Knaust Posted March 31, 2001 Share Posted March 31, 2001 Why are wargames more popular in anglo-saxon countries than in other parts of the world? I would like to hear comments about this topic. BTW I'm Italian and I do like wargames...and pizza too anyway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
British Tommy Posted March 31, 2001 Share Posted March 31, 2001 Could be because we have been at war so many times! . Another theory is everyone wants to be a general leading his army to victory on the battlefield! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M. Bates Posted March 31, 2001 Share Posted March 31, 2001 Originally posted by Knaust: Why are wargames more popular in anglo-saxon countries than in other parts of the world? I would like to hear comments about this topic. BTW I'm Italian and I do like wargames...and pizza too anyway Do you mean English-speaking? I think this is perhaps because most English-speaking countries (USA, UK, Canada, Australia etc.) have a fairly long history of organised soldiery. Also, these countries often get involved in each other's conflicts - for example America and Canada fighting wars for no obvious self-interest on entirely foreign continents (a good thing). I am probably stereotyping here, but the French for example are perhaps not perceived as having the same outlook. Certainly they are going soft on Saddam Hussein, and they leaked information to the Serbs in 1999 prior to attacks which endangered US and British pilots. Dunno if that has anything to do with them not speaking English though, but maybe Western English-speaking countries have a similar outlook on militaristic matters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasoncawley@ameritech.net Posted March 31, 2001 Share Posted March 31, 2001 Because we won Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ksak Posted March 31, 2001 Share Posted March 31, 2001 The French are still trying to figure out why the Maginot Line defense didn't work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forever Babra Posted March 31, 2001 Share Posted March 31, 2001 I'm trying to think of any English-speaking countries that have had a war on their own soil since the 19th Century. Can't think of any. I suspect the gravity of the events is lost when it hasn't affected you personally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agua Posted March 31, 2001 Share Posted March 31, 2001 Originally posted by Forever Babra: I'm trying to think of any English-speaking countries that have had a war on their own soil since the 19th Century. Can't think of any. I suspect the gravity of the events is lost when it hasn't affected you personally. Very true. My parents were both in their late thirties when I was born (64). I remember as a child, being enamored with "combat", "twelve o'clock high", and all the network WWII shows which were popular back in those days. Naturally I took to drawing war scenes as children do. I drew a flag with a swastika on it and my mother nearly beat me to death (exageration). That generation lost family in the war. When my stepson wanted to put up a nazi flag in his bedroom (he also became enamored with combat and later, wargaming), I had to remember that there were still people alive who would be highly offended and reminded of great pain by the symbol, even though he, like I did as a child, just thought it looked cool. Well, out of respect for those folks, the flag never went up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agua Posted March 31, 2001 Share Posted March 31, 2001 double post [This message has been edited by Agua (edited 03-31-2001).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
argie Posted March 31, 2001 Share Posted March 31, 2001 Originally posted by Knaust: Why are wargames more popular in anglo-saxon countries than in other parts of the world? I would like to hear comments about this topic. BTW I'm Italian and I do like wargames...and pizza too anyway IIRC, most players are Anglo Saxon, but the percentage of CM players per country inhabitant is higher in the Nordic countries (Finland, Sweden, etc.), with New Zealand close to it. Argie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattias Posted March 31, 2001 Share Posted March 31, 2001 To publish a book or a game you need a market and that is what you have if you publish in English, “instant” mass market. M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firefly Posted March 31, 2001 Share Posted March 31, 2001 Leaving aside the fact that there have been no Anglos-Saxon countries since 1066, I'm not sure I agree with the premise. Most board and computer wargames are made in the USA and only come in English Language versions, not surprisingly this makes them more likely to sell better in English speaking countries. I've never seen any figures for miniature gaming, but I do know that minis are produced in many countries which suggests that there is a market for them in those countries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrcobbler Posted March 31, 2001 Share Posted March 31, 2001 ...and of course the 'Anglo-Saxons' English speaking peoples play more games in general than any other group in the world, probably. Lots of leisure time... (don't flame me, I'm American too!) Shoeman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
