The second season of the History Channel series Shootout! kicks off on November 3. The series examines famous gun battles from history, as well as recent battles waged in Iraq. Reality game company Kuma Games, a site that recreates gun battles will launch online games simultaneously to match the Shootout! episodes when they air. I'm not exactly sure what the point is supposed to be, other than a gimmick to get people to watch the series. The idea of turning these real battles into a game seems more than a little tacky, and I'm not sure I see the educational value in it. If the idea is that the games somehow allow you to relive the battle, I don't buy it. No matter how "real" you try to make it, there's no more of an emotional connection tied to these games then there is to something like Doom or Tomb Raider. The idea that these are somehow educational is more than a little foolish. I've placed a trailer after the jump.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-20-2006 @ 2:02PM
SamMalone said...
Unless Kuma has updated the game engine, the game flopped already. I do like the series though, it gives a real inside look to the headlines we've seen.
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10-20-2006 @ 2:10PM
jimmy said...
Tacky? how? there's whole groups created for the express purpose of recreating battles (civil war recreation society). this is just branching out in another step.
your arguement that it won't make it "real"? well there's a no-brainer. nothing but actually being there will EVER recreate the experience, i don't care how far filmmaking has moved. you aren't going to have any more of an emotional connection to a live action filmed show than one computer created.
it's pretty obvious you know jack about video games and see them as "kid's stuff". look, the idea is to take the show places it couldn't go before.
- this will cut costs on filming. big time.
- expands possibilities. no more having to drudge up old vehicles to get something to look right or using crappy stock film footage. need a tank? BAM. there it is. need an airial gunfight? BOOM. done and done.
- makes for a certain level of interaction. yeah of course it won't be JUST LIKE being there, but that doesn't mean there isn't some value in being able to wander around a battlefield.
- you're giving video games way too little credit. go find someone with a really nice computer gaming setup and ask then to let you play Call of Duty 2. then come back and tell me it isn't at all an immersive experience.
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