Believe it or not, Halo 2 not political protest

[ThumbBot]

Hard-right conservative news forum Free Republic has jumped all over an Entertainment Weekly statement by Bungie's Joe Staten, lead writer for the massively anticipated and just released Halo 2. Free Republic claims Staten is using the game "as a political protest against the Bush Administration". Huh?

Well, Staten was quoted as saying "You could look at [Halo 2] as a damning condemnation of the Bush Administration's adventure in the Middle East." Gadzooks! Bungie leveraging their already ludicrously well-selling game for political means? Actually, no. In a mind-blowing display of selective censorship, Free Republic quietly managed not to include the rest of Staten's quote, which ends with "...but you'd be wrong."

Out of this devious omission, the notoriously anti-Microsoft Free Republic manages to squeeze a full-length editorial condemning the publisher, the game, Bungie, and Staten. They even conclude by urging "those concerned about the rot in American pop culture to spread the word about Halo 2 and Microsoft's hateful view of the Bush Administration". I'm sorry, Free Republic, you were saying something about manipulating people for cheap political means?


EDIT: Looks like the original error was on the part of Entertainment Weekly, who were the first to misquote Staten, as Joe himself explains. Free Republic merely followed suit.

Posted by Chris Remo

Associated Games
- Halo
- Halo 2

Associated Companies
- Microsoft
- Bungie Studios

[Chris]

ARHAGHAGHAGHGHGHGHAGKLFDSHAGLWERKY

[Yufster]

To the gamers that will say "I’m going to play it because it’ll be fun and I can see past the politics to enjoy myself"

Read the comments people have left on the Free Republic page... they're hilarious.

Joe Staten? I believe they mispelled his name, isn't it Stalin?

And,

LIBERAL VIDEO GAME RULES

[Kingzjester]

Chris:

ARHAGHAGHAGHGHGHGHAGKLFDSHAGLWERKY

What? You forgot to include some photographs of you holding a laptop under your knee (with the New Republic site in full view), throwing gang signs and crazy grimaces all over.

[n0wak]

OMG. You might not want to say anything slightly critical of Free Republic or you might face The Flood of asshole Freepers attacking back on this very forum!

[General Fuzzy McBitty]

Apparently it was EW not the crazy Reps.... read the comments starting at 100

[mercatfat]

last i heard, Gates supported Bush.

[Kingzjester]

mercatfat:

last i heard, Gates supported Bush.

Actually, he gives a shitload of money to the Democrats every opportunity he gets.