Comments on: But is it art? Modern Warfare 2, computer games and morality http://futurismic.com/2009/11/12/but-is-it-art-modern-warfare-2-computer-games-and-morality/ Presenting the fact and fiction of tomorrow since 2001 Fri, 19 Mar 2010 05:17:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Eric T. http://futurismic.com/2009/11/12/but-is-it-art-modern-warfare-2-computer-games-and-morality/comment-page-1/#comment-53993 Eric T. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:33:15 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=9536#comment-53993 I haven't played Modern Warfare 2 yet, so I can't comment on having played the part of the game in question. However, from people I've spoken to, this sequence isn't particularly "fun" - rather, it seems to be more disconcerting for players. If this scene makes players feel a bit sick for their participation in a massacre, that's a GOOD thing, right? It's not showing the murder of innocent civilians as fun - it's showing the consequences, and setting up the main "bad guy" as a truly evil person who needs to be stopped. This is in marked contrast to games like Grand Theft Auto, where the player takes the role of a criminal who is free to kill innocents (or not) with few consequences. I haven’t played Modern Warfare 2 yet, so I can’t comment on having played the part of the game in question. However, from people I’ve spoken to, this sequence isn’t particularly “fun” – rather, it seems to be more disconcerting for players.

If this scene makes players feel a bit sick for their participation in a massacre, that’s a GOOD thing, right? It’s not showing the murder of innocent civilians as fun – it’s showing the consequences, and setting up the main “bad guy” as a truly evil person who needs to be stopped.

This is in marked contrast to games like Grand Theft Auto, where the player takes the role of a criminal who is free to kill innocents (or not) with few consequences.

]]> By: Jonathan M http://futurismic.com/2009/11/12/but-is-it-art-modern-warfare-2-computer-games-and-morality/comment-page-1/#comment-53987 Jonathan M Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:59:38 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=9536#comment-53987 There was a flash game a while back in which you played an elderly and cancer-ridden Mr T who was fighting against the corruption and corporate cronyism of the American government. It was preachy as hell and despite agreeing with everything the designers said, it was definitely not fun. I haven't played this game but evidently you don't actually have to shoot anyone during the mission. So in a way, what interests me is that people are put in the position of an undercover CIA agent and they go "right... so I have to ill these innocent civilians then?". I think that that's quite an interesting comment upon how playing a "shooting game" affects your mind-set while playing it. If it was a stealth game, it probably wouldn't occur to people to start killing hostages. Weirdly, killing innocent by-standers is evidently now in-genre for certain kinds of video games :-) There was a flash game a while back in which you played an elderly and cancer-ridden Mr T who was fighting against the corruption and corporate cronyism of the American government. It was preachy as hell and despite agreeing with everything the designers said, it was definitely not fun.

I haven’t played this game but evidently you don’t actually have to shoot anyone during the mission. So in a way, what interests me is that people are put in the position of an undercover CIA agent and they go “right… so I have to ill these innocent civilians then?”. I think that that’s quite an interesting comment upon how playing a “shooting game” affects your mind-set while playing it. If it was a stealth game, it probably wouldn’t occur to people to start killing hostages.

Weirdly, killing innocent by-standers is evidently now in-genre for certain kinds of video games :-)

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