argie Posted March 31, 2001 Share Posted March 31, 2001 Originally posted by mrcobbler: ...and of course the 'Anglo-Saxons' English speaking peoples play more games in general than any other group in the world, probably. Lots of leisure time... (don't flame me, I'm American too!) Shoeman From a Third World stand point, you will surprised on how much leisure time you have when unemployed and how easy is to found pirate game software from $1. Ariel [This message has been edited by argie (edited 03-31-2001).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iskander Posted March 31, 2001 Share Posted March 31, 2001 Originally posted by Knaust: Why are wargames more popular in anglo-saxon countries than in other parts of the world? ... BTW I'm Italian and I do like wargames...and pizza too anyway It seems to me that the inhabitants of those fair, green isles picked up that nasty habit of war when they were occupied by the Romans and their Italian allies...! ------------------ "Iskander, creator of The Dullest CM Game Ever" - PeterNZer "Legal advice is very often divorced from reality in my humble opinion" - BTS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Dorosh Posted March 31, 2001 Share Posted March 31, 2001 I'm still trying to figure out the popularity of soccer (football) everwhere else but North America...men in tight shorts run around for 90 minutes and the end result is never more than 3 goals scored in total?? And people are so involved in this, they riot? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
argie Posted March 31, 2001 Share Posted March 31, 2001 Originally posted by Michael Dorosh: I'm still trying to figure out the popularity of soccer (football) everwhere else but North America...men in tight shorts run around for 90 minutes and the end result is never more than 3 goals scored in total?? And people are so involved in this, they riot? Because the beauty of soccer is not in scoring, is in how is played. Ariel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M. Bates Posted March 31, 2001 Share Posted March 31, 2001 Originally posted by Michael Dorosh: I'm still trying to figure out the popularity of soccer (football) everwhere else but North America...men in tight shorts run around for 90 minutes and the end result is never more than 3 goals scored in total?? And people are so involved in this, they riot? But Michael you can say the same thing about American Football: how many times do people in the rest of the world switch between channels, see American Football, groan to themselves and then switch quickly to something else? Quite a lot I'd say. You don't see riots in American Football, partly because a different demographic goes to watch that sport. Also, foreign games are not a serious proposition in US Football. In soccer, teams from different countries/cultures/races are playing each other all time, week in week out. Soccer reflects society so if there is racism or sectarian attitudes in society, then that is reflected at the football ground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canuck Posted April 1, 2001 Share Posted April 1, 2001 Originally posted by Ksak: The French are still trying to figure out why the Maginot Line defense didn't work. LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirtweasle Posted April 2, 2001 Share Posted April 2, 2001 Originally posted by Forever Babra: I'm trying to think of any English-speaking countries that have had a war on their own soil since the 19th Century. Can't think of any. I suspect the gravity of the events is lost when it hasn't affected you personally. Ever been to Hawaii? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harpooner Posted April 2, 2001 Share Posted April 2, 2001 My grandfather landed at Utah Beach. He told me and my cousins lots of war stories. I've been playing wargames since my dad taught me to play Risk and Blitzkrieg and Stratego when I was 6 years old. Wargames rule. It's a fun, mind-stretching hobby. It's interactive. TV sucks, (except for The History Channel). It's definately cultural at this point. WWII was, and is still, a culturally unifying event. ------------------ "So be cheery, my lads, let your hearts never fail, While the bold harpooner is striking the whale!" -Nantucket Song Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xavier Posted April 2, 2001 Share Posted April 2, 2001 Mmmm, may be french and latin people generally prefer to be with girls or women than playing like little children (my tank is better than yours, my father can beat your father and my country is the strongest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Weaver Posted April 2, 2001 Share Posted April 2, 2001 So why are you here, Xavier? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferdinand Posted April 2, 2001 Share Posted April 2, 2001 Originally posted by Xavier: Mmmm, may be french and latin people generally prefer to be with girls or women than playing like little children (my tank is better than yours, my father can beat your father and my country is the strongest That said, we (i'm french too) *do* have a wargaming magazine (Vae victis) that you can find almost everywhere (far more circulation than Strategy and Tactics or Command). I guess that France has less computer per capita than Anglo-Saxon or Nordic countries, and even less Internet access, that's why you might get the impression that french are under-represented here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xavier Posted April 2, 2001 Share Posted April 2, 2001 Originally posted by Dan Weaver: So why are you here, Xavier? 1/ I feel so british 2/ I'm at work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chupacabra Posted April 2, 2001 Share Posted April 2, 2001 Originally posted by Forever Babra: I'm trying to think of any English-speaking countries that have had a war on their own soil since the 19th Century. Can't think of any. The Sudan, Zimbabwe, Liberia, probably others. ------------------ Soy super bien soy super super bien soy bien bien super bien bien bien super super Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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