Medal of Honor (the game) Controversy

[HavokFour]

EA Caves: Taliban Renamed ‘Opposing Force’ in ‘Medal of Honor’​

Video game developer Electronic Arts has dropped the Taliban name utilized in the multi-player aspect with Medal Of Honor.

The Taliban, who had been available to choose within multi-player matches, will certainly end up being re-named the “Opposing Force,” after numerous grievances had been created to EA regarding their addition.

In a report on the game’s official website, executive producer Greg Goodrich said that the group had received plenty of good feedback regarding the game, before adding: “However, we have also received feedback from friends and families of fallen soldiers who have expressed concern over the inclusion of the Taliban in the multi-player portion of our game. This is a very important voice to the Medal Of Honor team. This is a voice that has earned the right to be listened to. It is a voice that we care deeply about.”

He goes on: “Because of this, and because the heartbeat of Medal Of Honor has always resided in the reverence for American and allied soldiers, we have decided to rename the opposing team in Medal Of Honor multi-player from Taliban to Opposing Force.”

Goodrich also indicated that the shift would likely not impact the actual game play, but was made in order to display respect to the troops serving abroad.

Medal Of Honor is expected to be launched on October 15.

Good to see they came to their senses. Regardless, I will still not be picking up this game no matter how much advertisement they throw out there.

 

[OldSolduer]

iper:

Caves? I'd say they listened to us for a change.

 

[Jarnhamar]

Respectfully, I see this just like the US DADT policy.

You can be gay in the US army, you just can't tell anyone.

Well here you can play as a Taliban, you just can't call yourself Taliban.

So now the "Taliban" cannot kill US soldiers in multuplayer but they can still kill them in single player? Is that much different? Should we ban the use of the word Taliban all together in video games, multiplayer and single player?

 

[owa]

What is worse, playing as an insurgent who killed ~150 Canadians or playing a German in an older war game who killed 1,000x that many?

I get the point though, they're saying it's too soon because it's still going on, but all great points brought up, specifically the GTA ones.  How is it that you can walk up to an innocent person on the street and shoot them in the head but people raise questions when soldiers who chose their path in life are killed by their enemy.

I don't think it matters at all.  It's just a video game.  World has bigger issues then how politically correct a video game is.

 

[OldSolduer]

Listen: I lost a SON to the Taliban. Have some respect. Its not being "politically correct" as far as I'm concerned. Its standing up and saying "enough is enough" for a change rather than rolling over and taking it dry.

 

[Dominic]

Hello, hope I'm posting in the right forum.

I'm a producer with a new national CBC radio program called "Day 6".  It plays Saturday mornings across the country.  We're looking for a retired soldier who served in Afghanistan, lives in the Toronto area, and is an active gamer, to help us put together a story this week (Week of 4 Oct).

The new Medal of Honour games comes out 12 Oct, and we want a soldier to play it, review it, and talk to us about how it compares positively AND negatively, to serving in Afghanistan.

We're doing this because the game pulled some controversy at first as some of the OpFor were Taliban, and, apparently, you could play as Taliban, plant IEDs and other very current insurgency tactics.

The game copies we have are for Xbox 360.

Thanks for considering.

Dominic Girard
[email protected]
http://www.cbc.ca/day6

 

[TheHead]

I would be more than happier to test the game for you. I do not live in Toronto though. One thing has changed , EA has caved into pressure and changed the name of the Taliban when you play Multiplayer.  It's now opposing forces. They have left singleplayer unchanged.

 

[George Wallace]

Dominic

Perhaps you may want to look at: Medal of Honor (the game) Controversy .

There is a little bit of commentary in that topic as well.

 

[Jarnhamar]

Who foots the bill for the game?

 

[Dominic]

Apologies for Cross-posting.

I'm a producer with a new national CBC radio program called "Day 6".  It plays Saturday mornings across the country. 

We're looking for a retired soldier who served in Afghanistan, lives in the Toronto area, and is an active gamer, to help us put together a story this week (Week of 4 Oct).

The new Medal of Honour games comes out 12 Oct, and we want a soldier to play it this week, review it, and talk to us about how it compares positively AND negatively, to serving in Afghanistan.

The game copies we have are for Xbox 360.

Thanks for considering.

Dominic

[email protected]
http://www.cbc.ca/day6

 

[PuckChaser]

EA could have saved all the issues if they had just called the enemy "Insurgents". Giving them the label Taliban just makes that group seem more legitimate than the thugs and murderers they are. I can see where they would have thought it was fine, because if they spent as much time as the advertising says speaking to SF Operators, then thats the term they would have heard more than Insurgents.

