Fake news was the daily bread in Ukrainian war. Information of dubious reliability comes from both Russia and the country that has been occupied. It is also worrying that the authors of these reports are increasingly resorting to a wider range of tools to make the material as reliable as possible. In this reprehensible war, in fact, use a popular computer video game to create fake news.
Near weapon 3shooting name, which, unlike other First person shooter which call of Duty or battleground, the pursuit of realistic experience. Sure, it’s a niche “sim”, but it still has a sizable player base around the world. Unfortunately, in recent years it has been used not at all for the purposes for which it was created.
Investigation Bohemia InteractiveEuropean company responsible for the development and distribution weapon 3, discovered that his game is the basis for creating fake videos about the war in Ukraine. His goal is to manipulate the audience into believing situations that didn’t actually happen.
The problem gets bigger when they go viral and they are disseminated, for example, in the media or social networks. The Ukrainian war certainly remains a topic of conversation and debate in many parts of the world.
“These user-generated videos can go viral and are shared widely on social media, sometimes even by various media outlets or official government agencies around the world.”
Now it is important to mention that weapon 3 it is far from offering a graphic section at the height of a big-budget title. So… how is it possible that some people can’t tell reality from a video game? Well, there is an explanation.
The people who use weapon 3 to create fake news edit footage. By simply adding a few filters and a fog effect, you can get results that are as amazing as they are unsettling; to the point where it’s hard to know it’s a game. You can see it for yourself in the following video shared Bohemia Interactive:
Custom mods to create fake news about the war in Ukraine
Another reason why it is used weapon 3 create fake news about the Ukrainian war because, like other PC games, the community can create Maud. That is, custom elements that modify or enhance the original game experience. Therefore, it is easy to develop custom settings, vehicles, weapons and all the virtual equipment that is required for the scene.
This means that the players weapon 3 they can recreate and simulate any historical, present or future conflict in great detail (thanks to their advanced game engine). This unique freedom provided by the platform weapon 3 has one drawback: the video was filmed on weapon 3especially when modifying the game, they are quite capable of spreading fake news“, the study admits.
Bohemia Interactive tried to remove fake videos about the war in Ukraine from platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram, but the task is quite difficult. Cause? Because when they manage to drop one, ten more come up.
“We have found that the best way to solve this problem is to actively cooperate with leading media and fact-checkers (such as AFP, Reuters and others) that have greater reach and the ability to effectively combat the spread of fake news images,” they add.
The study shares some hallmarks of fake material.
- They use a very low resolution camera.
- The pictures were taken in dark conditions.
- They usually don’t have sound.
- There are no moving people in the scenes.
- Particle effects whose behavior is not natural (explosions, for example).
- Elements of the game interface creep into the record.
- Vehicles, uniforms and military equipment do not look realistic.
Source: Hiper Textual
