American animal rights organisation PETA has labelled the ability to harpoon whales in Ubisoft's upcoming seafaring adventure Assassin's Creed 4 as "disgraceful".
"PETA encourages video game companies to create games that celebrate animals-not games that promote hurting and killing them."
PETA has previously attacked Pokémon by likening the way Pokémon are treated to the abuse of animals, and made what it subsequently labelled a "tongue-in-cheek" call for attention by attacking Mario for "sending the message that it's OK to wear fur".
As we revealed in our Assassin's Creed 4 preview, the game is being developed Ubisoft Montreal, the studio behind Far Cry 3, a title which also lets players hunt numerous animals.
Comments
53 comments so far...
Dannyb0yUK on 5 Mar '13 said:
Dear PETA,
Go worry about things that are actually happening to animals in the real world today, rather than preaching about an act in a video game set in a time where such things weren't a concern to people. Keep your noses out of our medium, we're not all about to go and start hunting whales or thinking it's cool, idiots.
RicePudding on 5 Mar '13 said:
So people being assassinated, looted and pillaged by pirates isn't a concern PETA? Just as well they voiced their opinion, if it wasn't for them I'd play this game and get the next flight to Japan to go join in!
Kyle Patterson on 5 Mar '13 said:
I agree, we should shag 'em instead...
SirDMCalot on 5 Mar '13 said:
All they seem to want is attention.
Is PETA publicly funded?
Stan_Goodspeed on 5 Mar '13 said:
I see myself as an animal defender but damn it are these PETA folks completely out of touch and desperate for attention, all the while divertion attention from real issues. Pathetic.
Besides, knowing Ubisoft the game's whaling aspects will probably need some patch to be remotely playable, or some sort of DLC anyways
Taus on 5 Mar '13 said:
Whale hunting is a inhumane and frankly unnecessary practice given how few whales there are left in the oceans but not really seeing how depicting this practice in a video game is a bad thing as long as its done responsibly, which remains to be seen, the game is yet to be released
As for the first three posters, placing a video game in a wider context is clearly a little beyond them however they'd be they first to complain if Ubisoft offended their ethics with micro transactions, timed exclusives, on disk dlcs etc
Oh well, well worth making the point PETA
Barry316 on 5 Mar '13 said:
Compromise then PETA.
Let us go hunting in Wales.
andy3050 on 5 Mar '13 said:
the point that PETA isn't getting is that just as in real life you have a choice. you aren't forced to kill the whales (we'll ignore achieving 100% completion).
I'm totally against whaling but I'm also against PETA, I will play the game but won't be doing any whaling in the game.
brookie_2001 on 5 Mar '13 said:
They are right, it is digusting. This content should be cut. Concentrate more on the killing of random guards and mugging of innocent people.
Sort it out Ubisoft!
RSene on 5 Mar '13 said:
There are also human beings killed by the protagonist... Didn't they deserve more pity than the whales?
But no, for them, it doesn't matter if the protagonist sticks a knife in the chest of another virtual human being... only the virtual whales deserves they fight....
Welcome to the glorious XXI century.
Taus on 5 Mar '13 said:
Fairly blithe statement, I do not agree
Slavery was an issue at that time, particularly African people being systematically kidnapped, tortured and raped by the Royal Navy & Merchant Navy, and its employees, and then sent to the West Indies to work on plantations
What duty of care does Ubisoft have in depicting that period and those human beings?
Do they leave it out, white wash it from the depiction of history in their game
Do they go with the popular metaphors perpetuated by the British & Other European nations at the time to justify slavery, i.e. depict black people as stupid, infantile creatures of lower intelligence who require white people to beat and discipline them in order to 'civilise the savages', aka 'the white man's burden'
Do they recognise, with the benefit of hindsight, that it was an immoral & disgraceful practice
Do you agree videogames makers have any form of responsibility towards reflecting the ethics of 21st century society or is it just about shooting and stabbing polygons on your TV screen?
Ali_ on 5 Mar '13 said:
"PETA encourages video game companies to create games that celebrate animals-not games that promote hurting and killing them."
