Tom Clancy,s upcoming “Rainbow Six Vegas” game is under heavy fire from the residents of Las Vegas. The game,s scenario places Sin City at the mercy of terrorists and brings Vegas to a citywide lockdown. The game, which depicts masked gunmen in shootouts in casinos, has some residents worried that the game could produce copycat incidents in the real world or bring down business.According to the Review Journal, Oscar Goodman, Mayor of Las Vegas said of the game, "It could be harmful economically, and it may be something that’s not entitled to free speech (protection). It’s based on a false premise. [Las Vegas is] the safest place imaginable.” Incredulously, Goodman has not even seen any of the gameplay he is protesting.Bill Young, Sheriff of Las Vegas added his criticism of the game and games like Rainbow Six. "It’s unfortunate that we’re the backdrop for a lot of stuff because of our profile. I’m not a big believer on pushing violence on young people anymore; particularly the more realistic stuff that’s coming out today. But now it’s gone to terrorism, and (video games) make it so realistic. … I just wonder about bombarding young people’s senses with this type of violence.
Ubisoft, the publishers of Clancy,s game took a different take on the situation. "You will find lots of details about (Fremont) Street in the game. In truth all the casinos, hotels — let’s face it, the whole damn city — are magnificent and really absorbing to create in-game. We were so inspired we wanted to create the entire town to the finest details!"Tim Cummins, spokesperson for Ubisoft remarked, “Las Vegas might be the perfect location to show off next-generation console technology. Not only is it a world-famous and recognizable city, it is iconic, action-packed and completely unpredictable." Rob Frankel, an expert in product branding disagreed with the Las Vegas concerns and stated, “I don’t think it hurts Las Vegas at all. If anything, it’s going to come across as the unfortunate victim of the video game company. The guys who are in for a lot of heat are the developers of the game. We’re starting to get to the point where people have had enough.” Frankel,s remarks were made in light of the strong public reactions against violence in video games such as Grand Theft Auto.
It is highly doubtful that Ubisoft will pull the title from its planned November launch date, but it is evident from the protests of the Las Vegas citizenry that terrorism, even in the virtual world, is still too graphic an image for the real life counterparts of the city.
