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New Modern Warfare: Airport Murder Simulator 2 video game glorifies terrorism
Sorry, mainstream press, but we already beat you to the headline! Much like the level of anticipation amongst us gamers, controversy is set to reach uncomfortable levels when Activision and Infinity Ward's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 starts shooting up the sales chart (and the airport) on November 10th. By now, you've likely seen or heard of the leaked footage depicting a civilian massacre, perpetrated by the player himself.Speaking to Joystiq, Activision noted that consumers will be given the option to skip such scenes, which it claims are not representative of the overall game. They'll also be preceded by explicit warnings about their "disturbing" nature. While we imagine most players will judge, discuss and react to the sequence within its context -- did you know that the plot tasks you with infiltrating a terrorist group? -- don't expect the mainstream media to handle the issue with equal consideration. Witness Mirror.co.uk's initial reaction: "Modern Warfare 2: Leaked level makes light of terrorist activities." Terrorists in my vidgame -- haha!"The game includes a plot involving a mission carried out by a Russian villain who wants to trigger a global war," reads Activision's official statement, included in full after the break. "In order to defeat him, the player infiltrates his inner circle. The scene is designed to evoke the atrocities of terrorism." Whether or not it crosses a line in doing so is up for debate ... but don't tell Fox News that. On the bright side, at least you can't shoot a pair of alien lesbians having sex on the luggage carousel. We'd never hear the end of it.
Rejected, 'politically charged' iSinglePayer app gets the green light
True to form, Apple has rethought its strategy on an App Store rejection, and has granted the "politically charged" iSinglePayer rights to terrorize potential buyers with its alarming messages. If you'll recall, the application tackles the hot-button healthcare issue in America by offering spending advice for consumers and a GPS lookup for local Congress members' and their healthcare-related donations. As we mentioned in our original post, it's a pretty tame set of functionality, and certainly nothing that seems outwardly offensive (at least not any more offensive than lots of apps you can purchase). Just as with our previous complaints about Apple's way of doing business, it's not so much the rejections that bother us, but the unclear set of circumstances by which the company arrives at those decisions. Regardless, some firebrand app reviewer has seen fit to allow this townhall-rattling piece of software into the Store, so now you can go see what all the fuss was about for yourself. [Via Daring Fireball]
Brilliant PS3 Slim ad loses Nigerian scam reference, internet rumors now known to have started WWI
Turns out not everyone was amused by Sony's tongue-in-cheek PlayStation 3 Slim ad about internet rumors -- just ask the Nigerian government. The line in question, "you can't believe everything you read on the internet, otherwise I'd be a Nigerian millionaire by now," apparently caused a bit of a stir, and the local authorities demanded the company pull the commercial. It's now been replaced in the company's Viddler account with a slightly altered version that claims online FUD is "how World War One got started." Someone should tell Sony Director of Rumor Confirmation Kevin Butler that there's a certain assassinated Austrian Archduke who would beg to differ. Revised video after the break, and just for kicks, we found the old video on YouTube for comparison. [Via Joystiq]
Le controversy over French hobo sim, 'Clodogame'
Having launched a few weeks ago and having amassed over 5,000 users, German-developed Clodogame ("Trampgame", en Anglais) is off to a good start. At least it would be if it weren't inciting outrage among French citizens, who accuse the game of perpetuating a negative public image of the homeless in France, according to a Telegraph report. "The image portrayed is exactly the one against which we've been trying to fight," Red Cross spokesperson Jean-François Riffaud told Le Parisien. From the little of the game we played (er, could translate with limited French-speaking ability), we weren't exactly outraged. It's a free-to-play, text-based kingpin sim set in Paris where players are encouraged to "attack other homeless people," and engage in a variety of thieving and coercion tactics. That does seem like a fairly negative portrayal, but we've become a bit desensitized to the matter after investing hours into games like Manhunt, Condemned and inFamous, where all the homeless people become murderous criminals and targets for your electrical super powers. [Via Game Politics]
