Ship Sim Extremes GamesCom Trailer - Disturbing Content

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[Matthew Bellette]

I just viewed (for the first time) the Ship Sim Extremes GamesCom Trailer, which is posted on the Ship Sim website - www.shipsim.com - for all to see. I don't want to sound sensationalist, but I feel something must be said about one particular component of the content shown in the trailer.

The portion of the video in question is that which shows a speedboat heading for and crashing into the port side of a naval warship with the caption "feel the rush". I'm sure just about everyone will be aware of the circumstances relating to the attack on the American guided missile destroyer, the USS Cole a number of years ago. This portion of the video seems far too similar to those events to be dismissed. I find it disturbing, obscenely offensive and disrespectful to the US sailors who were murdered in this act of terrorism.

I'm sure some will dismiss this content as merely entertainment and that I am over-reacting, but if that is the case then I weep for humanity if there are people who can be so blaise about acts of terrorism such as these that it can be considered entertainment or an attention-grabbing stunt to boost sales. What is the purpose of such content in the video? Does Ship Sim condone terrorist acts or imply that such acts can and should be simulated by users of their product? The caption accompanying that portion of the video is simply disgusting. "Feel the rush" implies to me that Ship Sim wants me to think it might be fun to crash into warships.

It is quite simply wrong to have such content in that video and I'd strongly urge Ship Sim to either remove the video from their website permanently or at least until that content can be removed. Anything less than that will result in my boycott of all Ship Sim products and the boycott of my very numerous friends.

[Wave Music]

Relax, take it easy...
If you find the RIB rushing into warship disturbing then wait until you go to Multiplayer & you'll see not just that.

+ A lot of SS videos with more disturbing content you can find on Youtube, something that the owners of real ships wouldn't want to see.

[Nathan|C]

Sorry, but why on earth would a respectable simulation development company intentionally re-inact an act of terrorism to promote a product? Just because a speedboat is approaching a warship (and then turns away from it, may I add!) you assume that VSTEP are condoning terrorism? I am sure "feel the rush" isn't implying what you think at all. Maybe it ties into the "Extreme" of the game, the action, the speed of the boat.

Look on YouTube and watch a ferry in SS08 capsize in the open ocean. Disrespectful to the Herald of Free Enterprise disaster? I'm sure that wasn't the intention of the video creator.

[saltydog]

Crashing into other ships is exactly the opposite of what this game is about..It is in fact very much discouraged and frowned upon in the game.. For example, in MultiPlayer, a person who deliberatley crashes into other players ships, risks getting (temporarily) kicked off the server..
But I can see how you could find that portion of clip disturbing, allthough I'm sure no such thing as you describe was intended by the makers..  "Feel the rush", as Nathan mentioned, alludes to the sensation of speed on a high-speed vessel..

[Matthew Bellette]

Sorry, but why on earth would a respectable simulation development company intentionally re-inact an act of terrorism to promote a product? Just because a speedboat is approaching a warship (and then turns away from it, may I add!) you assume that VSTEP are condoning terrorism? I am sure "feel the rush" isn't implying what you think at all. Maybe it ties into the "Extreme" of the game, the action, the speed of the boat.

Look on YouTube and watch a ferry in SS08 capsize in the open ocean. Disrespectful to the Herald of Free Enterprise disaster? I'm sure that wasn't the intention of the video creator.

The boat actually doesn't turn away. The scene fades out just seconds before what would be the moment of impact and a new scene appears. Also, there is a huge difference between making the ocean as rough as you can in trying to capsize your vessel for the fun of it to see what it takes and crashing your vessel into a naval warship in the same way that terrorists did with the USS Cole. It's incredibly poor taste - simple as that. I think also the fact that no one from Ship Sim has bothered to reply to my message speaks volumes with regard to their attitude.

[Captain Spencer]

Matthew,

I appreciate your comments entirely, and such events in real life are seriously disturbing.

However, I must point out that the game is not intended to be harmful or offensive in any way at all. If you want something like that go and play the GTA series.

I do think that you are seriously escalating the situation rather more that it should be, and to 'boycott' your friends for this reason I find is very pathetic.

