U2's Bono called upon to battle Mercenaries

by Ludwig Kietzmann { Mar 22nd 2007 at 11:57AM }

More Venezuela versus Pandemic news now, with the attack on Mercenaries 2: ~~Venezuela~~ World in Flames now bolstered by the attempted enlistment of Bono -- charitable human rights rescuer and lead singer for rock group U2. In a pair of open letters addressed to religious leaders and the bland-o-rama band frontman, Venezuelan Solidarity humbly asks Bono to use his "considerable influence" to halt development on the game and perhaps invest in a company that doesn't detract "from [his] image as a human rights defender." Does Bono know how to dismantle an anti-static BD-ROM?

The political group's concerns arise from the fact that the "extremely realistic" game allows players to shoot and otherwise demolish people and constructions within the recognizable borders of Venezuela. Their paranoid plea frantically plucks nebulous studies ("research demonstrates that playing violent video games increases the likelihood of aggressive behavior"), bizarre gamer hostility ("the game inevitably will provoke increased tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela) and unfounded fiction fear ("celebration of violence in much of our media, music and video games is poisoning our children") from the air, shortly before rolling everything into a moist ball and splattering it across Bono's front door.

In other news, both Sony's David Jaffe and Cory Barlog have been asked to stop their rampage against Greece's tourism industry. "We're not all half-naked barbarians and bloodthirsty minotaurs, you know!"

[Via Gamesindustry.biz]

Tags: Bono, Mercenaries 2, Mercenaries2, Pandemic, U2, Venezuela

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

JodyAnthony @ Mar 22nd 2007 12:08PM

Bono is scum

jaysins @ Mar 22nd 2007 12:16PM

Someone needs a reality check. I don't think Americans are going to hate Venezuelans over a game. If that was the case we'd all be anti-Germany with all the WWII games going around.

Grindstone @ Mar 22nd 2007 12:17PM

So a video game is going to inspire the US to follow its initiative to invade another country? Wow, I guess video games do promote violence, on a government scale even. Fascinating! Ya know, I wasn't too interested in this game until now. Thanks hyper-vigilant nobodies, you've made another sale!

Agent MOO @ Mar 22nd 2007 12:18PM

Bono is an attention whore

AirIntake @ Mar 22nd 2007 12:19PM

As a U2 fan, I doubt Bono will give this issue the time of day. Bono prefers to deal with REAL problems like mass starvation and AIDS, not legislating morality in videogames.

AirIntake @ Mar 22nd 2007 12:21PM

"Bono is an attention whore"

Along with everyone else in any band...

Markusdragon @ Mar 22nd 2007 12:21PM

I agree. I don't think it's fair to portray Venezuela in the way the game is bound to do so.

nepos13 @ Mar 22nd 2007 12:24PM

What paranoid rubbish. Bono will probably make a speech and Edge will cry. The game will get made, we will buy it, and hopefully if its good our laughter will echo across the border. Didn't the first Mercenaries get banned in Korea? but wait they didn't have Bono savior of the human race.

Jack of No Trades @ Mar 22nd 2007 12:23PM

This type of stuff really pisses me off. More than the Wii. A game is a game. Stupid Fucks in other countries. Lets worry "real life" issues and not about a damn video game. People are so screwed in the head.

AirIntake @ Mar 22nd 2007 12:24PM

And GTA portrays a very negative view of the USA. Big whoop. What's the alternative? Making all games take place in imaginary countries?

AirIntake @ Mar 22nd 2007 12:26PM

Did anybody read the article before posting? These are OPEN letters to Bono, also known as wishful thinking. Bono has not said anything about the issue or responded to the letters yet.

JodyAnthony @ Mar 22nd 2007 12:26PM

"Along with everyone else in any band..."

thats not really true. I know a lot of people that play in bands just for fun (I'm one of them), not because they want people to see who they are or talk about how they love them or whatever. I've had just as much fun playing for 1 or 2 people as I have for 100.

most 'professional' bands are full of attention whores, however.

Dracula Jones @ Mar 22nd 2007 12:28PM

I can sort of see their point. There's a lot of tension between the US and Venezuela right now. How would you feel if Iran produced a well-known, highly anticipated game that featured an Iranian mercenary's exploits in America? It ranks at least a "WTF is this game's problem?!"

Also, Bono is lame.

Jack of No Trades @ Mar 22nd 2007 12:28PM

We can't even enjoy games anymore without some prick getting offened.

JodyAnthony @ Mar 22nd 2007 12:30PM

"How would you feel if Iran produced a well-known, highly anticipated game that featured an Iranian mercenary's exploits in America?"

honestly I would not care at all.

then again I don't give a damn about politics whatsoever either.