Google refutes USA Today report on blocked Skype application
While Apple was busy batting away the FCC with its litany of reasons why its app approval process is totally hunky-dory, Google was apparently having it's own VoIP-related firefight. It seems that an article in the USA Today which hit newsstands this morning alleges that the internet giant sought to block (dare we say reject) a full Skype application from making its way into the Android Market. The story claims that the application was neutered to become "a watered-down version of the original that routes calls over traditional phone networks" -- which would obviously cast a decidedly malevolent slant to the benevolent company's policies. The story is surely fine fodder for a FUD enthusiast up to that point, but it appears (gasp) that USA Today may have gotten one minor fact wrong. Namely, that Google had any unsavory aim to clip the wings of the Skype app. According to company man Andy Rubin (on Google's Public Policy Blog), the "lite" moniker was only attached due to technical limitations of the Android platform. In his words: Here are the facts, clear and simple: While the first generation of our Android software did not support full-featured VoIP applications due to technology limitations, we have worked through those limitations in subsequent versions of Android, and developers are now able to build and upload VoIP services. As we told USA Today earlier in the week Google did not reject an application from Skype or from any other company that provides VoIP services. To suggest otherwise is false. At this point no software developer -- including Skype -- has implemented a complete VoIP application for Android. But we're excited to see -- and use -- these applications when they're submitted, because they often provide more choice and options for users. We also look forward to the day when consumers can access any application, including VoIP apps, from any device, on any network. Note the jab there at the end? Okay, swell. Of course, even if Google had rejected the app outright, users still could have installed the software through other avenues, as the Android Market is only a suggestion -- not a mandate -- for how consumers should acquire apps on Google's platform. [Via TechCrunch; Image courtesy eBoy] Read - Google-AT&T-Apple fight over Net calls draws FCC interest Read - Android and VoIP applications
Head of Roman Catholic Church in England warns against the dangers of SMS, email, and social networking
In case you haven't been apprised of the situation, your addiction to texting and email is ruining your relationship... with god. According to Vincent Nichols, head of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, modern friendships built around (or involving) heavy SMS volley, electronic mail correspondences, and social networking sites create "transient relationships" which put users at the risk of suicide. Yes, suicide. According to the British man of the cloth, using electronic communication to build friendships is causing humanity to lose "the ability to build interpersonal communication that's necessary for living together." Sure, it may sound like heavy FUD talk, but there is sense in some of his points. For instance, the Archbishop of Westminster believes that social networking sites encourage people to concentrate on their number of friends rather than build actual relationships, and they tend to view that number as a commodity. Anyone who's seen the growth of Facebook and MySpace shouldn't have trouble making that connection, but when it comes to SMS and email, your friendship has likely moved on, and lumping that kind of one-to-one communication in with the broad relationships of social networking sites seems like an unfair characterization. We put the question to our typically calm and even-keeled commenter community -- are we doomed, or what?
Jade Dynasty goes into open beta, supplies new trailer
Perfect World Entertainment's new flagship game, Jade Dynasty, has pulled itself out of closed beta right on time and has jumped into open beta, swords and magic at the ready.If you're looking to check out this new free-to-play MMO, or at least judge some of the controversial game options for yourself, you can head right on over to the Jade Dynasty website, sign up for Perfect World Entertainment's portal, and jump into the game with no beta key required.With the release of the open beta client comes a new trailer, and we here at Massively have cleverly embedded the video after the break. If you want to see some high flying combat, just hit continue reading and enjoy the video!
