PETA launches campaign against Pokémon Black and White 2

By: Jason McCarthy

  |   October 10th, 2012   |  

Uncategorized

For years, millions of gamers around the globe have been enjoying the Pokémon experience in form of games, television shows and trading cards.

However, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is not too happy with the concept of the franchise and decided to take a stand against Pokémon Black and White 2, likening the treatment of Pokémons in the game to that of abused animals, while stating that such game concept promotes animal cruelty.

PETA is without any doubt a respectable organization that is indeed doing some really great things. The society often ends up turning a blind eye to the rights of animals because the latter cannot speak for themselves or seek justice.

However, turning their guns towards the Pokémon franchise and claiming that the game promotes the ill-treatment of animals is something that comes off as bizarre.

According to PETA, the main concept of the game, which involves trainers hunting for Pokémons, fighting them, capturing them in pokéballs, training them and later summoning them at will to fight against other Pokémons is clearly a promotion of cruelty towards animals and objects to the delivery of such a message to children.

The official statement made by PETA highlights the reservation of the organization over the mistreatment of Pokémons.

“Much like animals in the real world, Pokémon are treated as unfeeling objects and used for such things as human entertainment and as subjects in experiments. The way that Pokémon are stuffed into pokéballs is similar to how circuses chain elephants inside railroad cars and let them out only to perform confusing and often painful tricks that were taught using sharp steel-tipped bullhooks and electric shock prods …if PETA existed in Unova, our motto would be: Pokémon are not ours to use or abuse. They exist for their own reasons.”

While the attack of PETA on Pokémon Black and White 2 does come as a surprise, it is not the first time that it has done something of this sort and left many people dazed.

The organization has even launched a spoof on their website that features Pokémon taking a stand against the trainers, with the main goal being the freedom of Pokémons instead of their capture.

Nintendo’s Super Mario 3D Land was also criticized by the America-based organization over the use of Tanooki suit.

Launching campaigns against games that feature content considered inappropriate in PETA’s opinion is ending up hurting the organization’s own credibility and causing people to stop taking it as seriously as it ought to be taken.

While something as child-friendly as a Pokémon game is being grilled by the organization, there is hardly any organization that raises its voice over violent themes that have become a norm in current-generation video games.

PETA sure seems to have gone a bit too far this time, though it remains to be seen if it manages to find any supporters in its campaign against Pokémon Black and White 2.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely of the writer’s and do not reflect wishfree.com official editorial policy.