Y’know, back in my day, we didn’t have hundred man teams working on a realistic way to rip the head off of an Olympian god in stunningly graphic detail. No, we had to use our imaginations when we wanted blood, violence and gore. And war crimes. And the Red Cross isn’t digging any of that simulated violence.
Thanks to the unstoppable march of graphics in video games, the International Committee of Red Cross has asked the video game industry to create some sort of punishment system in their game for those players who would dare commit war crimes.
“Video games that are representing battlefields are very close to reality and actually it’s very difficult to [tell] the difference between real footage and the footage you can get from video games,” Francois Senechaud said in an interview with the BBC via GamaSutra.
We are arguing that we have to get even closer to reality and we also have to include the rules of conflict [as well].
Look, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Fremen child soldiers are rather bloody good on the battlefield. Erm, moving on, there’s a bunch of stuff that we can do in games that the Hague would frown on. Acts such as torture, civilian casualties and not respecting those prisoner of war rules.
Fortunately for the Red Cross, implementing a slap on the wrist Quick-Time Event shouldn’t be too difficult. Why, I hear that Battlefield 4 will also have a parallel gameplay experience that allows players to sit down in their local parliament/congress and listen to politicians be as ineffectual as ever.
Now if you’ll pardon me, the spice must flow. Over the bodies of those Harkonnen civvies because it’s quicker route.
Last Updated: October 2, 2013
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SaintsRowNigri
October 2, 2013 at 10:13
Damn it! If Hitler could have only played the PC version of Command and Conquer (PC as in Politically Correct) back in the 40’s, we would have had none of this World War II shit! Because there is nothing that will stop power hungry dicks (sorry dictators) like having to pay over a billion dollars worth of ore over to help starving virtual children…
Hammersteyn
October 2, 2013 at 10:16
Hows about the Red Cross gives a slap on the wrist to Warlords in Somalia or Obama. You know, the people who are actually killing thousands of civilians every year. Stop focusing on peoples hobbies and work on the real issue even if they aren’t the UN
Also I clicked like a Red Cross post on facebook. I’ve done my good deed for the year.
Hillbilly gamer
October 2, 2013 at 10:39
Agree…short Africa, North Korea and Guantanamo Bay out first then we will talk again.
Brian Murphy
October 2, 2013 at 15:04
Good luck with Gitmo though, really, trying to get involved in the country who provides the most funding and material support to the UN couldn’t possibly have an adverse affect, especially with the divisiveness going on in the US right now.
Admiral Chief of Rivia
October 2, 2013 at 10:26
Heh
http://www.geekation.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Geekation_TreeArmyPrivateWood.gif
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
October 2, 2013 at 10:38
Dick Cheney: “yo bro, did you see that?”
George Bush: “yo ma n**, wha?”
Dick Cheney: “homie, a damn liberal commie terrorist tree tried to take down our military industrial complex…”
George Bush: Saaayyy whaaaatttt?
Dick CHeney: Fo’shizzle!
George Bush: Aw hell no, playa, this means war… WAR ON TREES! fool!
Rincethis
October 2, 2013 at 10:28
OMW. Red Cross, here you go!
MacDoodle
October 2, 2013 at 10:30
Man these guys should of seen me playing Mercenaries back in the day lol they would of had heart failure!
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
October 2, 2013 at 10:31
Here’s an idea for the Red Cross – Create a video game that deals exactly with those moral issues, or better yet, create a realistic War refugee simulator. Something that teaches gamers (who in most cases are sheltered) about war and the effect of war.
SargonTheGreatPandaOfAkkad
October 2, 2013 at 10:37
Having seen what people did to their Sims.. I don’t want to know what gamers would do to their War Refugee. I can already see an attempt to raise a Refugee Army to reclaim lost territory in my minds eye. 😛
But you still make a good point.
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
October 2, 2013 at 10:40
Hahaha! Yeah!
Dommy73
October 7, 2013 at 21:30
Something like DayZ? But instead of zombies there would be armed hostile force?
Admiral Chief of Rivia
October 2, 2013 at 10:35
10k points for Dune reference!
Mark Treloar
October 2, 2013 at 10:44
Seconded. Also does this mean we cant shooting people who are parachuting anymore?
