Through different levels of play 'Under Siege' depicts characters ranging from sling-shot-toting 13-year-olds to adults with Uzi machine guns
Developed in Syria "Under Siege" will be released by the end of the year, and if its chief architect has his way, the product will capture a market of millions of gamers who are tired of seeing Middle Easterners on the receiving end of the barrel.
"We are providing a new kind of digital dignity," says Radwan Kasmiya, executive manager of Damascus-based Afkar Media. "Under Siege," he explains, should not be seen as an answer to top-selling games like "Delta Force" or "America's Army," which often feature stereotypical images of Arabs as enemy combatants.
Users will be able to simulate various types of attacks on Israelis, ranging from a teenage Palestinian armed with a slingshot to a 25-year old toting a machine gun.
In addition, one scene is said to depict a Palestinian female suicide bomber in Jenin who hands her child over to relatives before detonating a hand grenade in a crowd of Israeli soldiers.
Nonetheless, the game's developers insist that it is intended to promote non-violence.
"This is not a game about killing. We are telling a story," said Radwan Kasmiya, Afkar Media's executive manager, adding, "It's not about desperation, it's about sacrificing your life to let others live," he said.
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The majority of downloads for the demo version of "Under Ash" came from the U.S.
