Home Gaming PETA is super-happy that there’s no kangaroo violence in Tekken 7

PETA is super-happy that there’s no kangaroo violence in Tekken 7

2 min read
11

Roger (2)

The kangaroo is an odd animal. A marsupial from a continent that was apparently designed by lunatics on nightmare fuel, the Kangaroo is a survivor and an icon of Australia. They’ve been around since the dawn of time and just like the roaches in Joe’s apartment, they’ll probably still be hopping around after our species is long gone.

It’s somewhat fitting then, that Kangaroos have had a long history in popular culture. From being unlockable in Streets of Rage 3/Bare Knuckle 3 and other stuff that escapes my mind right now (sorry Skippy), the most famous ‘roo of them all is easily Roger from the Tekken series. Lean, mean and with a left hook that can shatter any jaw, he happens to be a favourite in any Tekken game that he hops into. Except Tekken 7. You can thank animal rights activists for that.

“There was a video of a man’s dog being headlocked by a kangaroo, and he punched it in the face,” Tekken 7 executive producer Katsuhiro Harada said to VG247 last week.

It turned into a big problem. People were complaining about him punching a kangaroo. It seems that in the last few years there’s a lot more animal activists – even though they probably wouldn’t play our game they would still hear about that, about a kangaroo in our game being punched, and would complain about it.

While the grizzly Kuma is still in Tekken 7 because each paw swipe is strong enough to be classified as an extinction event, Roger is out for the count then. International and somewhat unhinged at times animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is of course, super chuffed about all of this. “PETA trusts in players’ ability to understand that the kangaroo in Tekken 7 wasn’t real, so no animal was in danger—but the outcry over even virtual violence toward a kangaroo shows that today’s public is opposed to cruelty to animals,” said PETA Vice President of Marketing Joel Bartlett to Glixel.

When real-life kangaroos and bears are still being dragged from town to town and bullied into performing circus tricks, video games can help move us toward a kinder future by celebrating animals instead of depicting harm to them. Just as Jun Kazama and the WWWC [Tekken’s in-game wildlife protection organization] fight for animals in the world of Tekken, we ask that people join PETA in standing up for animals in the real world.

That’s a surprisingly balanced opinion from an organisation that once went out of its way to demonise Pokémon and Warhammer. Maybe the world is changing for the better then. Still, I’m somewhat sad that the latest incarnation of Roger is absent from Tekken 7. I’m going to go sate my love for Australia by throwing that silly stick I found in Oz that always manages to come flying back at me.

Last Updated: May 2, 2017

11 Comments

  1. Kromas Ryder

    May 2, 2017 at 11:06

    I strongly dislike PETA.

    Reply

  2. DragonSpirit009

    May 2, 2017 at 11:19

    It’s sad to think that people take gaming so… seriously. Not in the matter of the gaming part but that some people think it’s fine to do the things that happens in games.

    Reply

  3. Raptor Rants

    May 2, 2017 at 11:39

    Kill a gazillion people in a shooter and no one blinks an eye. Punch a virtual Roo….

    Reply

  4. Craig "CrAiGiSh" Dodd

    May 2, 2017 at 11:51

    LOL !!!
    Holy shit … well guys, as long as PETA is happy …

    Reply

  5. Jim of the Banana

    May 2, 2017 at 13:02

    PETA is a really strange organisation; on the one hand they get their panties in a knot over a video game character, but on the other hand, the number of unwanted pets euthanised by PETA is ishocking. I remember years ago, someone looked at the number of pets euthanised by the SPCA (global) and that of PETA, and PETA’s kill-rate was astronomical.

    I’m not anti-kill-shelters (or in favour of no-kill shelters), but what I dislike is their hypocrisy.

    Reply

    • Lucy_P

      May 2, 2017 at 17:59

      I encourage you to visit PETA’s website to see some of the animals they’ve taken in (including those for whom they’ve found excellent, lifelong homes). PETA only takes in the most desperate cases–animals who are suffering so badly that the only compassionate option is euthanasia. It’s heartbreaking work, but thank God they do it, rather than turning away and letting animals suffer just to make their “numbers” look appealing. Please watch this short video to see some of the animals PETA has helped in its community: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oItn9Rm9_sE

      Reply

  6. Lucy_P

    May 2, 2017 at 18:02

    Yeah! Promoting kindness to animals, even in video games, can only be a good thing.

    Reply

  7. Kim Marie

    May 2, 2017 at 18:03

    I am happy about that too. Humans kill billions of animals every year. We don’t need any more violence against animals in this world.

    Reply

  8. Craig Shapiro

    May 2, 2017 at 19:55

    I know I’m old-fashioned, but to me, violence in a “game” doesn’t sit right. I’m glad Roger is sitting this one out. Gamers might take something from his absence, and if they need a fix of blood and mayhem, there’s always the news.

    Reply

  9. For the Emperor!

    May 3, 2017 at 14:06

    “That’s a surprisingly balanced opinion from an organisation…Maybe the world is changing for the better then” – their opinion is only so “balanced” this time because they got their way without even trying. Their methods and behaviour are often ridiculous and sometimes even criminal. I support *most* of their message (stuff like their 40K protest is just stupid), just their delivery of said message is often found wanting.

    As to Roger being missing – I never saw the point of having animals in the Tekken games. They were a “funny gimmick” and nothing more. Didn’t like fighting with or against them.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Check Also

Manchester United Sues Football Manager Over Use of their Name and Fan Mods

Manchester United, that massive global football brand whose fans are as equally annoying a…