Jack of No Trades @ Mar 22nd 2007 12:31PM

offended.

and most lead singers in a band are the attention whores!

sheppy @ Mar 22nd 2007 12:45PM

"How would you feel if Iran produced a well-known, highly anticipated game that featured an Iranian mercenary's exploits in America? It ranks at least a "WTF is this game's problem?!"

Umm, I wouldn't mind. You know why? IT'S A FUCKING GAME! Did I get all super in a pissy when I played an alien blowing the fuck out of humans in Destroy All Humans? A video game is not a political statement nor is it an indicator of a real world initiative. A video game is a video game. Make it good and fun and I'd even play a game where you play as homeless man gathering aborted fetuses from abortion clinic dumpsters to feed his hobo pals.

Seriously. They said so many venzualians are terrified of the US invading at any moment and this game would only elevate those fears. How fucking paranoid do you have to be to believe this shit.... wait, Y2K. Okay, what George Carlin says is true.

"Take the intelligence of your average person. Half the people are even dumber than that!"

Norm @ Mar 22nd 2007 12:46PM

I don't care one way or another about Bono, though he has done a lot of good in his life.

I think its stupid to portray venezuela in a way as described, and definitely not 'cool', but I think the game falls more under 'art' than 'politics'.

I felt similarly psuedo-offended when EA released Freedom Fighters with rediculously offensive stereotypes of russian people, but I wouldn't try to ban it's sales.

hvnlysoldr @ Mar 22nd 2007 12:57PM

Remember that the James Bond movie was going to have North Korea as the bad guys? How that would lead to war?

carg0 @ Mar 22nd 2007 1:05PM

it's one thing to choose not to buy or sell a game in one's country but to ask others to prevent it from being made so that the rest of the entire world can't??

wow...

what's really offending is the level of blatant fear and ignorance being demonstrated by these protesters.

Steve @ Mar 22nd 2007 2:22PM

Go home Bono. People are tired of know-it-all celebrities exploiting anything and everything for some free publicity so that they can sell CDs, DVDs, movie tickets or whatever they're selling.

deaftly @ Mar 22nd 2007 1:09PM

remember when u2 used to be good, yeah me neither

Jesus @ Mar 22nd 2007 1:12PM

I´m in Venezula. The Venezuela´s Goverment LOVES attention. And this will be a news for the ignorants masses here in Venezuela. They´ll show the game and say: look at the bad imperialist they want to kill us, and all the stupid people will applaud. This isn´t really a motivation for a war, it´s stupid to say that. They just want a media hype. Uhhh how I hate Chávez :S

Intentless @ Mar 22nd 2007 1:20PM

Actually... I don't know about you but I have met plenty of Americans that don't like Germans because they don't realize that even though all nazis were Germans not all Germans were Nazis... Not to mention not all Nazis were willing participants... Death is usually a good tool for convincing someone to do what you say....

Judd @ Mar 22nd 2007 1:28PM

"How would you feel if Iran produced a well-known, highly anticipated game that featured an Iranian mercenary's exploits in America?"

I hope this doesn't come off as hypocritifal, but I would have a problem with it, although I do not have a problem with Mercernaries. For me the distinction is the way the countries are attacked. As war mongering of a country the U.S. can be, they tend to not go on solo suicide missions against a country. So even if a bunch of dumb kids wanted to go after Venezuela after playing the game, they'd probably need government permission. And remember the government are the last people who would be influenced by a video game.

On the other hand, (I hope this doesn't come off as racist) in many Middle Eastern countries people are willing to go off on their own accord and just blow up markets and buildings.

Iran is a country that has its leader call for the destruction of Israel. I have a feeling they are more likely to provoke attacks against America, then the U.S. to attack Venezuela just because they Chavez has said some bad things.

Je2037 @ Mar 22nd 2007 1:29PM

1) People should be able to make any games they want. "Freedom", right?

2) Bono's glasses = credibility gone.

Jerk Face @ Mar 22nd 2007 2:12PM

Bono is a Douche Bag Royale.

Ryan Renna @ Mar 22nd 2007 4:13PM

I hope you guys realize that Bono is a founder of Elevation Partners, which OWNS Bioware and Pandemic. That's why they are appealing to him, they didn't just try to find some random celebrity with a history of political statements.

And for the record I like U2

WillTheSecond @ Mar 23rd 2007 2:14PM

@24

"I hope this doesn't come off as hypocritifal, but I would have a problem with it, although I do not have a problem with Mercernaries. For me the distinction is the way the countries are attacked. As war mongering of a country the U.S. can be, they tend to not go on solo suicide missions against a country. So even if a bunch of dumb kids wanted to go after Venezuela after playing the game, they'd probably need government permission. And remember the government are the last people who would be influenced by a video game."

