Int. Red Cross investigating whether gamers violate laws of warfare

[August]

Political correctness gone insane...

The Red Cross is investigating whether 600 million gamers are violating the Hague and Geneva conventions when they kill and blow stuff up for fun.
Delegates at the 31st International Conference of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Red Crescent raised the concerns over the potential ***8220;International Humanitarian Law***8221; violations ***8211; which can constitute war crimes ***8211; during a workshop in Geneva.
The Red Cross said if it finds the conventions have been violated, they may ask game developers to conform to international laws or encourage governments to create laws that regulate the gaming industry, Kotaku reported.
But international law professor at the University of New South Wales Anthony Billingsley told news.com.au the Red Cross risked trivialising the conventions of warfare.
Mr Billingsley also said there is no way the conventions could apply to individuals because they were state-based.
***8220;There are concerns about the blurring of fantasy and reality,***8221; he said.


http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/285310/red-cross-and-six-hundred-million-hague-convention-violations-charles-c-w-cooke

[Jimbuna]

LOL you wouldn't believe it unless you read it :DL

[STEED]

The Red Cross dose itself no justices in this load of guff which makes them look silly.

[Skybird]

:dead:

[Arlo]

Must be the virtual Red Cross. I'm all for realism settings.

[Betonov]

I AM with the ICRC and I DO violate international treaties in games just for fun :03:

[mookiemookie]

All you bloodthirsty Kaleuns...I just knew that machinegunning the survivors in their lifeboats was going to come back to bite you in the ass one day. :rotfl2:

[Takeda Shingen]

All you bloodthirsty Kaleuns...I just knew that machinegunning the survivors in their lifeboats was going to come back to bite you in the ass one day. :rotfl2:

Oh crap, I've done that too. I have also shot torps at the SEAL rafts in Sub Command and Dangerous Waters. Come to think of it, I also used to shoot the scientists in Goldeneye. Blew up Megaton too. I'm gonna hang for sure.

[Herr-Berbunch]

Well I've put someone in stress positions, waterboarded them and then...

oh, wait a minute - does it not count if it's your girlfriend? :hmmm:

[AVGWarhawk]

I'm going to rule the world one pixel at a time!!!!

[Penguin]

Nothing really new: it was already in the old C64 game "Ace Of Aces" possible to intentionally put bombs on train cars of the Red Cross :arrgh!:

Damn, now we have to face the consequences at a virtual Den Haag trial - but don't worry, there will certainly a Counterstrike map which allows to liberate the gamers out of the courtroom.

[mookiemookie]

Oh and anyone that's sunk a hospital ship? Oh man, they're so totally coming after you for that one. That's personal for them.

[Penguin]

Oh and anyone that's sunk a hospital ship? Oh man, they're so totally coming after you for that one. That's personal for them.

hey, if they have no lights they are a legitimate target! :timeout:

Anyway: It's always the best to have no witnesses: kill the survivors and before going into port drown your crew - this way you're safe of prosecution :smug:

[Betonov]

I just remembered I'm a Tropico fan :-? I guess I'll keep company in den Haag to Karadzic and Mladic. At least we speak (almost) the same language

[Tribesman]

Political correctness gone insane...
So they didn't and they are not.
It was just a small discussion about promotion and education.:know:
Rather sloppy journalism for Charlie Cook to do a story from another media source which comes from another media source which has already done the follow up on the "OMG!!!!!!!:doh:story" which puts it into the "Oh was that it:yawn: story" it always was.

[Catfish]

We are all virtual murderers, or at least virtual soldiers (i never gunned lifeboats in any SH :smug: )

But then the Red cross should realize me alone have saved the earth from aliens like the Kilrathi ! Twice !

Being a hero .. it is really lonely at the top :shifty:

[TLAM Strike]

Oh crud... whats my punishment for going nuclear in Civilization going to be? :o

[Betonov]

Oh crud... whats my punishment for going nuclear in Civilization going to be? :o

Depends if you won that war or not :hmmm:

[Takeda Shingen]

Oh crud... whats my punishment for going nuclear in Civilization going to be? :o

Oh.....I did that too. Forgot about that. I also execute the prisoners captured during battles in the Total War series. It is ever so fun to be evil in video games.

