Activision issues apology, no plans to recall Gun

by James Ransom-Wiley { Feb 3rd 2006 at 11:45AM }

Activision has responded to The Association for American Indian Development's petition, which demands a recall (and edit) of Gun on the grounds that the game inaccurately depicts the Apache people using degrading and harmful content. The publisher issued this brief statement:

"Activision does not condone or advocate any of the atrocities that occurred in the American West during the 1800s. Gun was designed to reflect the harshness of life on the American frontier at that time. It was not Activision’s intention to offend any race or ethnic group with Gun, and we apologize to any who might have been offended by the game’s depiction of historical events which have been conveyed not only through video games but through films, television programming, books and other media."

~~Deflecting responsibility by blaming~~ Apologizing for the entire entertainment industry? Good one! Obviously, Activision has chosen not to explicitly address the demands of the petition, and we can only assume that the publisher will not recall, edit, and reissue the game—unless of course, someone uncovers material that is truly damaging... like say, sex? We wouldn't want our "children" (17-year-olds; Gun is rated "M") simulating sex in a game, would we?

[via Blue's News]

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Room 101 @ Feb 14th 2006 4:41AM

#1 - Has anyone here even READ the statement issued by Association for American Indian Development? For those who have not (and I think it's safe to say most of you) here is the exact wording:

"CALL TO ACTION: WE ARE DEMANDING OF ACTIVISION INCORPORATED, (THE PUBLISHERS OF "GUN") TO EDIT AND REMOVE ALL DEROGATORY, HARMFUL AND INACCURATE DEPICTIONS OF AMERICAN INDIANS FROM THE VIDEO GAME "GUN" INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE SLAUGHTERING OF THE "RENEGADE" APACHES, THE ATROCITY OF "INDIAN SCALPING" AND THE MIS-INFORMATION OF INDIAN TRADITIONS OF "KILLING" SACRED WHITE ANIMALS. WE ALSO DEMAND THAT UPON THE RE-RELEASE OF THE EDITED VERSION OF SAID VIDEO GAME, THAT ACTIVISION DO SO IN A MANNER THAT IS RESPONSIBLE TO THE GREAT APACHE PEOPLE AND IS CULTURALLY AND HISTORICALLY ACCURATE TO THE STRUGGLE AND PLIGHT OF ALL PEOPLE OF AMERICAN INDIAN ANCESTRY."

Below this "Call to action" is the "BOYCOTT "GUN" Information" statement. They go on to write "[...]we understand that historically, this kind of violence occurred all too often."

Were "Renegade" Apaches ever slaughtered? Yes
Did THE ATROCITY OF "INDIAN SCALPING" ever happen? Yes
Was MIS-INFORMATION OF INDIAN TRADITIONS OF "KILLING" SACRED WHITE ANIMALS ever present? Yes

#2 - Did Gun EVER claim to be historically accurate? No

#3 - The near genocide of Native Americans is an unfortunate fact in American history.

#4 - Should it be condoned or trivialized in a game as if it were okay? That is subjective. If you want the game to be "CULTURALLY AND HISTORICALLY ACCURATE", the killing of Native Americans (namely the Apache, a powerful and warlike tribe, constantly at enmity with the whites) WAS condoned AND trivialized as if it was "okay".

#3 - The real issue here has nothing to do with historical accuracy though. It is about the insensitivity of Multi-billion dollar gaming companies toward minority groups. The estimated number of Apache people living today is "5000 and 6000" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apache). Even if all 6,000 Apache people were so offended that they boycotted the game, did you seriously think Activision would invest the extra time and money to try and go after those 5K-6K potential sales after they were already signed up for the petition saying they were NOT going to buy it anyway? Gun sold 225,000 copies in 2005. And of those 6000 Apache, how many do you think would realistically even consider buying the game? Maybe a 1000 if they're lucky.

To Activision, this is a numbers game. They have shareholders that they have an obligation to earn profits for.

Is it insensitive to the Apache people who still live today? Of course it is!

Is it unfair? Of course it is!(And no I'm not going to fall back on that ludacris cliche' "Life's not fair". Because life is what you make of it.)

