[UPtimist]

Oh my god, this is the Adventure forum. Why on earth are you talking about climate change for? And climate change isn't even the topic of the thread.

And am I wrong when I don't think that, unlike the original poster, the radio isn't a proper channel to spread political message? To me all media should be as objective as possible...

Anyways, as everyone else, it would seem, I really don't see a problem in this department. (Most) Games, or at least adventure games, haven't turned into propaganda machines (for the most part - the worst are actually FPSs with the worst of course being America's Army - a recruiting tool for the US military (which is the outspoken purpose of it)) and what would be the point? These games are so small in their circle of reach that any effect would be nigh-pointless, especially since most people who play them are intelligent enough to have their own opinions and not be manipulated by forms of light entertainment (and because an attempt at propaganda would be usually detected and the game wouldn't get very good press).

So, I don't see what there is to discuss here, let's just move on.

[jhetfield21]

climate change is kind of the topic of the thread since the original poster said what he said about A New Beginning whose story is about climate change.so it's not really surprising.
I'm with Jackal on this one.it's a viable life and death situation that could very well be a movie.and from what i hear and see A New Beginning sounds like a fun game.you don't have to see it as a propaganda you can see it as a game situation.

As Jackal said any kind of story can be a fun one as long as the developer/writer does his job right.

as an example i'm gonna go a little off topic but i think it's the same thing.....

Spoiler:

there's this anime about a Black Metal band called Detroit Metal City.i'm not a fan of Black Metal though i do listen to metal even death metal and stuff...but black metal can be a little too extreme for me.the anime ,though short as hell(12 eps of 8min) ,was so goooooood that i laughed my ass off all the way like every minute.it was brilliant.

[Ivynwater]

Originally Posted by Oscar

I still can't see what the political issue is.

Scientific yes, but where's the politics? Are there people playing Ecoquest or New Beginning who actually think that polluting our world won't have harmful effects? I would be surprised if those people were intelligent enough to figure out how to turn their computers on

Ah! But politic's everywhere! It's not the question on polluting but of how u're going to resolve the issue that matters! I'm just kidding here btw...also because more than politic, is economic the element that dictates trands....which in return brings us to the game production and the effects of those subliminal agenda on us, fragile palyers...if the devs have loads of money to create a game with amazing design does that mean that the brainwashing is more effective?!

Let's move on!!! Really....

[J.H]

This is ridiculous. Most works of fiction have some kind of political, social, or humanitarian message within them, I personally quite like the idea and think it adds some substance.

[RockNFknRoll]

you can't live in a world where modern science doesn't exist. sorry. it's like claiming a game that mentions evolution is "propaganda." at some point you just have to realize that you're outside of mainstream science and accept it.

[ADan]

I honestly think that the OP has no valid argument at all. He/she's merely fighting a straw man coming from a false premise:

He/she insinuates that

a) there are *several* games which deal with politically/socially/evolutionary relevant content

b) these games are *forced* upon the consumer to play and

c) these occurrences would somehow lead to a situation where *all* AGs are of this very type.

Answers:

a) I don't see an abundance of games of that type and I'm with several other posters on this thread that say "it's just a valid scenario in a Science Fiction story".
You'd have to dismiss *all* (good) Science Fiction Literature (and subsequently movies) as propagandistic if you call the onset of ANB (which obviously is the *one* game the OP's talking about) an attempt at brainwashing.

All SF-Literature (as opposed to Space Opera) deals with present day situations that are extrapolated into a future (as near as tomorrow and as distant as hundreds of billions of years) and a resulting scenario that highlights the responsibility of humankind in respect to decisions that are made in the present.

The OP is also mentioning movies. He/she seems to prefer that some "certain films" (no further explanations or examples) were not made. Why? I'd submit that the creative realm is infinite and there's room for each and every genre to compete for an audience which brings us to

b) If you don't like a certain genre of games/books/movies/plays/etc. it's fairly easy: Do not expose yourself to them. Don't judge others who do.

Nobody's forcing anyone to watch "artsy" European Films, nobody can make you read sophisticated hardcore SF (or SciFi), no one is dragging you to the theater to endure yet another modern interpretation of Shakespeare's "The Tempest".

c) As I said before: The creative realm is infinite. It's not that the occurrence of one game that has a more political/social/scientific - one could say *more relevant* - base scenario will somehow lead to an "infection" of a whole industry and all developers will fall like dominoes and start producing only and exclusively this type of game.

(Mind you, I explicitly laud Daedalic for going this rather risky and atypical path by choosing this approach and I do not see that there's any propaganda involved. It's just a SF-scenario that is very similar to the one in the movie "Twelve Monkeys" at the beginning. I'd also like to see more of this type of game).

When it comes down to it, the consumer decides which games will be made in the future and I doubt that there really is a mass market for games that are perceived as propagandistic by a majority of prospective buyers (which I don't think is even the case with ANB).

