Video game raises Venezuela lawmakers' ire

[jerry611]

By CHRISTOPHER TOOTHAKER, Associated Press Writer
Wed May 24, 6:39 PM ET

CARACAS, Venezuela - A U.S. company's video game simulating an invasion of Venezuela is supposed to hit the shelves next year, but it's already raising the ire of lawmakers loyal to President Hugo Chavez.

Chavez supporters in Venezuela's National Assembly suspect the makers of "Mercenaries 2: World in Flames" are doing Washington's bidding by drumming up support among Americans for an eventual move to overthrow Chavez.

"I think the U.S. government knows how to prepare campaigns of psychological terror so they can make things happen later," Congressman Ismael Garcia said, citing the video game developed by Los Angeles-based Pandemic Studios.

Pandemic describes "Mercenaries 2" as "an explosive open-world action game" in which "a power-hungry tyrant messes with Venezuela's oil supply, sparking an invasion that turns the country into a war zone." The company says players take on the role of well-armed mercenaries.

More at:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060524/ap_on_hi_te/chavez_game

[Nevernose]

1. The first one wasn't that good

A lot of press, but not that good.

[neuvocat]

2. Add that to the Invasion of Iraq game

as part of a pro-war propaganda machine, something that fails to capture reality of failure.

[987654321]

3. Remember that 'Operation Invasion Ohio' game?

That's the one where political operatives come in to steal an election. I hated that one!

[darkstar]

20. That was a sequel, too, right?

Didn't the first one, "Sunshine State Subterfuge," come out about 4 years earlier?

:hi:

[987654321]

30. What a witty name!

But I hated that game as well

[ShockediSay]

4. I wonder what part of our propaganda lobbies

supplied the funds for that one?

http://www.google.com/search?as_q=lobby+funds&num=30&hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&btnG=Google+Search&as_epq=think+tank&as_oq=&as_eq=&lr=&as_ft=i&as_filetype=&as_qdr=all&as_occt=any&as_dt=i&as_sitesearch=&as_rights=&safe=images

[ConcernedCanuk]

5. "Pandemic" studios - how appropriate

.
.
.

Poisoning the minds of the young, making "games" out of war and mass murder

From the manufacturer/distributors site:

"Pandemic is a leading force in the action/adventure category, with four major hit games, three of which are original Pandemic-created IPs, in the last 18 months:MercenariesTM, Destroy All HumansTM, Full Spectrum WarriorTM, and Star Wars BattlefrontTM"

/snip/

The six partners are Fred Anderson, former EVP and CFO of Apple Computer, Bret Pearlman, former senior managing director of The Blackstone Group, Marc Bodnick, a founding principal of Silver Lake Partners, John Riccitiello, the former president and COO of Electronic Arts, Roger McNamee, a co-founder of Silver Lake Partners and Integral Capital Partners and Bono, lead singer and co-founder of the rock band U2.

http://bioware.pandemicstudios.com/

Just the NAMES of the games are pretty suggestive

Wonder if the "partners" are aware or care they are poisoning young minds with the idea that all this is "OK"

We got enough OLD minds like that at the helm of the REAL WarMachine

We sure don't be needing to create millions more like THAT

(sigh)

[Bhaisahab]

9. waitaminute. what's BONO doing with these guys??

why's he messing with blokes who make violent games?
what happened to peace and love?

[ConcernedCanuk]

11. My thoughts at first, but then I thought about priests

.
.
.

Some don't always DO as they preach all the time . . .

Bush - spreading "freedom" and "democracy" . .

right

and so on . . .

[davepc]

15. He's making lots of money. They move a lot of units.

Destroy All Humans has a neat premise, you get to command the alien invasion of Earth, which kinda puts the archetype for that style game on its head.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

35. Ummmm...those pixels on the screen aren't real people

[rinsd]

27. Poisoning young minds? Did you have a cup of Joe-mentum this morn?

[951-Riverside]

6. Where did the first Mecenaries take place?

China?

[Zynx]

28. North Korea

[951-Riverside]

31. *smirk*

Iran next? *smirk*, two *shrugs* joined by *heh* *heh* and finally we'll end it with a *coke jaw*

[TomClash]

7. Unfair to the company I say!

A "power-hungry tyrant messes with Venezuela's oil supply, sparking an invasion that turns the country into a war zone" exactly describes . . .


BUSH.

[drduffy]

8. no shit

death to the imperium....

the founding fathers recommend harsh remedies for the corrupt government

Nov 06 will not help

long live the Republic

prepare your heart and mind for

revolution.....

[LeftHander]

10. 16 years olds "play" now....do the real thing in two years...nt

[Amonester]

12. (One of) The problem with "playing" the game is...

...that in the game, the player(s) who's maimed or killed in the game can just stand up and walk away without suffering any "real" pain.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

13. That's a problem?

It'd be a pretty boring game if the character dies once and you can't play it again.

