Beware of the 'Meat Shield'

by Xav de Matos { May 20th 2008 at 11:45AM }

Sometimes it almost feels like people are trying really hard to start controversy where there isn't any. Arizona's KTVK-TV is the latest in a long line of videogame fear mongering by warning parents of the horrors of the 'meat shield,' according to Game Politics.

Citing a Yahoo!Games report detailing features in Gears of War 2 KTVK-TV warns, "A popular video game for the Xbox 360 is getting a sequel this year - and it seems to be raising eyebrows with its level of gore and detail ... The game certainly attracted attention for its realistic visuals and battle scenes, but caused some pause when game designers showed off a new attack players can use in the game."

The report continued to warn, "Players can pick up the corpses of fallen enemies and use them as a "meat shield" to protect themself from enemy fire as they engage in battle from behind the corpse."

As good as Gears 2 looks, calling it's visuals realistic is like saying E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial is based on a true story. Are we really resorting to hyping-up hate for a game months before it releases?

Tags: 2008-releases, controversy, epic, gears-of-war-2, gow2

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

mattclarkie @ May 20th 2008 11:49AM

Because I have never seen this in a film.

And can't you do it in Splinter Cell and other games?

Halwende @ May 20th 2008 12:04PM

Indeed... Hitman: Blood Money anyone? Shouldn't that be worse because technically it's more "realistic"?! (sigh)

BananaBoat @ May 20th 2008 3:21PM

Remember when Bond used that black guy as a meat shield in Casino Royale? Or when the spartan's in 300 used an entire mountain of dead persians as a meat shield? Where were these parents then?

I think complaining about the chainsawing of people in half would get more play than a...meat shield...not that I'm saying anything should get any play.

OBM @ May 20th 2008 11:55AM

IT'S A GAME!!!! I actually feel sorry for these people, they have so much time on their hands, they decide to bitch about a game that hasn't even been released yet; 2 key phrases there, 'a game' and 'hasn't been released yet'. OH NOES, I JUST RAN OVER AN ALIEN IN MY WARTHOG, NOW I MUST GO GET A PICKUP AND RUN OVER LITTLE CHILDREN BECAUSE I CANT TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A GAME AND REALITY!!
Darwinism shall prevail.

Morgon @ May 20th 2008 11:59AM

Not only that, but they're not even HUMAN ('Humanoid', yes, but not Human).

Isn't this how many games got released back in the 80's? As long as they weren't normal humans (i.e. zombies, alients, mutants), you could shoot them to your hearts content.

What's so different now?

iFester @ May 20th 2008 11:56AM

Why can't they just stick to real news? Hello, earthquakes, cyclones and other disasters! OMG, the video game killed our boy!

Alternatively, why can't we stick to game news instead of this political BS?

Zac LaCombe @ May 20th 2008 11:56AM

I'm more afraid of meat swords than a meat shield.

Swede33 @ May 20th 2008 11:59AM

Wow... just wow.

diamondxp @ May 20th 2008 12:00PM

Just goes to show how bias, out of touch and desperate the media can be.

Magic Whiskey @ May 20th 2008 12:01PM

Hmm..Arizona...what other repressed party is represented from that state in the national eye right now?....hmm...

DjDATZ @ May 20th 2008 12:03PM

LOL. No comment on the idiocies of people who blame society's problems on video games.

RudyHuxtable @ May 20th 2008 12:06PM

So I was watching Law and Order a few weeks ago, and a criminal on the run used his female hostage as a meat shield. I demand that Law and Order be taken off the air.

Also, ER routinely portrays grave bodily injury and shows blood and gore. That should also be taken off the air.

Grey's Anatomy has strong sexual themes and should also be taken off the air.

...

Or parents can just turn off the TV.

Anticrawl @ May 20th 2008 12:22PM

Not to mention Nip Tuck. Maybe videogames need to simply desplay a 2 second "don't play this game unless you are of age" warning and people will get off the industries damn back.

