Controversial Ad of the Day

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So uh, yeah. Blood transfusion with one of the few "sane", humane and honorable Nazis (even by Jewish standards). A good guy in the league villians.

Not...really all the controversial.

By the way, how do we even know thats supposed to be Rommel?
 
Steve said:
ie: treating prisoners humanely does not erase the fact Rommel and the troops directly under his command killed hundreds of thousands of people that did absolutely nothing to him.
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While I hate to use this card, you understand this applies to every general in every war ever, right?
 
Stoly said:
Whom 99% of PS3 gamers never heard from. :rolleyes:
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Dude, World War 2 is a fairly well known event, at least outside of America. This guy was in it and even has several video games named after him. Not sure what they're teaching you guys there now days. I'm assuming you're a young American because of that rather insulated and somewhat idiotic statement. If you're not American, I apologize.
 
Anybody who sees this as controversial are just looking for something. If you can get that they're glorifying Nazis or praising some Nazi general, you're nuts.
 
The pictures above his bed and the fact that he's smiling make me believe that he is taking the blood from Rommel (and others), not giving him a transfusion.
 
echn111 said:
Dude, World War 2 is a fairly well known event, at least outside of America. This guy was in it and even has several video games named after him. Not sure what they're teaching you guys there now days. I'm assuming you're a young American because of that rather insulated and somewhat idiotic statement. If you're not American, I apologize.
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I'm 35, and I've never heard of him. I never had to study about World War I or II. Every year it was the same thing...Revolutionary War, Civil War...rinse and repeat. What video games are named after Rommel?
 
echn111 said:
Dude, World War 2 is a fairly well known event, at least outside of America. This guy was in it and even has several video games named after him. Not sure what they're teaching you guys there now days. I'm assuming you're a young American because of that rather insulated and somewhat idiotic statement. If you're not American, I apologize.
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I do believe Stoly was referring to American gamers specifically. If you live in America, you would know that our education system is decent (though far from best) and that an abnormally large amount of self-centered people (don't care about anything in the outside world and don't pay attention in school) bring down the average national IQ. It's a sad fact that these type of people probably learned more about WW2 battles from the Call of Duty franchise than if they would have paid attention in school.

Believe me when I say that WW2 is a HUGE teaching point in history curriculum's in the USA. Lower level courses tend to have a heavy American bias to them though. If your lucky enough to take more advanced history courses in High School (e.g. IB or AP), there is less bias and more of a Political focus on the war. For example, a low level course might mention Rommel as the "Desert Fox," and the General the Allied Forces defeated in North Africa. Whereas an advanced course might go further into his Political leanings and his involvement in Operation Valkyrie.
 
This ad is no different than something like the US box cover art for L4D. Which is highly offensive in Japan. That has no real meaning here in the U.S.
 
echn111 said:
Dude, World War 2 is a fairly well known event, at least outside of America. This guy was in it and even has several video games named after him. Not sure what they're teaching you guys there now days. I'm assuming you're a young American because of that rather insulated and somewhat idiotic statement. If you're not American, I apologize.
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World War 2 may be a fairly known event, but don't expect everyone to know the same specifics of it as you do. While you may be familiar with events that happened within Germany, don't expect to be as familiar as a Russian person with events that happened in Russia, or expect the same Russian person to be as familiar with events within Germany.
 
Steve said:
Then perhaps you can explain what the ad means to the rest of us?
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Its art, everyone see's it diffrently. But the goal of advertising seems to be achieved, because we are talking about it now. I would like to read the "press note attached to the ads" before jumping to any final conclusions.
 
At first, I thought it was a weird scene from Silent Hill. :eek:
 
I haven't heard of any popular controversy about real war-based video games. Even those that have a German campaign to play. Is that what you are getting at?

If so you have a lot of complaining to do. Every form of media makes money from these themes, not just games.
 
Steve said:
Then perhaps you can explain what the ad means to the rest of us?



BTW: Being humane to your prisoners does not excuse the fact that almost 8 million people (that did nothing to no one) were killed simply because they were not part of Hitler's plan. Rommel executed that plan and hundreds of thousands of people were killed by troops taking their orders directly from Rommel.

