More controversy...

[TheGrandMom]

There has been a lot of controversy about the multiplayer mode of the new Medal of Honor and this is the latest:

Fox urges ban on Taliban video game - Yahoo! News UK

"Dr Fox said he was "disgusted" that Medal of Honor allowed people to recreate attacks on Nato forces.

An updated version of the popular game, due to be released in October, is based on the struggle between allied special forces and the Taliban - with players being allowed to choose which side they want to represent.

A clip on the YouTube website shows a Taliban soldier fighting in southern Helmand province, where UK forces are based.

Gamers are apparently instructed to stop the coalition "at all costs", and receive points for every allied troop they kill.

Dr Fox said: "It's shocking that someone would think it acceptable to recreate the acts of the Taliban. At the hands of the Taliban, children have lost fathers and wives have lost husbands.

"I am disgusted and angry. 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."

A spokeswoman for the game's developer, Electronic Arts, told the Sunday Times: "The format of the new Medal of Honor game merely reflects the fact that every conflict has two sides.

"We give gamers the opportunity to play both sides. Most of us have been doing this since we were seven: someone plays the cop, someone must be robber.

"In Medal of Honor multiplayer, someone's got to be the Taliban."

[Malacite]

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Is this MoH 2010 o.O?

I don't remember seeing anything about playing as the Taliban... that game is being made as a tribute to the troops...

[Vyuru]

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So, out of curiosity since I don't know much about these medal of honor games. What is the difference between, say this, and playing as a Nazi in some WWII FPS/sim?

[Nandito]

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For a second there, I thought this was about Fox News. Didn't think they'd have the balls to go trekking along that route again.

"We give gamers the opportunity to play both sides. Most of us have been doing this since we were seven: someone plays the cop, someone must be robber.

What he said.

[Aeni]

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Is this MoH 2010 o.O?

I don't remember seeing anything about playing as the Taliban... that game is being made as a tribute to the troops...

If it's a tribute to the troops then the update is in poor taste. Excuses are always made in the defense of business, no matter what kind of morals (or lack thereof) they convey. I can see this happening once the conflict is over, but I'm sorry, EA is just exhibiting corporate greed over human decency.

[Feba]

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Devil's advocate here, but there is room out there to show the side of Taliban and even Al Qaeda members. Yes, the organizations themselves are evil, the leaders are evil, but I'd imagine there are at least a few (if not the majority) of the ground troops, the people that actually do things, that are abused, maligned, mentally ill, brainwashed, incredibly young, and so on. People that are being used. We've had these same stories about Nazis and the Japanese-- doubtlessly, the people leading the fight at the top were incredibly evil in their goals and methods, but the people putting their dark plans into reality were in at least some cases mislead; just as there were Nazi and Imperial Japanese soldiers who we can recognize for their heroism, there are probably at least a couple of Taliban out there who are worthy of recognition.

If the game makes it clear that these are people to be pitied, not glorified, I see nothing wrong with it.

[Balfree]

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Why do these morons keep trying to prevent freedom of speech? Jesus fuck.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

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What's next, are they going to make a game where you're a Nazi and steer Jews into a gas chamber? I'm sure they could add on-line co-op for that.

Wait, where's the part in this Medal of Honor game where you create car bombs and use them to kill voters in Iraq? How about a part where you stone women in the streets of Iranian cities for wanting rights and standing against the radical fundamentalists? Or maybe if we want to really put it over the top, a part where we fly planes into skyscrapers in America!

I never thought I'd see the day Grand Theft Auto was a tactful class act.

[MrMageo]

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But it was acceptable to kill american troops with japanesse troops, it was acceptable to kill allied troops with nazi troops, it was acceptable to kill americans with vietnam troops.

Another wonderful fox news story. I mean they really care about nato troops.

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9tf0-BIyU0"]YouTube- Fox News Bashes Canada[/nomedia]

Fuck FOX news.

Heh guess I shouldhve read the whole article Dr Fox =/= fox news my bad, oh well the point stands.

[Feba]

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Wait, where's the part in this Medal of Honor game where you create car bombs and use them to kill voters in Iraq? How about a part where you stone women in the streets of Iranian cities for wanting rights and standing against the radical fundamentalists? Or maybe if we want to really put it over the top, a part where we fly planes into skyscrapers in America!

ITT: All o' dem ayrub towelheads be tally-ban.

[MrMageo]

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Besides, the Bush Govt attacked the trade centers and blamed the Bin Laden, and then by extension the Taliban, and by further extension Iraq (after the WMD farce was made). Is the only reason Bin Laden wasn't caught, cuz he didn't really do anything. Go Go false flag conspiracy.

[Kailea]

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If it's a tribute to the troops then the update is in poor taste. Excuses are always made in the defense of business, no matter what kind of morals (or lack thereof) they convey. I can see this happening once the conflict is over, but I'm sorry, EA is just exhibiting corporate greed over human decency.

