Treyarch: Black Ops Realism Almost "Went Too Far"
With everything they've done in video games so far, you wouldn't think Treyarch would step over the line.
But apparently, according to what Call of Duty: Black Ops animation director Dominique Drozdz told OPM, the team had to reign themselves in because they "went too far." There are times in the game when close-up kills will happen, and it seems some of this was simply too realistically grotesque. While the game's director, Dave Anthony, said they "completely changed the way we do facial animation" and that "some of the stuff we've done with Gary Goldman's character is amazing," Drozdz adds:
"There were situations going too far. It was a a contextual kill where you were twisting the neck. It was too much. The throat cutting [is] nasty, but that was worse."
This may be one of the first times we've ever heard a developer claim they held themselves back in regards to excessive violence or other offensive material in a game. But perhaps this is a partial reaction to last year's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 from Infinity Ward; the airport scene generated a ton of backlash and controversy. Or Treyarch could be trying to get a jump on the anti-game activists before the game even releases. Who knows? We're just wondering how the CoD fans will respond, or if they care at all.
Related Game(s): Call of Duty: Black Ops
Tags: cod, call of duty, black ops, treyarch, violent games
10/22/2010 10:18:43 AM Ben Dutka
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Comments (81 posts)
ace_boon_coon
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 10:38:36 AM
Reply
Godslim
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 11:22:26 AM
Deleted User
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 10:52:05 AM
Reply
Last edited by n/a on 10/22/2010 10:54:55 AM
Underdog15
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 10:57:13 AM
Also, planes are not so simple. >.<
Deleted User
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 11:02:46 AM
Nlayer
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 11:08:21 AM
Underdog15
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 11:20:06 AM
Deleted User
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 12:06:47 PM
Underdog15
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 12:18:12 PM
What's your PSN so I know which one? There are a couple friend requests I haven't responded to yet open from MW2... I always turn them down. I just wanna make sure I don't delete yours. Thanks!
Underdog15
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 10:55:06 AM
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Physically, up close, snapping someone's neck in order to kill them... if this game is as realistic as it's supposed to be, that would be really grotesque!
In the end, though, I don't really care about it being or not being there. If it is, it just means I'll have to avoid doing that if the wife is around. She already hated me playing games like Killzone and CoD:MW2. lol.
Last edited by Underdog15 on 10/22/2010 10:58:56 AM
Jawknee
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 11:36:30 AM
fluffer nutter
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 11:39:21 AM
coverton341
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 10:57:01 AM
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"Oh, it was too bloody violent, man. Had to tone it down." sounds a lot like "Please pay attention to us, we know MW2 had the airport scene, but we're hardcore too. So much in fact that we cut some of our hardcore-ness out."
GuardianMode
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 12:21:55 PM
FatherSun
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 1:13:12 PM
carl0975
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 4:22:29 PM
Jawknee
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 5:38:57 PM
carl0975
Sunday, October 24, 2010 @ 10:07:45 AM
Maiq The Liar
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 10:59:25 AM
Reply
Last edited by Maiq The Liar on 10/22/2010 11:01:23 AM
Maiq The Liar
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 11:02:43 AM
Jawknee
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 11:20:03 AM
Jawknee
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 11:18:45 AM
Reply
The animations in MW2 were retarded. You shoot some one in the back while their running away, they fall backwards when they should fall forward. in fact it seemed they fell the same way no matter how they got shot.
Underdog15
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 11:21:47 AM
Godslim
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 11:24:08 AM
Jawknee
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 11:32:54 AM
@Godslim, oh I'm looking forward to it. Yet another innovation on part of Guerilla Games when it comes to adding realism. Those close combat kills look amazing.
Last edited by Jawknee on 10/22/2010 11:37:44 AM
Godslim
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 12:55:42 PM
frostface
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 11:24:09 AM
Reply
Jawknee
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 11:30:08 AM
frostface
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 12:31:54 PM
Jawknee
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 12:48:52 PM
maxpontiac
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 11:26:48 AM
Reply
Jawknee
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 11:34:17 AM
Underdog15
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 12:19:15 PM
Godslim
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 12:56:50 PM
Underdog15
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 3:31:47 PM
Yeah, but some of the modes are frustrating on the smaller maps. Especially if you're only playing with one or two other friends. Even if you have a good strategy, there's too many dummies that make a tiny map impossible.
