Comments on: Is Halo Antisemitic?

By: Echelon730

Echelon730 — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 06:48:59 +0000

There are some games out there that because of their genre’s limitations it really doesn’t work. But then there are games like one, I want to say its called Surviving Darfur, which is about the genocide that is currently happening in Africa right now. It directly tackles the issue. To bad the game itself is Meh at best.

Social issues can used in games. In many different ways, but sometimes they aren’t even programmed. I would love to see a sociologist study the microcosm of the human race that is World of Warcraft. A game that has all the issues of the real world but none of the real life impact.

Its not an easy this to explain because games and people are dynamic, America right now is a very divided country and I don’t think that people are going to venture outside of their group when it comes to other people that is a much more directed message like movies and documentaries. However if you can get people to play out social discourse maybe we can find some common ground with the other side.

By: Soliduz_Znake

Soliduz_Znake — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 19:08:00 +0000

I gave those examples that mentions of social issues because I mistaken what you meant. I did not think you meant as tackling issue in gameplay. But what do you mean by social gameplay???? do you mean games on social networks? or defining a game as hardcore or casual? multi-player?I looked up the word and I did not get a definition of ‘social gameplay’ that is closely to related what you have said. Otherwise I don’t think that could work. I mean sure you could introduce a game based around a social issue but how would that tackle social issues? It’s like making a board game to tackle the issues of illegal immigration. Did I understand what you meant or am I mistaken?

By: Echelon730

Echelon730 — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 14:28:22 +0000

All 2 of the games that you mentioned aren’t using the social issue as gameplay, they are used as window dressing.

Deus Ex being the exception.

Think of the issue of gay marriage, a rather hot topic in America and most of the western world.

Turn that into social gameplay.

Bioshock effectively took the idea of stem cell research and used it as game play with the the rest of the world covered in the colors of the 1st world Zeitgeist.

Metal Gear is just a ham fisted attempt to explain why there is war. Outside of being piss poor on the gameplay front, the overly long cutscenes did nothing to explore the social issues of today.

By: DaveBrickheart

DaveBrickheart — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 06:06:29 +0000

Antisemitism at this level of complexity would have to be intentionally built into it, and I highly doubt it was. So your suggestion that its just the addition of biblical terminology to just add some layers to the game is probably a good bet. That’s what Anno did in Evangelion, and people breathe a lot more into that then there really is.

By: Soliduz_Znake

Soliduz_Znake — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 19:51:15 +0000

dude where have you been these years? don’t you know there are games that already do tackle or at least mention social issues not that necessarily all of them to do with present problems. I’ll give you examples like Metal Gear Solid, Deus Ex and Red Dead Redemption.

By: Soliduz_Znake

Soliduz_Znake — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 19:32:02 +0000

I never said your argument was all wrong. I simply pointed out the some points that contradicted your view of halo as racist and sexist game. plus how is my definition of racism and sexism narrow? just because the hero is white, blonde and has blue eyes does not necessarily means Nazism. If Cortana does not convince you how other women characters like Miranda Keys, Dr. Catherine Halsey and Catherine-B320 a female spartan. Are they portrayed as weak, sexy and stupid characters in the game? do they not share in the fight against the covenant equally as men do? or is it because Cortana, an AI that guides Master Chief, is portrayed as a naked woman made you automatically feel she was purposely made as a sex object? if these points did not convince you then please do give us your definition of what racism and sexism is?

By: Echelon730

Echelon730 — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 18:08:38 +0000

I have always found the theological aspects of the Halo series as a way to give players a sense of fore shadowing.

I am a secular individual but was raised Lutheran, so I know the stories and I know how it seems to people of faith. However I think that if you follow the expanded universe in the books, Halo tries to take the bold approach that History mimics fiction and that everything that is religious texts was written as a result of the Forerunners, the Flood, and the interactions with the Human Race. Which could be more insulting in some ways.

I know its not my place to comment having shed religion from my life, but while it is important to know such things may lead to bigotry from the less educated, its is important to note that video games are escapism and that is the point that any game dev should focus on most.

I think the next question that should be asked is, gaming as a medium of entertainment ready to tackle social issues? Has it matured enough, or should we just be content with throwing birds at green pigs.

By: Penn0086

Penn0086 — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 16:50:54 +0000

Also i always felt Cortana was a symbolized Athena to Master Chief’s Ulysses. You can pretty much replace all the symbolism with symbolism of other times and stories for what is pointed out in the article, it just depends on how deep you want to go.

By: Penn0086

Penn0086 — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 16:45:38 +0000

Actually they kind of were a society, teams were rediculously loyal within their individual units, taking a look back at the expanded universe or even just halo reach they trained with one another from childhood and withstood painful surgeries and implants to become what they were. as for the sexism take a look at my post above, there are alot of women in halo, important characters who are not sexualized in any way, so it sort of reversed your claim cortana is a kind of hot super intelligent being is the 1 vs many exception to the rule and only because she looks attractive.

By: Penn0086

Penn0086 — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 16:38:35 +0000

First, I think there is quite a bit of reading too far into it in your theory as far as the naming conventions the covenant, there’s not really a whole lot of 1 word names for an alien race that is made up of many races that would sound cool and stick in something meant to be an epic, i think if you are going to look in as far as ‘ his eyes are blue ‘ you have to examine things like the blatant social classing of the aliens and such as well, also, the way i interpret his eyes becoming blue is more of a lighting up behind the eyes and this is not the cut out for all spartans, that was just noble 6 all the spartans in noble team were very different individuals and from the different ways they spoke were likely multi ethnic, and to counter the sexism arguement, cortana is the only sexualized female ive run into in the game, and she’s hyper intelligent, all the female marines you run into and several canonical female spartans( the one on nobel teams comes to the forefront ) do not paint women in a sexist manner. While it is fun to hypothesize aside from the john 117 thing i think you have to reach a little too far to connect the words to something else, just my 2 cents.