[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:00.16,0:00:01.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Hey, Mark here.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:01.50,0:00:06.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So, this week, you may have seen the news\Nthat 2K has permanently removed the game Spec
Dialogue: 0,0:00:06.50,0:00:09.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Ops: The Line from all digital storefronts…
Dialogue: 0,0:00:09.26,0:00:12.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,due to expiring licenses.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:12.32,0:00:16.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And - if you’re not really aware of the\Ngame - you may have been surprised to see
Dialogue: 0,0:00:16.05,0:00:23.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so much outcry for the removal of what seems\Nto be a… pretty generic, brown-tinted, standard-issue
Dialogue: 0,0:00:23.43,0:00:28.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,military shooter… from the era of endless\Nmilitary shooters.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:28.67,0:00:34.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But, well, that was always the magic of Spec\NOps: The Line.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:34.25,0:00:39.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In this game you play as Captain Walker on\Na covert recon mission in Dubai - which has
Dialogue: 0,0:00:39.55,0:00:42.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,been largely buried under a catastrophic sand\Nstorm.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:42.81,0:00:47.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And it starts out like your average shooter\N- with all the expected trappings of a modern
Dialogue: 0,0:00:47.81,0:00:49.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,military-themed game.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:49.50,0:00:56.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You know: turret sections, a cover mechanic,\Ncollectible intel items, enemies yelling in
Dialogue: 0,0:00:56.10,0:01:00.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a foreign language, and AI squad mates with\Nsnarky dialogue.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:00.63,0:01:04.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But, pretty soon… things start to take a\Nturn.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:04.68,0:01:08.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You end up fighting against American soldiers.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:08.07,0:01:09.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,An ally is killed.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:09.24,0:01:14.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You’re presented with awful moral choices\N- where there’s usually no good outcome,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:14.35,0:01:16.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,no matter what you do.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:16.01,0:01:22.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You witness how Walker begins to change - his\Ngeneric combat barks go from professional
Dialogue: 0,0:01:22.44,0:01:29.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to detached, to unhinged, and his appearance\Nbecomes tattered and ragged.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:29.54,0:01:33.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And then, in chapter eight, we get the game’s\Nmost infamous scene.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:33.77,0:01:38.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The player is led to believe that they’re\Nfiring mortars on an overwhelming enemy force
Dialogue: 0,0:01:38.31,0:01:42.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,- only for it to turn out that you’ve just\Ndropped white phosphorus on an encampment
Dialogue: 0,0:01:42.91,0:01:44.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of innocent civilians.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:44.41,0:01:50.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You’re then forced to walk among the dead\Nand witness the true horror of your destruction.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:50.06,0:01:55.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It’s a pretty harrowing scene that marks\NWalker’s true descent into madness and trauma
Dialogue: 0,0:01:55.98,0:02:00.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,- one that’s marked by visions and hallucinations.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:00.00,0:02:03.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,SOLDIER: "Walker! What are you doing?"
Dialogue: 0,0:02:03.08,0:02:08.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Spec Ops: The Line is an uncompromising depiction\Nof the psychological trauma of warfare.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:08.75,0:02:14.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Lead designer Cory Davis says “by the time\Nyou get to the end we really wanted to express
Dialogue: 0,0:02:14.02,0:02:18.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as strongly as possible what can happen to\Nthe psychological state of somebody who goes
Dialogue: 0,0:02:18.96,0:02:20.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,through these horrible events.”