PETA also advocates terrorism and is listed as such by the FBI, campaigns outside animal shelters because they dare to euthanise some animals humanely if they are too old or ill to be rehomed and, yet, in 2002 were shown to have euthanised over 1000 dogs and cats at their own headquarters. I wouldn't pay attention to a word they say. They probably hunt whales in their spare time too.
turricantg on 5 Mar '13 said:
Why is it that people have big big problems with the imagination of the gaming world and the reality of the real world.
Let me help.
The gaming world is not real its a vision of a teams imagination of a time, place and reality that does not and will not be real ever...For example...When you shoot people in games...They don't really die...Or when you crash a car, you don't really crash that car...Its a form of entertainment that is not real.
Like books, and films.....Not Real.
Ali_ on 5 Mar '13 said:
I sincerely hope AC4 will see the return of Dot Cotton and her 400 clones from AC1. I thoroughly enjoyed killing her repeatedly and piling up her corpses in ornate but slightly gruesome artworks.
Ali_ on 5 Mar '13 said:
Don't be silly. If you let children harpoon whales in games, they'll soon be hiring thousand tonne Japanese fishing vessels and doing it for real.
FishyGinger on 5 Mar '13 said:
You're a tart.
ted1138 on 5 Mar '13 said:
PETA Kills Animals: http://www.petakillsanimals.com/
Drusus on 5 Mar '13 said:
It's set in the past though. Should we remove the brutal slaughter of the Napoleonic wars from the Total War games because it sets a bad example.
Plus what about Pearl Harbour!
ChrisTypeR on 5 Mar '13 said:
PETA can suck my cock, tho that would probably constitute animal cruelty.
They should see what I do to the animals in Far Cry 3
AlienClown on 5 Mar '13 said:
PETA seems to be confusing this game with some form of pro-whaling propaganda. There's a difference between depicting something and promoting it or making any sort of statement on it.
richomack360 on 5 Mar '13 said:
Achievement Unlocked
"Up yours PETA 30gs"
Successfully harpoon 30 whales.
BenThomasFoster on 5 Mar '13 said:
From a historical stand point i'm sure at one point whale hunting was like one of the worlds most lucrative bussiness and important behind likes of slaver and cotton but in the same league. SUre whale hunting is unessesary in todays context but in that time priod whale hunting was par of life in coastal regions.
What you allowed to kill people but not animals. hey why not change history ww2 actual there wasn't a war, hey 1800's britian there wasn't actually any industry, 1300's hey there wasn't actually the black death
gmcb007 on 5 Mar '13 said:
Shut up, you dog-killing smelly hippies!
ninja-key on 5 Mar '13 said:
But in South Park the Whales bombed Hiroshima so they need to die
F**K A YOU WHALE !!!!
demonizer84 on 5 Mar '13 said:
f**kA YOU WHALE !f**kA YOU DOLPHIN!
roland82 on 5 Mar '13 said:
I dont agree with PETA but I do understand some of their point.
Im sure they understand no real whales are being killed but what is it making kids think about killing whales? As most of here are adults we know a few facts and have an either way whether whaling is right or wrong. For kids that end up knowing nothing of whaling except what they learn in this game its a bad thing.
I know the game will be rated 15 or 18 but it wont stop impressionable minds getting their hands on it if they want.
FishyGinger on 5 Mar '13 said:
Go on PETA, bomb ubisoft until they take it out of their game.
Just ignore my game, Lets Go: Seal Clubbing
Bambis Dad on 5 Mar '13 said:
As long as it is depicted in a historically correct manner I see nothing wrong with it. It is a story and any attempt to confuse the issue with modern day sensibilities is an insult to the gamers intelligence.
nefariousbig on 5 Mar '13 said:
The way I see it, humans can do wrong (consciously) i.e they can be aware of their actions and the consequences and react accordingly, whereas animals and fish etc have no concept of fairness, or 'goodness'. They only live to survive. Which is why I don't feel bad about humans dying, but an animal death cuts me up. Because you know that animal was innocent and confused. At least the human COULD have been a total dick
Bambis Dad on 5 Mar '13 said:
Nefarious that is an incredibly simplistic way of looking at animals. Whales are intelligent, and have been observed to react in ways that correlate with intelligent and emotional responses. But the important thing is how it is depicted in a historical context. Someone mentioned the slave trade earlier, which is a horrible period in all of our histories, but if you had a game that depicts it innaccurately then it would be an insult.
HelloLadies on 5 Mar '13 said:
PETA may be questionable hypocrites and go off half cocked on a lot of issues including this one but you would be a doormat to not see the civil injustice in activists being labelled and treated like terrorists. PETA aren't the only ones on that bulls**t list. Pull your head out of the sand.
As someone that grew up by the ocean and has seen it change I am genuinely concerned about the current state of marine life and where it will be in 10-20 years time. I can totally understand the issue they have with harpooning in a game and the desensitisation and subsequent lack of awareness it may cause people. Im not saying it shouldn't be in the game but Ubisoft have to show some responsibility around what they portray.
Vhyper1985 on 5 Mar '13 said:
Erm... They're not real whales.. Thats like me complaining to a movie studio because a character in a film died ffs
nefariousbig on 5 Mar '13 said:
I don't think it is incredibly simplistic. At a basic level, humans have a moral compass, we have language (so as to communicate what is right/wrong), we have a controlled society where actions have consequences. Whales don't. Most animals don't. The point is that animals lack the necessary cognitive ability to be held accountable for actions we could perceive as wrong. So in my eyes, all animals are innocent. Is that really so wrong?
Bambis Dad on 5 Mar '13 said:
I'm not saying it is wrong as such Nefarious, just that whales do have a societal structure, have displayed intelligence, and can act maliciously. They aren't as far removed from humans as you try and make out. Either way PETA are wrong to make this an issue. They are basically saying that gamers are so stupid that they won't be able to see that society has changed for the better and whilst they recognize this behaviour as been a representation of what once was common practise, we as a species have moved on and it is largely condemned and one day will not even happen. If they assume that gamers are that stupid it also invalidates your point that humans have intelligence and morality that separates them from animals. I am not condoning animal cruelty I am saying PETA are wrong, again.
nefariousbig on 5 Mar '13 said:
They can act in a way we perceive as malicious. Maliciousness is a human construct. That's my point.
FishyGinger on 5 Mar '13 said:
You're saying animals essentially don't have personalities, that they're robots. Animals act differently, they aren't just machines.
nefariousbig on 5 Mar '13 said:
No, i'm saying they lack many of the social constructs we as humans use to determine who is guilty and who 'deserves it'. For example, a whale could not comprehend the ethical implications of whaling. A chimpanzee doesn't feel guilty when it eats a goddamn baby in front of its mother. They're not robots, but they do have a much much more simplified thought process, and that I think exempts them from blame.
FishyGinger on 5 Mar '13 said:
I bet a whale can comprehend it. Probably with a thought along the lines of "get that f**king big spear away from me you bastards, this is mean". Anyroads it seems a completely daft argument to be having, until we can read the minds of these animals it's completely unknown and the only real basis I can see for your argument is that they can't talk to us.
Well, except that orangutan that knows sign language but I don't know much about him/her.
nefariousbig on 5 Mar '13 said:
The basis is medical science? The fact that we as humans think in vastly different ways to animals? That's kind of how we overtook them in evolutionary terms. A whale could comprehend that being stabbed with a spear is bad, yes, but it could not understand why killing something endangered for selfish gains is wrong. It wouldn't understand 'selfish' because all animals are selfish. It really isn't 'completely unknown' at all, how basic do you think our understanding of biology is?
FishyGinger on 5 Mar '13 said:
And human understanding must be fact? We don't 'know' what animals are thinking, we can assume but who's to say we're right. Does understanding moral implications make us smarter even if animals don't understand them, I don't think so.
Anyways we're arguing similar end points from different angles, I'd rather give money to the donkey sanctuary than lost children. Still think PETA are a bunch of fruit cakes though.
SavageEvil on 5 Mar '13 said:
Says something about the world when you can have people thinking higher of animals than humans, how can you even call yourself a human when you think like that? Regardless of what that human has done is it fair for you to perceive yourself as better than them or them lower than you? I'm all for defending animals and things that make sense but the so called Organizations are pretty much political distractions, because on a whim they decide to complain about this or that depending on what side of the bed they woke up on that morning. Here these so called animal lovers are talking about a videogame depicting whaling as disgraceful, this is like a movie like Django being called disgraceful because it depicted slavery. Peta probably started out with a nice vision, but as time goes by their vision becomes blurred and they aren't getting attention anymore so they latch onto anything and make a ruckus out of it to promote awareness and watch how many come out rallying behind Peta(herd mentality) and not actually stop and think wait are you serious it's a video game! We say that we are in the 21st century yet we still mob up like idiots because some attention seeking whore pulls a stunt like this and we know it's pure BS. Not sure but this game isn't called Cabela's Big Game Hunting Whaling Edition or is it?
Bambis Dad on 5 Mar '13 said:
The thing is, and if Ubisoft address it then PETA should be forced to apologise, is because of the time travel nature of the series they could make whaling a ludicrously visceral and enjoyable part of the game. But then bring the gamer back to reality with what happens after the centuries have passed. If Mr Spock has taught us one thing it's that whales are necessary to stop the world being destroyed by space fairing chocolate rolls carrying torches.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_USC-UWiw_Bk/S6tqwtQt5KI/AAAAAAAAEYM/E7m43TRNaDw/s1600/ST4-Whale_Probe.jpg
KK-Headcharge78 on 5 Mar '13 said:
My view, is it needed; no but then again neither was the boring killing of animals in FarCry 3 either. I guess there is hope it will add some excitement and lets face it AC needs excitement. I don't equate video games to real life so it's passable, just do it as well as Red Dead and I'll be happy.
As for real life whaling, I'd rather hack up whalers than the whale but of course it's commerce/tradition so that's fine if they wipe out one of the most intelligent mammals on the earth...
KK-Headcharge78 on 5 Mar '13 said:
Come again, what exactly is your point?
GetDownThatYard on 5 Mar '13 said:
Haha, No joke here but I'm doing a renegade playthrough ME2 right now and I actually would not give Kargesh ( The Krogan on the citadel ) the fish that I bought from the gift shop as I am ( In reality ) Vegan ( For ethical reasons. )
I can see where peta is coming from, whale harpooning is VILE, and although I know people won't go out and start killing whales cause of this game, the inclusion of this "Minigame" is quite tasteless.
But then again since it's Inception assassins creed hasn't showen any sense of taste whatsoever.
Bland, boring and monotonous.
FishyGinger on 6 Mar '13 said:
Why would you not drink milk for ethical reasons? I suppose murdering plants is fine though?
Bambis Dad on 6 Mar '13 said:
http://goodokbad.com/assets/images/books/cotsea_02.png
paulhudd on 7 Mar '13 said:
I'll let Penn and Teller explain my views http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inFtOMx8nDU
Ali_ on 7 Mar '13 said:
Do a little more research. PETA directly funds and provides legal support for the Animal Liberation Front and Earth Liberation Front. Both of these organisations are terrorist organisations and charged, together, with over 600 criminal acts and property damage valued at $43 million. THis is not idle speculation, it is fact.
PETA also only spends 1% of its $13million annual budget on actual care, housing, feeding, and home-finding for animals. It euthanises the vast majority of the animals it "rescues". They aren't activists. They're morons.
Bambis Dad on 7 Mar '13 said:
http://24.media.tumblr.com/3b45bef1429533f83b0a144a1db56222/tumblr_mfvxsvDzc41s1v5zuo1_500.gif
HelloLadies on 8 Mar '13 said:
Clearly were gathering our information through different channels. While what you're saying isn't necessarily wrong it isn't necessarily fair or right either.
FishyGinger on 8 Mar '13 said:
I've eaten a pig.
Bambis Dad on 8 Mar '13 said:
I've slept with a few, who really loves the porkers?