Does Hellfire Peninsula parallel the Iraq war?
by Elizabeth Harper 
Apr 2nd 2007 at 12:58PM
Over at Curmudgeon Gamer there's some speculation that the zone Hellfire Peninsula is meant to be Blizzard's commentary on the Iraq war. And Blizzard is certainly known for making in-game references to pop culture; why in Outland alone you can find Star Wars, Masters of the Universe, Monty Python, Snakes on a Plane (literally!), Star Trek, and Dune, just to name a handful. But usually they restrict themselves to to humor -- their goal, after all, is to entertain, and making you stop and laugh (come on, did anyone not lol at the "Voidwalkers Gone Wild" quest?) is just part of the job.
So is Blizzard really making Iraq war references here? Curmudgeon Gamer makes note of the invading army (us: the denizens of Azeroth), the plumes of fire coming out of the ground (oil refinery fires, anyone?), and the Zeth'Gor Must Burn quest which requires you to mark towers in Zeth'Gor for later bombing runs. And then there's this bit of NPC chatter:
Marshal Isildor says: Do you think that demons will play fair? These beasts are more savage than orcs and more cunning than the undead.
Marshal Isildor says: How many more soldiers need to die before we start paying attention out there?
While I see his points, I'm not so certain the zone is meant to be a specific reference to the Iraq war as opposed to trying to catch the feel of a front-line war zone in general. With the Iraq war being the current event of the day, a connection stands out -- but I wonder if the political climate were different would we just connect Hellfire Peninsula to the most recent conflict?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Virtual selves
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Jesse Apr 2nd 2007 1:04PM
i lol'd.
Seper Apr 2nd 2007 1:14PM
mabye for some people the iraq war is the game and hellfire is the realworld!!
Some of the WoW players out there are crazy like that.
Ive looked at it as a game battlefield. I gank 58-62's with my trees and moonfire spam there. I barely notice the war. Only thing I see is trees chasing horde around hellfire. :p
Sylythn Apr 2nd 2007 1:07PM
I lol'd when I got the quest from the blind night elf with the nether drake in Nagrand to scout the Forge Camps...hehe, the legion have WMDs.
Kunstbanause Apr 2nd 2007 5:22PM
Haris Pilton?! Anyone?
Karl Apr 2nd 2007 1:27PM
I don't believe that it is related to the Iraq war. I think that Blizzard was trying to create a "War" environment (The game has Azerothians invading Outland), and the game conflict is something that has been around since before this Iraq war (Warcraft I and II anyways). I think that it is possible that some of the concepts and visuals have possibly been influenced from what we have seen about the Iraq conflict (as it is a close-to-home example of a war that is currently in everyone's face). I feel that it is simply a concept and not meant to be anything reflecting the company's viewpoint on the Iraq war. At least, I hope it doesn’t.
Heymish Apr 2nd 2007 1:41PM
Exactly Karl.
You can compare the dialog and situation to ANY war we've ever been and it would work. This isn't the first war we used markers to aid in bombings either, and the pillars of fire could represent ANY burning warzone environment.
Travis Apr 2nd 2007 2:15PM
Eh, I think he's taking it a little too far.
Flit Apr 2nd 2007 1:46PM
I find it tragic that a game where the world is static (hardly any world events will change outland) mirrors a war that america is fighting.
/sigh.
Hank Apr 2nd 2007 2:46PM
Why does everything in pop cultre need to be an allegory about Iraq or Afghanistan? I want to PLAY A GODDAMNED GAME, not read a political opinion column.
ame goes for TV and concerts; unless it's the news, I am wanting ENTERTAINMENT, not some fracking political statement. Save your opinions for when people aren't paying $50+ to see you SING, DANCE, or CLAP LIKE A SEAL!
Savok Apr 2nd 2007 2:26PM
I feel dumber for having read that.
I mean my god, are people so fucking sad now they have to sit there trying desperately to look clever to get kudos from complete strangers?
Hellfire is war zone, and as such, resembles a war zone. End of story.
finalforeman Apr 2nd 2007 2:40PM
Settle down a bit on this one. If I wanted I could give you a detailed metaphor of how my morning cereal really represents the answer to world piece.. it's all about the magic horse shoes in there.
