Baghdad Gamer Discusses Iraq's Videogame Past

Thanks to Salon.com for its article [ad click-thru required] profiling the videogame-playing, Baghdad-based owner of the 'Healing Iraq' weblog, as previously referenced in Slashdot Games articles. The weblog author, Zeyad, explains how he "started playing Sierra adventure games" like Leisure Suit Larry when he was 11 or 12, and "learned a lot about American culture from these games." He goes on to note that the Iraqi secret police had agents "whose jobs were to play and finish these games to find out if there was any mention of Iraq or Saddam", recounting the rumors that "there was a specific code or combo [in Mortal Kombat] that would spawn Saddam Hussein and his bodyguards to finish the opponent." Zeyad also criticizes the realism of some Iraq-based games such as Conflict: Desert Storm, pointing out that "the voice acting was terrible - the Iraqi soldiers talked in an Egyptian accent."

Comments

He learned all about the US from *what*?

[johannesg]

Well, that certainly explains a few things... If your only contact with western civilisation is through Leisure Suit Larry and Mortal Kombat, I understand why they hate it so much.

Re:He learned all about the US from *what*?

[Anonymous Coward]

One would think they'd have a better attitude. If someone can rip my spine out, I tend to be a little more polite and non-confrontational.

And if they're an undead ninja with the ability to teleport behind me, well then I'm down right gracious.

Re:He learned all about the US from *what*?

[torpor]

... and of course the same could be said for Americans whose only contact with Iraqi's is through CNN, Desert Warrior, et al.

Its actually not a funny observation, in my opinion. If only there were a "naive" tag.

Re:He learned all about the US from *what*?

[torpor]

I never said Americans hate Iraqi's, only that their opion of them is gleaned from CNN and other fascist tools of the American propaganda machine, such as video games.

Well, I didn't say the fascist part, but responses like yours prompt me to break out such wonderful vernacular.

Re:He learned all about the US from *what*?

[torpor]

No, listen, you sad human being.

The original posters *ASSERTION* that Iraqi's hate Americans comes from his observation of Iraqi's through American Media.

*That* is my point. Iraqi's hating Americans == a meme of the American Propaganda Machine.

(Not to say Iraq and most Middle East nations don't have a propaganda machine, mind... and I'm sure that more than a few Iraqi's actually do hate America, and Americans, and frankly I think they have good cause to.)

As for your lame understanding of the structure of American Media, this is from a couple years back:

Maj. Thomas Collins, U.S. Information Service has confirmed that "psyops" (psychological operations) personnel, soldiers and officers, have worked in the CNN headquarters in Atlanta. The lend/lease exercise was part of an Army program called "Training With Industry." According to Collins, the soldiers and officers, "... worked as regular employees of CNN. Conceivably, they would have worked on stories during the Kosovo war. They helped in the production of news."

When asked if the introduction of military personnel into a civilian news organization was standard operating procedure, one source said, "That question is above my pay grade ... but I hope so. It's what we do."

The CNN military personnel were members of the Airmobile Fourth Psychological Operations Group, stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. One of the main tasks of this group of almost 1200 soldiers and officers is to spread 'selected information.' Critics say that means dissemination of propaganda.


The Pentagon has agents in -every- major American news corporation. It is an operational and key part of the PATRIOT Act, and the various bills which created the Department of Homeland Security, which also has agents in all major media outlets in the US.

Stupid fucking cowards can't reply with anything so they just mark down shit they don't agree with (or, most likely, don't comprehend).


Fascist:

defn. : A reactionary or dictatorial person.

American Fascism. It exists. It is real. You can observe its effects in 10 minutes of discussion with any American Teenager.

Mortal Kombat code?

[Hackie_Chan]

Agh! I'm a Mortal Kombat-fanatic and I haven't even heard about that Saddam-code that he's talking about. Anybody got a screenshot to share? :-)

Re:Mortal Kombat code?

[WalrusKing]

Isn't that the Super Contra code for 10 lives?

Re:Mortal Kombat code?

[Trejkaz]

No, that was Right-Left-Down-Up-A-B-Start, baka.

The code I just posted is a backwards version of the Konami code, which was in a lot of Konami games in what we would now call the dark ages. I was making a gag that Saddam was backwards but you, sir, fail it! (The "Stop" should have been a give-away. Since when was there a stop button?)

Re:Mortal Kombat code?

[AzraelKans]

Im not sure, but the code he mentions is not from Mortal Kombat is from Mexican Kombat a small game made In Mexico (in My Un to be exact) that went to sale quite a while ago. I would be really surprised if It got that far, but Saddam does appear there and the name looks a like since is a "homage" of MK so I dont know maybe thats what he is talking about.

Saddam Hussein does not appear in any MK and I have played them all back to back, there are some weird codes here and there but theres not even a hint of Saddam anywhere. Maybe he is confusing him for other character?

I learnt US culture by watching US porn..

[Anonymous Coward]

I learned that all US girls have fake tits.
I learned that the washing machine repair guy doesn't know anything about repairing things.
I learnt that Americans can't cope with complex plots.

Re:I learnt US culture by watching US porn..

[haxor.dk]

I suppose you also think that all American men are never impotent, and thus don't need viagra.

How about american men often engaging in gang bangs, and high-fiving each other when they do a facial cumshot on a girl?

Re:unfair

[Per Wigren]

how many different ways are there to say "a-dobba dobba dobba?"

USUQA M'DIQ

Girls Gone Wild

[Anonymous Coward]

Just wait until they get a copy of Girls Gone Wild...

Lovely

[limekiller4]

From the original post:
"Zeyad, explains how he 'started playing Sierra adventure games' like Leisure Suit Larry when he was 11 or 12, and "learned a lot about American culture from these games."

What? He learned that we're a bunch of seersucker-wearing middle-aged viagra-crazed nitwits who like to spend our extra time fishing for rings in ladies bathrooms, root through ashtrays for hints and buy wine from places that sell condoms too?

That's just ...great. No wonder why they don't want us there...

Re:Lovely

[GonzoDave]

What? He learned that we're a bunch of seersucker-wearing middle-aged viagra-crazed nitwits who like to spend our extra time fishing for rings in ladies bathrooms, root through ashtrays for hints and buy wine from places that sell condoms too? We live in constant fear of murderous cars as well

Re:Lovely

[daehrednud]

Hey, it was Spanish Fly, viagra wasn't out in the market yet.

The Desert Storm footage on CNN...

[wheresdrew]

...did look an awful lot like Missle Command.

Well we stumped them!

[odorf]

How would they have ever guessed "Death Angel" in police quest really reprsented Saddam? And what about Ganandorf, We all know that he was based on Hitler. We've been doing that for years! Silly people will never realize that the only reason we have video games is to pass secret information from one player to another!

Egyptian accent only?

[DutchSchultz]

That game ("Conflict: Desert Storm") is fine by the "Delta Force: Task Force Dagger" standards. There in a level I could hear the afgans to talk in Russian. Ok, there were Russians in the past. But these are the mujahidins - they hate Russians...

Re:Whatever goofball.

[Golias]

"the voice acting was terrible - the Iraqi soldiers talked in an Egyptian accent."

As opposed to real Iraqi soldiers, who speak American English with Farsi or Arabic accents.

What a dumbass.

What does this tell you?

[Klatoo55]

I think that people often overlook that we are known by our exports. When I travel to South America, I am offered Coke because I am an American, and that's "what Americans drink". What does our entertainment say about us? Do we really want to be known for Vice City?