One of the games that comes to mind is “Left 4 Dead 2.” Though the game isn’t out yet, it’s already causing an uproar. Set in New Orleans, players will have to fight their way through hordes of zombies – with several of them who appear to be African-Americans. When I saw the first trailer for the game, all I could think about was Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath. Setting the game in a city that was scene of dead, bloated bodies floating by so soon afterward was a bad call, IMHO. The city has had enough to deal with — Valve, you should have spared them, even if it’s just a video game.

Is he reaching? In my opinion I think he has a point. But I don’t think Valve intentionally picked the sensitive nature of New Orleans on purpose. Maybe they wanted to just switch things up right? But that’s not where he stops he goes on to name a few games to come to the conclusion that racism in gaming is the norm?

So I ask my fellow Koalition heads: Is racism in gaming becoming the norm? Or are people being to sensitive?

Make sure you answer in our forums, we want to know what you think!

Courtesy of G4TV.com

Now I will explain the difference between something that is not original and something that is not original but different in it’s own right. Not original: Ninja Blade compared to Ninja Gaiden. Not original but different: Ninja Gaiden compared to Devil May Cry. Now Ninja Gaiden might not have been the first game with the elements of running, jumping, and sword combos, but it is one well known for it’s action. Ninja Blade on the other hand is like if someone was asked to renovate a house and all they did was splash a new coat of paint on it. Still the same house, just new paint, and not necessarily good paint either. Games like Ninja Blade flood the market with nothing more than to make a quick buck off the general gaming community, and although that’s a prominent strategy for more than just games, it’s just getting to the point where games that should be highlighted get lost in a sea of generic video games. And it’s not like these games don’t have the polish to outshine the rest; it’s more like the majority of the other games are polished as well, just with the cheaper brand. It’s like wearing fake Jordan’s; yea they look like the real thing, but there is a better quality shoe, and when you look closer you notice quite a few abnormalities like an “ass crack”.

I fully support independent game designers and those pursuing their dreams, but it seems as if more and more companies are becoming more like the music industry; picking generic projects to appeal to current market trends rather than be innovative and stray into something different. Understand, that this method has been used for decades by many businesses aside from the gaming industry. The reason I’m addressing it however is due to its growth. It seems as if it is getting worse. Yes, we had generic games on past systems, but due to the limitations of the systems in the past it was harder to be innovative and original with how you would “want” to envision your game (didn’t hurt that the dev kits back then were relatively expensive for its time and harder to obtain). Now however dev kits are more accessible, but it seems with the advancement of technology the developers are limiting themselves more so than the system itself. What I’m saying has been said for many many years, but it’s starting to get out of hand. We used to get excited over games that stood out from the rest, as opposed to games that claimed to be similar to another game, but better in innovation. It’s sad to say, but we may never see that day again if this continues. Maybe we need a media renaissance, who knows?

Even Obama Gave Rep. Joe Baca The What He Say? Look

[The bill] creates a new rule within the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which forces games with a Teen rating or higher to be sold with a simple warning label, reading: “WARNING: Excessive exposure to violent video games and other violent media has been linked to aggressive behavior.”

That last line gets a bit more scary. “Other Violent Media”. So will they start labeling Dvds now? I cant front though, If they were going to do this to games only my first argument would be “What about violent movies?” and criticized them for not taking a shot at the film industry. But I’m not fooled either. They may only want to attack video games but included the “other media” argument to shut people like me up. Didn’t work.

Here’s the latest statement from Mr. Baca:

The video game industry has a responsibility to parents, families, and to consumers – to inform them of the potentially damaging content that is often found in their products. They have repeatedly failed to live up to this responsibility. Meanwhile research continues to show a proven link between playing violent games and increased aggression in young people. American families deserve to know the truth about these potentially dangerous products.We must hold the video game industry accountable and do everything in our power to ensure parents are aware of the detrimental effects that violent games can have before making decisions on which games are appropriate for their children to play. I am proud to introduce the Video Game Health Labeling Act of 2009, and am hopeful my legislation can work to stop the growing influence of violent media on America’s children and youth.

I guess he’s never heard of the ESRB. What are your thoughts?

[via gamepolitics]

]]> http://www.thekoalition.com/video-games-kill-like-cigarettes/feed/ 3 http://www.thekoalition.com/ufc-fighter-fired-for-not-signing-up-for-game/ http://www.thekoalition.com/ufc-fighter-fired-for-not-signing-up-for-game/#comments Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:36:01 +0000 Edward V http://www.thekoalition.com/?p=4043 UPDATE: John Fitch has signed the contract. Kids, fight for what you believe in.

UFC has released the welterweight no 1. contender, John Fitch, and several other fighters for not signing an exclusive image rights for UFC games. And from my understanding, the contract was for a lifetime deal. John Fitch made a statement saying “We thought that was kind of crazy, Why would you sign anything away for your lifetime?” So from the looks of it don’t expect him in the UFC game. Although I must admit, I don’t know a damn thing about UFC, but their playing some dirty tricks over there. Barry Bonds was never fired when he declined to do video games. So message to all athletes, sign or die.

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