Roguerhunter Apr 2nd 2007 3:25PM
Hey Guys,
I have to say no there no reference between Iraq and this game. I should know and my Guild knows. We are a company of Infantry grunts who got back a year ago after spending 18 months in that Hell Hole. Someone in the Platoon decided to get a demo from Blizzard and later we all begun to play. Most of my Guild is U.S. Army All the way Iraqi Vets. We play to Gank and feel like we never left Iraq LOL...
But in all honesty take it from the real Rangers no connections...
Over & OUT!!!.... HOoooahhh!!!!
curt Apr 2nd 2007 3:27PM
Warden lolol is my favorite. I still can't figure out if they ran out of ideas, names, or just thought it'd be funny.
rufwork Apr 2nd 2007 3:32PM
Without the plumes and the initial scene of shock & awe through the portal, I probably wouldn't have made the jump.
But let's face it, even if *everything* here could work in some "generic war front" sense, certainly Blizzard is self-conscious enough and understood from the start of their development process until now that there *is* a very non-generic war going on now.
-- This war is in a flat, maybe rocky (?) desert.
-- It involves factions that were fighting across a pretty far remove from the forces entering now, and those factions have been fighting quite a while.
-- Well, the plumes. Desert plus burning plumes only reminds me of one recent theatre of war with which I'm familiar.
-- Though ostensibly the sort of special forces networking with local forces to call in airstrikes like those we see in the quest Zeth'Gor must burn would happen anywhere a war involving the US broke out (predicted and encouraged in this seminal piece, give or take: http://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph_reports/MR789/index.html), it *is* happening and has happened in Iraq/Afghanistan now.
-- Add that the ASCII quoted resonates strongly with relatively current public opinion (beta testers, anyone? Same text?) *and* could have been easily changed by Blizzard's programmers (strings are always easiest in my experience), and I think we've got reason to keep our tinfoil hats on.
$0.02. Not trying to keep anyone from enjoying their game, but if Blizzard quacks like a duck...
BoBoTheChimp Apr 2nd 2007 3:55PM
This doesn't reflect the Iraq War. If it did, Blizzard would need to put a ruling (and pansy ass) race in there (I'd say make them Centaurs...jackasses) that is trying to cut the funding of the people who are already to furthur their political agenda and hold on to power (and undermine and progress we have made and kill the morale of those fighting). You would also need a group of whiney Azerothians complaining about it when they have no idea what its truely about or why we need to be there and a world-wide press that does nothing but try to destroy the leader of Azeroth (they would need to put one of them in there too). Throw in some terroist goblins or something and you've got something that at least resembles the Iraq War.
Ahh...that felt good
Que the looming shitstorm and eventual destruction of this thread ;)
Obmulap Apr 2nd 2007 4:04PM
If you find Illidan hiding in a hole then that would pretty much confirm it.
OneTwo Apr 2nd 2007 7:48PM
#5 said it best. On that note, Anti-War ppl will just think of anything to compare the war in Iraq to wont they?
OneTwo Apr 2nd 2007 7:48PM
@BoBoTheChimp
Bravo man. That's the most accurate reply yet.
Wally Apr 2nd 2007 8:39PM
Hmm, I never saw any link between helfire and iraq.
Blood elf NPCs saying "Stay the Course" when you click on them is a bit fishy.
Orion Apr 2nd 2007 9:23PM
I am surprised that the readers of this posting could have missed the memorable dying lines of the mobs in Durnholde Keep: "I was... only following orders." Are you kidding me?? That is strait out of Nuerembourg. Durnholde was an "internment camp". It was intended for holding enemies in a racially based war; WC1 was called Orcs vs. Humans. This is obviously a reference to the Holocaust, and with that in mind, I believe we can dispell any doubts that Blizzard is interested in making references about subjects heavier than Lord of the Rings. That being said, however, I believe that Blizzard would be making an interesting comment about the modern state of warfare if they were in fact bringing that subject into view; Almost every NPC encountered in Hellfire Peninsula has some anecdote about why the Horde/Alliance has the right to be in Outland, and how their fight is just, the lives lost necessary.