A group calling itself the Venezuela Solidarity Network has issued a press release celebrating news that Pandemic's Mercenaries 2: World in Flames has been pushed from EA's holiday release schedule.
According to the GameStop website, Mercs 2 is now set for a February, 2008 launch.
In March, the VSN petitioned Bono, a major Pandemic investor, to block release of Mercs 2, claiming it would deepen existing tensions between the U.S. and Venezuelan governments. Said Gunnar Gundersen, who coordinated the protest:
I wouldn’t want my sons to buy it and blow up neighborhoods that we can clearly recognize where their cousins, aunts and uncles live. Still, at least the villain is no longer a Hugo Chavez look alike and the story line no longer mirrors actual international politics.
Chuck Kaufman, another spokesman for the group, added:
At least no kid will be fooled into thinking he’s learning something about the real world. However, the game is still incredibly violent and romanticizes mercenaries who, as we are seeing with the Blackwater scandal in Iraq, are not proper role models for children.
The VSN also claimed that Pandemic changed the game's story line in response to pressure from a variety of organizations. Marie Dennis, of the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, said:
Bono never responded directly, but apparently our point hit home that financing a violent video game that targets a government already targeted by the Bush administration is counter to the reputation as a humanitarian that he has earned with his work on AIDS in Africa and debt relief. Pandemics began to change the story line soon after our letter was delivered.
Activist Jorge Marin added:
This isn’t a victory because Bono and Pandemics are still telling kids it’s okay to attack my home country, but it is progress and it wouldn’t have happened without public pressure.
Comments
If I may respond to your questions to blackice, I will say I'm disgusted with his recent legislations. I may be leftist by nature, but even I know that gov't control of the press impratical at best and oppresive at worst. I don't even want to get started on the term limit removal.
However, you're putting the cart before the horse with your justification of US interfering with Venezuela. The actions of Chavez I know of that have damaged Venezuela have been in the last couple of years. They seem to be a reaction to both the Coup attempt in 2002 and the failed recall election in 2004, in a bad attempt to stop the media people that were influential with both incidents. If the US was indeed directly involved in both actions, then they are a major driving force in Chavez's vitriol towards our country, and his downward spiral into becoming a complete #@!-hole.
However, I don't see Chavez being a bigger or smaller asshole than any other leader, Shrub included.
Then again, I think the US gov't has a lot of problems, and capitalism is being abused by a select few to keep the rest of the country down, so I guess I also hate freedoms too eh? Maybe you should just ignore me then.
Good point. Very good point, actually. We will see this differently, but I stick with my "neighbor" analogy. Chavez controls enough oil that he can say what he wants and get other countries on his side regardless of what the US thinks about it. But he is playing both sides here... The US is one of the only countries, and the cheapest, by far, that can refine the particular type of crude Chavez has gurgling under his land. I am just remembering this fact also, I did not keep it to myself as I typed upstairs... But, he is using us, for a darn good price, and thumbing his nose at us all the while. He is also working with known terrorists nations.
I just see things as "pre-emptive is better than retaliatory." And, I'm not sure if the US was ever involved more than Chavez saying, "This has the CIA hands all over it." I could very well be wrong, but I try to follow world events and I think I'd have heard it...
Not saying the US is always right, but I'm damn proud of my country and based on what I've seen/read Chavez is the new Putin.
Again, though... Good point you make.
Capitalism being used by a select few to keep the rest of the country down? I completely disagree with that. Any person in this country able to start their own business. And, there is NO business in the world that is in business to lose money. So, all businesses want more money. Classic Gordon Gekko theory here... Greed is good. It gives people something to aspire to... But, I'm one that believes people need to be responsible for themselves. The gov't can't be relied upon to provide for every schmo that can't do it themselves. Besides, I don't trust any gov't to run things in a way that would secure my personal stability. They can't even keep their secrets secret.
And, I won't ignore you. Even if I completely disagree with you I'd be happy to debate/type/e-mail/discuss/say anything. I'm pretty level-headed in that regard.
Sorry, I have a big issue with accusations that someone hates freedom without them saying so outright. Being in a family full of liberals we hear that a lot, especially in recent years, for disagreeing with the administration's line. It's usually baseless, and designed to shut up the dissenting view. If it wasn't for that I wouldn't have had a problem with your post.
I have issue siding with RCTV because they're run by the people that supported Venezuela when it was an oil-based oligarchy, and made sure as little tax revenue went to the lower class as possible. Actually, rerouting tax revenue to go more to the general public was a major reason for the 2002 coup. And also why it failed, since it led to gigantic rallies from the lower class that probably would've led to civil war if the invading force hadn't stopped.
But it's a shame that Chavez, who started off acting like he'd take care of the place, has wound up $#@!ing everything up by going into the other extreme. Maybe I could've supported him 3 years ago, but since then he has been taking steps that can lead to becoming a new communistic leader.
