Pandemic in Cahoots with Washington to Overthrow Chavez?

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Venezuelan lawmakers who support president Hugo Chavez take grave issue with Pandemic Studios' upcoming free roaming explosion-fest sequel Mercenaries 2: World in Flames. Politicians accuse the game's developers of working with the United States government to create public ill will against Chavez, following United States president George W. Bush's public worries about an "erosion of democracy" in the South American nation. "I think the U.S. government knows how to prepare campaigns of psychological terror so they can make things happen later," said congressman Ismael Garci in reference to the game. The events of Mercenaries 2 takes place in the middle of a Venezuelan oil crisis, sparked by a figure the game's official website describes as "a power-hungry tyrant."
Lawmaker Gabriela Ramirez said "Mercenaries 2" gives a false vision of Chavez as a tyrant and Venezuela as being on the verge of chaos. She said the game could be banned under a proposed law aimed at protecting Venezuelan children from violent video games.

In the U.S., "it sends a message to Americans: You have a danger next door, here in Latin America, and action must be taken," she said. "It's a justification for an imperialist aggression."

Pandemic public relations rep Chris Norris said that the game is not intended as an explicit political statement, though the topical plot may indeed drum up discussion. "Although a conflict doesn't necessarily have to be happening," he said, "it's realistic enough to believe that it could eventually happen."

Mercenaries 2: World in Flames has so far only been announced for PlayStation 3. Its initial announcement pegged it for "next generation consoles," however, implying that it will not be an exclusive title.

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From The Chatty
  • reply
    May 25, 2006 9:58 AM

    [deleted]

    • reply
      May 25, 2006 10:22 AM

      yea but they can't really get in the press cuz that would be admitting they exist :[ poor ninjas totally left out of our legal system

      • reply
        May 25, 2006 10:53 AM

        I'm sure they get secret royalties. Otherwise we'd have a huge turnover rate of game producers and such who make ninja games.

    • reply
      May 25, 2006 6:49 PM

      lol i want to informative this

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      May 25, 2006 7:45 PM

      Wait, if you're a bad enough dude to rescue the president, doesn't this put you in the axis of evil too? So the ninjas are in fact the last bastion of freedom!

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