The latest sci-fi shooters like "Killzone 2" look as they played in the First World War. And its plot is about as clever as that of "Landser" booklet from the Fifties. The problem is that the adult games of today are often not only brutal, but also flat and are stupid.
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The war in the nursery was right long ago no longer lobby. Since the beginning of the seventies disappeared increasing willingness to assist the children's plastic toy soldiers and tanks under the Christmas tree to place.
Today, however, again played with enthusiasm war. And with the same friend-foe schema as yesteryear. The shooter "Killzone 2", on the whole gaming world is now
For almost four years of eagerly waiting, shows once again: He is technically brilliant - and about as smart as a "Landser" booklet from the Fifties.
Tin soldiers were in the 18th Century popular, but really came in motion the business of war, played only in the 19th Century, with the triumph of the nation. The fact that boys with Soldätchen, wooden rifles, miniature uniforms and other war material played was with pride and joy welcomed. War for his country was a good, pedagogically valuable national pastime. The emperor and his generals are delighted, and 1914 were the young men flocked enthusiastically into the trenches to send.
Planetary patriotism as a justification for killing
Two world wars and a sexual revolution later, the struggle of a nation against the other as a justification for killing then sometime unpopular. Dying for his country has lost in popularity. But look at the latest high-end production of the games industry, be it a feel that the next World War would once again imminent. Only that this time the opponents from space and not from beyond the Rhine.
In video games there is a clear friend-foe schema by then. These are games for global audiences today made it all worth it not. It has therefore two types of consensus-enemies agreed: It is either fought against evil Nazis (good shooter tradition since "Castle Wolfenstein") or against evil aliens or monsters (good shooter tradition since "Doom"). To head shots with something like pride to be able to compensate, a planetary patriotism summoned. A plot Tumbes needs a world that is so black and white is like "The Longest Day".
"Doom" meets Verdun
In "Killzone 2" (PlayStation 3), on 25 February on the market, vorwärtsverteidigt the player with his comrades the Earth with an invasion against the Helghast, an alien race, even on their home planet with respirator masks always encountered. In "Resistance 2" (PlayStation 3), a fifties-years-to-earth against aliens move with too many eyes and teeth long defended. And in "Gears of War 2 (Xbox 360) cut bulky space marines muskelbepackte fighters from outer space. Technically, all three are brilliant: Who fun stress level of a Landser in a virtual war zone, will they like.
The many millions of euros expensive sci-fi wars of the present game show striking similarity to each other - and to the wars of the earth's past. Always comes with standard fighting arsenals: assault rifle, pistol, grenade, anti-tank rocket. Always, the space-traveling attackers most often with conventional weapons, go on two legs and use firearms, with two arms.
Aliens are just Nazis, only bigger
Sure, there are always also: radiation weapons, giant monsters, walking, rolling, giant flying robots, about opponents, bigger than the normal alien Landser, sometimes with even more eyes, sometimes with only one. Overall, however, the attackers from space Aufgepumpte versions of the evil of the war films of the good old days. Without any irony serves the industry also the iconography of the world (see pictures above line). Aliens are just Nazis, only bigger. Blöd on real World War II is from game developers view yes especially since that one bad giant robots can emerge.
In "Gears of War" was even revived the bayonet. According to Time, of course, when integrated into the assault rifle that chainsaw, with the enemy in close combat entzweischneiden leave. "Doom" meets Verdun. What, incidentally, that the reason might be that the game in Germany, not even on the market was not yet part one of the recently released part two.
The Emperor's would probably pleased
The success of the industry but are right: All those with massive production effort produced World War-with-aliens-simulations are selling. It should also cater for "Killzone 2" re-enter the game comes with the trade so far gone well. From stunning graphics and captivating atmosphere is talk.
Narrative and ideological, but these titles are on the level of a World War II movie from the fifties: evil aliens as enemies allow racist outbursts in the off-text, as John Wayne was then also against the Japanese could still afford extras. The simple good-evil scheme to make the killing a little doubt true. The action is limited to a completely arbitrary, solely on difficulty and size spectacle orderly sequence of "operations" - at the end of which is always saving the world.
The outbreak of Tumbes this scheme have been some attempts, the most successful with their Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto "series (" GTA "). It is the player to always broken heroes on an ambivalent figure whose murder is not due to global patriotism justified. In the expansion pack just released "The Lost and the Damned" for
"GTA IV" (Xbox 360), the player is a rocker, which is a drug-addicted psychopaths as chief needs mucking around - no role for John Wayne, but rather one for Sean Penn.
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Such titles will require censorship and Games enemies is always a prime example of the depravity of the whole medium is used - also because the murder victim is to look like real people. These include Rockstar titles in its satirical ambivalence to the few who step over the Tumbes "killing is good, as long as it meets the right" of most shooters go.
Kaiser Wilhelm II had "GTA" is not understood. On the other hand, if he had to "Resistance 2", "Gears of War 2" and "Killzone 2" probably had its bright happiness.
