Thu, Dec 09, 2010 | 20:31 GMT

Kaos: Controversy over games is good if it involves an “intellectual debate”

homefront

Kaos Studios’ general manager Dave Votypka believes controversy can be a good thing if it results in an “intellectual debate”.

Speaking with D’toid regarding Homefront and its rather controversial subject matter, Votypka believes the media has so far debated the game in a “thought provoking” manner due to it being a work of fiction.

“When you’re dealing with portraying real events, with real people that the public currently has a personal and emotional attachment to, there are sensitivities there that need to be respected and avoided,” he said. “But when creating speculative fiction, that is based decades in the future, it’s just that, it’s fiction.

“Obviously, getting talked about in mainstream media is good for product awareness, but you don’t want it to be critical or inaccurate. If the result is a discussion of the fictional ideas and intellectual debate, that’s fine and healthy. Frontlines was also built from a ‘what-if’ scenario centered around peak oil, and the energy wars that could result when our finite supply of oil is no longer able to sustain our oil dependent existence. In that game, America and its Allies were fighting to control oil reserves in the Caspian Sea, which one could argue — and some have — that it puts America in a negative light; but it’s a story.

“The game and its premise was featured on FOX News, in the New York Times, USA Today, and numerous other mainstream media channels. At most, it was presented as a thought provoking discussion, and we don’t believe the view of Homefront’s fictional premise deserves to be taken any further.”

Homefront tells the tale of Americans fight back after being invaded by North Korea, and stripped of excess, democracy and freedom.

It’s out March 8 in the US and March 11 in Europe and the UK for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.

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1 comment

DSB
10/12/10, 4:00 pm

Let’s explore the possibilities of a European takeover by Lithuania after annexing Poland and the Republic of Germany. Your thoughts, please.

Energy wars are already a hardcore fact of life, banana republics taking over the world is simply not going to happen, ever. Currently North Koreas people are starving and China has gone from supporting the regime, to secretly pushing for a reunification on the Souths terms.

The closest we’ve gone to a developing nation having global impact is Serbia violating Austria-Hungarys borders provoking attack, and starting World War 1.

But then the fact that he references Fox News as a source of thought provoking discussion pretty much kills his entire argument dead.

I’m starting to think that the entire studio is on the same drugs as John Milius.