Dialogue: 0,0:02:20.45,0:02:26.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So while it might start as a standard military\Nshooter, towards the end of the campaign it
Dialogue: 0,0:02:26.64,0:02:29.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,feels more like a horror game.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:29.08,0:02:34.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In fact - the unreliable narrator, the hallucinations,\Nand the way you seem to always be descending
Dialogue: 0,0:02:34.72,0:02:38.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,deeper and deeper into the heart of Dubai…
Dialogue: 0,0:02:38.21,0:02:42.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,well this game often feels more like Silent\NHill 2 than Call of Duty.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:42.95,0:02:48.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But Call of Duty is exactly what developer\NYager had in mind when making this game.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:48.72,0:02:53.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Because Spec Ops was not really about war\N- it was about war games.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:53.89,0:03:00.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It was ultimately a response to all the military\Nshooters that had cropped up in the wake of
Dialogue: 0,0:03:00.39,0:03:06.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,9/11, and especially after the massive success\Nof Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:06.91,0:03:13.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Games like Call of Duty, Battlefield, and\NMedal of Honor were almost jingoistic propaganda
Dialogue: 0,0:03:13.13,0:03:18.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,pieces - showing American intervention as\Nheroic and necessary.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:18.32,0:03:23.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,These games turned war into a spectacular\Nrollercoaster of set piece explosions, and
Dialogue: 0,0:03:23.81,0:03:26.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,depicted soldiers as mythic one-man armies.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:26.98,0:03:32.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They featured startlingly realistic depictions\Nof modern military hardware - and literally
Dialogue: 0,0:03:32.23,0:03:36.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,paid licenses to the companies that manufacture\Nreal-world guns.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:36.66,0:03:42.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There might be some moments of reflection\Nor horror in these games, but it could be
Dialogue: 0,0:03:42.10,0:03:47.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,argued that these are often simply there to\Nrationalise the rest of the gameplay.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:47.41,0:03:52.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In his book Playing War, Matthew Thomas Payne\Nrefers to these as a sleight of hand, saying
Dialogue: 0,0:03:52.88,0:03:58.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they “underscore the need for exercising\Nand maintaining military vigilance by personally
Dialogue: 0,0:03:58.43,0:04:01.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,visualising and experiencing horrors”.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:01.32,0:04:07.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And so before Spec Ops launched in 2012, that\Nwas basically all you saw in military games.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:07.82,0:04:11.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Other mediums, like films and books, were\Nalways a lot more balanced.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:11.79,0:04:17.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There are some films that show war as noble,\Nimportant, and necessary - but they’re balanced
Dialogue: 0,0:04:17.67,0:04:21.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,out with films that depict war as an unmitigated\Nnightmare.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:21.48,0:04:27.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Stuff like Jacob’s Ladder, Platoon, Full\NMetal Jacket, and Spec Ops’ most obvious
Dialogue: 0,0:04:27.21,0:04:33.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,influence, Apocalypse Now, depict things like\Nwar crimes, civilian casualties, and PTSD.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:33.32,0:04:36.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But video games didn’t really have that\Nsame balance.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:36.58,0:04:41.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The vast, vast majority of games showed warfare\Nin just one light.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:41.35,0:04:45.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I mean, sure, there had been some games that\Nwere critical of war.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:45.23,0:04:50.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Atari’s Missile Command was made to subtly\Nsuggest the sheer hopelessness of defending
Dialogue: 0,0:04:50.49,0:04:52.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,against a nuclear war.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:52.38,0:04:57.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Amiga classic Cannon Fodder made a note of\Nshowing the graves and the names of those
Dialogue: 0,0:04:57.01,0:04:58.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,who had died in combat.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:58.54,0:05:04.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And Metal Gear Solid has always been staunchly\Ncritical of the military industrial complex.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:04.58,0:05:09.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But Spec Ops felt different because it was\Na triple A game from a big publisher, and
Dialogue: 0,0:05:09.51,0:05:14.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it looked exactly like all the other games\Nbeing released around that time.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:14.35,0:05:17.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Which was absolutely the point.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:17.35,0:05:20.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Spec Ops was designed as a cheeky rug pull.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:20.91,0:05:25.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The creators wanted Call of Duty fans to pick\Nit up and play it because it seemed like yet
Dialogue: 0,0:05:25.88,0:05:31.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,another cool game about American soldiers\Nkilling foreign terrorists - only to be surprised
Dialogue: 0,0:05:31.27,0:05:34.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and shocked by what happens in the narrative.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:34.69,0:05:40.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The creators wanted players to think twice\Nabout the narratives, tropes, and genre expectations
Dialogue: 0,0:05:40.28,0:05:43.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that they’ve been peddled in the other franchises.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:43.32,0:05:45.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That American soldiers are always the good\Nguys.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:45.91,0:05:49.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That video game players always get to be the\Nhero.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:49.44,0:05:52.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That when you are presented with a choice,\Nyou should always be able to pick the option
Dialogue: 0,0:05:52.68,0:05:54.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with the best outcome.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:54.13,0:05:58.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That war can be entertaining and enjoyable.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:58.20,0:06:03.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Lead writer Walt Williams says “I feel like\Nwith so many military shooters, we sit down
Dialogue: 0,0:06:03.68,0:06:08.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and put ourselves in the shoes of someone\Ngoing through combat, and we don't feel anything
Dialogue: 0,0:06:08.30,0:06:11.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,other than the exhilaration of being on a\Nroller coaster.”