Admiral Chief of Rivia
October 2, 2013 at 10:46
XD
BacchusZA
October 3, 2013 at 02:06
Pffft, you’ve always been allowed to shoot paratroopers in the air. Bailed out aircrew are off-limits, as they’re no longer engaged in combat, but paratroops? It’s open season on them, so pass the ammo & lay your bets on who can get the most before they hit the ground 😉
Mark Treloar
October 3, 2013 at 10:56
no according to the Geneva convention
BacchusZA
October 3, 2013 at 13:48
Common misconception that, but it’s the Geneva Conventions (well, Law of Armed Conflict / International Humanitarian Law actually, which are derived from inter alia the Geneva Conventions) that says you can.
Basic rule of thumb as to who you can shoot at is “is this person a combatant, or non-combatant?”, and paratroopers are definitely combatants, as they are armed soldiers who are actively engaged in combat operations.
Mark Treloar
October 4, 2013 at 13:28
Large woman punches you for “rule of thumb” comment. Your Irish brother leaps to your defense and you both get fired.
BacchusZA
October 4, 2013 at 14:42
Boondock Saints reference, awesome.
You, SIr, may have an upvote.
BacchusZA
October 3, 2013 at 13:58
In case you’re interested – and LOAC / IHL is quite an interesting subject – here’s a link to, appropriately enough, the ICRCs website that deals with the various rules of Customary International Humanitarian Law, specifically Rule 48, which deals with parachuting air-crew, and paratroopers.
http://www.icrc.org/customary-ihl/eng/docs/v2_rul_rule48
Kromas
October 2, 2013 at 10:49
So if I use a thumper to summon a worm and it in turn destroys a city, is it my crime or the worms? For reference I just summoned it cause I wanted to pet it.
SargonTheGreatPandaOfAkkad
October 2, 2013 at 10:40
Games already have built in engines for this sort of thing. Ask the Russians (thinking Metro here). Try not killing ANYONE to actually get the good ending. Or look at Dishonoured. You’ve often got to struggle to get the endings you want by really being human.
Or.. if you play a certain Bioware title.. pick a blue, red, green ending that has nothing at all to do with anything in the Universe other than “pretty”. 😛
Alien Emperor Trevor
October 2, 2013 at 10:42
I’m trying really hard to not kill random people in Hitman Absolution. But then I get frustrated & do it anyway because it’s easier :/
SargonTheGreatPandaOfAkkad
October 2, 2013 at 10:43
That game is on my list of things I need to play before Christmas. How is it? Also.. Hitman can be REALLY difficult. Not killing people was always tough. Love it.
Thief is going to be epic. Kill people? No. Kill torches that light the street with a water arrow? Hell yes!
Alien Emperor Trevor
October 2, 2013 at 10:58
I’ve only just completed the first mission, but it’s good so far. What I really like is the points system for completing a level, and all the different point modifiers you get for completing it in different ways & completing challenges.
I started playing on hard difficulty because “haha how difficult can it be?” Now I’m playing on normal. I’ll go back to that when I replay it.
Matewis Jubilai
October 2, 2013 at 10:56
What I wouldn’t give for a new pureblood PC Dune RTS (sigh) …
Admiral Chief of Rivia
October 2, 2013 at 10:57
Me too dude, me too!
Alien Emperor Trevor
October 2, 2013 at 10:59
I may want a Dune game more than GTAV or HL3.
Brady miaau
October 2, 2013 at 11:00
Indeed
Matewis Jubilai
October 2, 2013 at 11:05
more than GTAV absolutely, but more than HL3? don’t make me choose!! or rather, I see your HL3, and raise you WC4 😉
Brady miaau
October 2, 2013 at 11:01
Replay Dune and Dune 2?
Matewis Jubilai
October 2, 2013 at 11:04
Replayed Dune 2000 two months ago (Gruntmods edition). I should probably try Emperor’s campaign again after I got stuck on the Atreides homeworld in the Harkonnen campaign. But nothing beats the original, in 16:9 highres! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dn_wNMqIgGE
Brady miaau
October 2, 2013 at 11:02
Hi.
Anybody actually read the Dune books?
The Frank Herbert ones?
Easily, for me, the best Sci-Fi book ever written is Dune.
Seraphim
October 2, 2013 at 11:04
I’ve read most of them at least twice.
It’s one of my all time favourite series.
Still need to read Chapterhouse: Dune (I think it’s the last book?)
Alien Emperor Trevor
October 2, 2013 at 11:43
That’s the last one Frank Herbert wrote, then come the new ones written by his son & Kevin J Anderson.
