Watch Dogs Legion, the new action game from Ubisoft, caused a stir with a story trailer. They utilized a modified form of a Holocaust quote to create a mood of oppression.
What is it about? The new trailer for Watch Dogs Legion focuses on the story behind the game. A character speaks to the audience.
The words spoken were familiar to many viewers. For something very similar had been said by theologian Martin Niemöller regarding the Holocaust.
That Ubisoft now uses such a quote to tease its game offends some viewers, while others find it appropriate: It underscores the mood in which Watch Dogs Legion is supposed to take place.
Holocaust quote is modified in the trailer
Which quote is it? After 35 seconds in the cinematic trailer “Tipping Point,” a voice speaks the following:
First they persecuted the foreigners and I kept my mouth shut because I wasn’t a foreigner.
Then they persecuted the demonstrators and I kept my mouth shut because I wasn’t a demonstrator.
Then they persecuted the journalists and I kept my mouth shut because I wasn’t a journalist.
And then they persecuted the street artists, but I kept my mouth shut because I wasn’t a street artist.
But then it occurred to me that at some point they would come for me and then no one would be left to speak up for me.
The quote is a modification of a statement from Martin Niemöller (via martin-niemoeller-stiftung).
The now-famous quotation states:
When the Nazis came for the communists, I remained silent; I was not a communist.
When they locked up the social democrats, I remained silent; I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists, I remained silent; I was not a trade unionist.
When they came for me, there was no one left to protest.
Who was Martin Niemöller? He was a Protestant theologian who initially supported the rise of the Third Reich. However, as he condemned the connection between church and politics, he ended up in various concentration camps for several years.
After the Nazi era, he regretted his support for the Third Reich. He held himself and the silent Germans partly responsible for the Holocaust, as few spoke out against the Nazi regime at the time.
“Bad taste” or appropriate words?
Here are the voices on this issue: The US magazine Kotaku expressed sharp criticism of Ubisoft for using the quote. One must not exploit the Holocaust to promote a multi-million dollar media product. This should be self-evident.
Some users joined the outrage. Rob Allen commented on Twitter: “Hey, Ubisoft, did you really use a quote about the Holocaust in your trailer for the new Watch Dogs game? Isn’t that a bit tasteless?
However, there are also dissenting voices who do not find the choice of quote as bad. These are in the majority under Kotaku’s tweet.
Victor Lara states: “‘Exploiting the Holocaust’” is a bit far-fetched, it’s just a poem that aligns very well with the concept of rebellion. I mean, no one seems to care that Far Cry 6 exploits the situation in Venezuela and Cuba and the ongoing civil war there.”
Why was the quote used? This quote originated in relation to the Holocaust, but is often cited in other contexts. It is meant to highlight social injustices and that it is better to speak up than to look away, even if one is not directly affected by the injustice.
This fits the story of Watch Dogs Legion. It takes place in a London after Brexit. An apparently ruthless security firm, Albion, seizes power and installs a police and surveillance state.
Everything and everyone is being spied on; political opponents are pursued. Quite something that shows parallels to the Nazi era. The quote is meant to show that there is a harsh crackdown on dissenters.
The quote and the trailer create a mood intended to deliberately remind viewers of the Nazi era, a time when anyone could be declared a “state enemy” and hunted.
If you want to know more about Watch Dogs, check it out here: Watch Dogs Legion is finally getting more concrete – You choose 20 characters from 9 million
