The Miscellaneous PC & vidya Games Thread

[Syt]

Some people may know the game Attentat 1942 about the aftermath of the killing of Reinhard Heydrich:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/676630/Attentat_1942/

Attentat 1942 is a historically-accurate adventure told through the eyes of World War 2 survivors. Many moral dilemmas and existential struggles await you on your way to discover the troubled past of your family. Written and made by professional historians.

It's 1942 and Reinhard Heydrich, the ruler of the Nazi occupied Czech lands appointed by Hitler, was assassinated. Nazi retaliation was brutal. Your grandpa was among the victims, sent to a concentration camp. But why? What role did he play in the attack? Why didn't he tell his family? Was he brave or reckless?

Immerse yourself in a story about love, friendship and heroism among the horrors of a world conflict. Confront witnesses, experience the everyday life under Nazi rule and uncover the fate of your family in this award-winning game about World War II.

History made interactive. Attentat 1942 features:
- deep-branching dialogue, where your choices matter
- interactive comics and memories, hide resistance leaflets from the Gestapo or flee from a Nazi prison
- rare digitized film footage and historical items

About Us
Charles Games is a Prague-based studio focused on exploring the narrative possibilities of video games with strong emphasis on serious games.

The devs have been trying to get the game onto Google Play, but ....

https://twitter.com/CharlesGames_cz/status/1284116775702077440?s=20

Google rejected Attentat 1942 due to Nazi references. After all the hard work, multiple e-mails, approval by German regulators, we're frustrated. How we're supposed to make an historically-accurate game about WW2 horrors without Nazis? We don't know. A thread. #indiegame #gamedev

[Syt]

An article about their road to approval in Germany (a change of rules of the German games industry ratings board, kind of like ESRB in US, means that each submitted game will be reviewed individually, instead of rejecting games with Nazi symbols by default; the latest Wolfenstein games caused some re-thinking in that regard).

[The Brain]

I don't care what Google does or doesn't do, but I think it's very unsound for governments to get involved in these things. The German obsession with promoting the myth that German soldiers in WW2 didn't fight under the swastika banner is unbecoming a supposedly civilized country.

[Sheilbh]

I mean that actually sound like a fascinating and possibly even an educational resource. I get Google's policy because I imagine this is an exception, but it should be flexible enough for exceptions.

[Syt]

I don't care what Google does or doesn't do, but I think it's very unsound for governments to get involved in these things. The German obsession with promoting the myth that German soldiers in WW2 didn't fight under the swastika banner is unbecoming a supposedly civilized country.

The game in question has been released in Germany, with swastikas. Through the Darkest of Times as well. Maybe read the article I linked next time?  The German ratings board have changed their rules, as mentioned.

[The Brain]

I don't care what Google does or doesn't do, but I think it's very unsound for governments to get involved in these things. The German obsession with promoting the myth that German soldiers in WW2 didn't fight under the swastika banner is unbecoming a supposedly civilized country.

The game in question has been released in Germany, with swastikas. Through the Darkest of Times as well. Maybe read the article I linked next time?  The German ratings board have changed their rules, as mentioned.

I was talking in the general, your post mentioned that this game had been approved by German authorities. Many many WW2 games have been released without swastikas where a player who doesn't know better gets the strong impression that German soldiers in WW2 didn't fight under the swastika. And scale models of German WW2 planes and vehicles without swastikas etc. I can only guess at the reason why German authorities think it's a good idea to portray German WW2 soldiers as just "men of honor doing their patriotic duty, not Nazis at all no Sir...".

[Syt]

Many many WW2 games have been released without swastikas where a player who doesn't know better gets the strong impression that German soldiers in WW2 didn't fight under the swastika. And scale models of German WW2 planes and vehicles without swastikas etc. I can only guess at the reason why German authorities think it's a good idea to portray German WW2 soldiers as just "men of honor doing their patriotic duty, not Nazis at all no Sir...".

I need a bot to post the amount of this comment requires.

[The Brain]

Many many WW2 games have been released without swastikas where a player who doesn't know better gets the strong impression that German soldiers in WW2 didn't fight under the swastika. And scale models of German WW2 planes and vehicles without swastikas etc. I can only guess at the reason why German authorities think it's a good idea to portray German WW2 soldiers as just "men of honor doing their patriotic duty, not Nazis at all no Sir...".

I need a bot to post the amount of this comment requires.

*shrug* FWIW I think Germany should stop letting itself be defined by the Nazi era and rejoin the ranks of civilized nations. Without having a friggin' board approving games in advance to prevent wrongthink.

[Syt]

We've had the discussion numerous times on this board. I see no value in rehashing it.

[The Brain]

We've had the discussion numerous times on this board. I see no value in rehashing it.

I agree completely.

[Syt]

Grand Tactician: The Civil War (1861-1865)
https://store.steampowered.com/app/654890/Grand_Tactician_The_Civil_War_18611865/

Comes out 21st August.

[Josquius]

Many many WW2 games have been released without swastikas where a player who doesn't know better gets the strong impression that German soldiers in WW2 didn't fight under the swastika. And scale models of German WW2 planes and vehicles without swastikas etc. I can only guess at the reason why German authorities think it's a good idea to portray German WW2 soldiers as just "men of honor doing their patriotic duty, not Nazis at all no Sir...".

I need a bot to post the amount of this comment requires.

*shrug* FWIW I think Germany should stop letting itself be defined by the Nazi era and rejoin the ranks of civilized nations. Without having a friggin' board approving games in advance to prevent wrongthink.

Doesn't Sweden have a media ratings board?
The UK and US I know do.

[The Brain]

Many many WW2 games have been released without swastikas where a player who doesn't know better gets the strong impression that German soldiers in WW2 didn't fight under the swastika. And scale models of German WW2 planes and vehicles without swastikas etc. I can only guess at the reason why German authorities think it's a good idea to portray German WW2 soldiers as just "men of honor doing their patriotic duty, not Nazis at all no Sir...".

I need a bot to post the amount of this comment requires.

*shrug* FWIW I think Germany should stop letting itself be defined by the Nazi era and rejoin the ranks of civilized nations. Without having a friggin' board approving games in advance to prevent wrongthink.

Doesn't Sweden have a media ratings board?
The UK and US I know do.

I have never heard of computer games in general in Sweden needing approval by the government before publication. AFAIK you do need a license for gambling if it's casino-like games about money, but I don't know if the government looks at every specific individual such game if you have a gambling license.

Government pre-approval of movies for age 15+ was ended ten years ago. I don't know the exact rules for kids' movies, if they still require pre-approval (I think so though).

[Syt]

Grand Tactician: The Civil War (1861-1865)
https://store.steampowered.com/app/654890/Grand_Tactician_The_Civil_War_18611865/

Comes out 21st August.

Actually, it will be in Early Access.

























I really hope it doesn't suck.

[Richard Hakluyt]

It looks great 

Battlefields look a bit blurry though.