Xidphel Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/115142-Iran-Sentences-Game-Developer-To-Death Shortly after being detained, arrested, and accused of using videogames to spy in Iran, a U.S. game developer has just been sentenced to death. Amir Mizra Hekmati was visiting Iran this past August when he was detained. He was subsequently put on trial by the Revolutionary Court, which specializes in trials against those accused of trying to overthrow the nation's government. He's just been sentenced to death because he was found guilty of charges that the CIA was paying him to make videogames that would affect public opinion on U.S. policies in the region. Hekmati is a former U.S. Marine who became a game developer and was employed with Kuma Reality Games, working on a variety of titles for the studio. However, according to the Tehran Times, Hekmati allegedly confessed that "[Kuma] was receiving money from the CIA to (produce) and design and distribute for free special movies and games with the aim of manipulating public opinion in the Middle East. The goal of the company in question was to convince the people of Iran and the people of the entire world that whatever the U.S. does in other countries is a good measure." It's no secret that Iranian authorities don't harbor any love for Kuma, based on the company's track record. In 2006, CEO Keith Halper admitted that his company worked on training software for the U.S. Army, but never claimed that any other government organization was backing any other projects. Additionally, one of KumaWar episodes the company created was called "Assault on Iran" and required players to infiltrate an Iranian nuclear facility in order to grab evidence of illegal uranium enrichment and sabotage the country's atomic weaponry. The White House has repeatedly denied that Hekmati either worked for the CIA or was sent to Iran by the organization. On top of that, the White House has been calling for his release ever since he was detained: Iran's routinely been the country that everyone reads about and does a double-take, simply because the news that comes out of the area is insane. This is the place with a president who told an audience at Columbia University that his country doesn't have homosexuals. It's a nation where the government is at war with itself and the Supreme Leader is having the president's allies arrested on charges of sorcery and witchcraft. Now, it's going to execute a man because he made videogames. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mascarpony Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 And I bet they believe what they're doing is right. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wes Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 The game looks stupid too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drasiana Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 My favourite part is how they're accusing the guy of using video games to negatively influence the opinions on Iran...(using media as propaganda isn't particularly outlandish) ...except they're the ones being crazy and killing a dude (who may or may not have) making them look bad in video games it's a circle of crazy 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mascarpony Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Maybe not a circle. They just took the long way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Star Fox Runner Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Wow................ Iran is really making me mad lately on the stuff they've been doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harlow Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 US saves some iranis. Iran kills an American... Error 404 LOGIC not found Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prince Elite Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 what a fiasco, that's a nice way of putting it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nope. Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 I know I should act with extreme seriousness here, but... 'hurr durr, he maeks us look like bad gaise in a vee-dee-oh game. to prove otherwse, we kill him!!!!!!111oneone' Way to fucking go, Iran. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaos_Leader Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 I don't know what to say to this, I mean, other than a huge "What the fuck?!" of course. Really, is Iran, trying to pick a fight here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arashikage Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Iran is the one of the least stable countries on the planet. Their president refuses to believe that the Holocaust took place, and they go around hating on Americans, trying to get their hands on anything and anyone we have. It's freaking stupid, that's what it is. I don't think a sane man around would believe these people are right in what they're doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DZComposer Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Iran wants the US to attack them. There is an underground pro-democracy movement in the country, and the Arab Spring has them nervous (BTW, the Iranians aren't Arabs. They are Persians. They look down on Arabs like French people look down on Americans). A US attack would unify the country against the US. That is why they are doing things like threatening to close the Straight of Hormuz and killing Americans they accuse of spying. Luckily, the Obama administration isn't gullible enough to fall for it. The Iran problem will solve itself given appropriate time and sanctions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harlow Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 It's sad, because Iran was one of the cradles of civilization. Sadly, it hasn't grown a bit from that point... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mascarpony Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 I blame the Mongolians. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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