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First Person Shooters (Games) Games

Duke Nukem Forever Multiplayer Mode Predictably Controversial 344

Gearbox Software has released some information about the multiplayer modes for Duke Nukem Forever, which is due out May 3rd (for real this time). In addition to standard deathmatch (called Dukematch), team deathmatch and a king-of-the-hill mode, there is "Capture the Babe," in which a typical CTF flag is replaced by a woman. Eurogamer explains it thus: "... when you grab the other team's babe, she sometimes 'freaks out.' The solution? Give her a gentle smack." Gearbox's Randy Pitchford, clearly understanding how politically incorrect this sounds, said, "You can get some things across in screenshots but not really. So we're kinda struggling with how we expose it so people understand what's there. The proof is in the pudding so to speak, so I don't want to talk about it too much."
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Duke Nukem Forever Multiplayer Mode Predictably Controversial

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  • Oh Duke... (Score:5, Funny)

    by Shikaku ( 1129753 ) on Tuesday March 22, 2011 @12:27AM (#35568826)

    When will you ever stop being awesome?

    • Comment removed based on user account deletion
    • by elrous0 ( 869638 ) *

      When will you ever stop being awesome?

      On April 1st, when Gearbox reveals it was all an elaborate April fool's Day joke.

      • by Thud457 ( 234763 ) on Tuesday March 22, 2011 @10:14AM (#35573308) Homepage Journal
        lessee,
        1. we got a coed-raping bond villain causing the downfall of half the governments in North Africa (remember him?)
        2. the President of Egypt is forced out of office by mobs in the street enraged by #1
        3. Charlie Sheen reveals himself as the Twelfth Imam to the world. He's also pyrokinetic and an indigo child. Probably sent from the future, too.
        4. a record-breaking earthquake hits Japan
        5. leading to a record breaking tsunami hitting Japan
        6. leading to a record-breaking clusterfuck of a nuclear accident involving four reactors and numerous cooling ponds of radioactive waste -- in Japan.
        7. Britain's having a royal wedding
        8. Our Nobel Peace prize - winning President is bombing the shit out of Mohammar Ghadaffi in Libya, instigated, once again by J. Assange (see #1)
        9. Oh yeah, whoever was in charge of Tunisia was chased out of office by Arab mobs (see #1)
        10. And Yemen is following suit.
        11. Don't forget open class warfare breaking out in Wisconsin as the Governor there gives those greedy teachers what they got comin' to them. Next up, firefighters and police...

        So, by my estimate, we're right on schedule for release of DNF.
  • by Michael Woodhams ( 112247 ) on Tuesday March 22, 2011 @12:35AM (#35568864) Journal

    Megatokyo style [megatokyo.com]

  • by Phoobarnvaz ( 1030274 ) on Tuesday March 22, 2011 @12:56AM (#35568954)
    "... when you grab the other team's babe, she sometimes 'freaks out.' The solution? Give her a gentle smack."

    Reminds me of a quote from Sean Connery from his James Bond days..."Sometimes...you just have to hit a woman."

    Personally...I think you should have to find a roll of duct tape to be able to take with you. That way...when you get her...you can duct tape her hands/feet together and put a strip across her mouth. Takes care of her fighting and keeps her quiet. What more can a man ask for...a submissive woman who can't gripe at you.;)
  • There's just all sorts of "Wait, What" in this story...
  • What, no co-op? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 22, 2011 @12:59AM (#35568968)

    One of the best parts of Duke3d (along with many other classic FPSes) was the cooperative play mode. Leaving it out is bullshit; some people actually like to play these games with friends instead of against them.

  • The Duke ain't PC (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Opportunist ( 166417 ) on Tuesday March 22, 2011 @01:01AM (#35568982)

    He's not politically correct. He's in fact not correct at all.

    Dammit, it's a friggin' GAME! OK? It's a GAME! Treat it as such. We're talking about a steroid-pumped, bubblegum-chewing, over-the-top cliché pseudo-hero. I wouldn't say it's suitable for 10 year olds (or other people of similar feeble intellect that could take a computer game serious like, say, certain politicians or a certain ex-lawyer we all love so much), but why should you have to apologize as a computer game company for making a corny game?

    • Re:The Duke ain't PC (Score:5, Informative)

      by scdeimos ( 632778 ) on Tuesday March 22, 2011 @01:24AM (#35569078)

      We're talking about a steroid-pumped, bubblegum-chewing, over-the-top cliché pseudo-hero.