If you see no problem with it, I guess I don't know what to say to that. :(
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Well if were into looking at the evil Germans because they killed 8 million innocent people, then we should make ads with the Russians instead, Stalin murdered through starvation in 1933, 7 million Ukrainians, that was before World war 2. Stalin killed and sent to the Gulag 20 million of his own people. Estimates have it at up to 40 million during his time in office were killed, and were still focused on the Germans in games. Did you know that Stalin killed all his solders that made it to Berlin and met with Allies, because he was worried that they might have news about what the west was really like and it would conflict with the propaganda that he told his people. Next History lesson will be about how many millions the Japanese slaughtered in China, Korea,South East Asia, and so on. Sorry I just get tired of the Evil Germans being brought up all the time. How many innocent people died at Pearl Harbor. Enough said.
 
It implies the youth of Chile can bring Rommel (symbolic of the natzi party) back to life and enjoy it. How is that not controversial or tasteless?
 
WTF... I just read through this whole thread, and I think Steve and maybe 2 other people here are sane on any level. The rest of the posts seem to think that WWII was some fantasyland adventure, and why wouldn't it be cool to hang out with some Nazis??

I don't know whether to pity these people, or be infuriated. And whether the guy in the other bed is Rommel or not, he is obviously supposed to be a German soldier UNDER HITLER'S COMMAND, and the kid is grinning like a moron while getting/giving a blood transfusion. If you view this ad, and are unable to understand the problem here... there is nothing anyone can say that would explain it to you. To reiterate... WTF...
 
Rommel was NOT involved in Valkyrie!
his name was just on a list of possible replacement leaders, and he was killed over that.

Also, come to think of it, the Soviet Union has killed more innocents then the Nazi regime has...
 
Still doesn't push off the fact the Nazi's managed to kill "just" 10million people, solely through their concentration camps. Unknown others outside of them.
 
Let me play devil's advocate here... No one on these message boards was alive then, and many of our parents were not either, or too young to remember (I'm 26, parents born in 55).

Why should we care?

Should we care if a game is advertised where you get to play as Genghis Kahn? He conquered far more land, and killed proportionally as many, or more, as the Nazis.

Now, I personally do think it was a bad idea to use Nazis, but the above point remains, we're now two or more generations separated.When will it be ok?
 
Rommel plotted to kill Hitler and was forced to take his own life because of it. Not everyone was privy to what Hitler did to civies and the Jews in particular. Of course, the whole country was ashamed of the war when it was over and they discovered the atrocities. Not sticking up for the German Reich here, just pinting out historical fact. The Treaty of Versailles actually allowed a fellow like Hitler to rise to power; the mistake was not repeated after WW2. After the war, you may recall we rehabilitated the Axis countries. Versailles doomed Germany to poverty.
 
Go to Isreal.

Stand in middle of street.

Scream:" Hiel Hitler!".



While the Soviet Union kinda brushed away the sting of the Nazis, it's still 10million + unknown more, mechanically murdered. yeah, you might be able to find others who killed more, but 10 million people... in camps... just killed in any way possible.

(Also, what's up with the Redness of 2007/2008? Looks like several game companies thought it was cool to be Red again. They may of been "cool", but it didn't stop the fact they reused much of the old Nazi camps for their own, similar purposes. The Soviets still killed more, if you want to see it that way.)

It will be "cool" when it is cool to kill millions of people for just their choice of religion/lifestyle. A choice... killed over an opinion. You also cannot forget, the Nazis loved neutering people who were deemed "mentally/physically ill". They also forced humiliation onto respected families, respected people, and spread hate, and used that hate for their own ends.

Just don't support mass murder. They may of been kickass, in a way, but the heart of the Riech still was founded, and cemented on blood.
 
Tac0 said:
Rommel plotted to kill Hitler and was forced to take his own life because of it. Not everyone was privy to what Hitler did to civies and the Jews in particular. Of course, the whole country was ashamed of the war when it was over and they discovered the atrocities. Not sticking up for the German Reich here, just pinting out historical fact. The Treaty of Versailles actually allowed a fellow like Hitler to rise to power; the mistake was not repeated after WW2. After the war, you may recall we rehabilitated the Axis countries. Versailles doomed Germany to poverty.
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Rommel... did not plot to kill Hitler.