[Amonester]

24. Why do players "need" to play these games in the first place?

Wouldn't it be better if they'd practice real physical activities instead?
Play real fun sports (there are plenty), and keep their health condition in top shape? IMHO, it seems the corporate system would probably not profit enough from such a (good) system, I guess.

[rinsd]

26. Huh?

Why do you "need" to post on DU? Why does anyone "need" to do anything in their spare time?

And what with being so judgemental? I could see not being into gaming. But to call gamers fools for the corporate system is pretty self righteous about what someone does in their spare time.

[Phoonzang]

29. Because they're fun...

I swear few things piss me off more than people who've never played a video game haughtily looking down on those who play video games as if they are somehow the antithesis to physical activity. It's a hobby, nothing more nothing less. Like other medium it can be abused.

[rinsd]

16. That's a problem?

I've heard of a desire for absolute realism in gaming but that's taking it a wee bit far isn't it?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

21. Nah.

I recommend that when people play Monopoly, the player should get sent to a real maximum security prison.

[Amonester]

22. I forgot the /sarcasm icon. Sorry. - n/t

[rinsd]

25. No worries (nt)

[Bacchus39]

33. I guess that is why it is a game

n/t

[davepc]

14. The real crime is that they're making a sequel to a crap game.

Maybe Hillary can add this to her moral crusade list, we know Liberman is already on that bandwagon.

[rinsd]

17. Ismael Garcia and Joe Lieberman, peas in a pod. Whodathunkit?

[Julius Civitatus]

18. Anybody knows who owns this company?

Any links to the freakin' BFEE?

[davepc]

19. Its right here in this thread.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2304992&mesg_id=2305140

[Toucano]

23. Sounds like players will fight FOR Venezuela against

a power hungry tyrant. Did W do the voice for the tyrant? LOL

[killbotfactory]

32. Ask most people about Venezuela and Chavez...

and you would receive either a "Who, what?" response, or a "Oh, you mean that dictator?" thanks to the awesome and thorough* media coverage in the US.






*:sarcasm:

[Peace Patriot]

34. Venezuelans ought to view it as deep intel on just how poorly North

Americans are trained in the art of war. It's not as if we were having any successes lately...

And I hope the game includes the planeloads of cocaine that are funding the invaders, the 100% literacy rate that Venezuela has achieved since Chavez was first elected--such that the peasants can actually read the US psyops pamphlets and get a good laugh--and the superior medical care that Venezuelans are receiving free of charge from Cuban doctors, and how hard they will fight for this and other reforms--including TRANSPARENT elections--against our PTSD'ed, Depleted-Uranium-ed, 4th, 5th, 6th tour of duty National Guardsmen and Reserves, who really, really, REALLY don't want to be in that Venezuelan jungle as the target of every patriotic rifle in the country.

I think the realism in games is a great idea. Just make it MORE real.

I don't think games should be made "politically correct," though. It's like everything else: you try to ban it, and it goes underground. Venezuela being the target is the result of corporate propaganda, for sure. But games are just games. I happen to like reading murder mysteries. And I think I'm a fairly peaceful and unmurderous person. Who knows how the human psyche really functions, and why it seems to need such material? Bonhoffer made the point that children NEED bloody, gory, frightening fairy tales, with terrible orgres and witches in them, in order to face their fears. Young boys in particular have played "war games" for as long as there have been wars. Video games (and corporate book publishers?) are just Corporate's way of exploiting that basic need--the need to feel strong (or smart), in the face of scary threats.

I wouldn't worry about Venezuela, though. They'll weather it. The democratic revolution that has swept Latin America--with leftist governments elected in Brazil, Argentine, Chile, Uruguay, Venezuela and Bolivia (and more to come, I think, in Peru, Nicaragua, Mexico and elsewhere)--is here to stay. It has the strength that all democracies have of true majority rule, and decent, people-oriented government conducted in the public interest. These governments have common themes--the U.S. out of their affairs, for one--and are engaging in regional economic and political cooperation. These gains have been hard won. The Latin Americans will not give them up. Period. It's a very deep and historic and peaceful revolution--no matter how the US corporate news monopolies try to smear it. It is what they are most afraid of--the will of the majority actually being implemented in their former blood-drenched colonies, or here.

[ButterflyBlood]

36. Quit being like Lieberman Chavez

A game is a game. The Russians never complained about the first Ghost Recon, which involves Russia attempting to reconquer the former Soviet Block, and the Ethiopians never complained about the expansion pack which involves Ethiopia trying to reconquer Eritrea.

In fact, if the premise is anything like the last game, then it will involve the dictator staging a coup against the previous government and coming to power, not to mentio he almost certainly will be completely ficticious.

I liked the first one too. Not the best game ever, but rather enjoyable. Not sure if I'll play this one, have to see the reviews.

[1932]

37. Speaking of ficticious, do you have your facts straight yet about Chavez?

As I said in that other post, I looked through the Wikipedia history on that last mistake of yours and couldn't find where it had ever said anything but the truth about no civilians dying in the Feb '92 coup attempt.