Propaganda [-] do[es] [it] exist?

[BlueWolf72]

http://www.bruceongames.com/2009/08/24/video-games-as-propaganda/

Bruce on Games takes a look at the video game as propaganda.

America’s Army is the big one. A series of games designed to foster the American Army view of the world on an unsuspecting public and also to work as a recruitment tool. This has been a remarkable success at promoting gung ho American militarism.

So what do you think of his list of games. Do you think these games cause propaganda or do you feel that the end user is already extreme and anyone who plays these sort of games already has those beliefs.

 

[Solaris]

Do you understand how to use 'propaganda' in a sentence?

 

[BlueWolf72]

Do you understand how to use 'propaganda' in a sentence?

Yes I do. Thanks for pointing out my mistake. HOLD ME?

 

[theotherguy]

http://www.bruceongames.com/2009/08/24/video-games-as-propaganda/

Bruce on Games takes a look at the video game as propaganda.

America’s Army is the big one. A series of games designed to foster the American Army view of the world on an unsuspecting public and also to work as a recruitment tool. This has been a remarkable success at promoting gung ho American militarism.

So what do you think of his list of games. Do you think these games cause propaganda or do you feel that the end user is already extreme and anyone who plays these sort of games already has those beliefs.

Yes, any kind of media can be propaganda if it is intended to influence a multitude of people to have a specific belief with something other than reasoned arguments.

 

[No Limit]

Why else would the US Army pay for this if it wasn't a giant advertisement for the military?

 

[Darkside55]

Quest for Bush

Tee hee.

Anyway, all those games suck (aside from America's Army before AA3, and Kuma War), so who cares? It's not like gamers are going to play them to see any propaganda. Gamers are a rather apathetic lot anyway; it's not like they'll care who they're shooting at in a game, or who they're controlling, or the message behind any of it.

 

[No Limit]

Tee hee.

Anyway, all those games suck (aside from America's Army before AA3, and Kuma War), so who cares? It's not like gamers are going to play them to see any propaganda. Gamers are a rather apathetic lot anyway; it's not like they'll care who they're shooting at in a game, or who they're controlling, or the message behind any of it.

I think that would be true for the older ages. But a lot of little kids play these games, this shit gets in their head.

 

[Vegeta897]

I think that would be true for the older ages. But a lot of little kids play these games, this shit gets in their head.

Even less so for little kids... They don't give a ****, and they wouldn't even understand if they tried to.

 

[Krynn72]

Yes I do. Thanks for pointing out my mistake. HOLD ME?

Mistakes*

Both times you used the word you did so incorrectly.

Anyways, no shit games can be used as propaghanda. Most of the military games are so pro-america that its almost palpable. Although I doubt that was the developers' intentions, so it doesnt really count. But if it was intended, then yes, its just what theotherguy said.

 

[theotherguy]

Even less so for little kids... They don't give a ****, and they wouldn't even understand if they tried to.

That's the point. Propaganda takes an entire important political issue (like say, US military action abroad) and condenses it into one vague feeling (like say, gung-ho patriotism). Whoever views it, and especially kids, will come out not knowing a damn thing about the actual issues and instead are given a positive impression of whatever the propaganda is promoting. Any kid who really likes AA and thinks its really cool will probably associate the REAL American Army with the game, and will thus have positive feelings about it. Propaganda plays most on the uniformed and the apathetic.

 

[jverne]

http://www.inspiredmedia.com/gamevideos2.html

no blood, guts or decapitations?!? what kind of shit is this?

you do have spiritual bombs though...they electrocute everyone in the vicinity.

 

[Polaris]

Doesn't work for me, maybe I killed too many American soldiers in Half-Life...

 

[Krynn72]

http://www.inspiredmedia.com/gamevideos2.html

no blood, guts or decapitations?!? what kind of shit is this?

you do have spiritual bombs though...they electrocute everyone in the vicinity.

Holy shit. No pun intended but my god there was so much bullshit in that video. "We created the most realistic recreation of New York city ever seen in a video game" Oh **** off you ignorant cockmunch. There was so much pretentious self dicksucking in that video that I want to vomit.

