Would VII be released these days.

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aki_aku

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I've heard discussions on this before and was wanting to know what people thought.


With todays goings on since 9/11 would a game with a story like this pass through the censors and be released.


I mean the first part of the game you are basically terrorist commiting terrorist acts. Your an Underground rebal faction that are trying to over throw the main political party (shinra). You are bombing and killing inocent people.


I doubt they would allow a game with such content now if it were pitched to a board. Well definatly in the U.S
 
It might cop a bit of flak from Faux news, but then again what doesn't from Faux.
The age of the target audience would I think be in the game's favour. It won't be seen as some kind of a game promoting terrorism, but just a fantasy game.
It would probably be seen as a communist game:monster:
A group of terrorists ( Barder Meinhoff type groups) attacking big business. The game doesn't feature Arabs flying planes itno buildings, so it would be prefectly fine I think.
 
There would probably be some controversy over it, but I don't see why it wouldn't be released.

I mean, it's not like AVALANCHE was out to terrorize an innocent group of people, they were attacking someone for slowly destroying the planet (as well as many innocent lives).

Even if that was enough, near the end Barret himself admits that their methods of opposing Shinra were wrong. So it's not like they didn't have remorse for any of the innocents that were hurt or killed as a side effect.

And then you look at Grand Theft Auto and realize that the whole game revolves around you purposely committing crime. If games like GTA can make it to stores, I'm sure FFVII wouldn't be a big deal at all.
 
No terrorist group ever thinks they're in the wrong, so the argument that you can see it from Avalanche's perspective is a pretty flawed one...

But to answer the question posed originally, I'm not sure it would be commented on today. It's not that it isn't a subject that might be discussion worthy - because I think your question is valid - but, especially in America, violence gives way to far less cultural upheaval than sex does. Even the violence in general is fairly tame, it's just the concept of a terrorist group that people may find controversial.

So short answer is I can't be sure but my gut feeling is no. I'd think if it would cause an issue, you'd see discussion about it from movies that featured actual terrorist acts like Body of Lies and whatnot...
 
I think so, yes. They released Metal Gear Solid, and that was a game that wasn't necessarily promoting terroristic actions but did involve terrorists. Plus, look at all the Military games where you are fighting terrorists. Yeah, FFVII included a group of people that were looked at as "terrorists" but other games include terroristic activities and they were still released. There are also movies with the same type of views.

Look at "Inside Man". It was one of my favorite movies, but a group of people robbed a bank and got away with it. Sure, they weren't Foreign terrorists who crashed a plane into a building, but neither are the characters from Final Fantasy.

Grand Theft Auto caught a lot of flack for promoting robbery, vandalism, and car theft but it was still passed and still very popular. If you are going to take away a game for terrorism, take away all the games promoting murder and theft. (Sorry, just realized someone already mentioned GTA, but we did have semi-diverse mentions so I will go ahead and keep it)

I would be outraged if FFVII wasn't let through, but I am sure it will be. Unless they made a game where you are a Terrorist out to commit bombing sprees and crashing planes into buildings, I don't think they will have much of a problem about it.
 
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I dont see why it would have any problems being released, there are plenty games out there today, where in particular the violence is far more graphic ie- GTA, condemned, saints row etc.
As a whole FFVII isnt really a game which requires censors at all, the terrorism is a really small part of the game, its not like the storyline is dedicated towards it. It happens to be there at the start but its gone after a little while.
The game would have no issues gettin released nowadays, im sure of it.
 
It isn't as if the terrorist aspect of the game is really all that prominent anyway. You blow two reactors, the plate drops onto the Sector 7 Slums and you fight your way out. This makes up the first portion of the first disc. The remaining members of AVALANCHE become something different entirely while at Cosmo Canyon, right?

Although, it is true that GTS:SA got the rated M boot because of one scene that was edited out and hacked.
 
Relient A said:
The remaining members of AVALANCHE become something different entirely while at Cosmo Canyon, right?
Click to expand...

No, but they do turn into squished bits of terrorists when the Turks blow up Sector 7. Wedge thanks Cloud for remembering his name. Biggs feels remorseful for blowing up Sector 1... and Jessie comments about how she has the herpies. I don't really know >.>

But you do have a good point that it only comprises a fairly small portion of the plot. Tifa, Cloud, and Barret do some anti-corporate crap post-Section 7 explodie but they never are considered a terrorist sect again. Just kind of a general threat or whatever. >.>
 
After reading this post...it really made me think(which is something i don't do enough of anymore), but i agree with what people have said here...and my 2¢ is

1.) With the release of games like grand theft auto, I would see now problem with final fantasy VII being released in today's world. I do not know who makes the final decision on weather a game is released(weather it be decided by each individual country or there is a world wide committee that makes the decision), but after letting, off the top of my head someone please check this for me, three GTA's be released, all with the ability to take planes and crash them into buildings, that a game with a more intelligent and complex story line that actually proves a point when looked at with full knowledge would pass with no problem.

