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Pentagon: Fear good, facts bad in machinima mix up [update 1]
In their usual sensationalist form, the Pentagon decided to take a machinima fan film of Battlefield 2 and spin it off as a real danger to our national security during a presentation on May 4 in front of the U.S. House intelligence committee. Coming prepared with video clip and fear mongering in tow, these Internet and terrorism "experts" explained how the video was an advertisement for evil doers around the globe simply because it appeared on some insurgent-related Web sites. More specifically, Eric Michael, an Internet specialist with Science Applications International, said the game mentally conditions users to kill coalition forces. Keep in mind, Michael and his SAI buddies are part of a $7 million project to "monitor insurgent Web sites."The real story first broke with a post over at GamePolitics soon after the presentation and recently the original creator of the video -- who goes by the name of Samir -- spoke to ABC's Nightline about how the video was originally intended to be a spoof of Team America: World Police. Oooops. These are your tax dollars at work folks. Why is the government so ready to blame video games for all the world's ills nowadays? I can't wait for the topic of video games and their relationship, or lack thereof, to violence to finally sour as flavor of the day.[Thanks, Rad][Update 1: You can watch the Nightline video here. Also check out Water Cooler Games for Georgia Tech professor -- and Nightline talking-head -- Ian Bogost's thoughts. Thanks, SickNic and Jarbwock]
