Nazi Richtofen missing his Swastika

[Simply Epic]

In the trailer you can see that the old version of Richtofen has a plain red band on his arm. This bugs me, Treyarch seem to be skipping details of historical accuracy in order to make their games more politically correct. Does having the Swastika cause the game to be banned in certain countries or something?

[DeathBringerZen]

IDoes having the Swastika cause the game to be banned in certain countries or something?

Yes, which is why Kino was heavily edited in Germany and a few other countries. This is also why we have probably not revisited WWII in any games of late from various studios. This is almost definitely why Richtofen doesn't have it on his arm.

[Tasha]

Games containing nazi imagery are banned throughout Germany, so that's why they removed any such references.

[slash23579]

He is also missing the swastika on his hat and tie, but I'm sure the final game will include the swastikas (at least in the American version)

[Simply Epic]

Hmm, this is annoying. There really needs to be another WW2 centred CoD. Future getting old.

[DeathBringerZen]

He is also missing the swastika on his hat and tie, but I'm sure the final game will include the swastikas (at least in the American version)

I can almost guarantee right now they won't.

[Stop Mocking Me0]

The only way to get a past-warfare COD again would be to introduce vehicles and whatnot. 

[Tattoo247]

With all the sensitive people out there right now, especially flag related, it would be a bit foolish to go brandishing a swastika on your product.

I agree it's a little nerving, but it's a smart business move and everyone here knows where we are in the game, and who we're fighting, no need to spell it out. 

[Guest]

Also if you notice, in the poster for the Giant the zombies have that same symbol that the giants do in Origins, I think it is like a replacement for it in some places now.

[Vyhl]

With all the sensitive people out there right now, especially flag related, it would be a bit foolish to go brandishing a swastika on your product.

I agree it's a little nerving, but it's a smart business move and everyone here knows where we are in the game, and who we're fighting, no need to spell it out. 

We should not have to forego historical accuracy because some peoples feelings may get hurt or others might get offended.

Feelings should never be more important than facts.

Edited July 15, 2015 by Vyhl

[Guest]

With all the sensitive people out there right now, especially flag related, it would be a bit foolish to go brandishing a swastika on your product.

I agree it's a little nerving, but it's a smart business move and everyone here knows where we are in the game, and who we're fighting, no need to spell it out. 

We should have to forego historical accuracy because some peoples feelings may get hurt or others might get offended.

Feelings should never be more important than facts.

Right, so you want 3arch to lose out money from a slight inaccuracy because a lot of people (including whole countries) are sensitive about this subject?

[Vyhl]

With all the sensitive people out there right now, especially flag related, it would be a bit foolish to go brandishing a swastika on your product.

I agree it's a little nerving, but it's a smart business move and everyone here knows where we are in the game, and who we're fighting, no need to spell it out. 

We should have to forego historical accuracy because some peoples feelings may get hurt or others might get offended.

Feelings should never be more important than facts.

 

Right, so you want 3arch to lose out money from a slight inaccuracy because a lot of people (including whole countries) are sensitive about this subject?

It would be a slight amount of money, so yes. I hate how sensitive people have become. 

[WillyWonka]

With all the sensitive people out there right now, especially flag related, it would be a bit foolish to go brandishing a swastika on your product.

I agree it's a little nerving, but it's a smart business move and everyone here knows where we are in the game, and who we're fighting, no need to spell it out. 

We should have to forego historical accuracy because some peoples feelings may get hurt or others might get offended.

Feelings should never be more important than facts.

 

Right, so you want 3arch to lose out money from a slight inaccuracy because a lot of people (including whole countries) are sensitive about this subject?

It would be a slight amount of money, so yes. I hate how sensitive people have become. 

I understand why Treyarch would be doing this, no doubt about it. The issue is not what they chose to do about it, it is the fact that they had to do something about it in the first place. The fact that people are still this sensitive about something that happened 70 years ago is simply mind boggling.

[InfestLithium]

Sensitive or not, they'd rather pull any form of a swastika and remove a very minor in-game detail when we know what group we're exactly dealing with than suffer ANY kind of losses. That's just how businesses work; they want to see nothing less of profit and gains in their products. Why risk it and stop entire countries from experiencing your game?

And no, it's not exactly stupid to be sensitive about something that people - who are still alive, mind you - experienced as traumatizing events and unfortunately associate the Nazis with those circumstances.

But it IS stupid that certain countries are anxious about being associated with anything in the game that was historically terrible. Own up to the history and accept that the past is the past.

Edited July 15, 2015 by InfestLithium

[Shooter]

C'mon now it's not like they're actually praising Nazis in the game. We literally spend the whole game blowing their freakin' heads off.

I'd understand the backlash if the hero of the game was a Nazi, but that's not the case. The only Nazis in the game are zombies getting gunned down, and a psychopathic villain.

Look at movies like Inglorious Basterds, that are heavy on Nazi symbolism, yet there isn't backlash. And that's because the Nazis are the enemy in the movie, just like they are in the game, and just like they were in real life.

It doesn't really matter either way for me I'm not gonna get bent out of shape from it. Besides, Nazis haven't been apart of the zombies storyline for years now.

[Slade]

Look at movies like Inglorious Basterds, that are heavy on Nazi symbolism, yet there isn't backlash. And that's because the Nazis are the enemy in the movie, just like they are in the game, and just like they were in real life.