      You forgot: "... who likes punching aliens in the balls."

    • So we can look, forward to DNF being rated RC and becoming DN Never in Australia.

      Fucking fascist government.

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by Viceice ( 462967 )

      It's like how people don't understand parody and satire. I just watch and laugh sometimes at how some people are so upset when comedy is made about race, religion, gender etc.

      Yes, people get hurt when you say the wrong thing, but people also need to learn to chill, take a step back and laugh at themselves once in a while.

    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      but why should you have to apologize as a computer game company for making a corny game?

      Because this isn't the easy-going days of gaming (as in the 90's). Nowadays, people for some reason want to be offended just so they can get their 2 minutes of Internet fame as they're quoted in multiple sites. Bonus points if they're behind some shitty "family" organization or group who loves the publicity.

      • Afaict the way to get arround this is to keep a seperate brand for your "adult" games push that as the brand for your adult games. So when people think of "the company behind GTA" they think "rockstar games" not "take 2 interactive".

      • That's the WWIC trend, or "Why Wasn't I Consulted?", where everyone thinks they should have a say in everything. For instance, slashdot. But at least we're smart enough to know we're just bitching and we don't expect the world to change for us.

    • It's not just a rippin' game franchise, it's a TOTALLY AWESOME MOVIE [imdb.com] even!
    • Because idiot parents will buy this for their 10 year old, and they will promptly "attitude adjust" a girl in their class. As is usual, the content of the game will be blamed for corrupting the youth of today, and the parent will get some free airtime talking about how she didn't know the game would be like that. It'll somehow be linked to extremism or a latent desire to commit homicide, and (mostly) mature adults will be left playing Happy Rainbow Pony Fair Ground Ride XVI and watching the god damn Teletub
      • Because idiot parents will buy this for their 10 year old, and they will promptly "attitude adjust" a girl in their class.

        The amount of children that view/play violent media is likely staggeringly high. How many of them are actually insane enough actually imitate the violence and try it on others? Most of them know that it's fiction. Most of them know that they do not wish to hurt others simply because they saw it done in a work of fiction. The most any studies have been able to 'prove' is that violent media can be linked to temporary violent thoughts that almost never amount to anything (not even in children). If some abysmal

        • How many of them are actually insane enough actually imitate the violence and try it on others?

          One. Then, Fox News will get hold of the story, and it'll be the second coming of Pol Pot. Don't pretend it won't happen.

          • I see. Yes, they do tend to exaggerate things greatly. That, however, does not warrant people banning/censoring things for specific groups of people (children in this case) just to appease these imbeciles.

      • I'm one of those idiot parents. My kid knows far more evil from television and media OTHER than video games. This won't even measure on his radar. He's terrified of girls because, wait for it...he's an awkward 11 year-old. Some stupid video game isn't going to change that.

    • by cheekyjohnson ( 1873388 ) on Tuesday March 22, 2011 @04:27AM (#35569872)

      I wouldn't say it's suitable for 10 year olds

      Really? I would. In order for these ten year olds to believe that a game is actually reality, they would likely have to be already insane and would have to have terrible parents who do nothing but censor everything instead of educating them about things. Really, the chances of someone (even a child) believing this game is reality are slim to none, I believe. The chances of this actually hurting someone are likely even slimmer. The temporary violent thoughts that some studies correlated to violent media almost never amount to anything.

      I'd say it's suitable for anything unless the person is insane and/or has terrible parents.

      • I would like to just say that when Duke Nukem 3D came out I was 11. I managed to get my hands on the game through some older high school teens. I saw the strippers, killed the fake pig cops, saw the tied up women, saw the Duke defecate down the neck of his enemy. I didn't grow up screwed up or going crazy. I have a college degree and work as a software engineer. But you know who ended up screwed up? My friend who was sheltered from this and kept away from the reality of life. Now he has no job and does drug
    • Not "politically" correct, but he is "naturally" correct.

      Just look around. We have a mixed up world with mixed up messages. Women want "equality" but they also want the "better treatment" which they believe they deserve by virtue of their gender.

      To be clear, men "harass" one another all the freaking time (sexual or otherwise) and we do worse than that. The problems I could list would go on for a long time so I won't unless prompted to do so. But I will say that "feminism" is sexism for women. So when pe

  • So, we're allowed to be politically incorrect?

