Posted on 10/31/2024 5:50:38 PM PDT by TigerClaws
For most people, it’s understood that when a creator chooses to depict something ‘evil’ in a piece of fiction, especially when that something is also portrayed in-universe as explicitly ‘bad’, said creator is not endorsing a given behavior or ideology, but rather using it for narrative purposes, often to contrast the moral differences between a protagonist and their opposition.
However, the same apparently does not ring true for the video game industry’s ‘modern audience’, as like many games before it, Indiana Jones and The Great Circle will feature a very performative disclaimer assuring players that despite developer MachineGames’ decision to pit the iconic archaeologist against the historical Nazi regime, the studio themselves does not endorse it in any way, shape, or form.
The existence of said disclaimer was first unearthed courtesy of VideoGameChronicle‘s Jordan Middler, who came across MachineGames’ message during his recent play through of the game, as conducted during a recent MachineGames press day.
According to Middler, despite the game itself tasking players with physically fighting the many Nazis that Indy may come across in his adventure (as well as including a game mechanic that allows for the player to physically burn various Nazi-related propaganda posters), upon booting up The Great Circle, players are met with an assurance from Machine Games that “Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a fictional story, inspired by historical events and characters. Names, characters, organizations, locations, and events are either imaginary or depicted in a fictionalized manner, not intended to disrespect any historical or cultural beliefs.”
Further, the statement – presumably penned in order to head-off the accusations of ‘fascist support’ that would surely have been leveled towards them by the more reactionary and terminally-online wing of the American left – presents itself when booting up The Great Circle – also explains to the more pearl clutching among the game’s audience that its story and contents “are not intended to and should not be construed in any way to condone, glorify, or endorse the beliefs, ideologies, events, actions, persons, or behavior of the Nazi and fascist regimes, nor any other regimes or to trivialize any war crimes, genocide, and other crimes against humanity.”
While MachineGames’ message is particularly egregious due to it only being included because some players are unable to separate fiction from reality, as noted above, it is far from the first such ‘content disclaimer’ to be included in a contemporary video game title.
From Destroy All Humans! 2: Reprobed warning players that the game’s original ‘sex change sidequest’ had been included without any edits, to the Tomb Raider I-III Collection apologizing for the series’ “harmful impact”, to Ubisoft apologizing for how “some characters and cultural references contain stereotypes” in Beyond Good & Evil – 20th Anniversary Edition, the current era of video games has gone to great (but ultimately unnecessary) lengths just to keep themselves in the good graces of sociopolitical ‘watchdogs’.
All in all, while its inclusion is embarrassing for MachineGames (and truthfully, insulting to the vast, vast majority of players who would never have assumed such a link between ‘depicting Nazis as bad guys’ and ‘endorsing their ideology wholeheartedly’), it’s unlikely that the disclaimer will be removed before Indiana Jones and the Great Circle hits shelves on December 9th.
They've taken the 'hot' women characters and made them fugly.
A few of the 'woke' games have been major flops already.
Leftism ruins everything it touches.
“They’ve taken the ‘hot’ women characters and made them fugly.”
Looking at the top 25 I don’t see your point.
https://www.ranker.com/list/list-of-female-video-game-characters/video-game-info
I still hold opinion that 2003, or right around the time of the release of the first Call of Duty was the high water mark of PC gaming. Prior to that you had titles that were well written, probably on account of graphics that weren’t the greatest, but ever improving, so story, game mechanics, and playability had to be worthwhile. Wing Commander featured a naturally diverse cast of pilots, but it was still a classic. Mechwarrior 2: 31st Century combat, you played as a faceless, eugenics born space communist, piloting 20-100 ton war machines. Still an amazing title, amazing soundtrack too. X-Wing, and Tie Fighter, you were a faceless, genderless pilot that flew for the Rebels or the Empire. Great games, both of them. Doom, space marine, shoot stuff. Hexen, pick a wizard, priest, or a warrior, and get to work. The old isometic games like Fallout, or Fallout 2 were good. There was an underrated game I got from a PC gaming magazine demo disk, Strike Squad, that was a blast. They don’t make them like they used to, that’s for damned sure.
Apparently I am deplorable fascist Nazi Garbage according to our Baby Biter President and his extremist progressive Marxist Democrat Party. And there Media cheerleaders and poodle toadies.
I guess I should just wear one of those yellow jackets like Trump’s.
https://babylonbee.com/news/biden-fitted-with-muzzle-so-he-cant-bite-any-more-babies
plagarizing Laz... I’d hit that!! lol...
Just once I would like a developer say, “ < bleep > you activists and the scooter that you rode in on. We are making games that are fun to play. You couldn’t play the first level of Pac-Man. You don’t want to play them, fine. But we ain’t changing diddly or squat.”
That’s what more of the developers should say. But sadly, that’s just a pipe dream.
I do not want to play as a middle aged mom with glasses and a limp.
I want to be dashing and daring. I want to swing on vines not inch my way across a bridge.
I want to shoot lightening bolts at eldritch monsters not make children clean their rooms.
Or I want to be a lost kitten making friends with robots.
That is what is fun.
A “D.E.I.” consultant company called “Sweet Baby” was being hired to ruin various video games.
https://www.geeksandgamers.com/sweet-baby-inc-influenced-tales-of-kenzera-zau-bombs/
The woke games with diverse (ugly) characters bombed so some major releases have been delayed as the companies struggle to remake them.
‘Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Delayed Following ‘Star Wars Outlaws’ Bombing, Woke Concerns
https://cosmicbook.news/assassins-creed-delayed-star-wars-outlaws-bombs
I assume part of the sales price goes to Disney. That makes it a no go for me.
What?! Those chicks are ancient! Tomb Raider is what, 25 years old? Street Fighter? sheeeit.
Yes.
Disney is adding a disclaimer that its portrayal of Darth Vader in no way should be viewed as an endorsement of the Empire as a political organization or ideology.
The WW2 video games have black paratroopers (despite there never being any in actual history) but there are no disclaimers about that inaccuracy.
“What?! Those chicks are ancient! “
2024 is not ancient ...
They have to make that clear? That they don’t support Nazis?
That they even feel the need to say this is evidence of how stupid and ignorant and emotionally immature most people are today.
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