ZEBRA NINER @ May 20th 2008 12:20PM

Yes! Arizona FTW!!!! I live in Arizona, and let me tell you something, using a corpse for cover from gunfire is taboo here. It mean that you are "yeller", or a coward. We do all our gun battles at high noon in front of the local saloon.

John McCain 2008 folks, rock the vote!

Zoot Suit Jedi @ May 20th 2008 12:25PM

I...um...ya know...I really don't know how to respond. I will tell you though, my initial response is laugh, vomit, shit myself, and shoot wildly into the air all at the same time.

ZEBRA NINER @ May 20th 2008 12:33PM

I wouldn't have it any other way. It's the right of any American to do all of those actions simultaneously (except for shooting in the air within city limits)!

horngreen @ May 20th 2008 12:25PM

If it had been called "human shield" like they are in any movie that uses the same idea it would have been nothing. I think it's the use of "MEAT SHIELD" that makes it great fodder for idiot local news networks. This too shall pass.

Deezul @ May 20th 2008 12:39PM

Meat shield sounds like a new way of keeping fresh meat fresh. "Now, Angus beef with meat shield stays fresher longer!"

Tony @ May 20th 2008 12:39PM

Welcome to movies like Total Recall... or any action film with violence in it?

They're gigantic alien monsters, not humans. I think it's safe to assume most people can differentiate there lol.

I saw an article about this on Yahoo yesterday and it was subtitled something like "Some say GoW2 is too violent and others agree", but it didn't cite anyone saying any of this. Certainly no one important.

It's just amazing to me that the way in which you chainsaw someone is important. Either is ridiculously violent. Sometimes I wonder who is sitting around and determining which gruesome murder ranks higher than another gruesome murder.

Gemini Ace @ May 20th 2008 12:40PM

What we need to do is find out who wrote the story, then get them fired. Every time something like this happens, we need to get them fired.

Don't ask me how to do this. I'm just the idea guy. :-)

ZEBRA NINER @ May 20th 2008 12:47PM

Hahaha! Fired for sensationalizing a subject to increase ratings/page visits? That's what the "news" business is all about!!! :)

Here is the link to the story on website, I don't know if it went to broadcast, because I don't watch the news in the morning.

http://www.azfamily.com/news/homepagetopstory/stories/phoenix_local_news_051908_gore-game.cd2ba90.html

Cuddlefish @ May 20th 2008 12:43PM

They got it wrong too. You don't use corpses as a "meat shield" you use the living.

OBM @ May 20th 2008 1:14PM

I've figured out who has been saying all these things. Sony... jealous fanboys, tisk tisk.

bluerei @ May 20th 2008 1:34PM

Wait, so what about all those shows and movies for the past 60 years where the cops are aiming at the fugitive who is standing behind a victim pointing a gun to their temples, "protecting themselves from enemy fire"? Isn't that worse? They are bringing this up after 60 years of showing the same thing on tv and other media?

brownc4 @ May 20th 2008 1:55PM

So I guess its okay to Chainsaw someone in half but if you use the body as a shield "Thats Bad!"

OBM @ May 20th 2008 2:16PM

lol very good point

zero @ May 20th 2008 2:19PM

I'll take a meat shield over meat spin any day...

OTAM @ May 20th 2008 3:39PM

I hear that one good sir.

Jeff @ May 20th 2008 8:24PM

Go ABC news!

Cameron Adams @ May 20th 2008 2:26PM

That's right guys!

Ban Video Games!
Ban Films!
Ban Music!

All of these taught me naughty things such as how to scream and how I should properly pick up a body to use in my defence.

Now, anyone else see the flaw in what they're saying?
Their defending themselves.

Now, If i have to use a "meat shield" to defend myself, so be it. I'll be ready for any invasion or zombie epidemic.

Too weird?

OTAM @ May 20th 2008 3:37PM

I like how people whine about this yet every Halloween like clockwork comes a new Saw movie,which is basically a series to top as many gruesome kills to PEOPLE as they progress.

Maybe we should bitch about Evil Dead as well. I mean,it has chainsaw decapitations.