Electronic Arts has reversed course in their decision to include the Taliban as playable in Medal of Honor's multipayer. In spite of past statements that the company wouldn't bow to pressure to remove the content, EA cites " feedback from friends and families of fallen soldiers."
Instead of "The Taliban," the multipayer team will be refered to as the much less ominous "Opposing Forces." Gameplay will remain the same.
In a blog post, the game's executive producer Greg Goodrich posted the following:
In the past few months, we have received feedback from all over the world regarding the multiplayer portion of Medal of Honor. We’ve received notes from gamers, active military, and friends and family of servicemen and women currently deployed overseas. The majority of this feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. For this, the Medal of Honor team is deeply appreciative.
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 multiplayer 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. 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 multiplayer from Taliban to Opposing Force.
While this change should not directly affect gamers, as it does not fundamentally alter the gameplay, we are making this change for the men and women serving in the military and for the families of those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice - this franchise will never willfully disrespect, intentionally or otherwise, your memory and service.
To all who serve - we appreciate you, we thank you, and we do not take you for granted. And to the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines currently serving overseas, stay safe and come home soon. Greg Goodrich Executive Producer Medal of Honor.
Just for contrast sake, check out this statement from EA president Frank Gibeau, from back in August:
“There’s a lot of furor around games that take creative risks – like games that let you play terrorists in airports mowing down civilians... At EA we passionately believe games are an artform, and I don’t know why films and books set in Afghanistan don’t get flack, yet [games] do. Whether it’s Red Badge Of Courage or The Hurt Locker, the media of its time can be a platform for the people who wish to tell their stories. Games are becoming that platform."
This is what we call a flip-flop... but one that, to me, makes perfect sense. What do you guys think?
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Comments
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jasonHD24
They should at least add an option to whether you can turn the word "Taliban" on or off. I think that would make most sense in this situation. Still not happy with the decision but they should at least do something to keep the game how it was.
Lidikain
It was a good move, it wasn't a move because "people were bitching about our game" it was that people who may potentially buy this game may not want some 14 year old dweeb to go around screaming "FOR ALLAH" as they kill the "Allied side". this isn't a controversial move, it is a move of respect, controversy may sell a game, but respect may sell a company.
warman58
Obama cuase this video game problem i guess he saw this video maybe he didn't like it..
I don't know obama plays ps3 or xbox360 maybe george w bush does who knows........
lambogamer
so much fuss about what you look like in a game/ in mw2 u fight as various real life military forces in multiplayer and no 1 ever cared or complained in moh u fight as a simple multiplayer charecter the taliban even if you replace da taliban with a russian soldier or watever it makes no difference there still dying in the game whether its from da hand of a taliban or any other soldier its still da same
ArdellSox
In Movies they Show Children Being Slaughtered, Taliban Killing American Soldiers, and Jesus Being Crucified. So we cant have a Video game with the Word Taliban? Riddle me this America!
MasterOfWeed
Well there goes the only reason I would even rent this game, I was looking forward to blowing the heads off of some Taliban but now since they took them out this game is truly a watered down Bad Company 2 with some MW2 features, I only say watered down because there's no building destruction and it's made in the same damn engine.
anttlee
all ea has 2 do is rename( opposing forces) to a better name, case closed, stop trippin it's only a game.
Lims
My cousin died in a car wreck. We should remove all cars from games from here out! To not do so would be disrespectful to my family!
Are you effin' kidding me?
vole182
The issue comes into we are still fighting that war, and I am not sure if you have missed the fact that we have been attacked, but we do not need a game going a step further and letting people gun down our troops. Who are still out there.
Look into Eric Hall the marine with post traumatic stress who killed himself after playing COD MW. It was believed that he had a recurrence of the stress when he played the game. Which is one of the reasons military doctors came out and explained that due to the illness this would be even more traumatic to our troops.
If us having to lose a simple Taliban bullcrap in some game to save soldiers.
F the game. Keep our men and women safe!
poptop17
censorship at its worst. where the few influance what the masses may or maynot do. sounds like marxism isn't gone the way of the wall afterall.EA grow a pair and stand up for the right of freedom of us all. they just pissed on the graves of everyone who has given the ultimate sacrifice for freedom
poptop17
if they don't like it don't buy it.express their fredom without interfering on mine
poptop17
being p.c. is the stupidest reason to change a game based on real life scenarios. no disrespect to friend & families of fallen soldiers, but WTF were they fighting for in the first place. the right to freely express oneself without repercussions, right! call a spade a spade and be done. to me its more disrespectful to those men and women of the armed services not call their killers by their real names.
isamisis
EA are Conformist's.
thejoker959
wow EA way to bitch out
GizmoGalactus
Grow up EA it's just a game. We can all still say Taliban.
VCR
I think they should have stuck to their guns instead of taking out the taliban because what people sayed.Modern Warfare got the same crap for the airport level but they still stuck to their guns because they didn't care what people sayed and they wanted to get the message out that war isn't pretty or nice and plus at the beginning of the game they give you the choice to skip it and plus(back to medal of honor) you only play the Taliban in multiplayer so it really doesn't matter at all if you play the Taliban
loveassassin13
NO, NO THEY DIDNT DO THE RIGHT THING, Its a freaking game, a way to tell a story, you shouldn't be limited in how you tell said story by other people! Then again, they are a big company and are trying to sell it to as many people as they can, I guess it is almost expected. I would say it is completely stupid if it was more of an Indie Game though.
Ghost_Deini
what a bunch of gutless clowns, i'm starting to lose a lot of respect for EA, they censor everything in america! never want to hurt anyone's feelings! same as the moque thing in new york, don't wanna hurt anyone's feelings what can they do except protest!
WestEndWacko
Is this a serious thing, come on....movies like Saving private ryan it shows how a german is stabbing a man slowly and others that show how a terrorist is blowing up a plane or our military personnel.....If there making a problem so stupid like this they should go watch action movies that show how our planes went down even black hawk down and play COD MW2 mission were you gun down innocent people and cops.....for the people that dislike this are stupid...im sorry for the people that losed loved ones but come on its a game not real life ITS FAKE, just some people that wanna have fun playing a game and if EA wants to change this then whatever its gunna make the game suck were gunna end up with the russians which gets freaking annoying...every game i play there in it PEACE & LOVE
WestEndWacko
Is this a serious thing, come on....movies like Saving private ryan it shows how a german is stabbing a man slowly and others that show how a terrorist is blowing up a plane or our military personnel.....If there making a problem so stupid like this they should go watch action movies that show how our planes went down even black hawk down and play COD MW2 mission were you gun down innocent people and cops.....for the people that dislike this are stupid...im sorry for the people that losed loved ones but come on its a game not real life ITS FAKE, just some people that wanna have fun playing a game and if EA wants to change this then whatever its gunna make the game suck were gunna end up with the russians which gets freaking annoying...every game i play there in it PEACE & LOVE
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