I should've worded that differently. I don't blame you for not being more offensive, or political. Making it more offensive (in a satirical manner) is just what I would've done, or would liked to have seen.

This comment was edited on Feb 3, 22:54.

Well, like I said - I didn't set out to "make a statement" or present some sort of "social commentary" about some sort of "issue".
During the SoF2 Closed MP Beta, we discovered a gameplay dynamic that was unique and fun...so I created a gametype based on that. The name just seemed to present itself.

You may argue that there -should- be some sort of commentary about the situation in the Middle East, but you could also argue that there needs to be a car that runs on hydrogen and produces only water vapor as exhaust.
Jihad! was not designed as social commentary on suicide bombers or Anti-American sentiment, and it does not make your car get 200 miles to the gallon, nor does it make perfect eggrolls every time or remove soapscum from your shower tiles. *grin*

I agree that part of becoming a more tolerant civilization is the ability to laugh at each other equally.

I'd be much more excited about this mod if the creator HAD been more bold with it. I UNDERSTAND the difference between entertainment, art, and reality. He should've dressed the bombers in ragged clothes, put towels on their head, and had them running around yelling "Durka durka durka!" (Thank you, Southpark) while chasing an American 'Infidel' in a business suit, that leaves a trail of money and McDonald's wrappers in his wake. THAT would've been something DIFFERENT. It's just a GAME. I laugh when Chris Rock makes fun of white people, I laugh when white guys try to make themselves into a stereotype of a black guy. If we all laughed more, and got offended less, who knows? Maybe Arabs and Israeli's could let loose their differences in a more comedic, and less death-inducing manner. In the meantime, I'm going to keep distinguishing between art and reality.

I'm sorry but it's not like this is a freaking TV show let loose on the children of America in primetime television. It's a mod to violent game rated for adults. I've seen people try to make a mod about killing jews and dressing up in sheets, and I gotta tell ya, I couldn't care less what they do with their time and their copy of the game. If it's fun I'll play, if it's not I won't. I suggest you get off your soapbox and make the same, simple decision any freedom loving adult would.

Look at it this way: This is still much more tasteful than David Letterman's insutling 'jokes' about life in the Middle-East.

Agreed. Nobody ever said that videogames are the last bastion of political correctness, and I doubt any gamer would want it to be.

"Life is not about the second chances. It's about the little mouse, and his voyage to an exciting new land. That, my friend, is what life is." - Dad
This comment was edited on Feb 3, 22:18.

To ReverendTed , why the fuck not make it some social commentary?

I say stand behind the "offense", making fun of suicide bombers isn't exaclty NON-PC. Last I checked murders were still illegal.

"Offensive"
This was something I posted about in another forum.
With Jihad!, regardless of how fun or harmless it was, "offense" was unavoidable. It was only "insult" that I hoped to avoid.
This is why, aside from the name and the score sound, I tried to avoid any specific references to Arabic or Islamic culture, and tried to avoid exploiting stereotypes of that nature: players choose their own player model - there are no turban'd extremists with dynamite strapped to their chests. Suggestions that the Infidel icon be a Star of David were also quickly dismissed.
As I said - the gametype...the gameplay...came first, and the name just happened to "fit".
I didn't set out to make a gametype as some sort of insult, satire, or "social commentary" with the theme as the central idea.

How many games could Blue post about if he worried too much about what he thought might not be PC. Most shoot-em-up type games like GTA, Postal, SOF, and even Quake are found offensive by someone.

-----------------------------------------
Of course I could be wrong... but really, what are the chances of that happening twice?

With that said though, it isn't really something I would of expected to see mentioned on Blues.

You don't expect a Gaming News Site to report on a new Game Mod?

If you analyse anything too much (like the usage of 'satire') you can pick out problems.

Look at it this way: This is still much more tasteful than David Letterman's insutling 'jokes' about life in the Middle-East.

I have no problem with this mod being made or used, it's a free country and I don't see this leading to the physical harming of anyone.

With that said though, it isn't really something I would of expected to see mentioned on Blues.

I hesitated to ues the term "satire" in the editorial note because I felt it may be misleading as to the intentions of the Jihad! gametype. I did not sit down and say "I should make a gametype that pokes fun at suicide bombing...I'll call it Jihad! Hahaha!"
The gametype is not really meant to be a statement about the misguded intentions of suicide bombers. I simply felt that the Editorial Note would be helpful in educating those who took the time to read it about the true meaning of the word, and that this particular usage of it is not taken from the Islamic denotation, but the Westernized (you may say "bastardized") connotation.
Rather, the gametype was spontaneously generated during sessions of the SoF2 MP Closed Beta when we realized how much fun it was to pick a player and all chase after them with a primed grenade. At some point during this genesis, someone started yelling "Jihad on the Infidel!" and the name stuck.
In short: the gametype was fun, needed a name, and I would challenge the idea that the Westernized version of the word does not fit. I do not feel that my application of the word will serve to change anyone's mind about the meaning, and if someone is enlightened as to its original meaning through the editorial note, then all the better.
I appreciate the feedback, and I hope I've helped to clarify my intentions.

to paraphrase george orwell, it's made by people for whom jihad is only a word.

to call this satire is a getout clause, mocking something that is not even there.


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i'm no cheap woman you know

People get carjacked every day too, should we not play GTA3?

People are also being raped, tortured and killed in the Congo. And in the slave camps of North Korea, the things going on their would make you vomit is disgust. With your reasoning, should we make a game about those things too?

The problem with some game developers are they have no real fellow feeling for other humans. There is a line drawn between what's acceptable and what's not, and some devs are slowly pushing that line back further.

Alex
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Spatial Fear
Director/Creative Designer
www.planetunreal.com/spatialfear/

People get carjacked every day too, should we not play GTA3? People get hit by cars also...

Lighten up, Francis!

The problem here has nothing to do with the definition of a word. The same word (spelled and sounding the same) can mean two entirely different things to two entirely different people. The western understanding and definition of "jihad," however, based as it is on the western understanding of the Islamic word, is symptomatic of ignorance. Sadly, this is how many "new" words are born.

looks like good clean fun to me :O
Last time I looked it was still a free country (although thats slowly going away) its just a game


This comment was edited on Feb 3, 10:59.

I might go buy Sof2 just to play this mod

I'd like a tall order of Hamas with a side of Jihad please.

"The usage of the term "jihad" to denote a "holy war" is found nowhere in Islamic literature.
Its usage as such is primarily a product of the Western media. In literal terms, "jihad" means "to strive" or "to struggle". It is impossible to "wage" or "decare" a jihad. In Islamic teachings Mohammed states that greatest jihad is the struggle of a man against his own evil influences. The gameplay presented in "Jihad!" is not representative of any Islamic doctrine, but rather satirizes the Westernized view of a relatively small population of extremists who practice such acts (in direct violation of the teachings of the faith they profess to be defending)."

Well said IMO.

This comment was edited on Feb 3, 10:31.

Does the fact that people suicide bomb in real life mean we should under no circumstances poke fun at it, or enjoy entertainment related to it in any way? Should we censor ourselves, bury our heads in the sand concerning all things related to such atrocities?

rist3903