Dialogue: 0,0:06:11.41,0:06:15.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The creators even wanted players to think\Nabout the games they buy.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:15.30,0:06:19.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Williams said “the feelings that we want\Nyou to feel, are directly about you as the
Dialogue: 0,0:06:19.62,0:06:22.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,gamer choosing to sit down and play this game.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:22.90,0:06:27.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,What does playing this game say about us,\Nabout the games that we choose to play?”
Dialogue: 0,0:06:27.05,0:06:31.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Over time, the game becomes less and less\Nsubtle about this message.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:31.70,0:06:37.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The loading screen tips change from helpful\Nnotes about weapon stats to fourth wall-breaking
Dialogue: 0,0:06:37.37,0:06:39.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,whispers in the player’s head.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:39.72,0:06:43.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Williams says “we wanted to take it to the\Nnext level, where the player themself kind
Dialogue: 0,0:06:43.89,0:06:45.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of felt like they were under attack.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:45.96,0:06:49.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Not as the character Walker, but as the person\Nplaying the game”.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:49.70,0:06:55.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Of course, making a direct attack on the people\Nplaying your game was always going to raise
Dialogue: 0,0:06:55.16,0:07:01.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,their hackles - and so Spec Ops was definitely\Nthe subject of intense debate - and at times,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:01.55,0:07:02.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,harsh criticism.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:02.79,0:07:07.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Some players were frustrated that Spec Ops\Nessentially forced them to be complicit in
Dialogue: 0,0:07:07.38,0:07:09.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,reprehensible actions.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:09.76,0:07:13.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Ultimately the only way to progress is to\Nkill the people in front of you.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:13.85,0:07:18.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Even the white phosphorous scene is mandatory\N- so even if you do twig that you might be
Dialogue: 0,0:07:18.48,0:07:21.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,about to kill civilians, there’s no way\Nto back out.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:21.90,0:07:23.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,SOLDIER: "There's always a choice."
Dialogue: 0,0:07:23.90,0:07:26.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,WALKER: "No, there's really not".
Dialogue: 0,0:07:26.22,0:07:32.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And so players can feel brow beaten for taking\Nterrible actions that they had no actual control
Dialogue: 0,0:07:32.27,0:07:33.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,over.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:33.27,0:07:38.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Williams’ suggestion that players can just\Nturn the game off didn’t always wash.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:38.63,0:07:43.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And it received criticism for arguing that\Nperhaps killing shouldn’t be fun… in a
Dialogue: 0,0:07:43.33,0:07:47.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,video game where killing is quite good fun,\Nactually.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:47.35,0:07:52.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Spec Ops is a very competent shooter, with\Na fancy back-of-the-box set-piece feature
Dialogue: 0,0:07:52.57,0:07:55.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,where you can shoot out glass to bury your\Nenemies in sand.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:55.59,0:08:01.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is a game where you can do glitzy execution\Nanimations, and unlock an Xbox Live achievement
Dialogue: 0,0:08:01.31,0:08:04.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for killing 75 enemies with a shotgun.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:04.19,0:08:08.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,French filmmaker François Truffaut argued\Nthat there’s no such thing as an anti-war
Dialogue: 0,0:08:08.44,0:08:12.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,film, because every war film is ultimately\Nmade for entertainment.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:12.22,0:08:15.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That’s perhaps doubly true for video games.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:15.72,0:08:22.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But Spec Ops was never intending to make some\Ndefinitive statement about games and war.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:22.12,0:08:25.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Williams says “we don't want them to feel\Na specific thing.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:25.76,0:08:28.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's not designed to make you feel bad.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:28.23,0:08:31.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The goal that we had going in was that you\Nwould just feel something."