Is it really such a shock that the children of today are so moraly inept and desensitized to violence? The molding of young minds is more-often-than-not left to cold and uncaring individuals who treat them more like a burden than a blessing. The greater our population grows, the more detached we become from one another. The more competetive we are forced to become with one another, to survive. If you think there are enough resources to go around, you will be sadly mistaken.

Good night, and good luck!

Spiza @ Feb 3rd 2006 11:58AM

Just think if the germans asked us to recall every WW2 game because it depicts them as nazis.

Draco @ Feb 3rd 2006 12:05PM

@ Spiza

the difference is, that the germans you kill in COD2 [i]were[/i] Nazis

the Native Americans didnt do what is being said in the game. It depicts them inacurately and I would expect they would get upset for it. no that I support them, I just understand where there coming from

EatingPie @ Feb 3rd 2006 12:09PM

A good social comment on the game industry and society at large.

I actually think the notion of decency and protecting Children is a good one. But it's become pure political opportunism. It's not really about making things better, or simply installing / adhering to a rating system... it's about getting ME elected in 2007, 2008, 2009... and, well, forever!

American Indians are NOT a good political opportunity. Plain and simple. They're far more marginalized than "CHILDREN!" but who gives a crap about them? Really?

-Pie

SandraCisneros @ Feb 3rd 2006 12:23PM

Yeah, I'm German and I'll freely admit that the Nazis were Germans. To do otherwise would be silly. However, I think I'd be offended if a game came out and said all Germans were Nazis, since I'm not. Don't know if I'd really do anything about it, though.

Mark 2000 @ Feb 3rd 2006 12:42PM

Its amazing that people refuse to understand what we did to the american natives. You you knew, IF WE ALL ***TRULY** KNEW, we do anything the natives ask. ANYTHING.

Rape, child abduction and reprogramming, small pox blankets, genocide, 50 years of bad John Wayne movies. When does it end?

ger @ Feb 3rd 2006 12:45PM

it's not supposed to be a history lesson. it doesn't say that it was ever intended to be one...it's a game nothing more. perhaps the efforts all these complaints could be better spent on educating kids instead of going after companies. that are in it to make a buck.

Xavier @ Feb 3rd 2006 12:51PM

Yeah #5, progress is a terrible thing. They stood in the way of progress, violently. They met a violent end. That is what one does with cavemen.

Sure, express shock at such an opinion, but you'd be a hypocrite for doing so. Why? Because you know you're happy as hell not living in a f'n TeePee.

American Indians whine all the time. This is nothing new. Tomorrow I'm sure someone will call them "Braves" and they'll complain over the compliment. That's what American Indians do best: Complain.

DolphGB @ Feb 3rd 2006 12:58PM

Draco said:

>the Native Americans didnt do what is being said in the
>game. It depicts them inacurately and I would expect
>they would get upset for it. no that I support them,
>I just understand where there coming from

The game is not factual. That means it's a work of fiction. Like a book, or a film.

Therefore, whilst I can understand people getting upset, it's not that big a deal in my opinion.

No-one would know or care if the Association for American Indian Development hadn't made a big fuss about it, and the game would have disappeared into the myre of game releases without issue. Now, it's a big deal and the game with probably sell more than before, compounding their problem.

And Mark 2000 - sorry fella but everyone from any major civilization has done those things to anyone who's in their way in the past. Hell, the Americans did it to each other during the Civil War. We just have to accept it and try and make the world a better place in the future (could someone tell Dubya that please...)

Art Guy @ Feb 3rd 2006 1:07PM

I haven't played the game GUN yet, but from the clips I have seen it looks more like a rif on old spaghetti westerns, not a retelling of historical events. Very few fictional games/movies/books are truly accurate to the time periods portrayed, as creative liberties have been used throughout time to create more compelling stories. If movies and games were accurate then all black people would be thugs, all Italians are mobsters, and every Asian would be a kung-Fu master.

Being part indian myself, I sympathize with the horrible way they were treated in the past. But I think sometimes people have very thin skins and get offended as the slightest barb.