 

[HavokFour]

Apologies for Cross-posting.

I'm a producer with a new national CBC radio program called "Day 6".  It plays Saturday mornings across the country. 

We're looking for a retired soldier who served in Afghanistan, lives in the Toronto area, and is an active gamer, to help us put together a story this week (Week of 4 Oct).

The new Medal of Honour games comes out 12 Oct, and we want a soldier to play it this week, review it, and talk to us about how it compares positively AND negatively, to serving in Afghanistan.

The game copies we have are for Xbox 360.

Thanks for considering.

Dominic

[email protected]
http://www.cbc.ca/day6

I'm sure someone here would be more than willing to play a video game for you. Any takers?

 

[PuckChaser]

I'm confused at why it has to be a retired CF member. Serving members can make comments to the media, based on their personal experience and not making broad statements on policy. I hope you're not trying to have retired members make comments that would fit into an already written story.

 

[TheHead]

EA could have saved all the issues if they had just called the enemy "Insurgents". Giving them the label Taliban just makes that group seem more legitimate than the thugs and murderers they are. I can see where they would have thought it was fine, because if they spent as much time as the advertising says speaking to SF Operators, then thats the term they would have heard more than Insurgents.

    It shouldn't have been an issue in the first place.  The game is set in 2002 during Operation Enduring Freedom.  We were fighting the Taliban than. I don't fight as "Opposing Forces Player 1" when I'm trying to stop the Allies from invading Normandy.  I don't care what anyone says. I'm excited to play a video game based on the war I fought in. 

 

[Hammer Sandwich]

Hello, hope I'm posting in the right forum.

I'm a producer with a new national CBC radio program called "Day 6".  It plays Saturday mornings across the country.  We're looking for a retired soldier who served in Afghanistan, lives in the Toronto area, and is an active gamer, to help us put together a story this week (Week of 4 Oct).

The new Medal of Honour games comes out 12 Oct, and we want a soldier to play it, review it, and talk to us about how it compares positively AND negatively, to serving in Afghanistan.

We're doing this because the game pulled some controversy at first as some of the OpFor were Taliban, and, apparently, you could play as Taliban, plant IEDs and other very current insurgency tactics.

The game copies we have are for Xbox 360.

Thanks for considering.

Dominic Girard
[email protected]
http://www.cbc.ca/day6

Perhaps, (and I'm just spitballin'here), get a person who signed to serve, and got the chance, and wimped out, like me.

Shoot, dude...it's the CBC. If you're going to report, report from all angles.


No Duff, either.


I'll go on record.

 

[PuckChaser]

I'm playing the Open Beta now. Its only Multiplayer, but definitely is pretty excellent. The HESCO brings back memories.

 

[Jarnhamar]

As well Dominic keep in mind that the game is spotlighting special forces soldiers aiming to get the "Oh My God TIER 1!!!" cool factor. Guys with beards baseball hats and silenced weapons running around doing A-Team stuff.  Chances are the average Canadian soldiers tour isn't going to relate well to anything in the game- I strongly suggest who ever does come forward to be a part of your study you find a way to verify that they actually have served in Afghanistan and in what capacity.

 

[Dominic]

Dominic here,

I'm looking for a retired CF because I've gone through official channels and the CF seems (so far) unwilling to let an active soldier participate in this story.  I'm chosing to respect that.

A retired CF member would, I imagine, not be bound by chain of command?  They could speak more freely, even though, certainly, it is the personal opinions of the reviewer that I'm after.  Not some kind of military spokesperson.

I just think if our show is going to talk about a war game, it's far more interesting and useful to have someone with actual combat experience talk about the gaming experience. 

Hence the thinking behind "retired CF".

I don't have a story already written for this.  That's not how I roll. 

And yes, I would certainly verify actual combat experience of any volunteer, but thanks for the reminder.

Dominic
[email protected]

 

[The Bread Guy]

Maybe I'm just cranky, but...

.... The new Medal of Honour games comes out 12 Oct, and we want a soldier to play it, review it, and talk to us about how it compares positively AND negatively, to serving in Afghanistan ....

I'll go on a limb with an initial answer:  the game doesn't include real live friends and colleagues you've worked with getting maimed and killed next to you?  Nobody is trying to kill or maim you?  You don't worry so much about either of these things?

War =/= a game =/= war

 

[a.schamb]

My opinion, on playing as the OpFor, is that not many people will notice the difference. I know when i played Modern Warfare 2, I payed absolutely no attention to the characters I was playing as and against; I was too focused on the gameplay.

I think that if people keep in mind the thought of two forces dressed differently, instead of playing as a certain force, there shouldn't be too much of a problem.
:2c: