| 24 August 2010
Writing that title alone is enough to make a lot of people nervous but maybe that is what gaming giant EA is precisely trying to do with their soon-to-be-blockbuster of a game Medal of Honor.
MOH takes place in Afghanistan, where the majority of the game you play play an American special forces soldier but can also take on the role of a Taliban soldier. Its pretty apparent of why so many people, and now some of the UK government, are pissed off.
EA Games president Frank Gibeau doesn't want to hear any of it and told gaming site Develop:
“The fact that it’s set in Afghanistan is the context, but the game is about you and your team going through a number of missions and feeling what it was like to be in a soldier’s position.
“That’s always been a Medal of Honor concept – we put you in the boots of a solider, whether it’s in the Pacific, Europe, Afghanistan; it’s always been the story of the solider.”
Hit the title/read more to continue reading on the controversy EA is sure to face.....
While Gibeau admits the game is a creative risk but still wonders why "movies can win BAFTAS when its set in Afghanistan but video games are criticized".
“The development teams care very much about what they’re building, and of course a bit of criticism from the media causes some to get demoralised, but at the end of the day we’re proud of what we’re doing. Bringing Medal of Honor back was no small feat.”
I understand where Gibeau is coming and can see that the game is taking on an artistic viewpoint. But it begs the question, just because you can do something, does it make it right? Infinity Ward's Modern Warfare 2, one of the best selling games of all time, faced a tremendous amount of scrutiny for the famous airport scene in which you play as an American Soldier in a Russian airport with the ability to gun down innocent Russian citizens in addition to Russian soldiers. Many fans of the game, including myself, get excited every single time to play that part because it is such a rush.
But you won't find that part of the game in any Russian store. Why? Because it does strike a nerve with people just like the new MOH game eventually will-especially when the national media picks up on this story).
Now I'm not one of those "PETA-don't put shooting the dog in a video game" activist but the idea of shooting and killing an American solider in a video game does not make me want to buy a game. If anything, it just makes me feel uncomfortable.
While the game is graphical masterpiece and the gameplay looks unreal, a personal account from members of our own armed forces were taken into consideration during development of the game. Though no videos of what I have seen shown how they feel specifically about this segment of the game.
I love freedom of creativity and pushing the boundaries with games but I don't believe in disrespecting something that should be honored. I can't imagine playing MOH as a Taliban soldier and gunning down American soldiers and actually feel enjoyment out of it.
I can say with almost certainty that removing that segment of the game probably will never happen but but I believe EA should follow Infinity Ward's lead and remove that segment of the game in the US/British markets. Not to succumb to media scrutiny that surely will come when the game is released but because its the right thing to do.
Everyone hates government and politicians, but the soldier of the country is something that should be respected first and foremost. Without them, this country would't exhist. And personally, I would never want to pretend to kill the representation of who keeps me safe at night, even if it is "just a game".
This merits repeating: "Just because you have the right to do something, doesn't make it right to actually do it".
Medal of Honor releases on October 12th, 2010
