US Army Debates Canned Fallujah Game

News moves fast... incredibly fast. For example, the news this morning that Konami has bent to the public outcry around Six Days in Fallujah and won't be publishing the game came a little late for the US Marine Corps Times.

Today it ran a lengthy piece dealing with the support and criticism of the game's concept (a video game that uses a contemporary piece of battle action from November 2004 called Operating Phantom Fury). Included in this piece is a statement confirming that "Marines from 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, at Camp Pendleton, Calif., who came up with the idea for a historically accurate video game based on their experiences fighting in Fallujah in November 2004."

One mother of a soldier killed during the battle on November 14th 2004 told the paper that she had been stunned at the idea of the game. She is quoted as stating, "This is not a game. His life wasn’t a game, and the fact that he died wasn’t a game.

"I think [the game] trivializes it. And so many of these games dull sensibilities to violence...

"haven’t seen this game, but I suspect they’re not going to be remembering our kids or even what happened historically."

She is, however, quoted as stating that her son enjoyed video games and "probably would have wanted to play this one".

Also quoted in the too-late piece is one Reserve Sgt. Mike Ergo. According to Ergo's biography over at Global Exchange, "In 2004, Mike's infantry unit was sent back to Iraq. This time he stayed in country for a little over seven months in the Al Anbar province. Along with five other infantry battalions of both Army and Marines, his unit was involved with Operation Phantom Fury."

Ergo's take is that "One of the reasons I’m really supportive of this game is that in addition to the negative aspects, it’s where my Marines were at our best.

"We’d trained and trained. And we used our training to defeat the enemy. We were professional. We did our job well, and this game will help recognize that fact."

Ergo's biog also states, "Through research and soul searching, Mike has concluded that the war in Iraq is not noble or just and that it has claimed too many American and Iraqi lives, while taking advantage of the patriotism of the youth of America."

It seems a shame that a game capable of causing real debate even within the US Army itself should be condemned to the 'too dangerous' pile. That said, however, there are obvious benefits to the army of video games aimed at young people as potential recruiting tools.

^{Source: Marine Times}