Atomic Games' Peter Tamte says Six Days in Fallujah 'about two-thirds' complete
We know, we know: For us to approach video game coverage on Fox News and expect anything more than "fair and balanced" reporting (with a heavy dose of bias and spin) is, to say the least, simply asking too much. Things get much worse when a game with as controversial a setting/plot as Six Days in Fallujah falls into the mix. Atomic Games prez Peter Tamte appeared alongside the game's consultant, Capt. Read Omohundro (a gentleman who fought in the actual battle of Fallujah), and Tracey Miller, a woman who lost her son to the fight, on the channel's "Fox & Friends" program (found after the break) recently, to talk about the game and the controversy surrounding it. Tamte reveals to the show's host that "about two-thirds of the game is complete at this point ... we only have about a third left to go." Atomic Games' challenge now, he says, is to find a new publisher for the game after Konami pulled out of the project in late April. The show ends with a totally fair and balanced comment from the show's host, who says, "Obviously you knew that you might get some blowback on it, 'cause, uh, some people lost their chidren in that battle," before cutting off any more comments and excusing all the show's guests. Anyone want to place bets on this game never being released? We've got $20 on "Never. Ever ever ever."[Via Big Download]
Atomic Games still searching for 'Six Days in Fallujah' publisher
Despite all of the controversy surrounding Six Days in Fallujah, the latest of which has seen Konami drop the game, developer Atomic Games is still hunting down a publisher gutsy enough to get behind it. In speaking with Newsweek, Atomic Games' Peter Tamte goes into detail exactly how the project came about, how far along the team was when Konami pulled the plug, and, most importantly, that he still wants to finish the game. Madness? Perhaps ...With the game being a $20 million project, Tamte sees the fate of Atomic Games directly tied to the fate of Six Days in Fallujah. "If for some reason it doesn't work, we'll have to think about making some very significant changes to the studio," he told Newsweek. Does Atomic Games have a realistic shot at gaining a publisher for Six Days in Fallujah? As much as we hate hearing about companies going under in this economic climate, we'd say the magic 8-ball is not offering the most reassuring glimpse into the future at this point in time.[Via Big Download]%Gallery-49389%
Apple bans updated 'Hot Dog Down a Hallway' game
Metaversal Studios Inc. thinks its suggestive iPhone game, Hot Dog Down a Hallway, is being unfairly treated by Apple. According to the Boston Globe, Apple has banned the sale of the game's latest version because it does not meet the company's standards -- which state Apple reserves the right to reject "content or material" it feels "may be found objectionable by...users."In the game, players launch a hot dog down a corridor attempting to avoid various obstacles, gaining achievements in the process, each with sexually suggestive names. A previous version of the game remains for sale on the store and while it's probably better than those stupid Fart applications, you'd probably be better off spending your money on something else.[Via GamePolitics]
Dealing with temporary changes in-game
Larisa's got a good rant about something I've considered before in a slightly different context: players aren't very good at anticipating how temporary game changes will work out. We, as a group (not individually necessarily), are quite quick to judgment when we see changes to the game, and the word Larisa uses is "conservatism" -- she notes the examples of the reaction to the zombie outbreak and the Children's Week batleground issues, and says that players "tossed the gift away, like spoiled kids." We (again, in general, not you specifically) have a very short view of how temporary changes will affect the game, lambast Blizzard for changing what didn't need to be changed, and very often, when the dust settles and the zombies are gone or the event is over, we realize that it wasn't so bad after all.She's not talking about class changes here -- those are more permanent changes that affect the basic rules of the game. But specifically with temporary events (I'd even throw the Brewfest controversies, and the Headless Horseman complaints in the mix), players sometimes have reactions that are way out of proportion to the events themselves. These holidays and world events are temporary: shouldn't we just enjoy them while we can?It's definitely a valid point, and something to remember for the next time a temporary event throws off your usual routine in-game. The fact is that we players are spoiled -- Blizzard generally does a great job keeping this game fun, and so when even a little issue sneaks into the game during a temporary event. But Larisa promises that next time she gets shaken up by a temporary change, she'll give it another chance. Sounds like a great idea to me.
The best of WoW Insider: April 28 - May 5, 2009
Finding yourself lost in the World of Warcraft? Joystiq's sister site WoW Insider has everything you need to know about the biggest game around, whether you're a grizzled level 80 veteran, a newbie in the Ghostlands, or a former Molten Core raider finding yourself curious about rejoining the game. Here's our most popular posts about what's been going on in Azeroth lately. News Player receives developer item in the mail, one-shots UlduarThe Game Masters accidentally send a killer shirt to a player, who then uses it to drop progression content. The Martin Fury scandal: Karatechop reveals allWe talk with the player who got banned for using a GM item in Ulduar. WoW reference found in Wolverine gameThe creators of the new Wolverine videogame sneak in a WoW reference just for us. Ulduar nerfs and Blizzard's new raid philosophyBlizzard tweaks the newest raid instance, and shows their design cards a little bit. World of Warcraft patch 3.1.2 PTR notesThere's a new patch on the Public Test Realm -- here's what's new. Features The Queue: MercenariesYou ask, we answer. It's that easy. Guildwatch: It wasn't me, manDrama, downed, and recruiting news from guilds around the realms. Val'anyr explainedWhat exactly does the game's newest legendary do for you? We'll tell you right here. Noblegarden: Sexy or sexist?The new Easter ingame holiday has you throwing bunny ears on females level 18 and up. Hot or not? Scattered Shots: Pets for raidingHunters, if you need a pet to take along with you to Ulduar, look no further.