Mark 2000 @ Feb 3rd 2006 1:19PM

#7 you're baiting and I'm not falling for it. Enjoy your ignorance.

#8 You're using a logical fallacy. Two wrongs don't make a right. Because everybody has done something doesn't make it an acceptable thing. You ask to make to world a better place? How about starting with an end to insulting mistreated and marginalized people?

How is the civil war (a fight between two equal sides that lasted a few years) equal to an organized champaign of genocide and displacement that lasted several centuries even?

sean barrett @ Feb 3rd 2006 1:26PM

So I guess beating horses to death is still cool?

Sean D. @ Feb 3rd 2006 1:31PM

The depiction of the Cherokees certainly isn't accurate, and I can fully understand how memebers of that nation would be offended, as they have been struggling for decades against plays, radio, movies, and tv programs to quash that media-instilled stereotype. I'm a bearded white man, and I'm absolutely offended by the brutal portral of bearded white men. You know what else offends me? The stereotype that all women are prostitutes. Oh, and the brutal violence. And the horse animation- that totally offends me too.

ChronoZaga @ Feb 3rd 2006 1:39PM

It seems that the creators of Gun should have made up
an indian tribe, or just called them "indians." But, never the less, I don't care one way or the other.

Mark2000, you're preaching about the mistreatment of Indians on a video game blog. Your name links to a site with a shirtless female centaur, showing full frontal nudity. I think you need to take a step back and look at yourself in the mirror. Objectifying female centaurs is a social travisty, and no ammount of backpedeling to indian rights is going to change that.

macidiot @ Feb 3rd 2006 1:53PM

I just finished this game last night, and I have to say that as an Irish American, I am deeply offended by the following quote heard during the last pony express mission by one of the rail workers:

"Thanks mister! Now we'll be able to get the rail road finished quickly, as long as I can keep the Irish sober!"

I demand a recall, and that all copies be changed so that the word Irish is replaced with Mexicans. Because we all know they are the real drinkers.*

*this is a joke, please don't bash me for being racist.

gh0st @ Feb 3rd 2006 2:18PM

Ignorance reigns. The bearded man and the Irish dude are the leaders apparently. Amazes me that we still can't even have the discussion because people are so utterly clueless on the fundamental point.

#13, you are correct, even though you were trying not to be. Had they been "Injuns" there would have been little to complain about. The second they say they get into problems. Neither claiming it is right or wrong, but I will not lement any cooperation doing something that stupid in this day and age.

Let social Darwinism take care of 'em.

Mark 2000 @ Feb 3rd 2006 2:32PM

Chronozaga, apparently so are the moderators of this site. The article is clearly pro-indian. If you don't like that don't read this blog anymore.

I understand that we're in an age of PC backlash and the white male feels like he's being picked on for having all those privilages like not being followed in a department store. I understand, you poor things! The fact is, picking on someone who is already down is not edgy, its just mean. If Native Americans had an equal footing in the media you might just have a case.

Joby @ Feb 3rd 2006 2:36PM

I think people should spend more time complaining that they spent �49.99 on a crap game!

And yup - I was one of those suckers.

Spiza @ Feb 3rd 2006 2:53PM

We are talking about the apaches here though people. Its not like they were a peaceful Indian nation before the europeans showed up. I think people have a misconception that everything was happy go lucky with all the Indians in America before the Europeans showed up, but it wasn't.

The apaches got their name from a navajo word meaning enemy. It was the term they used for the apaches because they would raid, steal, and kidnap from navajo villages. Everything known from apache history points to them as always being a hostile tribe.

The ZeroCorpse @ Feb 3rd 2006 3:05PM

My great grandmother was Cheyenne. This game didn't offend me, but what it portray IS offensive. The difference between the Apache in GUN and the Nazis in COD2 is that the Nazis *did* attack all those places, while the Apache weren't the savages who would try to destroy a bridge or slaughter people on the trail as portrayed in GUN.

Now, the Pawnee might have done some of those things, but the Apache were peaceful until white men started killing them off.