Dialogue: 0,0:08:31.85,0:08:36.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It wanted players to wonder why they didn’t\Nfeel much of anything when mowing down hundreds
Dialogue: 0,0:08:36.82,0:08:40.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of combatants in the latest Call of Duty or\NBattlefield game.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:40.61,0:08:45.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It wanted to start a conversation about the\Nrelationship between war and entertainment.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:45.66,0:08:48.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And that conversation is loud and enduring.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:48.88,0:08:54.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Despite the game’s low sales, it is one\Nof the most discussed, debated, and deconstructed
Dialogue: 0,0:08:54.06,0:08:55.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,games in the medium.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:55.88,0:09:00.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I’ve included links to loads of video essays\Nabout the game, in the description below.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:00.95,0:09:06.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It’s also a conversation that has continued\Nthrough the games released since Spec Ops:
Dialogue: 0,0:09:06.05,0:09:07.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The Line.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:07.05,0:09:12.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This War of Mine depicts the abject horror\Nof war - but doesn’t turn you into a solider
Dialogue: 0,0:09:12.23,0:09:13.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or a military commander.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:13.85,0:09:19.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Instead, you’re an ordinary citizen just\Ntrying to survive while your city is under
Dialogue: 0,0:09:19.23,0:09:20.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,siege.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:20.23,0:09:24.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Papers, Please isn’t directly about war,\Nbut it’s an incredible game that uses its
Dialogue: 0,0:09:24.33,0:09:28.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,mechanics to show how good people can be lulled\Ninto making heinous choices.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:28.81,0:09:34.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Darkest Dungeon puts a focus on the psychological\Nstress faced by its cast of warriors.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:34.77,0:09:39.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Undertale gives you a choice in how you deal\Nwith every enemy and boss in the game -
Dialogue: 0,0:09:39.32,0:09:42.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,ruthless violence, or diplomacy?
Dialogue: 0,0:09:42.01,0:09:48.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And The Last of Us: Part II looks at a conflict\Nfrom both sides, and forces players to reevaluate
Dialogue: 0,0:09:48.36,0:09:51.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,their allegiance to certain characters.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:51.25,0:09:58.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And right now, this question - of how games\Nshould depict war - feels more important than ever.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:58.67,0:10:04.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It is, frankly, impossible to play the latest\NCall of Duty game without thinking about the
Dialogue: 0,0:10:04.52,0:10:08.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,images we see coming out of places like Ukraine\Nand Palestine.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:08.88,0:10:14.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And it is essential that we question our reasonings\Nfor playing these games - is it wrong to turn
Dialogue: 0,0:10:14.77,0:10:16.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,war into entertainment?
Dialogue: 0,0:10:16.48,0:10:23.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Or are video games perhaps a safe way to explore\Ncomplicated feelings about warfare?
Dialogue: 0,0:10:23.11,0:10:28.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,These are questions that should and will continue\N- and Spec Ops is so important because it
Dialogue: 0,0:10:28.43,0:10:33.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,was the first big game to put these questions\Nfront and centre.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:33.45,0:10:39.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In 2024 it might feel a little quaint - but\Nin 2012 it was a revelation.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:39.67,0:10:43.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Put it in the context of the games being released\Naround that time and you’ll see that it
Dialogue: 0,0:10:43.84,0:10:47.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is a significant part of the video game canon.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:47.29,0:10:53.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It is an essential play for anyone interested\Nin video games, storytelling, and the relationship
Dialogue: 0,0:10:53.58,0:10:55.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,between war and entertainment.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:55.15,0:11:01.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And so thats why its removal from Steam and\Nthe other online stores is so frustrating.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:01.59,0:11:06.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It is not just yet another crushing disappointment\Nfor video game preservation.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:06.98,0:11:10.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But it marks the erasure of one of the medium’s\Nmost important entries.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:10.88,0:11:14.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I hope you can still find a way to play it.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:14.38,0:11:20.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,For now - another thing that made Spec Ops\Nspecial was the use of invisible choices - where
Dialogue: 0,0:11:20.26,0:11:26.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,players get to make critical moral decisions\Nby using the normal verbs used elsewhere in
Dialogue: 0,0:11:26.00,0:11:27.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the game.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:27.00,0:11:31.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So watch this video to find out how this is\Nused in Spec Ops, and other games.