USAMA BIN LADEN MAP

I was gonna attempt to map his compound out, seems a faster mapper got to it first. Seems to be causing a little controversy... what do you all think?

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/09/video-game-level-replicates-bin-laden-compound/?ref=technology

Anyone whose raising news about the issue (Not you) is looking for the cheap/quick news coverage. No matter how long you wait, someones going to find it in bad taste. Kinda like if someone made a columbine map, no matter what its going to be considered in bad taste because of the violence tied to it. If this turns into something bigger, then they need to start looking at the real heavy violence in COD MW2

Another gripe I have is people are tieing it to the game CS, which leads back to Valve, when really it has nothing to do with the game/developer at all. As someone said on the forums: “I can see how people would think it is in bad taste, but honestly if that’s your opinion you may as well protest the whole game (as well as many others).” Its only a matter of time before a COD MW2 comes out with a similar level by a content creator.

My opinion: Theres far more violent things in video games in general. Case in point:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gz3dF89BKdw

Without looking, I think your referring to the airport level.. that did have some big hooplah tied to it as well, so much so they gave you the option to skip it.

You can map for cod mw2? I did not know that.

I think given the event and the situation as it stands, it is in very poor taste and sensitivity to the situation to produce a map having anything to do with it.
Granted it might be someone younger (which I find hard to believe) with little or no understanding of the situation in the world right now but it still shows very poor taste.

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Light is faster than sound:That is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

Your riches in life are family and friends, everything else is just a distraction.

Munhay - Yes im referring to the Airport level. I was just saying if this (the CS level) is offending people to the point of protesting CS, then they should be protesting COD MW2. I use COD MW2 because I consider it more "main stream."

I am not offended by the map, heck I thought about making it when they started showing the compound maps on the national news. I have not yet downloaded the map, but from the images of his map it doesn't seem to be so much like the images of the real compound I have seen, yes there are similarities. As for your point, making this about valve is silly, as your right this is community based map.. not something produced by valve... hold the right people responsible, thanks. The News outlets should of done a bit more research.

SGTFLY, I can understand your view, but COUNTERSTRIKE in its basic form is about Terrorist and Counter-terrorist killing one another. So someone took a real world event and made a level out of it.. is fitting to the game setting and content.

I don't think people should really be doing anything that glorifies what happened. The worst thing you could do to the guy's memory is forget his stupid ass.

I really hope Pakistan goes through with paving that entire compound over.

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Blame it on Microsoft, God does.

I'm surprised this even made it as a news article. People make replicates of everything and I'm sure there are other replicates of not only the Bin Laden compound but other events like the Virgina Tech shooting.

In a way I think it shows how naive some people can be for taking this game level seriously and how media hyped rightfully or wrongfully so this Bin Laden death has been.

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Aaron's Stuff

i did not get offended by this map or the idea..
what about all the games killings nazis? dbble standard?

World War 2 ended 66 years ago. bin Laden was shot 11 days ago.

It's too close to the event ... not because of people mourning, not in the "west", anyway ... but because of how area of the world views "us".

People have to understand that ... he wasn't exactly seen as a terrorist everywhere and that demonizing the people who thought that, isn't okay. (It has more to do with the improper governments in the areas and really bad international policies on the US' part for about 30 years.)

This map celebrates and glorifies what happened in a time where there's plenty of people who don't believe it happened that way at all. And saying it's okay, because he's "the enemy" is ridiculous. It just fuels more fires, because someone was immature. Fantastic.

I'm all for video games as a story medium for various events ... but that's not what this is.

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Blame it on Microsoft, God does.

sure,

U.S.A have done many things, yeah..

but if someone drawn a picture of that compound would it matter?

its so little vs everything else to even care about..

This map celebrates and glorifies what happened in a time where there's plenty of people who don't believe it happened that way at all. And saying it's okay, because he's "the enemy" is ridiculous. It just fuels more fires, because someone was immature. Fantastic.

Does this celebrate and glorify what happened?

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/smallscreen/news/article_1639057.php/Killing-Bin-Laden-previews-for-May-15-on-Discovery

Discovery Channel's "Killing Bin Laden." Is this done in bad taste?

Its funny, I don't find the level in bad taste, but I find this little segment in really bad taste.

No, but it's certainly tasteless.

I don't want anyone to confuse what I'm saying. I'm not saying that knowledge of the situation or events is wrong or a bad thing ... I'm saying capitalizing on it, celebrating it (by turning it into just-entertainment), or glorifying the situation or the man himself by immortalizing him as some sort of entertainment, terrorist, or martyr icon, is NOT okay. And it has nothing to do with respect for the guy, but rather the exact opposite.

In reference to WW2 ... just to cover my bases ... most WW2 games have a very heavy dose of respect for the subject matter and do lay down some serious insight into the events. Having the cooperation of veterans of that war also helps keep those games that way.

To note, I'm also not just thinking of this map in particular, but the entire handling of the event by gamers and game makers ... for example, this is entirely uncalled for: http://bit.ly/jGT9HW

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Blame it on Microsoft, God does.

I don't really find the idea of reproducing binladen's compound that revolting, to be honest. We have games that 'glorify' the killing of hordes of russians (and not just ww2 themed ones) or games based on fairly recent and brutal conflicts such as the yugoslav wars for instance. As stated earlier, no matter what you do, you're likely to offend someone anyway.

On the other hand, I'm sure sensationalist press would just love to rant about how games have already begun to glorify the 'martyred' binladen . It may sound like mindless drivel, but i've seen lots of anti-videogame advocates using similar trains of thought in trying to prove that games make sane people insane or school girls into terrorists.
After all, someone would have to play the terrorist in that map!

My suggestion would be to wait a little until the waters settle and binladen's death becomes history rather than news.

I can't add much to the already eloquent discussion except to paste a quote from the OP's link, a comment from a reader:

The creator of the game is right on. I was playing a similar game, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, when my phone buzzed with the NYTimes update that Bin Laden was killed. And it struck me that I was practically going through the same things the seals were going through, but from the comfort of my couch.

This is what is most disturbing. This guy actually makes it sound like he BELIEVES he was in the field! Either his message is truly that poorly worded, or he and probably a host of other users are losing sight of the lines between Hollywood and reality. I don't want to turn this into a rant against the money-making realism game trend ( I can't and won't buy into it ) but there is just way too much room for misinformation all around.

If an art form encourages a disconnect from the horror of its subject matter, then it is in bad taste I'd say.

He does not necessarily believe he's in the field, but rather he's going through the same procedure [in the game] as real seals were going through.
He was wrong in so many ways. It's just a troll, leave it.