2.) Being just 30 minutes away from NYC on Sept. 11 and feeling the pain of the attacks, I can see why this question is brought up. Would people be able to accept a game that in the opening scene the main character is a mercenary and is helping what at the time is considered a terrorist organization maliciously blow something up, killing innocent people. I know it is later explained why this is done, but I am going to pretend here. If I had been handed this game at the beginning of 2002, with no knowledge of it, I might of put it down and not picked it up again after blowing up the first reactor. I think if they had tried to release it then, it would of meet a lot of opposition in the beginning, but as the more of the story was told to people, explaining that it is not a game based around terrorism, but as a game showing the greater purpose saving the planet as a team, it would pass.

I think after 9/11 ever game being released was under intense scrutiny. I mean the Microsoft flight simulator has to be reprogrammed because it had the ability to take 747's into the twin towers. I am sorry if i have rambled on here, it is very early in the morning were I am.
 
Final Fantasy VII has been sitting in a pawn shop near me for a long time. I want to buy it but..... IT COSTS 60 FRIGGEN BUCKS. I mean a PS1 that costs 60 bucks at a PAWN SHOP. How does that happen. Anyway if you wanna buy it come to Belleville Ontario, Canada and go to Chumleighs on like... Front st. or something. :D It ain't going anywhere.
 
PizzaEatPizza said:
Final Fantasy VII has been sitting in a pawn shop near me for a long time. I want to buy it but..... IT COSTS 60 FRIGGEN BUCKS. I mean a PS1 that costs 60 bucks at a PAWN SHOP. How does that happen. Anyway if you wanna buy it come to Belleville Ontario, Canada and go to Chumleighs on like... Front st. or something. :D It ain't going anywhere.
Click to expand...

Pizza, please make posts that contribute to the topic in the future, okay? ^_^ Please don't post random things like that as the thread tends to go off-topic and then the thread eventually becomes pointless.
 
I'm 100% certain it would be released today, and I feel as though people are less likely to care about an issue, such as terrorism, in a video game today than they were 10 to 15 years ago. FFVII is about as tame as it gets relative to most of today's video games and with the way major corporations have botched the economy I feel as though a game that features group of citizens terrorizing a major corporate entity (and an extremely evil one at that) would be praised, not banned. XD
 
Actually, it isn't even about a re-release. Assume the game never came out in 1997 and the creators thought of the entire story just a couple years ago... the question is would the game still be released, in America, as is? and as for...

"and I feel as though people are less likely to care about an issue, such as terrorism, in a video game today than they were 10 to 15 years ago."

This is not correct in american society. Reverse that logic and you got it. In the past 8 years virtually everything media-centered has been pushed through screenings and editing like crazy.
 
At the very beginning. After they blow up the reactor they put the news on at it says a reactor was blown up by AVALANCHE, and several hundred civilians were killed. Or something to that effect.
That's where the terrorism comes into it, because otherwise it's your normal good guys vs bad guys storyline, but the morality of blowing up the reactors is certainly questionable.
 
Relient A said:
Actually, it isn't even about a re-release. Assume the game never came out in 1997 and the creators thought of the entire story just a couple years ago... the question is would the game still be released, in America, as is? and as for...

"and I feel as though people are less likely to care about an issue, such as terrorism, in a video game today than they were 10 to 15 years ago."

This is not correct in american society. Reverse that logic and you got it. In the past 8 years virtually everything media-centered has been pushed through screenings and editing like crazy.
Click to expand...
Gotcha. Right after I posted what I thought I may have made a mistake. Still, I feel the same way as I posted. I still think it would be released. Also, it isn't much difference from a re-release and a new release. If it were released today, it would be released on a better console, same way it would be if it were re-released.
 
Relient A said:
Actually, it isn't even about a re-release. Assume the game never came out in 1997 and the creators thought of the entire story just a couple years ago... the question is would the game still be released, in America, as is? and as for...

"and I feel as though people are less likely to care about an issue, such as terrorism, in a video game today than they were 10 to 15 years ago."

This is not correct in american society. Reverse that logic and you got it. In the past 8 years virtually everything media-centered has been pushed through screenings and editing like crazy.
Click to expand...

The last premise of your post is completely false. Just look at Grand Theft Auto IV and other violent video games. There is far LESS censorship in America than there was in 1997 when FFVII came out, and a storyline such as FFVII would receive no press at all what-so-ever. Society has pushed forward, not backward in the last 12 years, just look at TV. Would programs such as Southpark, Family Guy, Chapelle's Show, or Nip/Tuck be given the artistic freedom they are given today 12 years ago? No. The same is true with videogames. The premise of your statement is completely false. Television shows like 24 are allowed to portray graphic acts of terrorism, and why is this? Because terrorism both as a term and as an action have been assimilated into American pop culture, and thus it is acceptable to portray it on TV and in videogames because it is no longer viewed as cutting edge. It has become the standard, much like Russians were villains during the cold war and nazis during world war II. When a major tragic event happens such as 9/11 people do not shun the perpetrators, rather, they wish to know everything about them, which explains why novels such as The Kite Runner have become standard reading for all Americans. You can bash America all you want but censorship really does not exist in the world of pop culture, and if something is censored it merely becomes even more popular as a result. American society today has become strictly opposed to banning things, and the outrage you hear over media such as GTA or Nip/Tuck is from a small but vocal minority. Lack of censorship was not previously, but has in the last few decades become a heavily engrained philosophy, as most people just don't care or at the very least are willing to allow things to slide.
 
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