Brady miaau
October 2, 2013 at 12:05
Kevin J Anderson can write reasonably well, read a few of his books.
Together they did quite a good job
Brady miaau
October 2, 2013 at 12:04
Chapter House Dune is awesome! Read it.
Matewis Jubilai
October 2, 2013 at 11:07
Read the first one and it was brilliant. Its like the Lord of the Rings of scifi. I can’t decide which is my favorite scifi novel, the original Dune or Philip K Dick’s “Do androids dream of electric sheep”
Is Brian Herbert’s novels any good?
Seraphim
October 2, 2013 at 11:32
I’ve read some of his and they quite faithfully follow the original Dune’s writing style.
If you enjoyed Dune you’ll probably enjoy Brian Herbert’s novels as well.
Matewis Jubilai
October 2, 2013 at 11:41
that’s good to hear. I might give one a go sometime…
Brady miaau
October 2, 2013 at 12:04
His books are more horror. I did not like them, but I hate hate hate the genre.
His books based on Dune are good, but I refuse to read the one about Butlerian Jihad (latest one I think).
It is nice to see the end of Chapter House Dune, as taken from Frank Herberts notes. Very good
Brady miaau
October 2, 2013 at 12:06
“Do androids dream of electric sheep?” is good, but I think is more good because is throught provoking. Dune is epic, so epic it cannot easily be described. And well thought out and detailed.
Rincethis
October 2, 2013 at 11:08
Yeah. But I can suggest this series called Twilight! OMW, like Sparkle! Trolol! Awesome series of books from Herbert. Should be given more credit in this day and age.
Seraphim
October 2, 2013 at 11:31
The Twilight was one of the funniest series I’ve ever read (except the emo part in book 2).
I laughed myself to tears on nearly every page.
Rincethis
October 2, 2013 at 11:33
I was made to watch the last two movies with my ex gf. I also found it funny, probably one of the reasons she is now an EX.. 0-O
Alien Emperor Trevor
October 2, 2013 at 11:42
“made to watch” uh huh. Which team are you on Rince? Be honest now 😛
Rincethis
October 2, 2013 at 11:44
I could go into detail on ‘how’ she made me sit still and watch, but you may vomit your cornflakes out 😛
Alien Emperor Trevor
October 2, 2013 at 11:51
From laughter, yes. 😉
Rincethis
October 2, 2013 at 11:51
Oi! #alwaysSP
Brady miaau
October 2, 2013 at 12:06
The book has won numerous prizes and awards
Rincethis
October 2, 2013 at 12:10
I know that 😛 Studied it at UNI. I meant look at Lord of the Rings and the fervour over that since the movies. I want that with Dune
Alien Emperor Trevor
October 2, 2013 at 11:41
It’s my favourite sci-fi series of all time. Dune & Chapter House are probably equal favourites for me. I haven’t read them again in years though. Maybe I should marathon the series with the new ones once I’ve finished the Malazan series.
Brady miaau
October 2, 2013 at 12:06
Miles Teg rocks!
Weanerdog
October 2, 2013 at 14:17
Got stuck on Dust of Dreams, just so fricken depressing.
Alien Emperor Trevor
October 2, 2013 at 14:27
I’m only on the 3rd one, got a long way to go. Not enough time to play, read & watch everything I want too. :/
Otto_ki
October 2, 2013 at 11:27
Wait a sec every time I buy a Humble Bundle some of the proceeds go to Red Cross, and if im not mistaken the previous bundle was Retro Shooters.
Admiral Chief of Rivia
October 2, 2013 at 11:29
Hahaha, so it is. So much lulz
Devourer of Small Bunnies
October 2, 2013 at 12:14
I love it when people who dont even play games want to screw with gamers. Its the “Gon’ Full Retard” Syndrome.
Brian Murphy
October 2, 2013 at 14:59
Yeah…I’d like the actual people who’ve committed war crimes to be held accountable for their crimes. Way to take a stand though, Red Cross, those people who’ve done nothing to harm anyone sure are the real issue. Not the asshole Governments, Warlords and dictators committing atrocities.
I sure am glad the Red Cross is around to point out the REAL trouble makers in the world.
B4d R0b0t
October 2, 2013 at 15:38
FYI if you do want to help the victims of war and conflict your hard earned money is better spent here: http://www.msf.org.za/
Than with the Red Cross