[1480]

U N R E A L

[Ducimus]

Guess all those virtual executions instead of virtual arrests is gonna come back and get me eh?

[Jimbuna]

Well I promise not to kill any more japs in call of duty - world at war.

[Skybird]

U N R E A L
:D
I did not just kill them, oh no - not me!

In fact - I shreddered them! I ripped them apart! I was wading in their remains!

And I felt so good about it!

[soopaman2]

I played a game earlier where I captured some prisoners, tortured them and killed them, then sacked East and West Mercia. I put 2 armies to the sword, and forced the towns to provide me with troops. Lots of corpses of women and children, interspersed with tears of laughter from me and my troops.:yeah:

Saddam did less.

[TarJak]

Ummm... This forum is publicly viewable, so all you are doing is incriminating yourselves and providing ammunition to the prosecution. I for one am saying nothing.:know:

[August]

When I think of all those times I ruthlessly cut down hordes of villagers in Age of Empires so I could build more soldiers. :o

[GoldenRivet]

i cannot begin to calculate the trillions upon trillions of lives snuffed out in an instant when my Empire ruthlessly invaded a neighboring star system and destroyed it's sun with powerful directed spatial manipulators in the game Star Ruler.

The DSM weapon collapses the star into a near singularity before releasing the power suddenly in one massive rupture of spacetime.
The resulting explosion destroyed scores of heavily populated worlds


the enemy race's status updated to "Extinct" within seconds.


the body count had to be expressed in scientific notation





Hitler = Boy scout

[Madox58]

You Sick SOB!
:har:

I'm sure your on the Red Cross list now!
:DL

[GoldenRivet]

it would have caused darth vader to cry in beaming pride

[August]

Did anyone else root for the death star at the Battle of Alderaan? :hmmm:

[GoldenRivet]

Did anyone else root for the death star at the Battle of Alderaan? :hmmm:

They had it coming.


plus... it really helped move the story along

[Ducimus]

I think the next time I install any Silent Hunter title, be it 3, 4, or 5, im going to make it a point to machine gun every lifeboat i see, just out of spite.

[soopaman2]

I think the next time I install any Silent Hunter title, be it 3, 4, or 5, im going to make it a point to machine gun every lifeboat i see, just out of spite.

Why haven't you been doing it already?

Your not wasting those bullets on planes are you?:O:

[Madox58]

The one thing that is kind of scary?
That anyone would actually sit down and discuss this type thing.
Lord knows that lesser 'Do Gooders' have done wonders at screwing things up!

So I can imagine a 'virtual' War Crimes type thing actually happening in a way.

Muppets are now Commies, Rudolph the Red Nose RainDeer breeds Bullies,
etc, etc.....

The Virtual World is becomeing a ground for every 'I need to make a name for my self' Nut job out there!
:nope:

[soopaman2]

I played JFK reloaded. Can't quite reproduce Oswald, but I did cap Jaquie O in the back of the noggin a few times for fun.

Is the secret service on it's way over?

[Takeda Shingen]

When I think of all those times I ruthlessly cut down hordes of villagers in Age of Empires so I could build more soldiers. :o

Oh god, I used to do that too. Sometimes, if the game world was not too developed, I would send them out to fight some wolves, or into an enemy settlement just for kicks.

[Task Force]

Do my massacres in strategy games count?

I though the red cross was more in the blood business not the game business...

[Ducimus]

Do my massacres in strategy games count?
.

I'm a practitioner of the scorched earth policy myself. :arrgh!:

[TLAM Strike]

I played JFK reloaded. Can't quite reproduce Oswald, but I did cap Jaquie O in the back of the noggin a few times for fun.
I took the driver out once. Caused the limo to go out of control in to the crowd killing everyone in the limo and a bunch in the crowed. :haha:

I took out Johnson a few times as well. :shifty:

[Task Force]

I'm a practitioner of the scorched earth policy myself. :arrgh!:

Same! If Hearts of Iron counts... ive killed Millions, Not including my human waves in Men of War.

