News

GamesCom 2012: Sprinter Cell: Blacklist walkthrough includes controversial torture scene
Posted: 18.08.2012 16:34 by JonahFalcon Comments: 8
UbiSoft has released the extended version of their E3 2012 walkthrough of Splinter Cell: Blacklist at GamesCom 2012, and it includes a controversial torture scene by protagonist Sam Fisher.

This has caused a negative reaction from more than one developer, including Gears of War: Judgment co-writer Tom Bissell, who posted in his blog "a blithe, shrugging presentation of the very definition of human evil, all in the name of 'entertainment.'"

"We've arrived in a strange emotional clime when our popular entertainment frequently depicts torture as briskly effective rather than literally the worst thing one human being can do to another - yea verily, worse even than killing."

"I spent a couple days feeling ashamed of being a gamer, of playing or liking military games, of being interested in any of this disgusting bullshit at all."

This follows a recent report by a US interrogator who repeated what most experienced veterans in his field have insisted: torture doesn't work, and no torture was used in finding Osama bin Laden.

So the question is: do fantasies of successful Jack Bauer-styled torture interrogation belong in entertainment?

Source: Eurogamer

Browse Polls   

POLL:

Is torture inflicted on enemies in games like Splinter Cell: Blacklist crossing the line? 19 votes

Yes

VOTE

No

VOTE

Comments

By djole381 (SI Elite) on Aug 18, 2012
djole381
I don't understand why this is such a big deal. We see torture all the time in movies and TV shows, so why not in games too?
By nocutius (SI Elite) on Aug 18, 2012
nocutius
Entertainment is often just a reflection of reality, stuff like this actually happens so hiding from it doesn't help. As long as it's used properly I don't see a problem, the line here is very thin but as long as it's not crossed I don't mind.
By Gale47 (SI Core Veteran) on Aug 18, 2012
Gale47
What the bloody hell?
More whining from people who take things like this waaay too seriously.
By SirRoderick (SI Elite) on Aug 18, 2012
SirRoderick
Gaming gets a nice dose of double standards! *inhales deeply* ahhhhh, the nostalgia!
By HenoKutus (SI Core) on Aug 19, 2012
HenoKutus
another idiot who thinks this is an auction house,dude if i want to buy something i look on secured Ebay!
By HenoKutus (SI Core) on Aug 19, 2012
HenoKutus
In Splinter Cell Double Agent there was also a torture scene with the old boss,Put it in,we can handle it.
By Gale47 (SI Core Veteran) on Aug 19, 2012
Gale47
Not to forget those awesome interrogations in Conviction.
Man, I loved those sequences.
By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Aug 19, 2012
herodotus
Art reflecting real life - no problem here.