On Tap

Variety’s Ben Fritz is incensed over news of Sid Meir’s Civilization IV: Colonization.

But goddamit, am I the only one who think it’s morally disturbing to make a game that celebrates COLONIZATION? It’s ironic, actually, because just a few months ago a friend sent me a link to some information about the original “Colonization” game from 1994 (pictured left) that this one updates. At first, I thought it had to be a joke, but sure enough, it was real. However, I dismissed it as a relic from a time when neither developers nor players took videogames seriously as media with moral implications.

But the idea that 2K and Firaxis and Sid Meier himself would make and release a game in the year 2008 that is not only about colonization, but celebrates it by having the player control the people doing the colonizing is truly mind boggling.

Fritz goes on to savage the idea behind the game:

And yes, while the description says that you “fight with… the natives,” it also claims there is “improved diplomacy.” It’s entirely possible, even likely, that you can finish the game without killing any Native Americans. And I’m sure there are no options to give the Native Americans smallpox or send them on a death march. But that’s irrelevant. A game about colonization that’s entirely about controlling the settlers can either force the player to do horrific things or let him avoid doing it and whitewash some of the worst events of human history. Either option is offensive. [emphasis mine]

In other words, there is no proper way to ever simulate that period of history, whether to educate, entertain, or both. We must simply reflect back on that period with sorrow and atonement.

That is, in a word, bunk.

Fritz also had the opportunity to review Grand Theft Auto IV. Here’s what he had to say about the gratuitous violence wanton killing in the video game.

…

Yeah, sorry… couldn’t find any.

To sum up: A macro replay of the founding of this nation is “offensive”. A micro replay of the worst displays of dark indulgence is “a huge leap forward for videogames”. Hypocrisy, thy name is Fritz.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 9th, 2008 at July 9, 2008 - 8:57 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.