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Muslim game characters told to cover up
AmazingAvery
Age of Conan AdvocateMember UncommonPosts: 7,188
Came across this: http://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/muslim-game-characters-told-to-cover-up-489414
"We probably shouldn't be surprised at this, but it's hard not to ask why a Dubai company has made a version of an online game tailored specially for Muslims.
The firm in question is Game Power 7 and it has made a few adjustments to Gala's role-player Rappelz to make it supposedly more appealing to customers in Islamic countries.
Music switched
As well as changing the background music, the noises monsters make (really?) and taking out non-Muslim religious symbols, such as crosses, Game Power 7 has given some characters a little more to wear.
We're told that female players will be properly covered up so that they're no longer showing too many flesh-coloured pixels. Arms and legs get special attention, with chainmail and long stockings pasted on.
The new version of Rappelz is online now and aimed at 19 countries that include Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Egypt."
Politically Correct / racially ok / religious changes / Music Changes and removal of other religious symbols.
Is this too far? Will it even introduce a decent playerbase into the game; is it worth it?
Comments
Woa! What's with the hostility?
I found the article to be interesting myself..and it also makes me glad I don't live in an area where games/movies/music/media are severely censored like that.
I think it's cool that they are making changes to the game rather than just banning it outright. I find that progressive and indicative of a reformation within the Muslim religion itself to promote more tolerance.
The source of the news clip in question is mmosite. The news article contained wrong information such as: women faces were not covered and music was not changed!. The company issued the correct news version
To fix the unique Middle Eastern culture, a new version of South Korean free-to-play MMO Rappelz is now heading to Middle-Eastern countries including Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
A Dubai Company, Game Power 7 localized this version of Rappelz against the original version developed by NFlavor. The new version includes remodeled game characters among other minor changes. The new characters were coiffed and had the confident and warrior-strong poses, and their clothes were mid-age stylish, but there were no miniskirts, lingerie, or cleavage to be seen. The move comes as part of the company’s policy to combat the emphasis of MMO gaming on revealing clothes and sexualized culture.
Other changes include replacing erotic game sounds and removing religious signs and symbols. The latest change aims at keeping religion out of the gaming culture to avoid any misunderstandings or sensitivities
I think this is a good thing.
Whether or not they want to fight the need to cover up women, well, that's their fight. It has nothing to do with us because I presume most of us don't live in and contribute to that culture.
It does however bring a video game that might never be accessible or might not be played precisely because it has things that might insult people who truly buy into or believe in that religion.
I don't know how it is like over there so I don't know if they can access many online video games. But I do know that certain segments of the population either believe in this or they find they cannot fight it fully at the present time.
I do know that there are many women who meet in certain communities and act as a support group for each other, reading banned books, creating art, not necessarily covering up, etc.
Now, I'm not saying every country is like this but there are a lot that are a bit strict or where there are families that are strict.
Someday it might change or it might not change.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
Nevermind... haha, sorry, but the download isn't working anyway. I can't install Rappelz. Cover your women... or don't.. I don't care, just enjoy yourself, Cheers.
Some samples of "covering" the women
This is indictive of the way America has gone straight down to the gutter.
funny as hell
I guess this is to be expected.
Marketing is marketing after all, and when half your test group screems "JIHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD!!" and blows themselves up in an attempt to "Destroy the pixalated infadels!!!" you'll probly be motivated to make a few changes.
lol...I like the new models better, the armors look more protective. The old models just look gratuitous in comparison.
A very interesting read.
I think it's always in the best interests of MMO's to be "Localized" to allow more cultures to experience the genre.
I live in the UK and find nothing wrong with any other country wanting to adapt a game that would not be either insulting to their faith or culture, the same is done to many asian games that make their way here, they are "localised" for western players.
However you only have to look at some of the responses on this thread to see those that feel threatened by these changes, I pity them for not realising we live in a world of many races and cultures.
i like them better too, there are too many games that go for the cheap skin look as much as possible and most of the time don't even give an alternative, i love naked women, but i'd really like my warrior to actually wear something in battle.
from what i read the company to localize it decided they would do those changes to actually reach a larger player base, which is what localization is here for, my reaction would be different if the government had issued the changes.
i find some replies here irritatingly conservative and ignorant of other cultures, get out of your holes people.
I think this is a good thing.
Whether or not they want to fight the need to cover up women, well, that's their fight. It has nothing to do with us because I presume most of us don't live in and contribute to that culture.
It does however bring a video game that might never be accessible or might not be played precisely because it has things that might insult people who truly buy into or believe in that religion.
I don't know how it is like over there so I don't know if they can access many online video games. But I do know that certain segments of the population either believe in this or they find they cannot fight it fully at the present time.
I do know that there are many women who meet in certain communities and act as a support group for each other, reading banned books, creating art, not necessarily covering up, etc.
Now, I'm not saying every country is like this but there are a lot that are a bit strict or where there are families that are strict.
Someday it might change or it might not change.
After i read about this game, i decided to ask a GM over the Game Power forums about the women cover up, i got a reply saying that its a simple localization of the game since the game is aimed for the arabic users who prefer the arabic language than english to play their games, as for the cover up its for the game to be more appealing to customers as most of them are muslims.. a muslim my self , i find doing the cover up and changing music are of no importance since this is just a game.
As for accessing online games, i live in Egypt and we have no restriction over any online games....not sure about other countries but, i have friends from all over the middle-east playing MMO's with out problems.