Fallout from Fallujah fiasco continues
Atomic Games' head Peter Tamte hasn't said much since his company's game, Six Days in Fallujah, was dropped by its publisher, Konami, this past week. Other than saying his team is still interested in completing the game, Mr. Tamte has done little to stand behind Atomic Games' foray into "documentary-style" gaming. Though during his keynote at the Triangle Game Conference this week, Tamte asked the crowd, "Are we really just high-tech toymakers, or are we media companies capable of producing content that is as relevant as movies, music and television?"Expounding on the reasons Six Days in Fallujah stands up to the relevancy of the aforementioned mediums, Tamte said, "It is the dilemmas you face, and the choices you make, that give you insight into the events that are shaping our world in a way that no passive form of media can." For instance, when we choose which limb to eviscerate on that super mutant barreling down on us, right? Okay, maybe not. He continued, "We hope that Six Days in Fallujah will have the opportunity to change expectations of what a video game can be." Though we're more than a bit wary of Mr. Tamte's lofty expectations for the game, we've yet to get our mitts on it and will reserve our judgment until that day comes.[Via GamePolitics]
Martin Fury: What would you have done?
Everyone is in a furor over the Martin Fury/Karatechop controversy -- and we've had a few requests already to poll you guys on exactly what you think about it, so here you go. The story, as we've ascertained, is that Karatechop got the item by way of a low-level guildie (who'd been receiving items after he'd had his account hacked), "didn't even contemplate a ticket," and had the guildie bring the item into normal Ulduar with him. They downed Ignis with it, and after that proceeded out of the instance, flipped it to Heroic, and used the item thirteen more times, completing even some world first hard modes with it.So the question is: what would you have done? Lots of players say they wouldn't have touched it, and that it was clearly an item they shouldn't have had. Others say that Karatechop and his guild did what anyone would have done -- it was Blizzard's mistake and they were just taking advantage of it. We'd like to know, so here's a poll: what would you have done if Martin Fury showed up in your mailbox?%Poll-29715%Of course, Karatechop eventually got banned for what he did, but answer that question under the premise that he didn't necessarily know that at the time. And there's another question here: lots of players say that they are surprised Karatechop and his guild didn't open a GM ticket right away -- clearly Blizzard didn't mean to send him the item, and he should have contacted them to get it back. But others aren't so sure. The second question is: no matter what you did with the item, would you have told the GMs about it?%Poll-29721%
Faith Fighter shut down over Islamic protest
Yesterday, the media suddenly and unexpectedly went temporarily insane following UK Metro's coverage of Faith Fighter, a year-old Flash title that pits various deities against one another in Immortal Kombat. The backlash to the title from religious leaders was about as feverish as you might expect -- in fact, following protests from the Organization of the Islamic Conference, the title's Italian developer Molleindustria pulled the game from its site.The page where the site was once hosted now holds a message from the game's developers, blaming the Metro UK article for dredging up controversy and inciting protests over a game that has been "played by millions of players on the Internet" and "been exhibited in several artistic venues around the world." Of course, as Molleindustria was quick to point out, its pulling of the game is merely a symbolic gesture -- it's pretty tough to completely remove things from the internet.[Via GamePolitics]
Pirate Bay lawyer seeking retrial
A lawyer representing Peter Sunde, spokesperson for Pirate Bay, said his client will "demand a retrial" amid reports that the preceding judge in the case was a member of several copyright protection organizations. Last week, Frederik Neij, Gottfrid Svartholm Warg, Carl Lundstrom and Peter Sunde were sentenced to a year in prison and fined 30 million kronor ($3.6m) in damages for operating the file-sharing site, The Pirate Bay. According to reports by Sveriges Radio's P3 news, judge Tomas Norström is a signed member of the Swedish Copyright Association, three members of which are representing the entertainment industry in the case against The Pirate Bay. Norström also holds membership with the Swedish Association for the Protection of Industrial Property, an advocacy group for stricter copyright laws. However, Norström stated his connection with copyright protection organizations did not sway his opinion when ruling in the case against The Pirate Bay. Peter Althin, the lawyer representing Peter Sunde, told The Local that the connection represented a conflict of interest, one the defense was not given an opportunity to investigate. Althin added that a lay judge in the case had already been excused for the possibility of a connection in order to maintain an impartial ruling. Looks like the pirate ship hasn't sunk just yet. [Via Edge. Original image: marcusrg]
