@Black Ice
Hugo Chavez= Hitlery Clinton.

Fixed your math buddy.

See, Hugo has been 'nationalizing' TV stations. What this means to you and me is that the TV station belongs to the government.

Once he owns it, he shuts it down. One less voice, on less viewpoint.

kurisu7885 Says:

"What do you expect them to change it to, the mercenary prancing around and giving everyone a flower to stop fighting?"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EDSA_revolution

Hey, it sometimes happens.

Seriously though, the VSN's getting pretty melodramatic over this whole thing.

NOT FOR FUCKING CHILDREN!!!!

How many times must this be said?! Games like these are not for children! Stop pulling the child card!

"This isn’t a victory because Bono and Pandemics are still telling kids it’s okay to attack my home country..."

Ummmm... Really? You have a lot of US kids attacking your home country? Wow! Talk about the next generation of warfare!

Nightwng2000
NW2K Software

Yo dumbasses, its a game where you f***ing choose what country you work for and blow up, and its freaking M rating, no matter how long its pending on the rating. Seriously, if you cant handle controlling what your kids play, DONT HAVE KIDS! Honestly, has the word "no" left the language? if so, im gonna have some intersting conversations with some parents...

Hugo Chavez is an asshole.

As for Bono being a 'humanitiarian' he's just a jackass with a big mouth and money to blow. He's a philanthropist, if anything.

What really pisses me off about this is that we're listening to people like the VSN as to what we should do with our games and when they should be released. Honestly, this is retarded. What's next? CAIR telling us that we can't play Battlefield2?

Somebody, tell the VSN to fuck off, and that Hugo Chavez is creating a new low in rights in that country. (in recent history anyway).

*Facepalms* GOD I am sick of people assuming that all video games are meant for children. This view of interactive entertainment as a child's hobby is backwards, naive, and just not true. The average gamer is what, now? 25? No people, Pandemic isn't making this for your 10 year old, and if you're letting your 10 year old play it, you shouldn't be the one who has custody of said child, because you're an idiot. Then again, what can we expect of people today? I see parent take their little kids(we're talking like 7, 8 maybe) to R rated movies.

I'm pretty sure the release date change has more to do with Halo 3 and polishing, rather than Venezuelan politics.

By Halo 3, I'm referring to a AAA title blocked up holiday period. A lot of games are being scared into delays, rather than fight the awesome that is the holiday release schedule. Mass Effect, Assassin's Creed, Orange Box, Mario Galaxy, Smash Brothers, Unreal Tourn. 3, quite a few I'm not mentioning. Mercs 2 will be good, but I wouldn't consider it AAA.

His entire argument is pointless. Good to see you people riled up, though.

He's afraid that this game will foster more ill will between the USA and Venezuela because children will play the game and think it's okay to attack and blow up Venezuela. Now, let's stop right there.

First of all, what could a child do even if this game did instill a deep boiling hatred for Venezuela? I suppose that child could go to his parents and ask them, "Can we invade Venezuela? I hate that place... It can be my birthday and Christmas present! Pleeeeease?"

Secondly, let's say it's not children, let's say it's the actual demographic this game will appeal to, the 18 to 34 year-old majority of gamers. What will they do? A whole lot of nothing. I don't foresee any of us leaping from our couches, ditching the console, and running off to become Mercenaries in some other country.

What else needs to be said?

Oh, and here are some more informations about this Venezuela Group and their campaign :

http://www.vensolidarity.org/Campaigns/index.php
http://www.vensolidarity.org/News/Flack_03_21_07.php
http://www.vensolidarity.org/Campaigns/BonoCampaign.php

In particular, note this quote by Jorge Marin :

"I don't have anything against video games. I just don't think it's good to use real places when you're going to destroy the locations," he said. "There's no reason why they can't make up a name and change the scenery so you can't tell what country it is. Some people think that it's only a game and we shouldn't make a fuss of it, but I think it's important because it's my country. I am a Venezuelan and I care about Venezuela."

So they're not anti-game crusaders. Just people who don't like their country to be targeted even virtually.

As many posters here have pointed out, the game is rated 'M' as in "NOT marketed or sold to children." That defeats that argument. Now, about their claim it will foster hatred toward Venezuela:

While it's true that the U.S. and Venezuela aren't excatly on good terms (though Hugo Chavez seems to be just as much to blame for that as Bush), the same is true for the U.S. and North Korea, and the first Mercenaries game was set there. Was there conflict as a result? No. Is there any hard evidence that the game inflamed tensions between the two nations? No. Of course, South Korea banned the game from shelves, but there was no long-impact on U.S.-N.K. relations.

Once again, IT'S JUST A GAME. It is not going to cause a shift in international politics. It is not going to be a key source of political views for Americans. Ultimatly, it will be seen merely for what it is: An action game set in an exotic location.

Mercs 2 is T rated not M rated.

