Monday, April 16, 2012

COD Elite Has Pro-Hitler Staff Pick

Accident of internet-algorithims gone unchecked? Probably. Classic Kotaku sensationalism? Definitely. Darkly amusing, given the game(s) in question? You betcha.

The "Staff Picks" linked to a Call of Duty Elite user account - troublingly named "GhostOfTheReich," incidentally - include a YouTube video for a White Supremacist rock group called "Final War." Activision has yet to comment on the issue, which is at this point about three days old.

10 comments:

nullhypothesis said...

The article is slightly unclear as to what the "staff picks" actually are or how they're featured. Granted, it must be fairly prominent if the site is being bombarded with comment outrage, but if it's chosen by an algorithm, why is it called "staff picks?"

Anonymous said...

Call of Duty is pro-nazi? I thought we spent the first games of the series doing nothing but killing nazis.

REPTILE 0009 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
REPTILE 0009 said...

Also, don't tell me this will turn into a Game Overthinker episode, where Bob will once again rant on COD and the evils of Call of Duty?

Daniel R said...

@Vietnam

Dude, are you actually trying to defend a White Supremacist rock group?

EVERYBODY knows that this doesn't reflect COD's, Infinity Ward's, or Activision's outlook on the world. It's just a small error probably caused by some defective automatic algorithm used to pick the 'staff' picks.

Its just slightly, ironically comical and noteworthy that this would happen in a game like Call of Duty.

Trust me, you're not helping COD or yourself look any better in this situation by providing excuses for a bunch of neo-nazis.

Chill, dude.

REPTILE 0009 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
REPTILE 0009 said...

@Daniel R
And do you think Bob looks any better by trying to use hot-button arguments to get across his "COD is evil" messages?

Kaoru Negisa said...

@Vietnam

I think you're jumping ahead of yourself. Look at the flow of conversation:

1. Bob points out that this happened.

2. You worry that he'll use it to make a "COD is evil" argument.

3. Daniel tells you to chill, somewhat wrongly assuming you're making excuses for neo-nazis (maybe you were in deleted comments? I don't see it here).

4. You accuse Bob of using controversial subjects to make "COD is evil" arguments.

You'll notice from that very slapdash diagram that at no point was a "COD is evil" argument made from this. You expressed your fear that it would happen, then basically referenced yourself as if it already had happened. There needs to be a step in between steps 3 and 4 in order for step 4 to make any sense.

I get what you're saying. I'm not a COD fan, but your fandom is your own. Still, just relax and react to things that have already happened, not that you fear might happen.

Anonymous said...

IGN reports that the video(s) have since been removed, and that it was an error of the linking system:

http://games.ign.com/articles/122/1223153p1.html

Maria said...

I am just curious to know, how many of you have enjoyed playing video games in your childhood? I lie in the category of those who did not even knew that one can play video games by sitting in front of a monitor.