Medal of Honor Taliban Terror Brings Fox News Defence
And Fox News gets in on the act
Electronic Arts' upcoming Medal of Honor reboot will let players become the Taliban in multiplayer skirmishes. This seems to have caused something of an uproar in the mainstream media world, with the publisher sending out statements supporting its design decision.
Danger Close is handling development duties of the beard-laden war game, set in modern-day Afghanistan. DICE, of Battlefield: Bad Company 2 fame, is behind the multiplayer mode and has responded to claims that it is being insensitive of today's terrorist conflict. It told PSM3 magazine that it isn't possible to make a game about a contemporary war without facing this sort of controversy.
EA's senior PR manager, Amanda Taggart, probably came away with Quote of the Week over the news as she released this statement on the matter. "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. In Medal of Honor multiplayer, someone's gotta be the Taliban."
The news was enough to warrant a piece on Fox News, where 'Gold Star Mom' Karen Meredith voiced her concern over Medal of Honor's content. "I just don't see how a video game based on a current war makes any sense. It's disrespectful," Meredith says, while the Fox presenter actually does a surprisingly good job of being objective about the whole thing.
Yes, rather than take on the usual Fox News kneejerk, the presenter appears almost defensive of the game. Any bets on Mr Murdoch buying EA in the near future?
Watch it below.
Danger Close is handling development duties of the beard-laden war game, set in modern-day Afghanistan. DICE, of Battlefield: Bad Company 2 fame, is behind the multiplayer mode and has responded to claims that it is being insensitive of today's terrorist conflict. It told PSM3 magazine that it isn't possible to make a game about a contemporary war without facing this sort of controversy.
EA's senior PR manager, Amanda Taggart, probably came away with Quote of the Week over the news as she released this statement on the matter. "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. In Medal of Honor multiplayer, someone's gotta be the Taliban."
The news was enough to warrant a piece on Fox News, where 'Gold Star Mom' Karen Meredith voiced her concern over Medal of Honor's content. "I just don't see how a video game based on a current war makes any sense. It's disrespectful," Meredith says, while the Fox presenter actually does a surprisingly good job of being objective about the whole thing.
Yes, rather than take on the usual Fox News kneejerk, the presenter appears almost defensive of the game. Any bets on Mr Murdoch buying EA in the near future?
Watch it below.
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Comments
deleted 16 Aug 2010 17:46
1/7
EA you clever bastards, lets hype it up to the point that every media outlet slams it based on nothing and every 14 year old in the world will want it!
John 22 Aug 2010 20:47
2/7
Umm... to be honest I don't get it, if you played these games we all know that the Americans are the good guys and the Muslims are the bad guys so just because it's the Taliban eveyone thinks it too much.
What about all the Muslims in the world that don't you think they get offened when games are made in which they are the bad guys?
If you don't have a problem with this then you should not have a problem with that.
What about all the Muslims in the world that don't you think they get offened when games are made in which they are the bad guys?
If you don't have a problem with this then you should not have a problem with that.
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Tamure 22 Aug 2010 22:05
3/7
John, I couldn't agree more.
deleted 22 Aug 2010 22:13
4/7
John wrote:
Umm... to be honest I don't get it, if you played these games we all know that the Americans are the good guys and the Muslims are the bad guys so just because it's the Taliban eveyone thinks it too much.
What about all the Muslims in the world that don't you think they get offened when games are made in which they are the bad guys?
If you don't have a problem with this then you should not have a problem with that.
What about all the Muslims in the world that don't you think they get offened when games are made in which they are the bad guys?
If you don't have a problem with this then you should not have a problem with that.
Wow, racism alert, Muslims are bad??? surly you mean the Taliban are bad.
I think the problem here (and really it shouldn't be a problem but if your a soccer mum with no knowledge of games and gaming but read the daily star then I imagine you have one) is that the good guys won WWII the good guys win the Cold War the good guys won the Gulf War so we know how it ends even if we play as the bad guy we know they lost, but the Taliban well we don't quite know how it will end yet who will win? I suppose those panic parents feel its too soon.
Germans, Japanese, Russians are apparently all fair game (with Brits and Americans being the good guys) but Taliban Terrorists well there not fair game?? its like political correctness not just gone mad but f**king berserk.
coppersriker 9 Sep 2010 00:19
5/7
personally i think that if the game is not relased it would be so bad for ea, dice, and danger close that it may destroy some of the studios.
also the fact that this arggument is going on means that people still assume that games are still toys made for children despite the fact that the average gamer is 24
also if the game gets banded it will be a missed opritunity to teach people about some of the decisive battels it the war think about how many battles can you name from world war 2 because of movies and game like call of duty and saveing private ryan but how many can you actually name from the iraq war me none
i do under stand that she feels bad about the loss but 90% of the game is fighting alquida besides it could be worse like ethnic (never playded it but already know it sucks) clensing were you literally kill ethninic minoritys thats about all i have to say comment i want to see what you have to say
also the fact that this arggument is going on means that people still assume that games are still toys made for children despite the fact that the average gamer is 24
also if the game gets banded it will be a missed opritunity to teach people about some of the decisive battels it the war think about how many battles can you name from world war 2 because of movies and game like call of duty and saveing private ryan but how many can you actually name from the iraq war me none
i do under stand that she feels bad about the loss but 90% of the game is fighting alquida besides it could be worse like ethnic (never playded it but already know it sucks) clensing were you literally kill ethninic minoritys thats about all i have to say comment i want to see what you have to say
SmackAHobo 17 Sep 2010 04:46
6/7
"it's just not based on reality" she says. I say, "your argument isn't based on reality hunny". "you can't compare cops to robbers and you can't compare pirates and aliens".... clearly this woman is an idiot. There's a good side and a bad side just like british/US/Aus soldiers and the taliban. what can't you compare? Have a fkn cry.
The German 20 Sep 2010 18:17
7/7
Ha...! I cannot remember how many german soldiers i've killed in how many shootergames based on ww2. And they could all have been my grandfather.
And still, i do honor my grandfathers and other regularly fighting germans of that time.
In germany, players even find Castle Wolfenstein entertaining.
Because it is indeed just a game. But what these games really teached me is that you can die really quick in a war. And that's not the worst thing i guess.
@copperstriker
Fallujah
And still, i do honor my grandfathers and other regularly fighting germans of that time.
In germany, players even find Castle Wolfenstein entertaining.
Because it is indeed just a game. But what these games really teached me is that you can die really quick in a war. And that's not the worst thing i guess.
@copperstriker
Fallujah