His name was on a list of possible replacement leaders, and since he was a top general, he was given the lift to hell first.

He turned down the offer to help kill Hitler. He may of been redeemable, if he had tried to kill Hitler, but he turned it down.
 
Tac0 said:
why would anyone want to do that??
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To prove that it is no longer an issue that Hitler and his croonies orchestrated the deaths of millions.

If the victims' communities are willing to forgive that, then it will be more "okay," but still iffy on the moral side.


If you are going to support this, then fine. I'm not going to bother to convert Neo-Nazis into good people.
 
Dosomo said:
WTF... I just read through this whole thread, and I think Steve and maybe 2 other people here are sane on any level. The rest of the posts seem to think that WWII was some fantasyland adventure, and why wouldn't it be cool to hang out with some Nazis??

I don't know whether to pity these people, or be infuriated. And whether the guy in the other bed is Rommel or not, he is obviously supposed to be a German soldier UNDER HITLER'S COMMAND, and the kid is grinning like a moron while getting/giving a blood transfusion. If you view this ad, and are unable to understand the problem here... there is nothing anyone can say that would explain it to you. To reiterate... WTF...
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Maybe the kids smiling because he belongs to the Hitler Youth and he is contributing to the war effort as the Hitler Youth were taught.
 
jeremyshaw said:
To prove that it is no longer an issue that Hitler and his croonies orchestrated the deaths of millions.

If the victims' communities are willing to forgive that, then it will be more "okay," but still iffy on the moral side.


If you are going to support this, then fine. I'm not going to bother to convert Neo-Nazis into good people.
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you are ignorant
 
...and should look at history a bit more objectively I might add. I just pointed out the "whys", not supportingwhat happened...sheesh
 
I may be incorrect that Rommel was in on the bombing (suspicion did him in) , but it is well known that he refused to kill captured Jews on the battlefield as per direct orders from Hitler (as someone else pointed out earlier).
 
jeremyshaw said:
Go to Isreal.

Stand in middle of street.

Scream:" Hiel Hitler!".
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It'd be complete irony as the fundamentalistic Jewish politicians ruling Israel for the past 50+ years are at least as extremistic as the neo-nationalistic German party. Both promote one ideal 'race' over all others (pure-blooded Jewish Israelians vs blue-eyed, blonde-haired Germans), while denouncing and putting away others (Arabs/Muslims vs Jews, Homosexuals, gypsys) either in concentration camps (what do you think that wall is for?) or through suppression (living in Israel as an Arabic/Muslim person ensures you have few rights).


Anyway, as for the topic on hand, it's another 'WTF' ad from Sony. It probably means nothing at all and we're all fools for discussing it as though it has some deeper meaning. I agree that it reminded me of Silent Hill :)
 
Didn't read the whole thread so if this has been said already, sorry for the repeat. But, as the saying goes: there's no such thing as bad publicity. Sony does these ads so people talk about them and thus, talk about Sony. Looky here, we have a whole thread dedicated to the ad! In that sense, the ad worked. Buy their product, don't buy their product. It's up to you.
 
An Ad isn't just effective when people talk about it. An Ad is supposed to sell the damn product; that's when it's effective.

I am disappointed about the historical insensitivity in this thread, but it's the internet.

I wonder how people would react if the Ad had an American boy giving blood to Osama Bin Laden, Sadam Huissen, or anyone current, and gleeing maniacally about it. Of course that's no where in the same league as rebirthing or giving life back to the Natzi party, but it's a start towards empathy, I hope.

People's lives are still affected by WW2 today. Where they live. How they live. The family members that died before their time. Their memories. Their stories. Their dreams and nightmares. And more.
 
jeremyshaw said:
If you are going to support this, then fine. I'm not going to bother to convert Neo-Nazis into good people.
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i don't know how many people here are "supporting" this ad. i notice more that they're NOT throwing a hissy fit on the internet about insensitivity issues that seem to be getting blown WAY out of proportion.

if not being totally appalled that this slightly "misguided" ad from a company whose recent ads have been very weird makes me a neo nazi, well sir, you can neo-nazi me up. :eek:
 
War is a very controversial subject. The "truth" is only told by the side who won the conflict. The oposing force is allways the vilan.

