[NSFW] Hatred (Video Game): Is This Too Far?


Recommended Posts

This game is ultra violent.

WARNING - NSFW

Another WARNING - (I imagine) Many people may find the subject matter brutal and disturbing.

http://youtu.be/RrX7G-1xPLs

 

Kotaku Article: The Kind of Video Game Violence That Disturbs Me

Hatred is a game about the wanton slaughter of people fueled by nothing but pure, well, hatred. Its trailer came out this week, and many people found it to be upsetting, even deplorable. Video games, however, frequently revel in over-the-top violence. So why is everybody talking about this game in particular?
First off, here's the trailer. Fair warning: it's exceedingly graphic and depicts the slaughter of horrified people who scream and plead for their lives. It's not pretty.
 
It has, of course, also gotten a crazy amount of attention, which makes sense given that its entire announcement campaign smacked of a thinly veiled grab at publicity. "Bring [the trailer] everywhere and let the haters hate! (And they will, oh they will...)," the developers wrote. They proudly trumpeted their alleged lack of "political correctness" or affiliation to art/any kind of message?despite, in doing so, making a very pointed political statement?and generally leaned on how different they thought they were being.
 
Thing is, they really weren't. This is just a footnote in a book with many, many chapters. ThePostal series?which is about killing everybody, aka "going postal"?centers around this exact kind of scenario. Grand Theft Auto can be just like this if you choose to rampage around or merrily skip down the sidewalk except, you know, in your car. Blood snaking and pooling, innocents scattering and screaming until their lungs cave in. In some ways, it's even worse inGTA, if you think about it. In a world that offers you all sorts of other options?from stunt driving to tennis?you choose to treat (virtual) human lives like ants in a pesky anthill. Which is not to say I think playing that way is wrong. I'm just pointing out how it looks on paper.
 
The short version? This is not new territory for video games.
 
Hatred, however, struck a nerve. It's been tweeted about countless times. Its debut trailer is fast approaching a million views. More importantly, a lot of people have decided to draw their line in the sand and say this?not GTA, not Postal or what have you?is too far. This for a game that handles its subject matter with all the subtlety, nuance, and emotional resonance of teenage metal band's first hit single, "Kill ###### Strangle Scream (ft. DJ I Saw This On TV While My Mom Wasn't Looking)." As Polygon points out, it's limp, wetly-thudding "shock" schlock. It's a barking dog with no teeth.

 

 

Kotaku Article continued here.

 

I have to say I am torn here on this one. It seems like it is done in poor taste.

However I am also all for free speech.

But is this an example of free speech going too far?

Is that however not incredibly hypocritical to even ask? If one is for free speech, there should technically be no such thing as going too far.

 

With all that said, it actually looks like the gameplay itself, not the acts happening in the gameplay, but the shooting mechanics and the environment reacting to everything, looks like it could be decent. It also has a pretty decent visual aesthetic going on in the gameplay. The cutscenes, not so much. They are very amateurish.
 

I also see plenty of people making the argument if a game like Hotline Miami is okay, which FTR I loved it myself, I even kickstarted an action figure based on it, well if Hotline Miami is okay, why is this game not okay?

 

Neogaf closed down a 37 page thread about this game and said it will "receive no oxygen here," and compared it to a bunch of games I never heard of. Seems like I am better off that I have not heard of them.

 

In that thread there are already claims of the developers also contain some people that are neo-nazi's. If that does wind up being true, and they are releasing this game as some sort of manifesto or something along those lines, this game takes on a whole other meaning. Apparently that will be addressed in an update to the Polygon Interview.

 

I can say this. The developers behind this new it was going to stir some controversy. They absolutely achieved that end result. There is already talks both Steam and GOG will not carry the game.

 

What do people think?

Ultimately I am torn. I can sincerely say that. I do lean more towards the side of it is too much though. I will be 40 years old in a few months and my tolerance for stupid ###### is at an all time low, so perhaps that is why.

