War Crimes in Video Games

[DicedT]

As some of you know, the International Red Cross is urging publishers to incorporate the Geneva Convention in video games (by penalizing players who violate the laws of war). For the more experienced players, can you give some examples you've seen - or done - that violate the Geneva Convention?

Michael

[bayonetbrant]

In Warfighter 101: The Guards there are explicit rules to allow for the targeting of civilians, mainly because that's what terrorists / insurgents do.  If The Guards have to protect the civilians, then there inherently needs to be a mechanism by which the civilians can be attacked.  And while that's completely against about 23894104815730489 different "rules of war" the faction that is attacking civilians is representative of those factions that tend to do exactly that - attack civilians.

[DicedT]

That's an interesting point, Brant. The Red Cross told me they actually want war crimes in video games, as an educational feature (though with penalties for actually doing it).

As usual, board games have done a much better job of addressing the danger of collateral damage.

Michael

[Martok]

I've killed captured enemy soldiers by the hundreds (if not thousands) in various Total War games.  And in space 4x games, I've slaughtered planetary populations by the hundreds of millions. 

[DicedT]

I think they're more worried about shooter games where the player's character personally shoots civilians.

Michael

[Jarhead0331]

The most "infamous" criminal act of war in a FPS that I can think of is from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, where the player is in deep cover with a group of Russian terrorists.  The scene generated a lot of public outcry (ie. publicity) at the time, but seems to have been forgotten rather quickly.

Basically, the player is ordered to shoot civilians during an attack on an airport.  The scene did not hold out in my memory and I can't remember if the player is given any choice in the matter.  I'm pretty sure that in order to advance in the campaign, the player must shoot. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLwgjDQ07Ro

The only other FPS gaming instance that I can think of truly involving acts of violence against civilians or prisoners, and that involves player freedom to choose, is in the SWAT series, primarily SWAT 3 and SWAT 4.  Although this is not in the international military context, and does not involve the GC, it is still in a government/law enforcement framework and does permit the player to use judgment in attacking, injuring and/or murdering innocent civilians and/or surrendered perpetrators.

There are other games that involve war crimes tangentially, such as Army of Two (the player is a mercenary pretty much killing anything that moves), Far Cry 2 (player as mercenary in Africa, how cliche) and Battlefield Bad Company where the player moves through villages pretty much destroying everything. Heck, even in the ARMA games, the player can participate in military assaults on villages and towns occupied by any forces...but does this combat, which I don't think features NPC civilians, really constitute war crimes?  Steel Beasts ProPE 3.0 now also models civilians, so there is potential for collateral damage in this game in its present version.

There was a game under development that was going to cover the Marine assault of Fallujah.  By all accounts, this game would have addressed criminal acts of war by and against unconventional military forces and civilians. However, due to wide criticism, the project was unfortunately cancelled.

EDIT:  I almost forgot...VBS1 and VBS2 both are capable of modeling civilian populations and livestock.  There is massive potential here to develop scenarios which permit the player to avoid and/or participate in war crimes against a civilian populous or a POW.  However, these products do not have wide distribution commercially and the scenarios must be designed by users as the developer has not made any for the commercial market.   

[WallysWorld]

Hmmm...that airport video is a little bit chilling considering what happened at LAX this week.

[Jarhead0331]

Hmmm...that airport video is a little bit chilling considering what happened at LAX this week.

Other than the fact that they both involved shootings and airports, I don't think much else is comparable.  But yes, I see your point.

[DicedT]

Good point, Jarhead. How a computer game could totally adjudicate the laws of war (which do allow proportionate firing into civilian areas if fire is coming from that area) is beyond me. On the other hand, a well-designed game wouldn't allow enemy NPCs to shoot from a hospital window.

Michael

[tgb]

What does the Geneva Convention say about Nerve Stapling?

[Staggerwing]

What does the Geneva Convention say about Nerve Stapling?

Swap 'Nerve Stapling' with 'Massive Phosgene Bombardment' and you have your answer.

[DicedT]

Thanks, you're reminding me of how many atrocities are in non-shooter games.

Michael

[Gusington]

Non-shooter, but I've leveled cities in Civ V and in Total War. I don't like doing things like that though, it makes me feel uncomfortable even if it is 'just a game.' Ask anyone who knows me here how I reacted to Toy Soldiers...mowing down enemy soldiers in that game (also not FPS but tower defense) made me depressed.

[Jarhead0331]

I think this exercise must only include modern games into the equation.  It is not fair to judge morality in a game dealing with ancients or the pre-modern world when it comes to modern rules of war.  There was no GC in the days of the Caesars or of Alexander, so why judge the player's actions in those games through a modern lens with our modern global sensitivity?

[GDS_Starfury]

how about Defcon?