...you know what? Now I'm all motivated to pick up Merc 2 and just blow stuff up for awhile. Guess it's worked out positively in the end!
Brazil. Backed in Brazil.
I guess the activists can take their victory if they need it. I'm sure Bono still doesn't even know or care that the game exists.
Hugo Chavez is a bully, Tyrant, Dick head, asshole, and a couple more.
I say we should put his face on the game with a bullseye over it just to piss that little pissant dictator off.
While were at it, lets add Amedenadoucebag to it just for kicks.
I hate it when these stupid idiots get all but hurt cause were pointing out how fucked up there leaders are. Bush aint a brillant leader, hell, I got some major issues with him as later, but he's still better then chavez or Amadenadouche any day. Still, glad he's leaving office in a year.
So yeah, just posting so that others realize that not all Venezuelans agree with these kinds of political actions.
Enjoy Mercs2. I didn't like the first one enough to get the second...
My intention wasn't to actually say someone was against freedom. I made a bad judgment on how to phrase a joke.
As far as you coming from a family of liberals... Well, I don't care. You can be of any political persuasion; it doesn't matter to me. And, both libs and conservatives are under attack recently. Just look at what is happening to Rush and O'Reilly. Regardless of yours, or my opinions of them, they are both being mutilated by the media and scumbag organizations like MoveOn that have taken their comments completely out of context.
Hell, MoveOn even sued a guy for selling stuff on CafePress that mocks MoveOn. Where's the logic in a liberal organization shutting down free speech? So, both sides are taking it on the chin right now.
And, my president isn't helping too much. But you know what? I'd support anyone that is president. Once they get there they get my support. Even if I didn't vote for 'em.
Anyhow, take care and thanks for dropping some knowledge on me.
I have issue siding with RCTV because they’re run by the people that supported Venezuela when it was an oil-based oligarchy, and made sure as little tax revenue went to the lower class as possible.
That I didn't know. Up here the media pretty much just portrayed them as the underdog opposition, they didn't mention they were mostly funded by the oil cartels... Then again they were also trying their damnedest to paint Chavez as the next Stalin, so saying anything bad about his opponents would probably cause a hemorrhage...
I also like how he calls Blackwater "mercenaries". Here's a Protip from the Prima's Strategy Guide of War. PMC(private military companies) =/= Mercenaries. The converse may be true, Mercenaries may be part of a PMC, but Blackwater or any other PMC employed in Iraq or anywhere else are NOT mercenaries. Blackwater are more like well armed security guards, hired to guard convoys and VIPs and important locations that the military can't handle because their hands are tied with other things. A mercenary is hired to perform an active combat role, a warfighter for hire, a soldier of fortune, who actively pursues and destroys the enemy he is hired to kill. Blackwater is hired to stand around things and look scary with guns, and only retaliate when attacked. It is what they do after being atacked that causes the controversy, and what they do when being rowdy and disorderly that causes deaths of civilians and other horrible things. But make no mistake, Blackwater are not Mercs, and they don't do what mercs do. Like I said, heavily armed security guards who raise the Dickens if someone foolishly stirs up their hornets nest.'
I also love how he thinks that the storyline was changed at all, and that their campaign had anything to do with it if it did. The storyline hasn't changed since it was first announced, its just that when the specifics of the main villain were revealed, they said "Oh look its not Chavez anymore!'
Hah! Well guess what? It never was Chavez! You just read too much into it. Now, why they would connect "Dictator that messes with oil supply" with Chavez, I don't know. They must have guilty consciences.
All in all, its good to see Ol' Gunnar stirring up dirt again> Back in the day when he was trying to cause trouble at the Mercs 2 forums under the name GGunders, him and I had a very lengthy private message correspondence in which we discussed the politics of Venezuela, the Game, and absurdity of labeling the game as mindless propaganda.
Too long, don't read, these people really have no leg to stand on.
I enjoyed video games, they are very entertaining and many required skill to master. It was never our intention to prevent the game from coming into the market. But standing by and not raising our concerns would have been irresponsible.
If we live in a free democracy, then we have the right to object. Venezuela, as most LA countries have suffered the so call Capitalist free market. A market where the corporation can reap the raw resources from the country and pay very little for it, regardless of the damage done to the ecology, as long as profits are up for the corporation, and its stock holders make dividents. Taxes? why pay them if you can buy off ministers. Just offer them a condo in Miami. Who cares about this? The fact that the wages for workers in LA are $2.00 or $3.00 per day. And you wonder why we have an immigrant problem. Their goods cost as much as they do here.
