EA’s next Medal of Honor video game is getting a lot of attention recently. The main reason being that the plot of the game will take place in Afghanistan, depicting events from the 2001 war against the Talibans, and that online players will be portraying terrorists in the multiplayer mode.
Quotes from Wikipedia:
Plot:
The game will feature a single-player campaign, in which the player will control multiple characters from both the “Tier 1” and “Big Military” perspectives. The storyline will follow several “Tier One Operators” working under the National Command Authority in Afghanistan during the 2001 War in Afghanistan. Players will also play as an Army Ranger and will fight on a larger scale than the “Tier 1 Elite Ops” campaign, as players will only be a small part of the ‘war machine’. The campaign will be heavily weighted (with regards to playtime) in favor of the Tier 1 group.[13]
Controversy:
The online mode created a controversy when it was revealed that in this mode, players could play as the Taliban terrorists. The developers responded by stating the reality of the game necessitated it. “Most of us having been doing this since we were 7 – if someone’s the cop, someone’s gotta be the robber, someone’s gotta be the pirate and someone’s gotta be the alien,” Amanda Taggart, senior PR manager for EA, told AOL News. “In ‘Medal of Honor’ multiplayer, someone’s gotta be the Taliban.”
The UK Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox criticised the game in advance of its release stating that it was “shocking that someone would think it acceptable to recreate the acts of the Taliban against British soldiers”. “At the hands of the Taliban, children have lost fathers and wives have lost husbands”. “It’s hard to believe any citizen of our country would wish to buy such a thoroughly un-British game. I would urge retailers to show their support for our armed forces and ban this tasteless product.”
Canadian Defense Minister Peter MacKay has also criticized the game, saying he “finds it “wrong” that anyone, children in particular, would be playing the role of Taliban.” and “Canada and its allies have fought far too long in Afghanistan and it’s not a game.”
Danish vetarans were appalled by the game that takes place in the Helmand province where Danish troops are stationed. Danish Defense Minister Gitte Lillelund Bech finds it “tasteless” and supports Danish veterans who oppose the game. However she has said she won’t legislate on the subject and has confidence in the ability of Danish youth to discriminate between right and wrong.
Now, I’m usually relaxed when it comes to controversies, but that one just pinched me right on my sensitive spot; I’ve been there, not in 2001, but I’ve been there. As did my father recently, thank God he’s back. I personally think that this war is too recent to be portrayed in a video game. Just like many others I lost friends there, and all of them were brave and very good persons.
I’ll be honest with you; I’ll rent the game and I’ll enjoy killing those f*ckers, I’ll also enjoy looking at how accurate they made it and what mistakes they made, but I won’t play the multiplayer chapter, I just don’t want to portray an existing terrorist force, especially the bastards that killed Corporal Jason Patrick Warren. Even tho it’s not real, I refuse to pretend I’m “killing” allied soldiers.
So, what’s your opinion on that? :army:
