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Spec Ops: The Line has been removed from all digital storefronts, due to licensing issues. Why was this game so important? Let’s understand the context surrounding its release.
GMTK Minis are short, scrappy videos designed to let me comment on noteworthy news events. Enjoy!
=== Sources and Resources ===
- Sources
[1] Spec Ops: The Line delisted from Steam | Eurogamer
https://www.eurogamer.net/spec-ops-the-line-delisted-from-steam
[2] We Are Not Heroes: Contextualizing Violence... | GDC Vault
https://www.gdcvault.com/play/1017980/We-Are-Not-Heroes-Contextualizing
[3] Don't Be A Hero - The Full Story Behind Spec Ops: The Line | Polygon
https://www.polygon.com/2012/11/14/3590430/dont-be-a-hero-the-full-story-behind-spec-ops-the-line
[4] Shooters: How Video Games Fund Arms Manufacturers | Eurogamer
https://www.eurogamer.net/shooters-how-video-games-fund-arms-manufacturers
[5] Playing War: Military Video Games After 9/11 | Matthew Thomas Payne
https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt18j8z64
[6] Game Designer Dave Theurer on "Missle Command" | YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wd6uaDQ-qRI
[7] Hideo Kojima | Twitter
https://twitter.com/HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN/status/1492797335256334336
[8] Spec Ops: The Line‘s lead writer on creating an un-heroic war story | Ars Technica
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2012/07/spec-ops-the-lines-lead-writer-on-creating-an-un-heroic-war-story/
[9] Spec Ops: The Line - Learn about the story with lead writer Walt Williams | Games Radar
https://www.gamesradar.com/spec-ops-line-learn-about-story-lead-writer-walt-williams/
[10] Dissecting the Horror: The Mysteries of Spec Ops The Line | 1UP (Archived)
https://web.archive.org/web/20160606040421/http://www.1up.com/features/horror-mysteries-spec-ops-the-line
[11] Special Edition Spoilercast: Spec Ops: The Line | GameSpot
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/gamespot-gameplay-special-edition-spoilercast-spec-ops-the-line/1100-6386587/
[12] The touch that transcends violence and death | Chicago Tribune (Archived)
https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-it-is-impossible-to-mak/25124667/?locale=en-GB
[13] 87% Missing: The Disappearance Of Classic Video Games | Video Game History Foundation
https://gamehistory.org/87percent/
- Additional resources
Spec Ops The Line... 5 Years Later | Raycevick
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dzstxE_5Rc
Spec Ops: The Line - A Literary Analysis | Games As Literature
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ1Zp3gNcEI
Errant Signal - Spec Ops: The Line | Errant Signal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlBrenhzMZI
How Spec Ops: The Line's Opening Manipulates You | Monty Zander
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPm7tKvILrE
Having Fun is Wrong: An Analysis of Spec Ops: The Line | Professor Bopper
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ogg4ITOmYiw
=== Credits ===
Music provided by Epidemic Sound - https://www.epidemicsound.com/referral/vtdu5y (Referral Link)
=== Subtitles ===
Contribute translated subtitles - https://amara.org/videos/zq3te4KZz6ym/
Well, I can confirm that it can still be downloaded. It’s notable that this is one of the few that even got a native Linux PC version as well and yes I agree on the narrative that this game is very very underrated. Not your average military shooter.
Is it underrated? I remember playing the game because of all the positive things I kept hearing about it. I loved it too, it has some really amazing scenes that stuck with me to this day. I just thought that this was the common opinion.
I sort of feel like it’s correctly-rated. It’s a serviceable third person cover shooter with an interesting setting and some great visuals. The reveal of “you’re the real monster here” has a good amount of impact but it’s hard to totally land that message when the game offers no alternative.
The main problem was that all that was a bit of a pleasant surprise. The good parts of the game were sort of hidden behind the disguise of a generic military shooter. The box art couldn’t possibly be more boring. It sold very poorly and gained momentum later for being actually good.
It’s a bummer to see it leave Steam knowing that less access to it will mean less people get to check it out.
it’s hard to totally land that message when the game offers no alternative.
I’m of such split opinion when it comes to this argument against the game. I’ve read it so many times now and I kind of agree that there should have been some nuanced choice that changes the story in such a way where Walker tries to redeem himself? If I recall correctly, the only choice that actually made a difference for the end, was what you did in the very end scene with the mirror, right? And, of course, the choice not to play the game.
Then again, would it have been better if the player had had the option for a less shitty (not necessarily good or positive) path? Sometimes in life, especially during war, the only things that happen to you are shit and even what you do might be out of your control, because you only have one option that results in staying alive or because your mind is so focused on the task at hand that you can’t even consider other ways of tackling a problem. This might be a bit graphic, but I think Spec Ops puts you in the passenger seat with a maddened driver. You tell the driver your destination (finishing the game) and he just hits the pedal and, no matter how much you protest, he roadkills every person on the way there. The car doors are unlocked and he occasionally stops, giving you an opportunity to get out. When you finally arrive at your destination and complain that he killed all those people, he goes “If you had left the car, I would’ve stopped.” I don’t know, I feel like I have a point here, but I can’t put it into words.
Also, there are games like Animal Crossing that aren’t criticised with “Well, the message (of positivity and being rewarded for hard work and cooperation while being friendly) falls a bit flat, since the player doesn’t even have alternative options, aside from not playing the game.”
So, yeah, I’ll leave it at that now, since I think my comment is plateauing in its insightfullness.
I think the crux of spec ops was less about morally judging the player or even the protagonist actions. In my opinion the driving theme of that story was encouraging critical analysis of the media we participate in, in this case, video games. It’s not so much that the player had no choice but to do those bad things, the important part is the way the context of the surrounding narrative framed those choices. And then extrapolating that to other games of a similar ilk and frankly media as a whole.
The reveal of “you’re the real monster here” has a good amount of impact but it’s hard to totally land that message when the game offers no alternative.
Yeah, the game lost me at that spot. I tried literally everything I could to avoid it, and a literal invisible wall stopped me. The thing is, the narrative has been done before. Classic Heart of Darkness/Apocalypse Now, but with a slight twist. It hasn’t been done in games AFAIK, but it takes a deft hand, and Spec Ops failed for me
It’s kind of a cult classic. I remember it getting a lot of praise on neo gas and that’s also why I played it. But in the larger arena of video game culture it’s kind of just a footnote.
Disappointed that gmtk doesn’t address the fact that this wouldn’t really be an issue with physical media because it can be re-sold and kept in a library.
Unless the physical media is tied to an account forever, like what Microsoft tried to do with the Xbox One but backpedaled after massive outcry, or what Valve has been doing for two decades without massive outcry because it’s okay when Valve does it.
In all fairness: A lot of physical releases from back in the days can be redeemed on Steam nowadays. It’s not often obvious but it works for a lot. e.g. for Prey (the 2006 one: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prey_(2006_video_game) ) - which saves me the trouble to look for a CD drive I no longer have xD
Yes, I understand that archiving is more tricky nowadays and even Valve may defunct one day. Alas in reality is a > 15 yrs old CD also prone to errors and may no longer work already.
At least Steam lets you still download it when you purchased it before. I checked today just to make sure it really does still download. Granted, this is as long as Valve may exist but I don’t think there is anything DRM related here that would stop anyone from making a copy of the downloaded game 🤔 May try that later.
While, yes, Steam doing this is… OK… The resale is what matters. Technically passing it on via Gog’s download is “piracy”, but having some sort of physical identifier for the thing makes it legal to resell.
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If the rights revert to yager, they can publish it on steam themselves.
Yager is fully owned by Tencent, so it’s not up to them really.
Well, I can confirm that it can still be downloaded. It’s notable that this is one of the few that even got a native Linux PC version as well and yes I agree on the narrative that this game is very very underrated. Not your average military shooter.
Is it underrated? I remember playing the game because of all the positive things I kept hearing about it. I loved it too, it has some really amazing scenes that stuck with me to this day. I just thought that this was the common opinion.
I sort of feel like it’s correctly-rated. It’s a serviceable third person cover shooter with an interesting setting and some great visuals. The reveal of “you’re the real monster here” has a good amount of impact but it’s hard to totally land that message when the game offers no alternative.
The main problem was that all that was a bit of a pleasant surprise. The good parts of the game were sort of hidden behind the disguise of a generic military shooter. The box art couldn’t possibly be more boring. It sold very poorly and gained momentum later for being actually good.
It’s a bummer to see it leave Steam knowing that less access to it will mean less people get to check it out.
