come one, shoot all?

January 23, 2003 9:55 AM

"In the game, the player plays the role of a character called The Postal Dude. He lives in a town where there are all kinds of people, white, black, skinny, fat, straight and gay. You can play the game in a passive role without killing anyone," Desi said.

"We are not political," he added.
posted by donkeyschlong (17 comments total)

But killing prostitutes is A-OK!
posted by byort at 10:01 AM on January 23, 2003

"It's definitely not anti-gay. You know what? It's a game -- get over it," Desi said.

This man should be President.
posted by bondcliff at 10:18 AM on January 23, 2003

Out of curiosity, how doesone identify the targets as gay in this game? I mean, are they little digital men holding hands or what?
posted by Joey Michaels at 11:21 AM on January 23, 2003

In the original game (which I own) you can't identify a character(s) as being homosexuals. Everyone except the shooter (you) runs around screaming their heads off after the shooting starts. There are leather clad hooligans in the biker bar, police officers downtown, and military types at the Air Base. You can even shoot marching band members (musician=gay?) the livestock on an Ostrich farm (Exotic animal=gay?) and there is even a level where there are no people -- you load up with heavy weapons and shoot heat seeking missile launchers before their missiles blow you to hell and back. (Advanced Electronics=gay?)

This guy just wants to hear himself talk.
posted by Wildcat3 at 12:01 PM on January 23, 2003

I have two --TWO-- of these guys shirts from the first Postal. Awesome shirts, fantastic "running with scissors" logo, crappy game. Oh well.

Some of my favourite computer culture shirts, right up there with "Money GOOD, Napster BAD!"
posted by NortonDC at 12:08 PM on January 23, 2003

Advanced Electronics=gay?

I still jerk off manually.
posted by WolfDaddy at 12:18 PM on January 23, 2003

Somehow I don't think this is nearly as bad as the negative Asian stereotypes in Shadow Warrior. Mealy-mouthed article, but it was the most focused on racism of any I've found. This happens to be the one -- and only -- video game I've ever found to be completely offensive.

The "me so Jappy" voice acting in Shogun: Total War was also a little offensive. When explaining to people why it bothered me, I actually told them, "Imagine if they had an effeminate, lisping voice actor for the British." It's funny because, other than the voice acting, it's very respectful, almost reverential towards Asian culture. It's more naive than racist. Luckily, there is an option in that game to have Japanese-language audio.
posted by son_of_minya at 12:37 PM on January 23, 2003

Like anyone's going to buy this game anyway. Take a look at those screenshots, that's the real crime being perpetrated here.
posted by dvdgee at 1:39 PM on January 23, 2003

Check out the video. Sorry about the lame "videogame Lifestyle Mag" link...
posted by ubi at 1:57 PM on January 23, 2003

Actually, the more I think about this, the sillier it gets.

So, like, if the game didn't allow you to shoot anything but straight/white/male/Christian people, that would be non-discriminatory?

So many people claiming they want equal rights really just want revenge.
posted by WolfDaddy at 2:58 PM on January 23, 2003

WolfDaddy: That's it! That's the game I want. Kill Cracker! You force SUVs off the road...slaughter the oil exec as he chats with his mistress on his cell phone. Hunt down his co-workers at the golf course, and in the country club. Listen to them beg for their lives as they offers you stock options.

You get extra points for burning down their churches, turning their sons gay -- you all know that's how you get new gays -- and, if you play the game as the black character, a special bonus for having sex with his daughter.

Now, if any straight/white/male/Christian people are offended, just get over it. It's a game.
posted by ?! at 3:39 PM on January 23, 2003

You force SUVs off the road

Be careful, ?!, this is Mefi, and there are SUVers about.
posted by thanotopsis at 4:45 PM on January 23, 2003

Now, if it's offensive anti gay games you're looking for, well...
posted by jonson at 4:54 PM on January 23, 2003

jonson: why does it say "score 0" when my guy obviously scores?
posted by ?! at 5:14 PM on January 23, 2003

you all know that's how you get new gays

Yes, I know. Heh heh heh.

jonson, you are an evil, evil man.
posted by WolfDaddy at 5:34 PM on January 23, 2003

Out of curiosity, how doesone identify the targets as gay in this game? I mean, are they little digital men holding hands or what?

According to the article (cough, cough), one can enter a gay bar in the game. In the accompanying screenshot, one can see a guy in a business suit, a guy in a t-shirt and shorts and one bald guy with a goatee in a pink tee shirt and a skirt. Draw from that what you will.

I'm semi-interested in Postal 2 because I want to see if you truly can finish the game without killing anyone. Running With Scissors insists that you will be able to, and that the missions in the game are things like "go buy a gallon of milk" and "mail letters at the post office" and so on. And you gotta admit, they sure know how to get free publicity; this is about the twentieth article about Postal 2 I've seen in non-game-related media.
posted by atholbrose at 10:30 PM on January 23, 2003

Watch the movie. It looks like you can blow the heads off mentally retarded Special Olympics athletes. Now THAT'S funny. But they ripped off the kick-heads-like-a-soccer-ball gag from Monolith's Blood.
posted by Zombie at 5:02 AM on January 24, 2003