Doom Wiki Chances are you’ve seen a health pack in a video game depicted as a small red cross on a white background. It is a recognizable symbol, which for many universally signifies health, but legally it should not be there.
In an interview with PC Gamer, Introversion Software, the studio behind the PC hit Prison architecthe described a rather peculiar experience.
In late December, the studio received an email from the British Red Cross: “My immediate reason for writing is that it has been brought to our attention that in your game ‘Prison Architect’ the red cross emblem is displayed on vehicles. Those responsible may not be aware that the use of the red cross emblem is restricted by the Geneva Conventions for the Protection of War Victims of 12 August 1949 and that unauthorized use of this sign in the UK is an offense under the Geneva Conventions Act 1957.”
Yes, according to the British Red Cross, Prison architectThe use of the red cross to denote health violates the Geneva Conventions. The small red cross is actually the emblem of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and not part of the public domain. The committee played an integral role in the framework of the Geneva Conventions — statutes that apply in wartime conflicts to ensure that human rights are not violated. 196 countries are ethically bound by the Geneva Conventions, which means that almost every video game released that uses the emblem violates the agreement.
It’s not just independent titles like Prison architect who nevertheless broke the conventions. The emblem has been used as a symbol for healthcare packages for decades. AAA-caliber franchises — Halo, Half-Life, Doom, and Fallout, to name a few — have included emblem displays.
Kotaku noted that the Halo franchise has gradually moved away from the emblem, replacing the cross with an ‘H’ in recent entries. In addition, the Doom franchise switched from the emblem to a red pill to denote health packs.
This is the first time a video game studio has been contacted about using the emblem in a game, so it seems the ICRC hasn’t been particularly strict about making sure its emblem doesn’t appear in games so far.
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Source: newstars.edu.vn