Are Video Games the Ultimate Conditioning Tools?

Now I know I'll probably get flammed like crazy for making this thread. However I myself am an avid gamer who in fact likes the very games I'm going to be talking about. So I'm not a video game dis-info agent, just an average gamer who's noticed more than a few trends popping up.

So before you just start flamming the thread and making my post out to be anti-gaming, it is not and I implore you to read through the information first.

I've been a video gamer for as long as I can remember. I've enjoyed watching video gaming grow into what is today, but in doing so I've also noticed some disturbing trends among todays gamers and even some parallels between that powerful form of media and our very own reality.

So I'll start of with Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon.

(The Game)

Ghost Recon (2001)

Ghost Recon begins in April 2008, with civil unrest in Russia borne out of an ultra-nationalist regime that came to power and placed its leader, Dmitri Arbatov, as president. The ultranationalists form the Russian Democratic Union (RDU) and conquer Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan, with eyes set on the other former Soviet republics. During the first few missions of the game, the Ghosts battle Georgian rebels who are harassing the legitimate government and its allies. Their presence forces the Russian government to complain to the United Nations that the Americans have interfered in their affairs and eventually send in the army to aid the rebels.

The Ghosts slow down the invading forces while foreign nationals evacuate the country. Eventually, the Ghosts are all that's left of US forces in Georgia and take the last helicopter out of the American Embassy in T'bilisi just as Russian forces storm the complex. The Georgian government flees to Geneva and sets up a government-in-exile while the RDU assimilates Georgia, an act publicly condemned by the United States, Great Britain, and Germany.

So the plot mainly revolves around a Russian military invasion into Georgia. Now as crazy as it sounded when the game was made, this conflict between Georgia and Russia almost took place in 2008 in South Ossetia which is between the two countries.



(The Conflict)



(The Spin)



(The Truth)

So that's one game, however after this I really started to take notice about content in other such games.

So the next one is the beloved Battlefield 3.

(The Game)

Battlefield 3

Set in 2014, Sgt Blackburn leads a five-man squad on a mission to find and safely return a US squad investigating a possible IED, whose last known position was a market controlled by a hostile militia called the PLR. Blackburn and his squad are later sent to Tehran to apprehend a the leader of the PLR, Al-Bashir. While investigating an underground vault in the target's suspected location, Blackburn and his team learn that the PLR acquired Russian portable nuclear devices, and that two of the three devices are missing. Being overrun, and requesting back-up, an M1 Abrams convoy led by Sergeant Miller is deployed to extract Blackburn's team. Miller facilitates Blackburn's helicopter extraction, but is captured when waiting for a Quick Reaction Force. Miller is promptly executed by Solomon and Al-Bashir, with the event being filmed.

Later, Blackburn and his squad manage to capture Al-Bashir, who realizes Solomon betrayed him and reveals his plot to detonate the nukes in Paris and New York, before dying from the wounds he sustained in his capture. Blackburn's team also gets a lead on an arms dealer, Kaffarov, who was working with Solomon; however, while pursuing Kaffarov, the Americans encounter a large Russian force, who are also attempting to apprehend Kaffarov and are hostile towards the Americans.

So there's pretty much the plot of Battlefield 3 minus some key story points that happen later on in the game.



(Mission: Between a Rock and a Hard Place, Russians in Iran 3:04 & 4:04)

Now this is the reality.



(Russia Warns U.S. - Hands of Iran)

Russia has told the United States that relations between the two countries will be adversely affected if Washington goes ahead with its plans for a military strike against Iraq.

The comments were made by the Russian Defence Minister, Igor Sergeyev, at the start of talks in Moscow with the American Defence Secretary, William Cohen.

As talks between the two men began, Marshal Sergeyev told Mr Cohen that he wanted to relay Moscow's deep concern over the possible prospects for bilateral relations in the military field, especially if a strike against Iraq went ahead.

Russian Warns U.S.

Now this was one of the biggest red flags to myself.

(The Games)



(Battlefield 3: Drone Footage)



(Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3: Reaper Drone)



(Call of Duty Modern Warfare: AC - 130 Gunship)



(Apache Air Assault: Apache Helicopter)



(Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3: AC-130 Gunship)

After watching all of that, one could understand why it would be easier to do these things.

(The Reality)

Domestic Drones

The ACLU recently released a report prompted by the increasing use of surveillance drones by U.S. law enforcement and other agencies. It finds that current privacy protections are lacking, and recommends that new federal rules for domestic drones are needed to safeguard personal privacy and civil liberties.

aclu.org

Hell, No need to shell out $70 for a game. Just join the police force =)

Ethics of drone strikes questioned.

Critics of controversial method of warfare say use is illegal and unethical, citing numerous civilian deaths.

The use of drones in modern warfare, where the person pulling the trigger spots their target on a video screen and is not even on the battlefield, has led some to question the ethics behind using such weapons.

The operation of the unmanned aircraft has dramatically increased under the Obama administration - a practice criticised by many nations including Pakistan and Afghanistan - particularly over the deaths of many civilians during attacks.

Ethics Questioned

"The use of drones in modern warfare, where the person pulling the trigger spots their target on a video screen and is not even on the battlefield, has led some to question the ethics behind using such weapons." lol.





Gunner: "(laughing).. I hit'em"

Now this last game that I'm going to talk about, well it pretty much nailed the final nail for myself as far as examples of modern day propaganda.. well I guess instead you can call them conditioning tools more so than propaganda.

