to unwittingly reiterate on your "war metaphors" comment) of Take Two Interactive, and Bully being bad for our youth. Bully attacks a more at-home subject, which I personally believe is and would be a more important issue. Not war games. It's not like war games were meant to be an allegory of a subject (as you said war MOVIES sometimes have anti-war messages). To be safe, this article really is just a philosophical article. And I applaud that. By the way...has there ever really BEEN any complaints from older folk and war games? I've just never heard of any...
Ever seen Video Games Live? The Medal Of Honor presentation got a standing ovation - from the vets in the audience as well. (and yes, they showed scenes from the game).
Perhaps veterans appreciate the brutal reality of these games for the fact that they bring non-veterans closer to understanding the experience of battle. It would be a stretch to say that all players of war games ponder the complexities of taking a life while playing. On that same token, perhaps individuals who decide to play war games based in real history, are doing so not simply to mindlessly engage in slaughter, but to subconsciously evaluate their virtual experience from Normandy to Berlin, even if that ponderance occurs at a later time.
Further, younger person like ourselves sometimes forget the wisdom of our elders. I do so myself sometimes. It may be gratifying for a veteran from war to see that so many years later, his or her achievements are being remembered, their stories transposed for a younger generation. In ones final years, I feel that knowing that your personal plight will be remembered is likely euphoric. Knowing that you had been a part of a galvenized element of history adds a greater depth to your life. This may be starting to sound a little rubber stamped, but I think that it is a solid human 'truth.'
Cheers to a good article,
Pendi
Veterans should be honored and treated with the upmost respect fo all their sacrifices. Its sad that these veterans have such terrible memories of war. Although I think poeple make these movies and games so realistic to show people the sacrifices that our veterans made. Would Saving Private Ryan had anywhere near an efect it had without the blood and gore? would Chindler's lsit have made people realize how horrible the holocaust is if there was no killing shown in it? These games and movies are gory to make people understand. And if we can understand what attrocities have occured in the past, maybe we will be more educated to not do this again. If people see how horrible war is, then maybe we will no longer have to fight them again. tehy even Honor veterans by showing their sacrifices. Soem games may not use gore in this way. Unfortuneatly, some games like grand theft auto use Violence for entertainment. wihile it may be fun to play, it is not the type of game for a veteran to play or someone too young to understand it. Its only human for us to love violence and Gore. It was said in the book Blood Meridien " it makes no difference what men think of war. War will endure. War awaited man. the ultimate trade awaiting the ultimate Practicioner." Humans are naturally violent. these games may be Indecent, but i think there's a good reason for it. When used properly, it can change People. and make us better. We must honor our veterans. We must make sure that what they fought and died for will never be fogotten. Freedom and Liberty must endure. Peace, must endure.
sorry about any typos in my last entry.