Okay, first: thanks for making it clear that you're not just being offensive or anything, though I would considering your point here ignorant (that's my no means your fault, after all). The point here is the idea that the game will create an anti-Venezuela feeling amongst the US popular that would make it easier to justify a state-based war. The flaw is of course that the US is too stretched militarily to do anything right now... oh well, at least Halliburton are happy.

"On the other hand, (I hope this doesn't come off as racist) in many Middle Eastern countries people are willing to go off on their own accord and just blow up markets and buildings."

Apparently British people are too: the 7/7 bombers were British. The Israelis were responsible in the 50s for a widespread terrorist bombing campaign (probably the first example of Middle Eastern terrorism). The French Resistance also did a lot of that kind of stuff in WWII, evidently, one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter... or, er... mercenary?

"Iran is a country that has its leader call for the destruction of Israel. I have a feeling they are more likely to provoke attacks against America, then the U.S. to attack Venezuela just because they Chavez has said some bad things."

Iran is culturally and technologically a very advanced country, it has 2500 years of history compared with the US's paltry 400. Iran would not be so stupid as to walk into a war with the US. Also, I believe what was actually said was that the state of Israel should not exist, this implies that while the Jewish people could be allowed live in that region, that region should not be called Israel. I agree, personally if you simply called it Palestine, which is a secular name, and established a secular state, the two groups would be able to co-operate, like in Lebanon until the Israelis f***ed it up last year. Interestingly, there are actually more Jews in New York than there are in the whole of Israel.

Chocolate Starfish @ Mar 22nd 2007 5:12PM

The game design is based on stereotypes of Venezuela which means the damage is done.

The Venezuela in the game is "recognizable" which means the damage was justified.

perfectchaos @ Mar 22nd 2007 5:05PM

hugo chavez does a much better job of increasing tensions between the us and venezuela than this game ever will.

Scott @ Mar 22nd 2007 3:33PM

Okay...few points here.

1) People need to read the entire article. This is an open letter sent to Bono. Bono hasn't said shit about it. Bono happens to be an investor in a company that owns Pandemic. That is why he is being singled out.

2) Bono is being called a douche or an attention whore. Why? Because he is trying to bring relief to Africa?? This is a continent seiged by poverty and corruption. He doesn't show up everywhere saying "Buy my new concert DVD". He shows up trying to spread the word that these people need help. This is something that needs exposure. If you slam him for that, than you are doing nothing but showing your ignorance.

3) As for U2, they are one of the most influential bands of the 80's and 90's. They have changed the face of music and wrote amazing rock during an age when hair metal and then grunge was the fashion. I can't imagine thinking of them as an awful band. If you are to do that, you might as well right off the Stones and the Beatles too.

ill trooper @ Mar 22nd 2007 3:38PM

"27. Go home Bono. People are tired of know-it-all celebrities exploiting anything and everything for some free publicity so that they can sell CDs, DVDs, movie tickets or whatever they're selling."

...unless it's something YOU like - Strange coincedence!

Plus, you internet dicks who can't actually seem to Read The Fucking Article - this is an story about a GROUP OF PEOPLE who WANT Bono to work against the game coming out... Not an article about Bono saying the game shouldn't come out. In fact, he's a main investor in Pandemic Studios, who's making the game. Which means he had some sort of interst in games. Which would have made him 'cool' in many of your eyes last week. Get the hate out of your eyes.

That being said, I predict he'll likely divest from the company to avoid sending contradictory statements.

On a related note, it is odd that 1) UbiSoft has based enemies in GRAW, Rainbow 6, and GRAW 2 on 'terroristas' from Central American countries, and Mercenaries2 in Venezuela. It's almost as if these companies decided, 2-3 years ago, to base the enemies on people that wouldn't seem to ACTUALLY be enemies - like say, actual foes of America, like the North Korean government (Ghost Recon 2) or Middle-Eastern enemies (anything pre-9/11).

The funny thing is, U.S./Mexico border relations and immigration issues have worsened in that time, so it actually has become MORE of a point of contention to have your enemies Central American. Can't win for trying it seems.

Joe @ Mar 22nd 2007 4:00PM

I'm so excited for Mercenaries 2, I'm going to sneak onto a flight to Venezuela, parachute out of midair, storm around blowing up oil refineries with a rocket launcher and jumping on the firing nozzle of tanks!

^ The above is sarcasm, and the only reason this game should be taken out is if people actually feel that way.