Either way, I see the game as a satirical view of the old west. It's certainly no worse than the movies that were out in the 50s, 60s, and 70s. At least in GUN the Native Americans weren't being played by white men in makeup, like in the movies.

Native Americans were the subject of a US Government genocide plan. For many years the US tried to kill them all off- including women and children- and they only stopped when some member of the Department of the Interior decided it would be more "cost effective" to assimilate them (make them like white people) by kidnapping their children and reprogramming them in special schools.

The amount of bigotry I've been seeing here in the Joystiq messages of late has been appalling. Some of you are truly clueless and inhuman. Some of you need to grow the hell up. You're an embarassment to gamers.

moonknight @ Feb 3rd 2006 3:17PM

Activision used poor judgement when choosing wether to release this game or not, just imagine for a second:It is 1943 Germany,you play a nazi soldier, jews are the enemy in the beginning of the game and in order for you to advance in the game you would have to kill some jews(who all have beards and those little caps on there heads)and then so that they(the makers of the game)can justify the wrong doings they make the soldier half jew.....If that were to happen this discussion wouldn't even be happening because the game would have been pulled from the shelves.The point I'm trying to make is this game is racist and it doesn't matter if other people made made racist books, games, movies, television series,songs and/or laws before and/or after Gun was released it's still racist and its still wrong.
Just my two cents

gman @ Feb 3rd 2006 3:20PM

So they may have depicted history innacurately. They said the game was meant to portray the harshness of the old west...not to accurtely portray every rock and pebble that may have been there. And since no one here was there at the time, all we have is different writings and pictures depicting what the west was like FROM MANY DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW...let's say this is another point of view. An opinion of what the west may have been like. Is that so wrong? So...if it is...for every game henceforth, companies should have to research every bit of history...every crack in the sidewalk...and recreate it as accurately as we think we know things were back then? "WAIIIT A SECOND! that crack in the sidewalk wasn't there at that time! YOU MAY BE OFFENDING THOSE WHO BUILT THAT SIDEWALK SO NOBLY IN THAT DAY!!! We need a recall because the game isn't perfectly historically accurate!!"...even though our records of history themselves are only as accurate as those who wrote them.

Give me a break...maybe it was a STYLISTIC THING...playing on the same style that was involved in the movies and books that protrayed the same stereotypes...so you're going to knock them for that? They can't use the style that they please? They're making a fuckin game..saying what they want to say. Give it a rest

SID SPACE @ Feb 3rd 2006 3:27PM

I have been debating whether or not to shell out the cash for GUN for a while now. But since all this complaining might actually cause something to be changed or modified, I guess I'll go out and give it pre-emptory go. Thanks for swaying my decision Association for American Indian Development!

Kris @ Feb 3rd 2006 3:49PM

I am Native American. I have played the game GUN. I was upset about it. Yes tribes fought each other back in the days... but did they want to exterminate each other? No. But our gov't. wanted to kill them all off. And when they realized that would just be "too much" for them, they (like someone said above) took the children, cut off all of their hair, made them eat SOAP if they spoke their own language and did other awful things to them. The gov't. unjustly killed women, children, elderly men and did not care one BIT about our ways and customs, only about the land they wanted. So to people who are not native, we look like whiners. But let me ask you... were there laws on the books for YOUR death? Was the gov't offering $25 to kill you as a reward? Anyone who killed an indian got a reward. So don't expect us to lay down and stop complaining and take things lightly because that's not going to happen. To native's, this game is offensive. What if it were white slave traders and slaves, and they had to lynch all of them and kill them all... would you be mad that black people were complaining? Probably not. How about you guys learn how to stop being ignorant instead of asking native's to stop complaining about things that actually happened to them.

Kris @ Feb 3rd 2006 3:53PM

Kris @ Feb 3rd 2006 4:01PM

and sorry it posted twice...

Wonder Cheese @ Feb 3rd 2006 4:10PM

Perfect response from Activision. Issue a non-apology apology. Basically, if you're offended, we're sorry you're offended. But we don't really care. Pound sand.