There have been a good number of soldiers that have come back from over seas, and reserved this game at my store, if they dont have a problem with it, no one should.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

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ITT: All o' dem ayrub towelheads be tally-ban.

So i take it you missed the general theme of "Re-enactments of disgusting moments in human history?"

Well, Feba, it wouldn't be the first time you half-read into something to invent your own idea of what someone just said. I took a piece of history and contrasted it against a few ideas EA doesn't have the balls to take on.

Nah, this is just war profiteering. Medal of Honor and Modern Warfare presently have no interest in history, but rather, cashing in on the contemporary sacrifices of our soldiers and those that suffer under the Taliban regime. Oh, I'm sure they'll make a contribution to the USO or relief efforts so they can feel all patriotic and American.

If they're going to make a game with playable Taliban, they should go all the way. But I know they won't, they're just trying to grab attention for Activision's franchise and they're willing to lose some respect to do it.

Given that MoH was originally Steven Spielberg's baby, I have to wonder what his thoughts on this are.

I'm really just tired of assholes painting a target on the back of this industry, egging on those that want to censor the content we can have in video games. They could have said nothing about this facet of the game, but now its become a focal point.

And really, how sick do you have to be in the head to want to play as a member of Al'Qeada or the Taliban?

So, out of curiosity since I don't know much about these medal of honor games. What is the difference between, say this, and playing as a Nazi in some WWII FPS/sim?

The same difference between playing a Union Soldier and a Confederate soldier in a civil war re-enactment, apparently. Some people think the very act of taking part in such a re-enactment is racism, even though those that fought on the confederate side were not the rich landowners that had slaves. Those guys were just defending their homes in many respects - but tell that to the people that think its racist.

I think we're mostly OK with these things because of the distance of history. Taliban are present day. We're not exactly happy someone wants to build a mosque near Ground Zero in New York. See, its not about the religion there so much as it is the lack of tact in building the mosque there. While the intentions might be good, to the fundamentalists who hate America that mosque is a sign of victory.

There are a lot of people that don't want to give them that. Its not about saying someone can't practice their religion in New York as it is asking them to show some respect for what happened and maybe just build that mosque in a different location.

With this game it sort of the same issue. Its about not giving the Taliban any room for recognition of victory. Now, someone has to be the bad guy in a video game, but I have to wonder why a game has to be about current events. To me, it seems like we're more than willing to cheapen and desensitize ourselves to the here-and-now. This is here-and-now stuff. I Think people should question if its in good taste.

EA can make the game they want, but I don't think its in good taste at all. I thought Modern Warfare 2 was a piece of shit as well. A level where you gun down civilians isn't exactly winning cool points here.

[MrMageo]

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And really, how sick do you have to be in the head to want to play as a member of Al'Qeada or the Taliban?

About as sick as I was when I played for the Vietnamese in Battlefeild, as sick as I was when I played as a Nazi in Battlefield, as sick as I was when I played as a terrorist in Socom 1-4. Its a fucking video game, just because someone takes the side of "evil" doesn't mean they support the continued killing of nato troops, the people, or the government.

Not to mention, why play as a Nato solider I mean if they are so good why do they have video's of (mostly americans) forcing people to chase a jeep to get water, an attack helicopter firing on a group of innocent people, a home raid where everyone (including women and children) are gunned down, forcing detainees to strip and lie with each other naked.

Like the NATO solider is such an exemplary role model anymore. I don't want to see them die, but they certainly have embarrassed the notion of freedom we try to convey, no wonder most of the people there want us dead, we have treated them like cattle for the better part of a decade.

So don't try to play the woe is us card, we are just as much to blame for the state of things, and we always have been, sure it sucks that one of us gets killed, but what about when one of them gets killed for looking at an NATO solider the wrong way, or just because of the color of his skin, or because he is a different religon.

You need to look at both sides of shit, we are not the super awesome angels of freedom you and the govts would like you to believe we are, we are causing just as many problems as we are trying to fix.

Its a damn video game, and guess what it is pretty fucking realistic if you ask me. For some reason, we hate them, and they have plenty of reason to hate us.

I am still waiting for the game called G:I goes crazy. Where you play as an amerian solider and your mission is to drop bombs on NATO allies (like when the US killed 4 canadian soliders), go into therapy camps and shoot everyone up, kill a few people on home soil back in the good ol' USA, then when you retire, assasxxxxte presidents our just randoms in the dwtown square. Oh and don't forget to treat all the people where ever you go like shit, because people really love that.

Get over yourself BBQ its a fucking video game.

[Grizzlebeard]

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I think the fundamental difference between this and other MoH games is the fact that this war is ongoing and allied troops are still dying. If someone had suggested knocking out a board game during WW2 where you could play the Germans or Japanese they'd most likely have been taken out and put up against a wall. While I feel freedom of speech has come along leaps and bounds since then there's clearly times where some of the people who benefit from this priviledge are too fucking dumb to temper it with decency or empathy towards those they might deeply upset or otherwise offend.