This is just a case of being too close for comfort. The same thing happened with Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter, and Mexico's government got a little worried that they're featured in a war zone, even if it's set a couple years in the future. Even with GTA San Andreas, a gamer wrote a letter to a gaming magazine, explaining his initial discomfort when he first fired up the game and was put in the gang-baning zones of Los Santos. He grew up in some bad parts of LA, by the way.

There will always be a small part of the population that would be knee-deep in a real-life situation represented in these sorts of games.

It's different with Germany, because when we attack Germany in those WWII games we attack Nazis, not today's Germans.

@JustChris

Except the germans want us to think we're attacking them, not Nazis.

Strange really.

Do we have clarification from Pandemic they indeed are making these changes or are just just claiming it? Last I heard they were delaying it to make it play better.

@JustChris

I totally agree with that. Can't blame someone for feeling antsy when the locale directly relates to their own life. But if there's a real agenda behind a game using a specific location or group of people, not only is it usually clear-cut, it's more or less advertised to the buyer.

Resistance Records makes no qualms about the fact that their piles of crap like Ethnic Cleansing are made to promote violence towards a group of people. And there's a pretty clear line between a game like that, and a game that's just presenting a work of fiction with elements similar to real life (which is was Merc 2 is doing).

And, that goes back to the point of this game being for an older audience that can tell the difference between the two and so on.

I seriously doubt it was delayed because of all this venezuela stuff... it's a big game and they are almost always delayed.

When artistic censorship wins, everyone loses.

"This isn’t a victory because Bono and Pandemics are still telling kids it’s okay to attack my home country,"

No they are not you idiot, the hero in the game is trying to overthrow a militaristic dictator, and, guess what, DEEDEEDEEEEEEE, in a military operation, things blow up. What do you expect them to change it to, the mercenary prancing around and giving everyone a flower to stop fighting?

Anti-Free Speech person... Riight... Read up on the 2002 Coup D'Etat against him. Then tell me that he's the only one.

We need an Edit Button.. I'd take up so much less space for my.. controversy... that way.

Anyway, after that, look up the War On Democracy. It's a John Pilger film.

Woah woah woah. Hang on a second. The only proof I see is that EA is pushing back the release day. I see nothing about storyline changes? Where the hell are they pulling this from? I say, ignore these idiots until we got some proof. THEN we get pissed off. For now, i call lying-in-a-failed-attempt-to-make-them-think-they're-doing-something.

"I wouldn’t want my sons to buy it and blow up neighborhoods that we can clearly recognize where their cousins, aunts and uncles live. Still, at least the villain is no longer a Hugo Chavez look alike and the story line no longer mirrors actual international politics"


Wait! Huh! Ok so do they think that if they blow up the "pixelated neighborhoods" that it will then blow up the "real neighborhood"

*shakes head* can we send all the stupid people to mars??

I hope Chewbacca is a secret character this time.

Has anyone bothered to contact Pandemic or EA to see if this is actually in response to the VSN petition and not just a coinicidence of development delay that the VSN is taking credit for?

jds,

If I may respond to your questions to blackice, I will say I'm disgusted with his recent legislations. I may be leftist by nature, but even I know that gov't control of the press impratical at best and oppresive at worst. I don't even want to get started on the term limit removal.

However, you're putting the cart before the horse with your justification of US interfering with Venezuela. The actions of Chavez I know of that have damaged Venezuela have been in the last couple of years. They seem to be a reaction to both the Coup attempt in 2002 and the failed recall election in 2004, in a bad attempt to stop the media people that were influential with both incidents. If the US was indeed directly involved in both actions, then they are a major driving force in Chavez's vitriol towards our country, and his downward spiral into becoming a complete #@!-hole.

However, I don't see Chavez being a bigger or smaller asshole than any other leader, Shrub included.

Then again, I think the US gov't has a lot of problems, and capitalism is being abused by a select few to keep the rest of the country down, so I guess I also hate freedoms too eh? Maybe you should just ignore me then.

This game will be rated Mature. Therefore not for children. Unless they let their kids play such games that is.

@BlackIce
Brazil. Backed in Brazil.

This group obviously missed the fact that some games aren't for kids.

I know in a WW2 game(can't remember the name) you could play as the germans as well as the allies. I had absolutely no problem at all killing american troops. That is why they are called GAMES!

OK, Say it with me now.

Hugo Chavez is a bully, Tyrant, Dick head, asshole, and a couple more.

I say we should put his face on the game with a bullseye over it just to piss that little pissant dictator off.

While were at it, lets add Amedenadoucebag to it just for kicks.

I hate it when these stupid idiots get all but hurt cause were pointing out how fucked up there leaders are. Bush aint a brillant leader, hell, I got some major issues with him as later, but he's still better then chavez or Amadenadouche any day. Still, glad he's leaving office in a year.

Bustahwolf

Enjoy Mercs2. I didn't like the first one enough to get the second...

My intention wasn't to actually say someone was against freedom. I made a bad judgment on how to phrase a joke.


As far as you coming from a family of liberals... Well, I don't care. You can be of any political persuasion; it doesn't matter to me. And, both libs and conservatives are under attack recently. Just look at what is happening to Rush and O'Reilly. Regardless of yours, or my opinions of them, they are both being mutilated by the media and scumbag organizations like MoveOn that have taken their comments completely out of context.