And let's not fall all over ourselves painting the Apache Indians as peace loving hippies.
"They were a powerful and warlike tribe, constantly at enmity with the whites."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apache

Nathaniel N. @ Feb 3rd 2006 4:19PM

" Yeah #5, progress is a terrible thing. They stood in the way of progress, violently. They met a violent end. That is what one does with cavemen.

Sure, express shock at such an opinion, but you'd be a hypocrite for doing so. Why? Because you know you're happy as hell not living in a f'n TeePee.

American Indians whine all the time. This is nothing new. Tomorrow I'm sure someone will call them "Braves" and they'll complain over the compliment. That's what American Indians do best: Complain."

I really couldn't care if I adding to the conversation or not...

But I'd just like to say, with a hearty and tasteful...

FUCK YOU!

ill trooper @ Feb 3rd 2006 4:32PM

I'm with you Mark2000. Ignorance runs so high around here! But I guess that's what I get for poking around on a video game site: a lot of teens with little world view or perspective. More happy to show an 'Intolerant/Ignorant' view than to simply say, "Yeah, that is pretty fucked up to portray people like that."

"Different Points of View" can apply if there really were these different points of view, but what I think people who are offended by this are saying is that the 'point of view' in this game didn't happen and it's innacurate, and perpetuating the 'savage' stereotype. Use your head: complaining about 'A crack in the sidewalk' is not the same thing.

Ah well. (taps fingers). Any news on Splinter Cell 4 yet?

jakk of guildofIV @ Feb 3rd 2006 5:26PM

im native american. but i also believe in freedom of speech so fire at will.

Spiza @ Feb 3rd 2006 6:08PM

Or what if it was a guy who got extra money for killing civilians. Then he got more money for paying for a prostitute and then killing her. Then the whole point of the game is to do illegal activity, and if you have to kill a cop or run over a few pedestrians, so be it.

I hadn't played the game and did not know you got extra money for randomly killing an Indian. I guess you kill peaceful indians in the game?

Mark 2000 @ Feb 3rd 2006 6:33PM

ill trooper et al. Seriously, what has gone wrong with these teen boppers today? I'm part of the MTV generation between X and Y. I and my compatriots seems to know the difference between telling bad jokes and believing them. This new generation just seems hateful and intollerent, whether its race or gender. What happened in 10 years? Or is the net just a harbor for hate and the real world less so (i never have a chance to speak to young people outside the occational forum post)?

DJ @ Feb 3rd 2006 7:00PM

At that time in history America was a conquering nation. America won, natives lost. It's unfortunate in hindsight that things had to transpire in such a brutal fasion, but that is the way it happened. That is what a conquerting nation does. We can apologize all we want for the atrocities that our forefathers committed but its a done deal at this point (though my family roots were still in Ireland and Germany at the time). The world is a brutal place and although our technology has increased dramatically, the mindsets of the people living in the world have not.

dblplusgood @ Feb 3rd 2006 11:03PM

Wow! Americans rewriting history (his-story) to suit their own needs again? And the mass-propaganda brianwashed sheep following along? I guess history does repeat itself.

Heil W! (a.k.a. yee-haw)

KingBigos @ Feb 4th 2006 12:57AM

Good

Brian @ Feb 4th 2006 12:40PM

I haven't played this game, but I'm trying to understand how the portrayal is innacurate. Look in any encyclopedia or other legitimate resource and you will find that the Apache of that time were very violent, especially towards settlers. They did have a very good reason to be so, but that doesn't change the reality. Should the games protagonist lament the injustices against the indians, drop his gun and then let them kill him? Of course not. From what I've seen of GUN, every race and culture gets abused. Maybe I should get offended at every portrayal of a wise indian mentor teaching a brash and impatient honkey how to live with nature? How tired is that sterotype? No one complains.

Rocketboy @ Feb 4th 2006 4:58PM

As a white guy, I'm offended by how murderous we are portrated in the game Killer 7. Or as a red-head, I'm offended by what a dork we, the red-headed race, were portrated in in 'Happy Days'. As a Car Driving citizen, I'm offended by the unsafe driving in Burnout. Hey look, we can be offended by anything we want!