 

Again though I do come back to the whole free speech thing. If I am not going to be a hypocrite about it, which I try not to be, than I should be in favor of this game existing. It is just hard considering everything going on in the world today. I think the Kotaku article makes some good points as to why.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sounds like my kind of game. 
Ive seen much much worse games then this, and there is certainly much worse things on tv and in the cinema. 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

i have played the games with way more brutality then that, and they were action games.    then there are horror games!    seriously worse than that.

 

 

i don't know why they are picking on this one!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The reason they are picking on this game is that in most other games (GTA aside), the objects of your hatred are generally "enemies" (zombies, robots, nazis, pirates, guys with pyramids for heads, ###### 9-year olds with bad parents who just called you a <snipped>, etc.).

 

In GTA, running NPC's over in your car is generally not the object of the game (just a fun pastime).  There are other options for gameplay like taking selfies.

 

For once, Faux News and other pearl-clutching "gamers are killers" sources would be right in referring to this as a murder-simulator.

Edited by Nick H.
snip
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nothing wrong with playing a murder simulator.
Just like theres nothing wrong with playing Truck simulator or Goat Simulator.

Its when you go full retard and snap and do that crap for real, thats when it becomes a problem.
 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

There has been murder simulator's in the past and will be murder simulator's in the future. The only reason this is getting so much spotlight right now is the SJW/Tumblrcrap etc.

 

Postal and Manhunt are both on steam, if they disallow this they are really just pandering to that very small vocal crowd now. But from a company that hasn't released a good game in a decade and makes it's money from hats I wouldn't be very surprised either way.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some People: I am offended in a politically correct fashion

Me: Please have an "All American" or "2nd Amendment" achievement, please, please.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It'll probably suck. Games that go straight for controversy usually do. I find it odd they are citing political correctness in gaming as a motivation for making this. Is there too much PC in gaming? I hadn't noticed. If you want to make a murder sim, just do it, don't pretend you are combating some negative aspect of gaming culture for everyone else's benefit  :rolleyes:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I played the first Carmageddon games for a long time. In those games, we ran over, slaughtered, trampled thousands of people. I play Battlefield, in BF4 I killed 4663 soldiers so far, in BF3 5700.

 

I never had the desire to replicate those things in real life, because I can distinguish fiction from reality.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Can be improved by making the main character a clown, and lose the duke voice.

John Wayne Gacy on a spree! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sounds like my kind of game. 

Ive seen much much worse games then this, and there is certainly much worse things on tv and in the cinema. 

 

Can you give an example of some of the worse games you've seen? There was Postal which was about the same premise with more primitive graphics. But what have you seen in line with the sole focus being killing as many innocent people as you can. Even the Carmageddon games and such were a little more removed and in more of an fantasy setting. This is depicting real world type environment in the age of mass school shootings, and other mass shootings.

 

Do you really think sitting alone playing this over and over won't have some deleterious psychological effect on the player?

 

I do like the engine, too bad they didn't make a dungeon crawler with it. But alas, that would be too much work. Running killing as many defenseless innocents had to require less coding, creativity, and thought.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

looks awesome if you ask me, no worse than GTAV imo

 

 

didn't you enjoy wolfenstein though DL? I also think its somewhat odd that you create this thread when your avatar is over the top violence

I really have to ask, did you take the time to actually read what I wrote or did you just respond right away. Did you miss the parts where I said this...

 

With all that said, it actually looks like the gameplay itself, not the acts happening in the gameplay, but the shooting mechanics and the environment reacting to everything, looks like it could be decent. It also has a pretty decent visual aesthetic going on in the gameplay. The cutscenes, not so much. They are very amateurish.

 

I also see plenty of people making the argument if a game like Hotline Miami is okay, which FTR I loved it myself, I even kickstarted an action figure based on it, well if Hotline Miami is okay, why is this game not okay?

 

As I said, ultimately I am torn. If this game is in fact developed by neo-nazis as a way to spread their hateful message, I have an issue with that just like I have an issue with other people that spread their hateful messages in media. 

 

See, I am capable of seeing both sides here. I am not sure why everything has to be so black and white. I am capable of seeing the gray in most situations, especially here.

 

And I absolutely love Wolfenstein. You mean the game where you go back in time and fight the nazi's and also fight killer mutants and eventually fight on the moon? You mean that realistic game?  :rofl: There is no comparison here. One is clearly stylized over the top violence and another is pretty damn realistic.

 

And seriously? My avatar, which is promoting the fact that headshots in video games are more accurate with a keyboard and mouse, is comparable to this game? Seriously? And is, as you said, "over the top." I see nothing in this game that is over the top like my Avatar. Nothing. It all looks pretty damn realistic.

 

Maybe you are not understanding the fact I have NO PROBLEM with video game depicted violence. However I might have a problem with this game if everything I have read about it winds up being true. And even then I might not have a problem.

 

I have to think you did not take the time to read anything I wrote, as I ultimately said I was torn, and I should ultimately have no issue with this game existing. Which I do not. I was just presenting both sides of the argument to try and stir some conversation. Instead it is pointed out how you think I am a hypocrite because of my avatar?  :rolleyes: Way to miss the ######ing point entirely.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There has been murder simulator's in the past and will be murder simulator's in the future. The only reason this is getting so much spotlight right now is the SJW/Tumblrcrap etc.

 

Postal and Manhunt are both on steam, if they disallow this they are really just pandering to that very small vocal crowd now. But from a company that hasn't released a good game in a decade and makes it's money from hats I wouldn't be very surprised either way.

 

I don't think they should disallow it. The debate, negative press should be enough to make people aware. It's not the most mentally healthy way for someone to spend an afternoon, but people on the fringe that snap have done so without games like this so one can't argue it shouldn't be made I guess. But if you're aware, you probably don't want the introverted reclusive teen who has been torturing the neighborhood animals playing it much ...

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

As I said, ultimately I am torn. If this game is in fact developed by neo-nazis as a way to spread their hateful message, I have an issue with that just like I have an issue with other people that spread their hateful messages in media. 

 

 

I would actually NOT have a concern if it was developed by neo-nazis, and would actually encourage them to have the protagonist wear a red Nazi armband to clearly identify such. Everyone knows their antisocial sociopathic misfits. It's actually having the protagonist be an unaffiliated "person" just fed up, that allows anyone to identify and immerse themselves in it that is more disturbing. Still, in today's world, it's OK. Just distasteful. The trailer sticking a gun in a defenseless woman's mouth and blowing her head off is actually more disturbing to me than the game, lol.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This game will be banned, guaranteed. They might as well have made the lead character a bullied schoolkid, not much finesse to it is there?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

As I said, ultimately I am torn. If this game is in fact developed by neo-nazis as a way to spread their hateful message, I have an issue with that just like I have an issue with other people that spread their hateful messages in media. 

 

That's what I'd be concerned with, and the main reason I would not support such a game. The game is fantasy, the people who created it are real. I dislike anything associated with real life bigots, racists or simply morons.

 

If not true, then I would just ignore the game if I didn't want to play it. I'm not put off by violence, blood, gore, or any fantasized acts - Movies have been far more descriptive, explicit and boundary pushing than games for a long time. I do agree as games are interactive they cannot be compared to movies 1:1, however the actual acts that actors carry out are just as brutal if not more so than in gaming. People fantasize in dreams about being actors/fictional characters just as much as lead protagonists in games I'd bet. Just because something is interactive doesn't mean it will heighten fantasizing alone.

 

Gaming has the unfortunate scars of the media going bonkers to pin real life crimes on them. So in most cases developers shy away from telling tales similar to some of the most profound movies in fear of being associated with horrendous crimes. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This topic is now closed to further replies.