“But it’s only a game…”

26 March 2007

Ubisoft-owned Red Storm Entertainment, which is located here in the Triangle, made a killing last year with “Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter,” which was one of the top-selling games of the year. The just-launched sequel, “Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2,” has now been banned in part of Mexico.

Both games are set in the not-so-distant future of 2014 and involve Ghosts, elite U.S. soldiers, taking on missions south of the border. The first game involves the kidnapping of the U.S. President, and it drew ire from Mexican officials who didn’t like the fact that gamers were blowing away Mexican soldiers throughout the game. The sequel involves Central and South American rebels and nuclear weapons, and the U.S./Mexican border figures into the plot. Like in the original game, the plots are worthy of a Tom Clancy novel and make for riveting Hollywood-style interactive storytelling.

The governor of Chihuahua (the town, not the dog) has banned “GRAW2” from being sold and has ordered all copies confiscated. This comes on the heels of the mayor of Juarez, a city on the Mexican border of the U.S., blasting the game for instilling poor values and portraying his townspeople as violent.

Every videogame, movie or novel has to have good guys and bad guys. It’s quite a simple concept. In “Halo” and “Gears of War,” it’s aliens. In “Call of Duty” and “Medal of Honor,” it’s the NAZIs. In “GRAW” and “GRAW2,” it involves Mexicans, as well as other Central and South American rebels. It’s just a videogame. I don’t think this game is going to have any more negative impact on U.S.-Mexican relations than already exist with the problem of illegal aliens in this country. It’s just a form of entertainment. And it’s a gripping story…

… almost as “gripping a story” as the gunrunners and money launderers who are now financing narco-terrorism in Mexico? And gee… why would anyone be offended by being compared to space aliens or Nazis? I mean, c’mon.

And do you think the Governor of a state that was invaded by the United States might be a bit touchy about games suggesting this was a good idea? And, incidentally, it’s violence that gets movies and entertainment banned in Mexico. Mel Gibson’s “Last Passion of Christ” received a “C” rating (adults over 18 only)

Red Storm Entertainment, for those interested, is run by Tom Clancy and is headquartered in Morrisville, North Carolina. 3200 Gateway Ctr. Blvd.
Suite 100
Morrisville, NC 27560
Phone: (919) 460-1776
Fax: (919) 468-3305