Report: Konami may skip 'Six Days in Fallujah' Euro launch
The dust has barely settled on the announcement of Six Days in Fallujah, but it once again finds a way into the news. During Konami's Gamer's Day in Frankfurt last week, unnamed representatives for the publisher told GamePro.de that they were waiting to see how Atomic Games would portray the brutal battle for Fallujah before deciding if the game would see a European release. Representatives also told De Telegraaf that it was unclear what the level of violence would be in the "documentary-style" shooter. Since announcing the title, developer Atomic Games has been publicly lambasted by peace groups, veterans and their families for developing a video game based on an ongoing (and already controversial) war. Recently, a group of US military Iraq War veterans announced support of the title in an interview with G4TV, saying the project could hopefully "bolster support" for troops. With Konami's European reps questioning a release, we wonder if Six Days in Fallujah will ever step out of the controversy long enough to hit store shelves anywhere.%Gallery-49389%
Soldiers discuss Six Days in Fallujah controversy
While controversies have mounted in the wake of Konami's Six Days in Fallujah reveal, a group of Iraq war veterans told G4TV they have "no problem" with the game. "I believe that this could be a good thing for both combat veterans and for the war in general," triple-tour vet., Sgt. Casey J. McGeorge said. The group points out that a realistic game set in the current Iraq conflict may help civilians understand the situation. Army Sgt. Kevin Smith notes that an Iraq-based video game could "hopefully bolster support" for troops and encourage more empathy for veterans by showing civilians "what the war is really like [for soldiers]."Peace groups, veterans and families called for Six Days to be banned following its announcement, but Marine Corps. Gunnery Sergeant John Mundy reminds everyone that those who are against the development of such a game "can spend their money elsewhere."%Gallery-49389%[Via BigDownload]
Capcom insists RE5 Versus wasn't on the disc
Resident Evil 5 controversy -- much like a zombie -- refuses to die but Capcom says claims of charging gamers for on-disc content are false. Already taking shots for charging for content gamers expected in the retail release, Capcom was recently accused by IGN of charging for its Versus DLC, claiming the content was already on the disc. The controversy stems from the DLC's file size, which sits at a slim 1.8MB on Xbox 360 and 351KB for PS3. According to Capcom's VP of strategic planning and development, Christian Svensson, the file size is because all assets for the DLC are being pulled from the retail disc; however, the download itself is programming code that "does not exist on the disc." "Keys are 100K or less. It is not a key," Svensson replied to a forum thread regarding IGN's claim. We're not programmers but it sounds feasible for file size to remain slim for content that pulls all assets from the disc, but you're the consumer. Do you believe Capcom?[Via Siliconera]
Gleaning potential controversy from Konami's 'Six Days in Fallujah'
Only a day has passed since the game was announced, but Six Days in Fallujah is already stirring up controversy among veterans, families and peace groups, according to GamePolitics. The game is set during the real-life US-led battle for control in Fallujah during the rush to take Central Baghdad in 2004, one of the Iraq War's bloodiest campaigns for American and Iraqi soldiers and civilians. Reg Keys, father of Red Cap Thomas Keys, a soldier tragically killed by an Iraqi mob in June 2003, told the UK's Daily Mail that "glorifying" the event in a video game showed "poor judgment and bad taste" on Konami's part considering the "enormous loss of life" in the Iraq War -- a war that is still ongoing. Six Days in Fallujah is reportedly inspired by events that occurred during the second battle in Fallujah -- codenamed Operation Phantom Fury (also, Operation Al-Fajr or "The Dawn") -- which took place between November 7 and December 23, 2004. When it was announced, Anthony Crouts, vice-president of marketing for Konami, said it wasn't the publisher's intention to take a stance on war, telling The Wall Street Journal, "We just want to bring a compelling entertainment experience."Unfortunately for Konami and developer Atomic Games, the Battle of Fallujah is widely regarded as one of the most controversial battles in recent history. Ducking any associated messages may be an uphill battle.%Gallery-49389%