    I wonder how much they would make by launching DNF in Arab League states.
  • Here we go again (Score:5, Insightful)

    by LS ( 57954 ) on Tuesday March 22, 2011 @01:18AM (#35569056) Homepage

    So why is beating and killing prostitutes in GTA ok, but this some kind of travesty?

    • Rockstar North (responsible for the GTA franchise) are based in Scotland. Over this side of the Atlantic, we can appreciate satire. I don't see a lot of it in the American shows televised here (although admittedly I don't watch many). Could be that.
      • by FrootLoops ( 1817694 ) on Tuesday March 22, 2011 @05:32AM (#35570120)
        In my experience (as an American) American perspectives vary wildly. Check out South Park or Family Guy; they're American shows that involve heavy satire. They're very popular with certain demographics, but they're hated, often vehemently, by other segments of the population. I think it would be more accurate to say there's a large, often vocal, conservative block in our population that doesn't appreciate satire. [Of course even this refinement is a generalization and isn't strictly true.]

        As for me, I couldn't care less about the DKF multiplayer "controversy". It seems inconsistent to only get upset about hitting a woman/carrying her as a flag when the game is about killing people.
    • Because this game comes out soon. Just wait for the next GTA game to near release and you'll hear all about it again.
    • by makomk ( 752139 )

      It probably isn't, but at least in GTA you're clearly a bad guy. In DNF, however, you're supposed to be the good guys - except you're a good guy who who kidnaps women and then beats them when they object, like they're just property to be fought over and won and their own wishes doesn't matter. Even that wouldn't be quite so bad if it wasn't for the fact that this particular attitude to women has a long and unpleasant history, not to mention an awful lot of power.

    • Because you get your money back by killing the prostitute, duh.

  • Equally Smackable (Score:5, Insightful)

    by optymizer ( 1944916 ) on Tuesday March 22, 2011 @01:50AM (#35569250)
    If you had to capture a guy and smack him, nobody would have said anything. In that case, Gearbox might even be blamed for not making the option of smacking a woman. So much for gender equality...
    • by emj ( 15659 )

      No in that case people would be protesting, saying that Duke should not be gay. Please! You make no sense, you can't use a theoretical situation to make a point in a very specific situation.

      • So you just make it "capture the president" or something. Of course, then you switch the argument from sexism to racism.
    • The first half of your statement is correct. The second half is not. The only people who would complain about not getting to hit a woman are some kids on 4chan and a few video game hipsters on kotaku.

      The reason no one says anything about a guy getting smacked, beyond those who complain about anyone getting hit, is that their isn't a culture of acceptance and normalization around violence( and objectification) against men the way there is towards women.

      This culture exists regardless of the number of men who

      • by makomk ( 752139 )

        The reason no one says anything about a guy getting smacked, beyond those who complain about anyone getting hit, is that their isn't a culture of acceptance and normalization around violence( and objectification) against men the way there is towards women.

        Am I the only one that spotted the slight, eensy-weensy contradiction in that sentence? If "no one says anything about a guy getting smacked", that's very much a culture of acceptance and normalization of violence against men. Y'know, the one you were saying didn't exist as justification for continuing to accept and normalize violence against men.

  • by Anonymous Coward

    It's a game where you run around kill everyone - perfectly acceptable
    Hit someone - How disgusting (pure double standards)

    But the really really wrong bit, It is such a cheap publicity stunt. All BS and the offending bit will be removed when the story hits the mass media.

  • by Red_Chaos1 ( 95148 ) on Tuesday March 22, 2011 @02:52AM (#35569542)

    ...that movies like Blazing Saddles need to become mandatory viewing. People as a collective need to lighten the fuck up, and learn to laugh a bit.

    • Taggart: Well, that's where we go a-ridin' into town, a-whompin' and a-whumpin' every livin' thing that moves within an inch of its life. Except the women folks, of course.
      Hedley Lamarr: You spare the women?
      Taggart: Naw, we rape the shit out of them at the Number Six Dance later on.
      Hedley Lamarr: Marvelous!

  • by Tom ( 822 ) on Tuesday March 22, 2011 @03:08AM (#35569598) Homepage Journal

    In this time and age of Political Correctness Ãoeber Alles, I am glad that some creative people still enjoy ruffling some feathers. That used to be common in arts, does anyone remember? Today, few artists dare upset the cocktail-drinking ladies in the galleries.

    It wouldn't be Duke without stuff like this.

