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Ask HN: Why are Americans always the good guys in video games?
1–10 of 22 posts
Re: Ask HN: Why are Americans always the good guys in video games?
#2Because, as an English speaker, most video games you play are of American origin.
Re: Ask HN: Why are Americans always the good guys in video games?
#3Because, as an English speaker, most video games you play are of American origin.
As a Turk, I Believe that all games I play are of American or Japanese origin.
Re: Ask HN: Why are Americans always the good guys in video games?
#4This is a very interesting question.
I've always wondered what the backlash would be if a studio were to release a Call of Duty style game from the point of view of middle eastern factions resisting the illegal invasion of their land and massacre of their people.
Because it seems to me that these FPS war simulations are very close to reality (ie using real location names and sometimes actual 3D rendered versions of said locations) and are somehow being used as a propanganda tool to get most people on board with whatever the political agenda is at the time. I know this sounds very conspiratorial and I'm open to counter arguments but I can't shake off this feeling. Hope I'm wrong though because this is rather depressing.
Re: Ask HN: Why are Americans always the good guys in video games?
#5Re: Ask HN: Why are Americans always the good guys in video games?
#6I've played a lot of video games where they aren't. In fact, I'd posit most video games don't take place with real-world geopolitics/national boundaries at all. And where they do, I don't think it's unusual that the antagonist may be an American.
Re: Ask HN: Why are Americans always the good guys in video games?
#7This is a very interesting question. I've always wondered what the backlash would be if a studio were to release a Call of Duty style game from the point of view of middle eastern factions resisting the illegal invasion of their land and massacre of their people. Because it seems to me that these FPS war simulations are very close to reality (ie using real location names and sometimes actual 3D rendered versions of s…
> I know this sounds very conspiratorial
Not really. Some games got American military funding to promote the army.
> wondered what the backlash would be
For examples, look at backlash to farcry 5. See https://www.change.org/p/ubisoft-cancel-far-cry-5 where people just can't handle white American Christians being the bad guys.
Re: Ask HN: Why are Americans always the good guys in video games?
#8Because they are the good guys of course :-) Almost all triple A games are made in the US itself or allies (UK/Canada/Japan/EU) so it’s expected these games will have a positive view. Same reason it’s true in Hollywood. Most people just want to get on and have fun with a game, not overthink politics and ethics and I don’t see it as an issue. The more annoying thing is when you’re nudged to know random guy is evil due to generic Russian/Middle East accent.
Re: Ask HN: Why are Americans always the good guys in video games?
#9This is a very interesting question. I've always wondered what the backlash would be if a studio were to release a Call of Duty style game from the point of view of middle eastern factions resisting the illegal invasion of their land and massacre of their people. Because it seems to me that these FPS war simulations are very close to reality (ie using real location names and sometimes actual 3D rendered versions of s…
> I know this sounds very conspiratorial Not really. Some games got American military funding to promote the army. > wondered what the backlash would be For examples, look at backlash to farcry 5. See https://www.change.org/p/ubisoft-cancel-far-cry-5 where people just can't handle white American Christians being the bad guys.
> Us Gamers have had to endure a lot of crap over the last few years. The targeted harassment by the mainstream press through Gamergate, the terrible launch and outright lies of highly anticpated video games, the outright censorship of art through “localization” policies, the continued rejection of romantic partners when they find out our hobby, the appropriation of our culture by so-called “gamers” on twitter. NO MORE!
This has got to be satire. This reads almost like the gamers rise up memes.
Re: Ask HN: Why are Americans always the good guys in video games?
#10This is a very interesting question. I've always wondered what the backlash would be if a studio were to release a Call of Duty style game from the point of view of middle eastern factions resisting the illegal invasion of their land and massacre of their people. Because it seems to me that these FPS war simulations are very close to reality (ie using real location names and sometimes actual 3D rendered versions of s…
If you read accounts from actual war veterans that saw combat, they clearly state FPS games are nowhere near reality.
War games make game companies money, fighter jet games, battlefield, FPS, doesn't matter. The stories vary from things close to reality to ridiculous. They are very much like Hollywood pumping out the same old movies they have been for decades for the same reason: they make money. Why are there so many Marvel movies? They don't have to even write a story or concept art - that's been done for them - they just hire some actors, do some CGI and make money.
If you think there is some propaganda between government and video game makers, you are thinking about it too much. For games, the process for Call Of Duty is probably: write a twist on the same old story, throw in some new maps/locations, use the same game engine, reskin some gear and ship it in Fall to get maximum profit.