Plus, it's rare to get a mode you enjoy. My friends and I prefer Search and Destroy best, although we do other things too.
I remember playing groundwar on Rust. Was the worst experience ever. I remember it well because my friends bug me about it because I curse how un-fun it was even though I did well. 9v9 on Rust is stupid.
Godslim
Sunday, October 24, 2010 @ 12:00:34 PM
BikerSaint
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 2:20:30 PM
Naztycuts
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 2:24:06 PM
Alienange
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 12:32:16 PM
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He said "where you were twisting the neck"
That sounds a lot more like a Kratos move than a simple neck snapping. Twisting the neck of Helios was pretty damn gruesome but they threw it in. ONCE. The contextual kills in a CoD happen quite regularly and I'm sure what they had was pretty damn gross.
Going that far might be ok in some games but Treyarch knows full well that although war is ugly, games should not be.
Jawknee
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 12:46:19 PM
BikerSaint
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 2:42:09 PM
FatherSun
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 3:39:05 PM
A2K78
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 12:45:13 PM
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No I'm not advocating censorship, but at the same too much and over-top portrayal of violence is niether good psychologically, socially or for image of the game industry.
Overall this level of retrain still doesn't change the fact that games such MOH and COD pander militarism to gamers.
Jawknee
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 12:53:09 PM
FatherSun
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 1:53:10 PM
@ Jawknee, Ain't that the truth! Too bad the masses do not realize how controlled they are. "shakes finger".... There is always a conspiracy!
Last edited by FatherSun on 10/22/2010 1:54:39 PM
A2K78
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 12:45:18 PM
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No I'm not advocating censorship, but at the same too much and over-top portrayal of violence is niether good psychologically, socially or for image of the game industry.
Overall this level of retrain still doesn't change the fact that games such MOH and COD pander militarism to gamers.
MadPowerBomber
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 12:59:17 PM
Reply
Jawknee
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 1:23:31 PM
FatherSun
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 2:34:53 PM
Jawknee
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 2:38:31 PM
MadPowerBomber
Saturday, October 23, 2010 @ 11:18:07 PM
MadPowerBomber
Sunday, October 24, 2010 @ 4:42:42 AM
Naztycuts
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 2:19:50 PM
Reply
BikerSaint
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 2:35:52 PM
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HEY Treyarch, we gamers who play military styled games certainly can handle you getting real. Really, we can(well at least most of us).!!!!
Just say NO to censorship!!!!!
And BTW, while your at it, try pouring a gallon of Miracle-Gro all over your testicles.
carl0975
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 4:24:57 PM
Deathb4Dishonor
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 5:18:38 PM
Reply
booze925
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 6:12:06 PM
Reply
heres some suggestions: wager matches, currency system, theatre mode, new create-a-class depth, newly revealed single player levels...
anything!
Jawknee
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 6:17:26 PM
/s
Stop whining. What your asking for is more inline with the Previews PSX routinely does. This is NOT a preview.
Last edited by Jawknee on 10/22/2010 6:21:15 PM
booze925
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 7:30:07 PM
___________
Saturday, October 23, 2010 @ 2:27:45 AM
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ah, GOW3 kinda did that i seriously cant see anyone ever taking grotesques violence further than what GOW3 did!
i mean how much further can you go than ripping a guys head off with your own bare hands?
with copious blood, and tendons hanging from his head.
sony, so should of made a dynamic theme of that!
Steel
Saturday, October 23, 2010 @ 3:27:31 PM
I know I can paint the same picture of gore and place two characters into it. The results however, vary greatly. My girlfriends brother is in the Army, and I would not like to imagine him being harmed that way, but seing a fictional character cut someones head off with the mighty chains of olympus is a little easier for me to stomach because I can always escape to the reality that it isnt real. Difference is, war is real. And that stuff happends to citizens fighting for their country.
All this being said, I dont personaly dissagree with the graphic nature of the neck breaking. MOH and COD are both trying to walk a line between a militaristic FPS and in my opinion, a legit war simulation. The neck breaking is part of the horrible nature of war. I think that the demographic should start considering what they are choosing to pay for and put into their game console before they complain. This is about war, and Treyarch has chosen not to sugar coat it. That is okay in my book.
t4_robz
Saturday, October 23, 2010 @ 10:23:16 AM
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Call of Duty: Black Ops









TheCrazyMerc
Reply
Friday, October 22, 2010 @ 10:36:47 AM