(The Game)

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Patriots



(The Reality)

...Another topic, a whole other discussion.

Wow, one of the better threads. Definitely food for thought.

I've often wondered about this subject as well being that I've been playing the Call of Duty series for a while now. Whether you want to believe it or not, it is very basic military training. This came up in a discussion I was having with a friend the other day when he mentioned the possibility of the U.S. being invaded by another country. As a country we are armed to the teeth and with the popularity of games like COD, millions have that very basic training. It would be a nightmare for any country to invade homeland United States.

Anyway, I do think we are being conditioned by games, whether it's on purpose or not. Nice topic.

reply to post by DocHalladay


I agree, it would be a nightmare for any foreign invasion force. But I'm wondering also what effect this digitized basic training has on the younger gamers and the parents who don't abide by the rating classifications.

Also, I need to add this video. It goes with the whole Russian and Georgian conflict.



Ghost Recon's first casualties!? lol

Video game themes are just a part of the conditioning of society toward a future agenda already planned. Partially taking place now it seems. TV is the major device for conditioning, assaults from all directions really.

reply to post by calnorak


Thanks and I do feel it does have to be discussed. Especially with the psychological side effects that it may have.

I had this crazy thought a few days ago.

What if a central agency could hijack a gamer's feed.and have them fly a real time drone in a theater of war.

Some games are pretty damn good, and with many games being online games, it is plausible no?

reply to post by Subbam


I often wonder if they are being desensitized to violence or even scared away from it. I would love to see someone do an extensive study on this. It's missions like the airport mission on Modern Warfare 2, where you are the terrorists in the airport, that makes me wonder. I have a mature mindset and can understand it's just a game, but I know there are some really young kids playing. It makes you wonder how that kind of information is being interpreted in their brains.

reply to post by Glargod


That thought has crossed my mind too, but I think it's highly unlikely. It would be careless to transfer that much power and the control of a multi-million dollar piece of equipment to someone who thinks they have a respawn.

reply to post by DocHalladay


This brings up an interesting point. There is a very popular song right now called Pumped Up Kicks by Foster the people. I myself have numerous younger siblings and they all absolutely love that song. They sing it all the time and they younger than 12. After sitting and actually using my ears to listen to the song, I was more than shocked. Especially that my younger siblings were always singing the damn song and have no idea what the song's about.



Long story short, it's about somebody who pretty much loses their # and goes on a shooting spree.

Nice topic, I also play video games on a regular basis. I believe video games, especially triple A shooter games like Call of Duty and Battlefield, are used to condition the masses, but I'm not sure what message they're trying to send. I don't like to think video games will eventually be as full of propaganda as TV and, yes, the internet.

Then there is this:

reply to post by Subbam


I wonder why that song ever got to be so popular, especially in today's politically correct world. It makes you wonder why the MSM will freak out over everything the Kardashians do, yet not say a word about a messed up song like this. Where are their priorities?

reply to post by daaskapital


Perfect, I knew I was forgetting an important one. IMO however, I think that MGS does more to shed the light on the Military Industrial complex and it's implications of conflict for profits. Especailly seen as how Hideo Kojima and the MGS franchise is Japanese.

reply to post by DocHalladay


Tell me about it. They'd probably condemn another washed up Marilyn Manson cd all the while the active shooter is bumping Pumped Up Kicks.

Originally posted by Subbam
reply to post by daaskapital

 

Perfect, I knew I was forgetting an important one. IMO however, I think that MGS does more to shed the light on the Military Industrial complex and it's implications of conflict for profits. Especailly seen as how Hideo Kojima and the MGS franchise is Japanese.

Yeah, totally agree

Then there is the whole nanomachine stuff that goes into detail how the soldiers are always 'controlled' so to say, advanced.

reply to post by shushu


Interesting, reminds me of two other movies.

eXistenZ

A game designer on the run from assassins must play her latest virtual reality creation with a marketing trainee to determine if the game has been damaged.

and Gamer

..I'm pretty sure mOst of you here have seen that one lol

With out a doubt, these first person shooter games are designed to teach anyone who plays them to kill..and feel nothing, become accustomed to blood shed and more violence while allowing the shooter to remain detached..because it's just a game ya see..if you play online you learn to be part of team and military strategy..I don't know if it started out this way..and it might be interesting to see who backs these games, who are the people consulting and giving advice on the military aspect of some of these games...and if indeed our own Military helped develop these games. Personally I think these types of games are harmful to the psyche of not only children, but adults as well.

Lets face it..spend to much around ATS and one can get depressed rather quickly..and need to step away and gain a fresher perspective..think of the devastating effects some of the games mentioned would have on someones mind after a few weeks? I enjoyed your post SnF Cheers Coco

reply to post by Subbam

I've been a video gamer for as long as I can remember. I've enjoyed watching video gaming grow into what is today, but in doing so I've also noticed some disturbing trends among todays gamers and even some parallels between that powerful form of media and our very own reality.

Very similar to what I've been seeing. This subject you have brought up is not for the faint of heart. We know that the US Army made a FPS video game for recruitment purposes www.americasarmy.com...

Here's another to add to your list: the premise of the recent FallOut 3/New Vegas which includes a back story of USA-China total nuclear war.

And another: Homefront. Scenario is a North Korean invasion of the United States..