Stop Normalizing Nazis – Socially Conscious Game Design – Extra Credits

49 thoughts on “Stop Normalizing Nazis – Socially Conscious Game Design – Extra Credits”

1. EDIT: Hey folks, so this one seems to have struck a nerve. We encourage discussion about the topic, and there is some fair criticism of the video out there. However, I wanted to address some of the comments that seemed to have misunderstood some aspects of the video.

   1) We never said that playing as a Nazi turns you into a Nazi. That’s not how that works. That’s not how any of this works. However, there is plenty of research about how art & media can shift people’s perspectives. This is not a good or bad thing, this is just a natural effect of culture. Please look up the Overton Window or heck, you can watch our video on Propaganda Games over here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UP4_bMhZ4gA

   So no. Playing a nazi doesn’t magically transform you into a nazi. No one is saying that.

   2) We never said that games should NEVER let you play as Nazis or terrorists for that matter. If you need the exact time stamp, it’s at 4:47 . There’s a lot of potential for some really interesting or impactful games that put the players in the boots of people or in control of systems that have done incredible harm. But it can’t be done thoughtlessly or just as a skin on top of mechanics, devoid of context.

   3) For those saying that it’s just a game and we shouldn’t think too hard about it, I feel like perhaps it might be important to introduce ourselves. Hi, we’re Extra Credits! Our tag line, for a very long time, was “Because Games Matter” It’s something we fundamentally believe and if you don’t, that’s okay! But then our content might not be for you, cause thinking hard about games is kind of our schtick.

   4) Our writing staff is the same, and we’ve always talked about politics in games and our other videos. If this comes as a surprise to you, or you think there’s been a large shift in our thinking, I’d invite you to take a look at some of our older episodes. We live in a time where neo-nazis exist and they've seemed to have increasingly found a home in gaming communities. This isn’t something we can turn a blind eye anymore, and it’s important to consider what we as game designers can do to try and make things better.

   As said, there have been some very valid critiques of the video that we greatly appreciate. Most important to us is to start talking about these topics and to have conversations about design. For those of you who have kept civil in the comments, thank you. For those who need a reminder, our CoC can be found here: https://becausegamesmatter.com/extra-credits-community-code-of-conduct

   – A

   Original Comment:
   "Oh wow, I want to watch more videos about politics in games from Extra Credits's literal 9-year history of talking about politics in games!" Well then have we got the perfect playlist for you! Check out just a delightful handful of the videos we've made before about this type of subject: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhyKYa0YJ_5AAbhb9A_CxOEGsdORotH48

2. I played as Darth Vader in
   Lego Star Wars for a few hours
   Now I’m choking people who don’t listen and blowing planets up left and right
   And I think that any rebellion is the scum of the unpaid a threat to “My” Empire

3. U stupid

4. My brain cells are killing themselves

5. There you are watching breaking bad
   And suddenly you own a meth lab

6. There you are, playing super Mario world.
   Then all of a sudden, you are an animal abuser

7. I laughed so hard with the bs in this video that my fake Adolf mustache fell off my lip.

8. 3:28 this is the worst part

9. This video is bad on so many levels

10. You may as well just rewrite history and pretend WW2 didn't happen.

11. There you are playing Minecraft. then, all the sudden, you are a creeper aww man!

12. Don't worry like bar I've been told size doesn't matter.

13. Hans…. GET ZE LUGER!

14. Is this satire? It`s really hard to tell…

15. So many people missed the point of the video and didnt learn anything. If you disliked the video you are an idiot. Its a thought exercise, games should be more historically accurate when making games based on History. You wouldnt have a Medieval Game with machine guns right? Or tanks in skyrim.

16. Considering the like to dislike ratio, I have found new faith in humanity. Thank you Extra Credits for showing me that this species is redeemable.

17. There you are, playing halo, when all of a sudden, you're a Spartan.

18. 3:17 how do you hold a pistol like that that man has an extended barrel and suppressor on the same pistol

19. Oh yes my catchphrase TERRORIST RULE! You could never catch me not saying that in a multiplayer lobby

20. I love how a history channel ignores britains genocide against the indian people during world war ii

21. This is comparable to youtube rewind 2018 with the like/dislike rating.

22. Youtube rule #1: Know your audience.

23. So I guess war thunder should just tell us we're bad people for grinding Luftwaffe planes then

    P.S. I hated this "Extra BS" channel already, but now I have even more justification to hate them

24. 2:37 Bruh, it's a game, it's not meant to help global crisis's, it's meant for entertainment.

25. "No one should…." That is your opinion! not a fact you moron

26. No terrorist organization has ever called itself terrorists. They call themselves 'freedom fighters.' By calling the group 'terrorist' they already make sure who are supposed to be the bad guys.

27. Why is everyone in the comments defending fascism? I'm sure that many of you cant be actual Nazis, so stop defending them

28. Hey trolls in the comments: Nazis are the fucking worst thing that humans have ever created. Comparing them to anything else you play as is a false equivalence. Some rules don't apply to them, like free speech. There's a reason why we always treat them differently: they are genuinely evil. And very much exist in our world today. The same can not be said for even terrorists, who are often trying to fight for freedom in a twisted way. Nazis want nothing less than the cold blooded murder of everyone who's not them.

    tl;dr Nazis are so bad that we need special rules for them. Good work EC

29. a perfect example of "Get woke, Go broke"

30. wow, if people reacted as strongly to this video as they do to real life crisis we'd be in fucking paradise

31. This has to be the most idiotic take of all time. Please do not speak about anything related to video games ever again.

32. R6 tried to avoid calling team Terrorists. And it's shitty in that sense. CTs fighting other CTs, while both trying to defuse the bomb is just confusing AF and gives nothing of a value to overall gameplay.

33. are you mentally challenged?

34. So there you are playing forza horizon 4 now you're a car

35. Was playing Plague Inc and suddenly I was Necroa virus. But my whole family died in a zombie outbreak. I didn't ask for this,I didn't choose this.

36. Alright guys I get the sentiment, but the normalization you’re talking about isn’t occurring in the examples you’re citing.

    Maybe you could make this argument with the tiger tank campaign in BF5. But even then they portrayed the characters who disagreed with the party but were stuck in the military nonetheless.

37. Idk why this video is hated so much, it’s lowkey right. The video games, the memes, they turn once reviled ideologies into normal

38. In csgo you choose your team

39. Better get out the hangover juice

40. To everyone: Watch it again and think it through before shitposting. He has a point, even though everyone knows its just a game

41. Common sense: ight imma head out.

42. Yeah, after a video like this, I am amazed that anyone takes you guys seriously at all. This should've instantly consigned you to the same fate as Vennu Mallesh, and he didn't make anything NEARLY as awful as this.

43. This channel is such garbage now

44. You owe germany an apology.

45. Was ist das shieße

46. Yes the famous battle of 1943 between the red and the blue violent groups. (we cant force people to be in an army).

47. Trash!

48. I know right
    I hate that I have to be the sith on battlefront everytime

49. I usually like extra credits, but yeah, this one was pretty stupid

Comments are closed.