"actual in game footage"

No shit, it looks terrible and nobody would mistake it for real life or decent cgi cutscenes.

 

[Raziaar]

See look, Obama isn't the antichrist. It's a white dude! 100% white!

 

[Acepilotf14]

Holy shit. No pun intended but my god there was so much bullshit in that video. "We created the most realistic recreation of New York city ever seen in a video game" Oh **** off you ignorant cockmunch. There was so much pretentious self dicksucking in that video that I want to vomit.

"actual in game footage"

No shit, it looks terrible and nobody would mistake it for real life or decent cgi cutscenes.

I played the game.
It was terrible.
The best part about it was reading the histories of the 'satanists'.

One got laid by his teacher and listens to grunge, he was pretty badass.

 

[AJ Rimmer]

Yah, that game looked pretty weak, not to mention a bit weirdly made if the goal was to teach kids about faith. "Yeah, we drop 'faith bombs' on them, and all of a sudden they're Christians! That's how it works!"

Also, thread title is stupid.

 

[Apocalypse89]

Unintentional subtext in America's Army: No matter which side you choose, they always see themselves as the heroic patriotic troops and the enemy as the evil baby-eating terrorists.

 

[CptStern]

I'm sure it was intentional. cant have potential soldiers like playing the role of the bad guy


in my experience gamers tend to be more on the right side of the political spectrum. particularily fps gamers and even more so in and around military shooters communities (the right is a safe haven for anyone who may be: religious, a gun nut, military and military wannabes, against big brother government, or just extreme in their views) . These types of games attract these types of people. The propaganda is preaching to the choir so it just seems as if it's overt because the target audience echoes the propaganda. but to people who are not on the right side of the spectrum or who are oblivious to the subtext the propaganda is ingnored, the underlying message is lost. the gameplay is all that matters

 

[Raziaar]

Well there's one thing gamers tend to be, that I've seen... and that is way more racist. So many younger people who just constantly spout out racist shit, it's unbelievable. And oftentimes it's a black guy vs some white guys and they're all being racist(though I find the black guy is usually defensively racist, if that makes any sense... he's attacked first but he chooses to continue the rhetoric).

 

[15357]

Hmm. Reminds me of the time I played a game about catching NK spies. It was a thriller type of game, and it was pretty good. And also made by the National Intelligence Agency, who likely has too much time on their hands.


I mean, I could see that it was propaganda (I doubt most people would fail in doing so), but it was still a good game. Besides, I liked the message that it was trying to give, and hoped that this appealed to little kids as well. Of course, I doubt they would be able to grasp the deep philosophy and ideaological struggles that the game represents.

Well there's one thing gamers tend to be, that I've seen... and that is way more racist. So many younger people who just constantly spout out racist shit, it's unbelievable. And oftentimes it's a black guy vs some white guys and they're all being racist(though I find the black guy is usually defensively racist, if that makes any sense... he's attacked first but he chooses to continue the rhetoric).

Well I thought it was most people on the internet, but yes.

 

[<RJMC>]

yeah cuz I never guessed a game called americas army which it says its sponsored by the usa army and is given freee by the usa army is made for propaganda

 

[Krynn72]

Unintentional subtext in America's Army: No matter which side you choose, they always see themselves as the heroic patriotic troops and the enemy as the evil baby-eating terrorists.

That wasnt unintentional. They did it for that specific reason, and so that nobody would ever actually be shooting an american soldier.

 

[Polaris]

How is America's Army different from Call of Duty 4, Operation Flashpoint and thousands of other military games? I don't see anything wrong with that...

 

[Apocalypse89]

That wasnt unintentional. They did it for that specific reason, and so that nobody would ever actually be shooting an american soldier.

Of course I know that they intentionally did it for a reason. The unintentional part is how you can also interpret it as meaning "both sides of a conflict see themselves as the heroes and their enemies as evil" which I don't think is a thought the US Army would want to make very obvious.

 

[Xevrex]

How is America's Army different from Call of Duty 4

Call of Duty 4 has those filthy British SAS.