President Chavez is popular, but for good reasons. The health system, the educational system, and the poverty rate have all gone in the right direction, thanks to the initiatives that President Chavez has instituted. Just to give you an example, this past weekend three new hospitals were inaugurated and many more are scheduled to be built. There are clinics throughout all the poor areas offering free medical care. The illiterate rate was 10% when Chavez was elected, now is at, or below, 3% and numerous universities campuses are now available throughout the country. The Central University, which is public, gets 9,000 applications every year, but they have only room for 600 new students. Now those students, that can’t afford a private university, can continue their education. There are food markets and super-markets throughout the country where food can be purchased at discounted prices.
We all need to learn from history, and I don't mean a far off history. There were no WMD in Iraq, so why should we believe this administration when they call Iran a terrorist State, why should we believe that North Korea is evil, because they made a nuke, didn't the US bring nukes to South Korea and parked them on the pier. Our own patriots were labeled terrorists by the British because they wouldn't fight "fair".
I care not that this is a sensitive issue for anyone, that doesn't make it any more wrong than if the issue was completely bland and ambiguous.
I said that he was not the only Anti-free speech politician active in that area. My point was that he, unlike many others, has a cause for his actions (if you want to call it that. I'm sure you don't but oh well..)
About the TV station. You are aware that the right-wing media were key movers in the 2002 coup against him? The best reason he would have to close them down is to stop the same thing happening again.
The man is standing up for the poor. He believes this to be such a cause that he has removed the terms on presidency so he can see this through. I hope.
Don't tell me otherwise without proof.
Hey, thanks a lot for joining us ! I always appreciate when people (columnists, activists, etc...) who give publicly their opinion on games come here to debate (except when it's Mr. "attorney-and-you're-not").
Like I've said, I never considered you as a typical "anti-game crusader", and you have good reasons to be upset that a real country (yours, indeed) is targeted in a game based on a "modern context". And like I've said, it's the kind of bad taste controversies we can avoid.
My only objection was the fact that games were, once again, automatically associated to "kids". Just add adults next time and I'll have no problem any more.
Riight.. I'm guessing your uncle is an American Patriot.
I've got one bit of advice: If it sounds like an opinion, and that certainly does, ask yourself who's opinion it is. Yours? Fine. Someone else's? Not good.
Despite the numerous good deeds performed by Hugo Chavez, he remains a wanabe (and soon to be) dictator. His actions against the oposition channels (even if they often were outspoken) are not democratic in any way, also be informed that I do not believe any of the "he is doing it for the good of the people" thing. If anything, he is doing it, like any politician, for the good of his re-election/[insert revelant political victory designaton here] and not for the people. These actions would again be really good if, and only if, he had kept the oposition able to comunicate with the people (blame me for being french if wrong (and, yes we have self-censored media too) but I don't think most of the venezuelian population has internet acess) and hadn't been in so many cases of massive political pressure on pretty much everyone. (Police, governors and suchlike, The Economist (yes, I know it supported the Iraq War, I don't condonne it either) and many other newpapers have unearthed cases of policemen/hospital and official personel to have to claim support for Hugo Chavez in order to keep their jobs.
You might have guessed that I don't like Hugo Chavez and his ilk. I don't know why I ranted after you either.
Sorry for the political rant from a frenchie youngling but my point was... well, that Venezuela isn't the first contry to be "targetted" in a video game.
In Supreme Commander, you get to nuke (see Defcom for more nuking) some place near Hawai and I haven't done it yet, in battlefield Vietnam/ Korea/ Pretty much any other place you also blow things up, and I feel that it isn't necessary to complain about it, since it is virtual, many other media have featured things blowing up in a wide variety of locations.
"Pandemic Studios never has and never will be intimidated by tyrants. Our invasion is on schedule: Mercenaries 2 will be released in early 2008."
Any time a politician decides to remove the terms on their own term its NEVER a good thing.
yes my Uncle works for an oil company.
I am sorry for that outburst.
You know I don't like certain types of media, rap music, movies that portray all cops as criminals, and anything with steven segal. Do I run out and protest those things, or attempt to get them censored? No, I do what anyone who disagrees with content should do. I turn it off, and refuse to buy or watch it.
Why can't these pissy little special intrest groups find something important to crusade for. For god's sake how many video games have been made where players blow the crap out of WW2 germany, and shoot germans by the dozen? Have we heard german special interest groups pissing and whinning about COD or MOH games? No, we have not, because they have other shit to worry about.
I despise Hugo Chavez and everything he stands for, i was sad to see he wasnt actually in the game, but hey, back to topic, even if its about Venezuela and not this guy i dont see why the big deal, its a hypothethical situation using real wold events, which are happening and yes, Chavez is a very well covered-up dictator and this bolivarian revolution sickens me for the web of lies it spins daily blaming everything on everyone but ourselves.
I ramble on too much, all i hop is that the game depicts a very real or at least similar Venezuela than the one i live in, and if i do play tis game, ill try and save as many from oppression as possible, hope i could do the same in real life