Hell, MoveOn even sued a guy for selling stuff on CafePress that mocks MoveOn. Where's the logic in a liberal organization shutting down free speech? So, both sides are taking it on the chin right now.

And, my president isn't helping too much. But you know what? I'd support anyone that is president. Once they get there they get my support. Even if I didn't vote for 'em.

Anyhow, take care and thanks for dropping some knowledge on me.

I love many things about this article. For one, when he said that you could go and blow up neighborhoods where family lived... WOW, just wow. THe game is not intended to mimic Venezuela exactly, but rather to capture the feel, the flavor, I suppose, of the locale. If you are or were a resident of Venezuela, some of the world might seem familiar when you play it, but you won't be able to recognize specific houses, and you can't find and kill your own Grandma. Gaming technology isn't anywhere near advanced enough to do that.

I also like how he calls Blackwater "mercenaries". Here's a Protip from the Prima's Strategy Guide of War. PMC(private military companies) =/= Mercenaries. The converse may be true, Mercenaries may be part of a PMC, but Blackwater or any other PMC employed in Iraq or anywhere else are NOT mercenaries. Blackwater are more like well armed security guards, hired to guard convoys and VIPs and important locations that the military can't handle because their hands are tied with other things. A mercenary is hired to perform an active combat role, a warfighter for hire, a soldier of fortune, who actively pursues and destroys the enemy he is hired to kill. Blackwater is hired to stand around things and look scary with guns, and only retaliate when attacked. It is what they do after being atacked that causes the controversy, and what they do when being rowdy and disorderly that causes deaths of civilians and other horrible things. But make no mistake, Blackwater are not Mercs, and they don't do what mercs do. Like I said, heavily armed security guards who raise the Dickens if someone foolishly stirs up their hornets nest.'

I also love how he thinks that the storyline was changed at all, and that their campaign had anything to do with it if it did. The storyline hasn't changed since it was first announced, its just that when the specifics of the main villain were revealed, they said "Oh look its not Chavez anymore!'
Hah! Well guess what? It never was Chavez! You just read too much into it. Now, why they would connect "Dictator that messes with oil supply" with Chavez, I don't know. They must have guilty consciences.

All in all, its good to see Ol' Gunnar stirring up dirt again> Back in the day when he was trying to cause trouble at the Mercs 2 forums under the name GGunders, him and I had a very lengthy private message correspondence in which we discussed the politics of Venezuela, the Game, and absurdity of labeling the game as mindless propaganda.

Too long, don't read, these people really have no leg to stand on.

@ the sensitivity people,
I care not that this is a sensitive issue for anyone, that doesn't make it any more wrong than if the issue was completely bland and ambiguous.

@ Jorge Marin :

Hey, thanks a lot for joining us ! I always appreciate when people (columnists, activists, etc...) who give publicly their opinion on games come here to debate (except when it's Mr. "attorney-and-you're-not").

Like I've said, I never considered you as a typical "anti-game crusader", and you have good reasons to be upset that a real country (yours, indeed) is targeted in a game based on a "modern context". And like I've said, it's the kind of bad taste controversies we can avoid.

My only objection was the fact that games were, once again, automatically associated to "kids". Just add adults next time and I'll have no problem any more.

@pen gun

Riight.. I'm guessing your uncle is an American Patriot.

I've got one bit of advice: If it sounds like an opinion, and that certainly does, ask yourself who's opinion it is. Yours? Fine. Someone else's? Not good.

Mattias Neelson owns your faces.

Josh Resnick, president of Pandemic Studios has responded to this by simply saying :
"Pandemic Studios never has and never will be intimidated by tyrants. Our invasion is on schedule: Mercenaries 2 will be released in early 2008."

Just for the record, anyone who bitched about this story: http://gamepolitics.com/2007/07/17/iranians-debut-anti-us-game/ and called the game anti-Semitic or made some jackass sarcastic comment about Islam being a "religion of peace" has NO RIGHT to support this game, which depicts mercenaries entering Venezuela in a hypothedical future scenario and depicts their leader as a merciless tryant much like the Iranian game did for Israel.

It's funny how freedom of speech is protected for racists of all kinds, and movies can push the absolute boundaries of decency. However, if some little piss pot dislikes some element of a game, everyone gets their undwear in a bunch. Basing elements of a game on real life political situations adds to the overall feel of the game. I don't want to enter never never land ever time I play a game.

You know I don't like certain types of media, rap music, movies that portray all cops as criminals, and anything with steven segal. Do I run out and protest those things, or attempt to get them censored? No, I do what anyone who disagrees with content should do. I turn it off, and refuse to buy or watch it.

Why can't these pissy little special intrest groups find something important to crusade for. For god's sake how many video games have been made where players blow the crap out of WW2 germany, and shoot germans by the dozen? Have we heard german special interest groups pissing and whinning about COD or MOH games? No, we have not, because they have other shit to worry about.