Harry Truman ordered the drop of two atomic bombs over the civilian population of Japan. 140.000 died in Hiroshima and 80.000 died in Nagasaki.

Who could say that if the USA droped an atomic bomb on a desert part o Japan just as a demonstration of its destructive power would be enough to lead the Empire of Japan to surrender?

There is a lot of right and wrong in war on all sides of the conflict.

Back to the ad, I see nothing wrong with it. Isn't it true that with every war game, people would like to play with the German side just to see if thay could bring WW2 to a different outcome?

I remember playing Lucas Art's Secret Weapons of the Luftwafe with the germans and being able to withhold the alied offensive after the D Day and pushing then back off the europian territory.

Every one likes to play with the germans... and it is just a game.
 
Nobody seems to get the point here. Its "cool" to bash sony at the moment, page hits and page views are the result. This add was for a country where it would not be offensive. The "he was a german, so he killed Jews" is very uninformed and smacks of the problems the world has. But how you view hitler, germans, generals, Rommel,etc.. yes it should all be lumped... One german is the same as another, One who fought in WWII is the same as another, they are all as evil /bad as Hitler... right? I myslef have no idea if Rommel was good/bad whatever, i know waht the history books show (and its been posted before in this thread). I do know I dont see the add as being Pro Nazi.. Much like i didnt see the black/white ads as racist. We all see what we want. there are a BAZZILION ads with a dark skinned person with White people, so becuase it involved to people of different colors fighting (or wrestling for a PSP) it was racists.. The world will never change if you scream racists that at every turn.

Boy i got way off.. its just about BASHING sony = page hits=other news sites listing your site, etc...
read every story on Nintendo/MS and Sony here, MS stories are almost all posative in some way (and maybe MS is just on a roll, could happen) every Sony one is negative in some way, or just plain indifferent.

Of course thats an opinion.. I own all 3 consoles, dont really play any of um (pc gamer)
 
Wow...people who don't know their history certainly are vehement. Whether the ad is wrong or not, if you knew the history of the Nazi's and Chile (and Argentina), the ad would make sense in Chile.

Also, I don't see the problem with Rommel being depicted (if that is him). He was an honorable general in every sense of the word. He wasn't a card carrying Nazi, he wasn't SS, his army didn't have the Einsatzgruppen following behind him rounding up Jews and political prisoners..he treated POWs civilians under his occupation well. Did hundreds of thousands of people die under his campaigns? Yeah, probably. But the same could be said for Patten, Monte, Zhukov and Konev. Hell, just look at Curtis Lamay's career and how many civilian casualties he inflicted.

But anyway, Himmler, Heydrich, Jodl, Goering he wasn't.
 
Steve said:
Then perhaps you can explain what the ad means to the rest of us?

BTW: Being humane to your prisoners does not excuse the fact that almost 8 million people (that did nothing to no one) were killed simply because they were not part of Hitler's plan. Rommel executed that plan and hundreds of thousands of people were killed by troops taking their orders directly from Rommel.

If you see no problem with it, I guess I don't know what to say to that. :(
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Umm, this was an era of Total War. It isn't like we didn't commit any "war crimes" ourselves. Dropping atomics on cities in Japan The Christmas bombings in Tokyo with napalm on wood and paper houses an estimated 100,000 civilians killed there. The only real difference I see is that the Germans targeted the Jews for extermination and went out of the wway to do it.

Rommel led the invasion of France and spent most of WWII in Africa. Rommel was never a part of the SS/Nazi program to exterminate the Jews. In my estimation, he was no worse then Patton or McArthur carrying out orders necessary to win a war. The Jewish Virtual library has a really flattering description of him, ending with his eventual demise of taking a cyanide capsule becasue of his opposition to Hitler.

In fact Rommel is studied in our military colleges today and recognised as one of the greatest modern military geniuses of all time. We practice his principals in mobile warfare even today.

I don't really think that the ads are offensive at all.
 
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