The heavily anticipated first person shooter from Danger Close Games, Medal of Honor, has drawn controversy as it has been revealed that gamers will be allowed to play as the Taliban in multiplayer.
The option to play as the Taliban has drawn criticism from various news groups and specifically the mother of a soldier recently killed during the war. 1LT Ken Ballard was killed as the result of an accidental discharge of a mounted M240B from an M1 Abrams MBT. His death was initially reported as Killed In Action, but that was later changed when Army Criminal Investigation Division ruled the death an accident.
Ballard’s mother, Karen Meredith, has been an outspoken critic of the war ever since. With the new Medal of Honor game allowing gamers to either play as the US Armed Forces or as the Taliban during multiplayer rounds, Mrs. Meredith believes that the game will cause undo stress to those families that have lost loved ones as a result of the war.
“War is not a game, period," Karen Meredith said in the recently-aired news report. "Families who are burying their children are going to be seeing this.... I just don't see that a video game based on a current war makes any sense at all, it's disrespectful."
"Medal of Honor is set in today's war putting players in the boots of today's soldiers... we give gamers the opportunity to play both sides," said Electronic Arts senior PR manager Amanda Taggart in an official response.
"Most of us have been doing this since we were seven... if someone's the cop, someone's got to be the robber, someone's got to be the pirate and someone's got to be the alien. In Medal of Honor multiplayer, someone's gotta be the Taliban."
"I just find this unrealistic, to compare cops and robbers to the Taliban and U.S. soldiers," Meredith responded. In a departure from similar mainstream criticisms of video games, the report acknowledged that any dispute with the game's content didn't hinge on its target audience – that Medal of Honor is intended to be played by adults -- but on the appropriateness of its content in general and its treatment of a real conflict as a game.
"My son didn't get to start over when he was killed," said Meredith. "His life is over, and I have to deal with this every day... it's just not a game."
The last game to utilize Operation Enduring Freedom/Global War on Terror did not pan out as expected. Atomic Games’ Six Days in Fallujah lasted just three weeks after its initial announcement. Though the developers worked with members of the United States Marine Corps who were involved in the action during the Second Battle of Fallujah in 2004, consumer opinion quickly railed at the project and removed it of its publisher.
Danger Close has stated that the game is going to take back the shooter category and that this game is intended to tell the story “authentically.” The recent discussion has drawn a response from DICE, but no plans to change the game have been mentioned.
10 Comments
August 17, 2010
While people might be wondering why the FOX News report was generally protective of Medal of Honor, given the prerogative of the news media in general and FOX in particular on games, the game is generally very positive in the way it depicts U.S. troops fighting in Afghanistan, so it honestly matches up with their politics.
August 17, 2010
"someone's gotta be the Taliban" ... sums up the conservative right's policy since WWII
August 17, 2010
While I'm sympathetic to people who have lost friends and love ones in the war, they need to accept that this is how the world works with entertainment and media. EA didn't make the Taliban a playable faction in the game to upset or piss people off--they did it because it will make the game much more acurate. Besides, just because they are playable doesn't mean you have to play as them. You can play against them and kill them all you want.
August 18, 2010
This whole topic really pisses me off. How about not buying the game? I bet she never heard of the Medal Of Honor franchise before this. There are tons of movies about the war... It's only bad cause Americans can die in the game right? But its okay for Americans to kill anything and everyone. Glad DICE hasn't backed down and I will happily play as the Taliban and use "Karen Meredith" as my nickname. I had family die fighting for Germany in WW2 and I liked killing Nazi's in Wolfenstein lol.
August 23, 2010
No problem i will look forward to getting this from piratebay and not paying a dime for their work, scumbags.
August 27, 2010
Karen Meredith, you act like the Taliban as you attack others rights and freedoms that your son died trying to pertect. Just like the taliban you try and impose your Beliefs on other people dispite the laws that save us from such persecution. I bet you've never played a video game and are wondering into a subject you know nothing about. If I play the taliban Im not enjoying thinking about your sons death... just looking for a bit of yeehaa as always playing the all powerfull USA gets old.
September 2, 2010
While I don't agree with Mrs. Meredith's position, I completely understand why she feels the way she does. You guys should show her a little more respect, even though it is unlikely she will ever read your posts. She is, through no fault of her own, heavily emotionally invested in the subject matter, and she can't make a purely rational decision about it because of what happened to her son. Losing a family member, especially a child, is one of the worst things that can happen to a family. It's just like the Islamic Center controversy in NY. Looking at it rationally, there's no justification for preventing them from building a community center as outreach to non-muslim Americans. Ignoring the right wing pundits whose opinions are worthless on the matter, the families of 9/11 victims are more justified in being opposed to the center on emotional grounds than others who are simply bigoted. The center should still be built, and the game should be released unaltered, both as a testament to our belief in the First Amendment. But the grieving family members have a right to be offended.
September 17, 2010
September 20, 2010
Families have a right to be offended, yes. Right to move to Banning the game, no. The one thing I can't abide in people is thinking that they have a right to dictate what everybody gets to experience just because it leaves a bad taste in their mouth. If you don't like the game, don't buy it. I know that's a hard concept for most people to get their head around. I think the game should come out with no changes, I think that they're right about this making the game more accurate. I agree with Malice, Personally I don't see them making a big deal about all the games that had Nazis or I guess South Park had it right when they said it takes 22.3 years for something to not be a sensitive subject to the point where we'll be threatening the first amendment.
October 21, 2010
To be blunt:
This broad needs to shut the fuck up.
Period.
1) Its a video game
2) Its a video game
3) Its a video game
Why is it that, (in America) when someone gets offended, we have to censor something, and ruin it for everyone else who isn't a nitpicking cunt. If you don't like it, DON'T BUY THE FUCKING GAME.
Simple as that.
If you don't like the programming on say, MTV, what are you going to do?
Change the channel?
No, that makes too much sense.
How about kick up a fuss and get the program(s) banned from television because you are nonsensical ass.
While my heart goes out to this woman for the loss of her son, at the same time,
I wish i could tell her to GROW THE FUCK UP, and worry about things that ARE NOT going to affect her. I seriously doubt this bitch is going to play (or has ever played) a Medal of Honor game, much less any other First Person Shooter.
So,
THANKS Karen Meredith, you dumb fucking broad.
You have just furthered this ridiculous behavior that has got a choke-hold on the country.
God help us, we in America are totally fucktarded...