It would seem the OP doesn't believe that climate change is happening and that is merely the point he/she was trying to make. Nothing more. I would think this is simply the wrong forum for this type of discussion.

My two cents (or rather pennies),

Cheers, Dan.

[ADan]

Originally Posted by RockNFknRoll

you can't live in a world where modern science doesn't exist. sorry. it's like claiming a game that mentions evolution is "propaganda." at some point you just have to realize that you're outside of mainstream science and accept it.

In years of discussions of the subject matter on sfgate.com (the website of the San Francisco Chronicle) I have very rarely witnessed a comment so succinct and quite final. Well done.

Alas, denial is strong on the other side. Probably well financed too ...

[Phod]

I don't believe in the fear-mongering hype of climate change, at least that humans are 100% responsible and if we don't all turn lights off we're d00med, but I still bought A New Beginning because it looks interesting and I'm a sucker for time travel too. I can look past any "propaganda" as long as the game is good. Even if you don't believe in what the author is saying, you can respect the right to do it and the skill in which it was done.

[LadyRuby]

I played Beyond Good and Evil, Deus Ex and other titles with 'political messages' but those titles were really fun and I really don't think I was "brainwashed".

Besides, even if the idea that "all contain a hidden agenda" is certainly uncorrect, the fact is that governments sometimes had "hidden agendas" and did lie to their citizens. It doesn't mean they always do, of course not. But sometimes in history they did lie and censured and manipulated people (example: communist, fascist regimes in the XX century).
Why not to discuss this in films, books (1984 would be the best example) and games? As long as they're good quality material it's ok for me.

Anyway, I don't understand why do you complain, the vast majority of games are 'apolitical'.

[LadyRuby]

Originally Posted by J.H

This is ridiculous. Most works of fiction have some kind of political, social, or humanitarian message within them, I personally quite like the idea and think it adds some substance.

Couldn't agree more.

[zoecastillo]

April Ryan for President!

[rtrooney]

Originally Posted by Josho

Any author who writes with no point of view whatsoever is generally an author not worth reading.

Totally agree. But allow me the option to disagree with his/her point of view. But let me also say that any game that supports a Global Warming theory is OK by me.

[Josho]

Originally Posted by rtrooney

Totally agree. But allow me the option to disagree with his/her point of view. But let me also say that any game that supports a Global Warming theory is OK by me.

Of course! When we only read people with whom we agree, our ideas are never challenged, and that's a sad state of affairs...

That said, I haven't played the game in question and I have no idea what POV they're promulgating. I rather doubt it says that 100% of global warming is mankind's fault. Does the original poster think it's unlikely that decades of belching billions of tons of CO2, methane, and particulates into the environment really has no effect at all?

[Marek]

Thanks for warning us against getting brainwashed or indoctrinated, guy who rejects overwhelming scientific consensus based on decades of study.

[ZeframCochrane]

I'll take the chance now when this thread is already at the top-most place on the board to say something without bumping it.
OP is clearly a hit-and-run troll, not having given any motivations, examples, or indeed any reasoning. This being the case, there's really no point in coming up with meaningful answers. I say it's high time we let this thread die. If you agree, just don't reply, and let the thread go the way of the dodo.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

Originally Posted by ZeframCochrane

I'll take the chance now when this thread is already at the top-most place on the board to say something without bumping it.
OP is clearly a hit-and-run troll, not having given any motivations, examples, or indeed any reasoning. This being the case, there's really no point in coming up with meaningful answers. I say it's high time we let this thread die. If you agree, just don't reply, and let the thread go the way of the dodo.

No kidding. OP never even came back to defend himself and his points. Not even gonna waste my time here except to state that I heartily agree with most of you, and NOT the OP.

[Fien]

I have actually played the game. Am I the only one here who finds this thread highly amusing? I'd better keep my opinion about the political and ethical nature of the game's story to myself so as not to spoil things, but I can't help noticing the relevance of A New Beginning in the light of very recent international events.

[Ninth]

I kind of agree with the original poster. The "political" message in ANB, no matter how relevant it is, is quite heavily transmitted. This makes this game closer to edutainement than actual gaming, and less fun to play.
Of course, this impression may be triggered by the annoying french voices.

Still, I do think that games, and especially Adventure Games, are supposed to make one escape his or her gloomy day to day, not make one think about the gloomy future that may be coming.

[tsampikos]

There are surely subliminal messages in Adventure games. Just like they do (proven) exist in cartoon Films of Disney, Roger Rabbit etc. I do agree somehow with the original poster. What we see and receive is not always what it appears to be. Pure know how of the industry and certain purposes and goals. If someone thinks that everything is "heavenly made" is lying to himself.

[mrLOL]

As long as it's entertaining I don't mind the metaphor to be the creators view on life.

However I hate it when they just cut the entertainment for a while to insert propaganda, for example sometimes Family Guy can be full of humor and then all the sudden one episode could be 100% about legalizing Marijana and it's just 0 jokes throughout the entire episode and that annoys me.