Comments on: The Prison of Choice http://resolution-magazine.co.uk/content/the-prison-of-choice/ Resolution Magazine: Diverse commentary on video games. Previews, reviews, articles and more. Fri, 04 Mar 2011 10:40:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: 30: Call of Duty to Whom : Big Red Potion http://resolution-magazine.co.uk/content/the-prison-of-choice/#comment-93686 30: Call of Duty to Whom : Big Red Potion Sun, 06 Feb 2011 20:22:02 +0000 http://resolution-magazine.co.uk/content/?p=3904#comment-93686 [...] Scene: http://www.gameinmind.com/game-in-mind/2009/11/that-airport-scene.html The Prison of Choice: http://resolution-magazine.co.uk/content/the-prison-of-choice/1/ Taboo Evil: http://bigredpotion.thegamereviews.com/?p=221 Narrative brilliance and social [...] [...] Scene: http://www.gameinmind.com/game-in-mind/2009/11/that-airport-scene.html The Prison of Choice: http://resolution-magazine.co.uk/content/the-prison-of-choice/1/ Taboo Evil: http://bigredpotion.thegamereviews.com/?p=221 Narrative brilliance and social [...]

]]> By: DrEru http://resolution-magazine.co.uk/content/the-prison-of-choice/#comment-24255 DrEru Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:20:08 +0000 http://resolution-magazine.co.uk/content/?p=3904#comment-24255 I understand your point Jesse, but I feel that you need to work a little harder to understand the way the world works. This is just a game, but many people are put in this kind of position on a daily basis, albeit less extreme. If it seems like I am taking a 'side' then I apologise, it is not intended. In Afghanistan and Iraq both sides routinely kill large numbers of innocent civilians in their efforts to target each other. They either believe the sacrifice (or risk thereof) is worth it, or are psychopaths. Which do you think? The Israelis have attacked nuclear processing plants in foreign countries. The US have shot down civilian aircraft in the gulf just in case they were hostile. Several terrorist organisations in Europe a few decades ago killed innocents to fight what they saw as the march (back) to totalitarianism. I won't even try to list the various atrocities committed by organisations like the PLO. The UK infiltrated republican groups in Northern Ireland, even supplying equipment to them in some circumstances are part of the cover. We also supply weapons and equipment to regimes who are likely to use them against their own civilian population. The world is not so simple that you can presume that anyone who makes this kind of decision is a psychopath. Or perhaps you can, in which case they make up a non-trivial proportion of the population. I understand your point Jesse, but I feel that you need to work a little harder to understand the way the world works. This is just a game, but many people are put in this kind of position on a daily basis, albeit less extreme. If it seems like I am taking a ’side’ then I apologise, it is not intended.
In Afghanistan and Iraq both sides routinely kill large numbers of innocent civilians in their efforts to target each other. They either believe the sacrifice (or risk thereof) is worth it, or are psychopaths. Which do you think? The Israelis have attacked nuclear processing plants in foreign countries. The US have shot down civilian aircraft in the gulf just in case they were hostile. Several terrorist organisations in Europe a few decades ago killed innocents to fight what they saw as the march (back) to totalitarianism. I won’t even try to list the various atrocities committed by organisations like the PLO. The UK infiltrated republican groups in Northern Ireland, even supplying equipment to them in some circumstances are part of the cover. We also supply weapons and equipment to regimes who are likely to use them against their own civilian population.

The world is not so simple that you can presume that anyone who makes this kind of decision is a psychopath. Or perhaps you can, in which case they make up a non-trivial proportion of the population.

]]> By: Laurence Elliott http://resolution-magazine.co.uk/content/the-prison-of-choice/#comment-24251 Laurence Elliott Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:51:34 +0000 http://resolution-magazine.co.uk/content/?p=3904#comment-24251 I think the issue is much simpler than you are making it out to be. IW purposefully made this scene to provoke revulsion in the player and to highlight how horrific the act is. You seem to implying that they just put it in there for shits and giggles and the shock factor was just an unintentional by-product of that, which seems to miss the point entirely. I agree that if the scene was placed in greater context that it would have been more powerful but the fact you are actively encouraged to kill innocents (as opposed to something like GTA where killing innocents is an option, but something I'm sure every player did without thinking twice) is what makes it so uncomfortable, and therefore such a good thing. In something like GTA you can get away with wantonly killing hundreds of innocent bystanders without even having to deal with the consequences, even though those consequences may just be aesthetic. This scene doesn't let you escape from the consequences of your actions and forces you to deal with the ethical implications. That can only be a good thing. I think the issue is much simpler than you are making it out to be. IW purposefully made this scene to provoke revulsion in the player and to highlight how horrific the act is. You seem to implying that they just put it in there for shits and giggles and the shock factor was just an unintentional by-product of that, which seems to miss the point entirely. I agree that if the scene was placed in greater context that it would have been more powerful but the fact you are actively encouraged to kill innocents (as opposed to something like GTA where killing innocents is an option, but something I’m sure every player did without thinking twice) is what makes it so uncomfortable, and therefore such a good thing. In something like GTA you can get away with wantonly killing hundreds of innocent bystanders without even having to deal with the consequences, even though those consequences may just be aesthetic. This scene doesn’t let you escape from the consequences of your actions and forces you to deal with the ethical implications. That can only be a good thing.

]]> By: Jesse http://resolution-magazine.co.uk/content/the-prison-of-choice/#comment-24224 Jesse Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:08:10 +0000 http://resolution-magazine.co.uk/content/?p=3904#comment-24224 In my opinion the scene doesn't make any sense. I don't care what kind of undercover agent you're supposed to be or what your orders are - if you're not a maniac you would turn your gun on the men trying to kill hundreds of civilians. I don't care if the big bad guy you're supposed to infiltrate your way to might possibly have a nuclear bomb, you would kill these other dudes first. You couldn't help it without being a psychopath monster yourself. In my opinion the scene doesn’t make any sense. I don’t care what kind of undercover agent you’re supposed to be or what your orders are – if you’re not a maniac you would turn your gun on the men trying to kill hundreds of civilians. I don’t care if the big bad guy you’re supposed to infiltrate your way to might possibly have a nuclear bomb, you would kill these other dudes first. You couldn’t help it without being a psychopath monster yourself.

]]> By: The Sunday Papers | Rock, Paper, Shotgun http://resolution-magazine.co.uk/content/the-prison-of-choice/#comment-24212 The Sunday Papers | Rock, Paper, Shotgun Sun, 15 Nov 2009 10:05:40 +0000 http://resolution-magazine.co.uk/content/?p=3904#comment-24212 [...] bit in it. Everyone has written about it. From the Telegraph to the Daily Scoundrel to Resolution (Who have hefty reservations that the whole thing works at all). Anyone seen anything else really [...] [...] bit in it. Everyone has written about it. From the Telegraph to the Daily Scoundrel to Resolution (Who have hefty reservations that the whole thing works at all). Anyone seen anything else really [...]

]]> By: Lewis Denby http://resolution-magazine.co.uk/content/the-prison-of-choice/#comment-24200 Lewis Denby Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:17:55 +0000 http://resolution-magazine.co.uk/content/?p=3904#comment-24200 Counterpoint on sister-blog The Daily Scoundrel: http://thedailyscoundrel.com/2009/11/12/games-modern-warfare-2-no-mercy-for-no-russian/ Counterpoint on sister-blog The Daily Scoundrel: http://thedailyscoundrel.com/2009/11/12/games-modern-warfare-2-no-mercy-for-no-russian/

]]> By: Martin Gaston http://resolution-magazine.co.uk/content/the-prison-of-choice/#comment-24199 Martin Gaston Sat, 14 Nov 2009 22:52:16 +0000 http://resolution-magazine.co.uk/content/?p=3904#comment-24199 As much as we disagree on the subject Phill, I must say that this is a strong article which contains a very valid argument. As much as we disagree on the subject Phill, I must say that this is a strong article which contains a very valid argument.

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