[Platapus]

http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/faq/ihl-video-games-faq-2011-12-08.htm


Is there a place for the laws of armed conflict in video games?

08-12-2011 FAQ

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement recently discussed the implications of video games that simulate real-war situations and the opportunities the games may present for spreading knowledge of the laws of armed conflict. Some questions and answers on this subject are provided below.

Why is the ICRC interested in video games that simulate real warfare?

The ICRC is interested in issues relating to video games of this type, i.e. games simulating warfare where players face choices just like on a real battlefield.
In real life, armed forces are subject to the laws of armed conflict. Video games simulating the experience of armed forces therefore have the potential to raise awareness of the rules that those forces must comply with whenever they engage in armed conflict – this is one of the things that interests the ICRC. As a matter of fact, certain video games already take into account how real-life military personnel are trained to behave in conflict situations.
Part of the ICRC's mandate, conferred on it by States, is to promote respect for international humanitarian law – also known as the law of armed conflict – and universal humanitarian principles. Given this mandate and the ICRC's long history and expertise in matters relating to armed conflict, the development of these games is clearly of interest to the organization.
A few media reported that certain virtual acts performed by characters in video games could amount to serious violations of the law of armed conflict. Is this correct?

No. Serious violations of the laws of war can only be committed in real-life situations, not in video games.
Does the ICRC work with video-game developers to make sure the law of armed conflict features in certain games?

The ICRC has expressed its readiness to engage in a dialogue with the video gaming industry in order to explore the place of humanitarian rules in games. The ICRC welcomes the fact that certain video games on war-related themes already take the law of armed conflict into account.
Shouldn't the ICRC be primarily concerned with real-life warfare?

Absolutely, and real-life armed conflict and its humanitarian consequences are in fact its primary concern.
With its roughly 12,000 staff, the ICRC carries out humanitarian activities in situations of armed violence all over the world. It is often the first organization to arrive on the scene when conflict erupts and to attend to the needs of people detained, displaced or otherwise affected. It also strives to bring about improved compliance with the law of armed conflict and thereby contribute to creating an environment conducive to respect for the dignity of persons affected.
Why does the ICRC show interest in video games but not, for example, in books, comics, TV series or films?

The ICRC is occasionally approached by filmmakers or authors who want to portray its activities in past or present armed conflicts. It has thus had contacts with various segments of the entertainment world beyond the developers of video games. The ICRC is not interested in all video games – only in those simulating armed conflict. Some of these games are being designed and produced by the same companies developing simulated battlefields for the training of armed forces.
What was said on this subject at the 31st International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent?

The 31st International Conference met in November 2011 in Geneva with the overall objective of strengthening international humanitarian law and humanitarian action. In a side event, participants also explored the role that the law of armed conflict plays, or does not play, in simulations of war. They considered various ways in which the rules applicable in armed conflict could feature in simulations. The side event was an informal discussion; no resolution or plan of action was adopted.

[TLAM Strike]

Same! If Hearts of Iron counts... ive killed Millions...

I'm really screwed now: I went with "Purge the Traitors" in the Stalin's Purges event...

:o

[Kaye T. Bai]

Playing a computer game the other day where I was a private military contractor and had to ambush a U.N. convoy and kill a few weapons inspectors being transported. :yeah:

[CaptainHaplo]

Well I am probably going to be pretty high on the list...

Conflict: Middle East Political Simulator.....

I don't think I ever completed that game without having committed copious amounts of violence in conquering Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan before it was done.

[TLAM Strike]

I'm really in trouble. In Europa Universalis I not only launched crusades, started the Spanish Inquisition, I also exterminated countless native tribes in Africa and the New World. :o

[yubba]

I knew nothing good would come of me putting a burst into a pilot after he bailed out in IL-2 guess I'm going to rot in hell for that one.:nope: