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North Korea Angered Over Ghost Recon 2
Fennario writes "According to Stars and Stripes Pacific's translation of a North Korean government newspaper article, UbiSoft's forthcoming Ghost Recon 2 videogame, which envisions a near-future North Korea/China conflict with US involvement, has already attracted the reclusive country's attention. In a curt review, a North Korean government-run newspaper called the game proof of U.S. warmongering. 'Through propaganda, entertainment and movies,' read a recent online commentary in the Tongil Newspaper. Americans 'have shown everyone their hatred for us. This may be just a game to them now, but a war will not be a game for them later. In war, they will only face miserable defeat and gruesome deaths.' Given the steep learning curve of previous incarnations of Ghost Recon, it's conceivable many may face miserable defeat and gruesome deaths anyhow."
"U.S. warmongering"?
Is this North Korean gov't-run paper aware that UbiSoft is not an arm of the American gov't? I could see if America's Army had a similar storyline due to its US Army ties, but this is a Tom Clancy game.
Even if the paper is referring to US citizens instead of the US govt, this game isn't something that a large percentage of our general population will play. This game will be played by video game players who like war games. How much of our population is that? I imagine it's somewhere around 5% - 10% at most. Also, these games seem to me to have no bearing on players' opinions of real war situations. I imagine there will be some people who would be very upset about a US invasion of North Korea who would still enjoy this game, because they have the ability to separate reality from fantasy.
The really interesting thing about this is the insinuation that China would be NK's enemy, and that the US would be on the Chinese side in this conflict. It presumes a lot about China (eg: China really wants to thaw, to become a part of the capitalist world, despite what they say), and a lot about North Korea (the idea that an individual or faction in the military could actually take power from the all-powerful Kim Family Regime).
As a furriner living in South Korea, I'd be interested to see what part South Korea has in this game - that will be the true test of its importance as speculative analogy.
And apart from anything else, this game would pretty much be reason enough for me to buy a gaming rig and install windows on it... though I'd still need to use debian for everything else, natch.
L
The producer from hell
All the creatures will die, And all the things will be broken. That's the law of samurai. (Jubai, 1605)
Because they realize it's a piece of software, played by an insignificant minority, written by an even less significant software company? Just guessing...
--trb
That's not the start of a slippery slope, that's the end of it.
"U.S. warmongering"?
Is this North Korean go>v't-run paper aware that UbiSoft is not an arm of the American gov't?
If you ever have the chance to actually watch the NK news or read it's papers, EVERYTHING is further proof of the US's warmongering. If it rains next Tuesday, it's proof of the US's warmongering. If a French guy eats a taco while on vacation in Mexico, it's proof of the US's warmongering. If something sitting on some guy's desk is a particular shade of red... well, you get the idea.
It's actually quite entertaining to read.
Perhaps he would prefer videogames that are cell-shaded?
Lasers Controlled Games!
I think it's because China allows some degree of free business now, so the people tend to realize that not all companies and media are tools of the government. North Korea, as far as I know, still keeps pretty firm control of the economy, so its easier to tell the people that it works that way everywhere else too. Not that the people neccessarily believe that, but it isn't the people that get mad and yell and throw bombs around.
From Pandemic's Site:
Mercenaries is a revolutionary 3rd person action-shooter game set in the near future and inspired by real world events. On the eve of a historic reunification of North and South Korea, a ruthless general stages a military coup to take control of North Korea and threatens the world with nuclear war. As one of the top operatives for a private mercenaries company called Executive Operations, you have been called in to help collect bounties on the general's top military and scientific advisors.
http://www.lucasarts.com/games/mercenaries/
"You should never have your best trousers on when you turn out to fight for freedom and truth."
-Henrik Ib
Calm down, it was a flippant remark. Besides, have you ever considered what kind of effort will need to be made to bring the people of N Korea out of the psychotic society they are currently in? Have you looked at what Kim Jong Il has done to those people? When that fuel train exploded, there was one grainy ass cameraphone picture and estimates varied between no damage and 3000 dead. Anyone that has actually escaped from N Korea has needed severe psychological help just to adjust to S Korean society.
After looking at what a freaking mess N Korea is in, any sane, rational mind trying to look for a solution would be prone to some very cynical thinking. Given that bombing N Korea back to the Stone Age would slightly upset both the Chinese and S Koreans, and the current prickly issue of credibility behind US military action, not to mention a general malaise for support of genocide in the US, I would think the absurdity of the statement would be obvious.
Arrogance is Confidence which lacks integrity. -- me