  • Please, live up to it, Duke...
  • The original Half-Life mod Science and Industry played like a CTF game. The "flags" were scientists, and you captured them by hitting them on they head with a briefcase and carrying them back to your base. What a fun game.
  • Valve time... (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Nameisyoung007 ( 1009935 ) on Tuesday March 22, 2011 @06:31AM (#35570420)
    And Duke Nukem Forever is released before Half Like 2: Episode 3. Part of me is crying inside...
  • many don't

    society is sick of sending cops to domestic violence scenes. therefore, society won't let troglodytes have games where there is violence against women. not because there is a definite connection, but simply because its insulting to all that society is working towards in terms of less violence towards women

    so sorry assholes, deal with it, but your gaming needs, on a scale of importance of 1 to 10, ranks at zero, compared with some other agendas in the world, namely, less violence towards women and

    • many don't

      Some don't hold this same opinion, you mean. That's too bad. Also, these same people likely don't feel this way because of games (and, if they did, they would likely be deemed even more 'insane' by society). A few people should not be able to ruin something for the rest. Otherwise, nearly everything would be banned (cars, guns, knifes, etc).

      but simply because its insulting to all that society is working towards in terms of less violence towards women

      How is it insulting if nothing becomes of it? That sounds illogical to me.

      on a scale of importance of 1 to 10, ranks at zero

      I was not aware that you could decide how important something is to someone else (or, in this

      • i can't

        society and majority opinion can

        and we've found less violence towards women to be a lofty goal, and we've found smacking women in videogames to be against that goal, so we're going to deny it

        deal with it, "tough guy"

    • Many people who "don't hit girls" have no issue using their size and strength to coerce, intimidate, and control women.

      It's okay though, "they don't hit girls"

    • Hitting *anyone* is wrong, be them male or female. Giving women special status in this regard makes no sense in a day and age where we are striving towards equality of the sexes.

      Of course many will argue that it is especially wrong because men tend to be bigger and stronger than women. But that is more of an argument for "picking on someone your own size", and doesn't always apply to just men hitting women.

      • of course women hit men. however, men do most of the hitting, and way more of those hits wind up putting someone in the hospital or morgue. thus, it is entirely logical to focus on the wrongness of men hitting women

        but the funny part is, you apparently want to be politically correct about women and men hitting each other... commenting under a story which is all about championing very un-pc videogame content

        so if you are so concerned with political correctness, you want this women slapping content removed, r

        • so if you are so concerned with political correctness, you want this women slapping content removed, right? you're the one concerned with being politically correct, right? irony

          Once you realize the difference between reality and make-believe, I believe you'll find that the irony disappears.

          • once you understand that society doesn't like men hitting women, i believe you'll find that you have a problem where you think there is none

            • Oh, I see. You got that I'm fine with men hitting women from the statement you imagined I made. The one that wasn't there. You really need to work on that whole reality versus make-believe thing. :P

              • i understand the difference. i hope you understand that whether real, or just depicted in media, society has a problem with a man hitting a woman

                that's not even to say that you can't hit women in media, ever. for example, you could have a man hit a woman in a story, and that man eventually gets a comeuppance for his bad behavior. that's ok, it shows that society does not approve

                but what's not ok, according to society, not just me (and no i'm not a spokesman, i'm just interpreting the brain dead obvious abou

    • The few people who think it's okay because it's in a video game shouldn't be playing video games. That goes for any of the killing, mass chaos, and generally bad behavior that just about any video game is going to include, including misogynistic behavior like this.

      The rest of us can differentiate between video games and reality, and we don't need to have our games sanitized. Halo would suck if we all made friends and had tea parties.

  • I have been Linux only for a very long time. I have Windows (in a VM) at work and a little Mac at home... I think it's time I did a little BootCamping on my Mac Mini so I can do this game.

    I have an XBox360... two actually and so I might get this game there too. I can hardly wait. I haven't been interested in gaming for a long time, but there's enough nostalgia in this game that I think I will really enjoy it.

    (I hope they actually port the old maps into this game as added content... I really loved the old

  • by VGPowerlord ( 621254 ) on Tuesday March 22, 2011 @08:25AM (#35571484)

    Everyone so far seems to be ignoring the most controversial bit in the multiplayer announcement.

    In 2011, Duke Nukem Forever only supports eight-player multiplayer. EIGHT PLAYER multiplayer.

    What does Gearbox think this is, the 90s?

  • Imagine what Vent chat is going to be like for this game...

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