Not true. It has nothing to do with how Nazis are portrayed. Showing Nazi symbolism is illegal altogether in Germany and other countries.

Inglourious Basterds had all its marketing material (wallpapers, websites, posters) edited to remove swastikas and other Nazi symbolism in Germany.

The reason the movie itself wasn't censored is because all films are classified as works of art and these are by law protected from this 'no nazi symbolism' rule and thus don't have to be censored.

Games on the other hand aren't.

 

Also if you notice, in the poster for the Giant the zombies have that same symbol that the giants do in Origins, I think it is like a replacement for it in some places now.

The symbol shown in the trailers is the Iron Cross. It has been used extensively by the german military in the past, including during World War 2.

 

And like @InfestLithium said, this is all a business decision.
These trailers are viewable worldwide, if they showed swastikas they'd have to make it unavailable for viewing in a bunch of countries like Germany, and have separate trailers for these countries or face serious legal consequences.

 

Edited July 16, 2015 by Slade

[Shooter]

Did you just say Zombies is not a work of art? HOW DARE YOU! Hahaha

Thanks for the explanation. Still seems silly to me that they have to censor stuff when all were doing is killing undead Nazis. But that is he PC world we live in.

This reminds of that Family Guy episode where Brian and Stewie are on a bus tour in Germany and the historian just skips over the history from 1939-1945.

"They were all on vacation. Punch was served. Check with Poland!" 

 

 

[Rissole25]

Silly question, but how come the Nazi stuff was allowed in World at War, and Kino. I understand Kino was meant for World at War, but I'm surprised they didn't replace the emblems altogether on there (although they did for German version didn't they? That cross that's on the Origins giants is on all the banners in Kino on that version, it is on iOS at least).

[NaBrZHunter]

Yeah, I'm a little disappointed that it's what they had to do, as I'm a stickler for accuracy as well; but I am glad we can keep the iron cross-it represents the fact that it's in Germany well, though not as well in terms of timeframe. 

But here's some food for thought: I wish (and dare to hope) that they do dare to put some clear historical symbolism in there in a couple small places, but the thing is, Group 935 was not even a Nazi organization. It was a top secret international scientific research community that was, one might gather, 'annexed' with smiles and loaded guns by the 3rd Riech  And like the terminal points out, it's not like it was even in Berlin or anything. It's in Lower Silesia, near Breslau, so literally outside of modern Germany. There are some gaps I'd like to see filled, and one more Nazi Germany map would be awesome and could very well serve the purpose of filling gaps. But as we've seen before, the USSR had its place as well, following the fall of Der Riese and the return of its 935 members. Point being, it would be very doable to finalize that period in time without too much compromise. 

And though I'm a stickler, I understand why Treyarch has to do what they've done. Business is the most important thing. And heck...I understand the lasting bitterness. I'm a southerner for the last 200 years and the thought of savage bastards like Benjamin Butler and William Sherman raping and pillaging their way through our heartland will always get to me. But...I do wish people would let the past be the past. If it happened, illustrate it. "Those who forget the  mistakes of the past are condemned to repeat them."

[Vyhl]

I guess that does make sense, or at least lets me feel better about their decision to not include those things by thinking about it like that NBZ.
 

[Slade]

Silly question, but how come the Nazi stuff was allowed in World at War, and Kino. I understand Kino was meant for World at War, but I'm surprised they didn't replace the emblems altogether on there (although they did for German version didn't they? That cross that's on the Origins giants is on all the banners in Kino on that version, it is on iOS at least).

It wasn't actually. WaW had all its nazi symbolism removed and Zombies as a whole was also cut.
Kino likewise also had its nazi references removed or subsequently replaced with the iron cross.

Yeah, I'm a little disappointed that it's what they had to do, as I'm a stickler for accuracy as well; but I am glad we can keep the iron cross-it represents the fact that it's in Germany well, though not as well in terms of timeframe.

Hitler specifically brought the Iron Cross back into military ranks during world war 2. It represents the timeframe as well as the swastika would.

 

[NaBrZHunter]

Yeah, I'm a little disappointed that it's what they had to do, as I'm a stickler for accuracy as well; but I am glad we can keep the iron cross-it represents the fact that it's in Germany well, though not as well in terms of timeframe.

Hitler specifically brought the Iron Cross back into military ranks during world war 2. It represents the timeframe as well as the swastika would.

 

Haha! Well, this 'stickler for accuracy' stands corrected. Oops! 

But all that to say that I support Treyarch in what they decided to do, no doubt. 

Edited July 16, 2015 by NaBrZHunter

[Guest]

I have a question, aside from being it being historically accurate, what other reason does it matter that there is not that symbol in zombies? Like seriously it is not like ripped off Dempsey's face and put the big guy on it, it is one symbol.

[PortlyLlama80]

It's just so they can market it in Germany, Austria and other countries where the symbols are banned; it will be in the non-German versions once it comes out. 

[DeathBringerZen]

It's just so they can market it in Germany, Austria and other countries where the symbols are banned; it will be in the non-German versions once it comes out. 

I don't understand why you think they would add the swaztika into any version? After WaW Activision have abandoned WWII altogether and I find it highly unlikely they would go to the effort of having to release any kind of edited version of the game for something so minor or trivial. The zombie storyline has moved on a lot since the 'Nazi Zombies' days. Now it's just 'Zombies' and we don't hear anything related to Nazi's. I guess we can only wait and see but I am pretty confident they will not add it to any version of the game.