I’m of such split opinion when it comes to this argument against the game. I’ve read it so many times now and I kind of agree that there should have been some nuanced choice that changes the story in such a way where Walker tries to redeem himself? If I recall correctly, the only choice that actually made a difference for the end, was what you did in the very end scene with the mirror, right? And, of course, the choice not to play the game.
Then again, would it have been better if the player had had the option for a less shitty (not necessarily good or positive) path? Sometimes in life, especially during war, the only things that happen to you are shit and even what you do might be out of your control, because you only have one option that results in staying alive or because your mind is so focused on the task at hand that you can’t even consider other ways of tackling a problem. This might be a bit graphic, but I think Spec Ops puts you in the passenger seat with a maddened driver. You tell the driver your destination (finishing the game) and he just hits the pedal and, no matter how much you protest, he roadkills every person on the way there. The car doors are unlocked and he occasionally stops, giving you an opportunity to get out. When you finally arrive at your destination and complain that he killed all those people, he goes “If you had left the car, I would’ve stopped.” I don’t know, I feel like I have a point here, but I can’t put it into words.
Also, there are games like Animal Crossing that aren’t criticised with “Well, the message (of positivity and being rewarded for hard work and cooperation while being friendly) falls a bit flat, since the player doesn’t even have alternative options, aside from not playing the game.”
So, yeah, I’ll leave it at that now, since I think my comment is plateauing in its insightfullness.
I think the crux of spec ops was less about morally judging the player or even the protagonist actions. In my opinion the driving theme of that story was encouraging critical analysis of the media we participate in, in this case, video games. It’s not so much that the player had no choice but to do those bad things, the important part is the way the context of the surrounding narrative framed those choices. And then extrapolating that to other games of a similar ilk and frankly media as a whole.
Yeah, the game lost me at that spot. I tried literally everything I could to avoid it, and a literal invisible wall stopped me. The thing is, the narrative has been done before. Classic Heart of Darkness/Apocalypse Now, but with a slight twist. It hasn’t been done in games AFAIK, but it takes a deft hand, and Spec Ops failed for me
Mebbe I should have phrased it more as “underrated in the beginning when it went on sale and was considered a sales fail” 🤔
I honestly didn’t know that it did bad on release, that certainly merits the name underrated!
It reviewed poorly and had lackluster sales, so yes.
76/77 average on Metacritic is not terrible. Do you dismiss anything that gets less than 80?
I didn’t say terrible I said poorly. Average scores = reviewed poorly when it comes to games.
It’s kind of a cult classic. I remember it getting a lot of praise on neo gas and that’s also why I played it. But in the larger arena of video game culture it’s kind of just a footnote.
The narrative is something that can really only be experienced once. It’s a game I really enjoyed but I haven’t had an urge to play it again.
🏴☠️
Disappointed that gmtk doesn’t address the fact that this wouldn’t really be an issue with physical media because it can be re-sold and kept in a library.
Unless the physical media is tied to an account forever, like what Microsoft tried to do with the Xbox One but backpedaled after massive outcry, or what Valve has been doing for two decades without massive outcry because it’s okay when Valve does it.
Wait, do Steam games have physical releases? Like, not just a physical box but physical media you install the game from?
Not anymore but it was commonplace before 2010. Steam killed this.
In all fairness: A lot of physical releases from back in the days can be redeemed on Steam nowadays. It’s not often obvious but it works for a lot. e.g. for Prey (the 2006 one: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prey_(2006_video_game) ) - which saves me the trouble to look for a CD drive I no longer have xD
Yes, I understand that archiving is more tricky nowadays and even Valve may defunct one day. Alas in reality is a > 15 yrs old CD also prone to errors and may no longer work already.
At least Steam lets you still download it when you purchased it before. I checked today just to make sure it really does still download. Granted, this is as long as Valve may exist but I don’t think there is anything DRM related here that would stop anyone from making a copy of the downloaded game 🤔 May try that later.
While, yes, Steam doing this is… OK… The resale is what matters. Technically passing it on via Gog’s download is “piracy”, but having some sort of physical identifier for the thing makes it legal to resell.
According to PCGamingWiki, the game does have Steam DRM. It was available DRM-free on GOG.
Ah that’s where I did see it in DRM free. Yes you’re correct. It refuses to launch without Steam running.
Yo ho yo ho a pirate’s life for me