propaganda
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Army: Gamers can "take this to the next level" with military service
The goal of the America's Army game has always been to make military service seem more palatable to a generation of gamers. Now, the army is making that goal more explicit with a TV commercial pushing military service as "the next level" of military games.The ad starts with a couple of gamers playing a Rainbow Six-alike game for a few seconds before the virtual soldier they're controlling taps on the glass, startling them out of their revelry. "You look like you're really into this," he quips. "You ready for a real challenge?" An announcer comes in to encourage viewers to "find out what you're really made of, and how far you can go" over a vignette of happy, action-packed military images. Viewers are encouraged to call in and get a copy of America's Army and a "special interactive DVD," whatever that is. Our military friend comes back at the end, asking the gamers and the viewer if they're ready to "take it to the next level."Well, are you? Personally, we're plenty happy using games to get the vicarious thrill of military service without the high risk of death and injury. See if you feel differently after watching the video below.
More Turok shots. Dino-mite!
It's only been two days since our last batch of Turok shots, and we already have some new ones for you, fresh out of the oven. We're happy to note that these shots are not entirely brown, as is the new trend. Nope, these shots have some vibrant greens and even some pink(!). Also, unlike our previous shots, most of these images showcase actual gameplay. In other words, you can see that these are shots taken during play (note the first person viewpoint) as opposed to cinematic in-engine still shots. All in all the game is looking great. Hopefully, we'll see some video soon.[Thanks, Scott Berlin]
New Turok shots are dino-tastic
Our friends at Xboxygen have gotten a hold of some new shots from the upcoming Turok. In case you don't like to familiarize yourself with interesting franchises that slowly died, Turok is a shooter centered around dinosaurs. It's essentially one of those dream game ideas you had when you were a kid: "I want a game with big guns ... and DINOSAURS!" After a few sequels, Turok got pretty bad, but this entry looks to revitalize the series with new gen pizazz (and the Unreal Engine 3). The above shot showcases a dinosaur getting roasted by a very pretty flamethrower. The game definitely has the looks, now it just has to back things up with a little personality. Hit the "read" link for more shots.Anyone have hope for this once great series?
Blow up U.S. tanker in Iranian game
Reuters covers the release of Counter Strike, a game that charges players with the goal of sinking a U.S. oil tanker in a critical channel, blocking the path that two-fifths of all the world's oil travels. Iran's government sponsored the game for distribution within that country.The topical nature of the game isn't new; Kuma Reality Games mirrored real-life U.S. strikes against Iraq. The anti-American sentiment isn't even new, as seen in Night of Bush Capturing.This trend of all sides using games as propaganda interests us. Are games more persuasive than radio broadcasts and dropping leaflets? When will bombers start dropping games over enemy states?
Fox "investigates" PSP porn [update 1]
Are you a parent concerned that your child may have easy access to communist and pornographic materials? If so, you may be shocked, devastated and appalled to learn that your innocent children "are using a gaming device to access porn out of thin air." The PSP, which is a short for PlayStation "pornable", is a portable game console that has the capability of "magically displaying images of naked women." Yeah, that's right. Fox 9, a local news affiliate of Fox News, the world standard for balanced and fair reporting, has revealed that the PSP is entirely capable of displaying images and therefore porn. As a result, Sony and the PSP are entirely to blame if your kid sticks pictures of naked ladies onto the device. Bleurgh.This article has it all: a sensational headline, wildly outlandish claims and a healthy dose of out-of-context quotes from family institutes. What's next? The Nintendo DS steals your precious bodily fluids? Xbox 360 responsible for failure to find WMDs? Playing too much Halo lowers exam results? Wait... that last one's true.[Via Game|Life] [Update: Fox 9 is a local news affiliate of Fox News, not a purely investigative news channel.]
SanDisk wants you to say iDon't to iPod
In a viral marketing move that's sure to draw the fire of Apple fanboys enthusiasts (probably right here in the comments, if history is any indication), SanDisk has posted a website called "iDon't" that encourages people to flee the closed iPod universe (the "iTatorship," they call it) -- and to pick up a SanDisk Sansa e200 while they're at it. While we certainly won't go into the pros and cons of each company's products here (mainly for fear of getting flamed), we must say that the iDon't site features little compelling content other than a few cheesy wallpaper downloads and some links to anti-iPod sites, and mostly comes across as sour grapes from the runner-up in an industry being dominated by a single player. Still, other manufacturers need to do something in order to gain market share, and R&D is, like, really expensive, so if you can convince a couple of kids to sport t-shirts and buddy icons featuring your propaganda, who knows, maybe a few consumers will bite.[Via iLounge forums]
Governmental ads: "give your thumbs a rest"
An ad campaign from the Centers for Disease Control is pulling no punches with their tagline "Give your thumbs a rest. Play for real." Supposedly encouraging active lifestyles rather than the way of the couch potato, the ad features an in-game style image of obese baseball players on an overgrown field.As Water Cooler Games points out, this seems to have been created with no thought for its target audience. In particular, the ad mocks rather than reaches out to gamers; not the best way to connect with a demographic. Also, as governmental propaganda goes, jumping on the anti-gaming bandwagon is a disturbing trend--a sideline political campaign is one thing, but a government-approved message seems overkill.With CDC themselves turning to games for educational purposes, we can't help but feel there's a mixed message here.