Surely you must understand that this is a GAME, and that VSTEP I am almost certain did not recreate this scene in relation to the incident with USS Cole. The scene only fades because the crashing of the boats is NOT what the simualtion is about, and so anything that shows the boats crashing in a trailer is not shown.

As I said, I think you are blowing this completely out of proportion and would advise that you rethink what you're saying here. It is a rather serious accusation and would recommend that you sit back and think about this for a moment.

I agree with what you say about the incident with the USS Cole, and my respect goes to the families and men who lost their lives that day

However these things happen, and I'm afriad it's just life!

[Shipaddict]

Just to add to Salty's post regarding how ramming is frowned upon - In multiplayer various rules are in place and functions for users to kick rammers out. I doubt VSTEP would go encouraging that in their promotion videos.

And may I also just add, that surely a much more logical course of action to take in this matter would be to notify the developers or a member of staff instead of posting it on a public forum on a Friday night/ Saturday morning when VSTEP will not be seeing it until Monday at least.

Kind regards,
Mike

[TJK]

HI Matthew Bellette

you can read the warning before the video starts, i do not see anything that are disturbing in that video but you have the permission to feel that you do, no harm in that.

this is a simulator game and the rib are not terror action on the war ship but joust a home coming crew that have been on a expedition, well that i think when i saw the movie.

but wee all are different peoples from different countries and can see and understand thing different
so i'm sorry that you feel like that

TJK

[saltydog]

The USS Cole was in harbour and refueling in the port of Aden at the moment of the terrorist attack..
The warship in the video is in open sea..  So it could be any warship ...

[Kevinmcg_ships]

I still remember the day USS Cole was damaged by the terrorist act, and the tragic loss of Amercian sailors. However I have watched that clip on Shipsim website 4 or 5 times, and at no time I have ever made the  connection with the USS Cole incident. Not until today when it was pointed out by Matthew Bellette.

I can understand what Matthew is getting at, but I think this is a bit OTT.

What next - someone complains about a RIB approaching Latitude because it looks like Somali pirates attacking an oil tanker?

Or - as someone has already mentioned - a sinking ferry, upseting people who still remember the HERALD OF THE FREE ENTERPRISE and ESTONIA disasters.

I don't think VSTEP should be held responsible for the action of the idiots who think it's funny to ram other ships on Ship Simulator and then post it on YouTube. I bet there are some clips of train crashes in Rail Simulator, or planes crashing into buildings on FSX (no, I haven't looked up these on Youtube, and I have no wish to do so.)


p.s. I have just reviewed the Shipsim clip again - just as when the screen fades out, the RIB starts to turn away from the warship.

[Traddles]

The clip described by Matthew Bellette actually shows a NAVAL RHIB going alongside it's parent ship at high speed. Strangely enough this is exactly what such craft and their crews are trained to do. To bring up the subject of USS "Cole" is taking a huge leap into the realms of fantasy and not relevant to the scene shown in any way. Thus there is absolutely no reason for VStep to respond to to this topic.

[Matthew Bellette]

I guess we have different views on what is and isn't acceptable, even for a game. So I think we'll just have to agree to disagree and on that topic, I'm going to lock this thread before any tempers begin to fray.

[mvsmith]

No, Matthew, guest trolls can’t start a controversial topic and then cut off replies when the majority rebut your charges.

[Wave Music]

Did he die?

Seems like he's on boycott now? 

[Capt. Matt]

 

[Captain Best]

Its a fast boat. Whenever that boat is slowing down it will almost stop!

Belive me! a 45 knot fast boat stopped at once while we throttled down.

[MVEsperanza]

Dosnt the the wheel turn and maybe vstep made a miscalculation while they were filming it and the just didnt want to show the crash

[Ballast]

Its a fast boat. Whenever that boat is slowing down it will almost stop!

Belive me! a 45 knot fast boat stopped at once while we throttled down.

Coming in on a 90 degree angle with 45 knots itsn't the most Spambot way to come along side 

[Traddles]

I fully agree Ballast. Needs an iron nerve and loads of practice, but how very satisfying when it works out OK.

[TNeves]

Guys, that is just a demo video, why do we need to take everything so serious?

[MVEsperanza]

Guys, that is just a demo video, why do we need to take everything so serious?

i know right

[Tomaten]

Guys, that is just a demo video, why do we need to take everything so serious?

Agree