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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Griever92
It's amazing that so many people still complain about little bits of text in video games.
I understand the implications, but seriously.
Completist
Meanhile, in his Fortress of Evil, Bobby Kotick is laughing.
NocturnalX
Does it really matter? What's the different? Wearing a turban versus wearing a backwards hat and sun glasses?
In 20 years some developers will make a game about current events anyhow, and I am sure they won't rename the Taliban the "opposing forces".
kiridian
Wow...just wow...Way to go guys. Way to cave in to peer pressure. This is ridiculous, instead of fighting this they give up. How can we fight to be treated as either the same or superior to other mediums when we compromise instead of taking a stand and say "Hey, this is what we want, we won't be threatened and guilt tripped into changing our beliefs". This just weakened the gaming communities respect. Games will never get respect if we keep buckling under pressure! Why didn't they fight this? They should have sticked with what they said in august because it is true! Why are games being judged when other mediums aren't? This is such a loss for us. I won't be buying this game. Bravo EA I hope your happy on losing my respect and purchase. Hope your happy being unick's.
EL_JUDEZ
I can't support this game now.
jdogsully
i was gonna get this game. now its gonna suck.
The Icon Don
oh and to add on to the little rant. i dont get why people are saying that they wont get the game anymore. are you guys really that mad that when in multiplayer, you wont see in the game lobby, the word "Taliban." im pissed that they did fall under pressure but if thats all they have to do to hopefully allow the government to sanction the bases to sell the game then i'll get over it. of course EA wants money. so did Activision when they sold their map packs for 15 bucks. but its also because the game was designed with authenticity in mind. its not going to be as much worth it when the people you dedicate the game to cant even play it.
bebopkid501
People need to wise up. we get that your friends and family may have been killed by the Taliban in Afghanistan. i understand. but by taking the freedom to put a name of a terrorist group into a video game is absolutely ridiculous. Basically the people you lost in Afghanistan died for nothing if you believe they were over there to protect American freedom. I mean seriously whats next people cant write Taliban or Al Queda in books or say it in the news because its "offensive." You might as well be the Taliban for taking other people's rights to do what they want. You do realize that's what the Taliban have done over in Afghanistan they have taken Sharia law and made it even more hardcore. So next, time people of American who like to take other peoples freedom to tell stories and honor those who died, think a little before u start complaining.
sudas82
Way to cave in EA im not buying your game now. Seriously way to let the mans censorship effect your creativity. I was so looking forword to tea bagging some towel heads. Once you pull one thing the censors will be all over you for everything else. I just dont understand why because you can play as nazis in other games and they did stuff way worse then the taliban. I guess we have to thank all the over senative troops mothers for this one.
The Icon Don
this is retarded. i understand that the family of those who lost someone because of the war have a right to agree with the taliban situation or not, but if this was the case, they would have done it for any other war game. and honestly lets think about where the taliban concept is going to be used:MULTIPLAYER. no one really cares what side they're on. its just about shooting people, taliban, us troops, monsters, etc. and working together to complete the objective. The higher ups in the u.s. and allied military probably dont even play video games. otherwise there would be no reason to ban the game. if it were in the single player where the developers tried to focus on being a taliban and killing allied troops, then it might be considered something different. but it isn't!!!! it is multiplayer where the primary focus is on ranking up and getting new guns and such. it had to be the british officer calling it "tasteless" it's stupid. well i gues the one good thing that may come out of this is that the troops might be able to play it now.
Notafanboythatiknow
I think EA acted classy issuing a statement saying that they want to respect the memory or war casualties and veterans. But it is unbelievable that censorship can still be so overwhelming in the U.S.
Rudyv30
Empyu makes some excellent points as both practical and devils advocate ;) But I don't understand how changing the name, changes the reality of what's happend to those lost? or how it mitigates the facts? It's almost like those that are offended by this would rather stick their fingers in their ears and go "LALALALALALALALALAA". It reminds me of the first Spiderman movie. In the trailer you see Spidey foil a robbery and web a helicopter between the twin towers. But after 9/11 everyone lost their minds and prefered not to reference the twin towers in any way or form. Just because you don't want to remember something, doesn't mean it didn't happen or does it change reality. Life does continue. This is a game after all, but it does lose some appeal to me if their not going to take their own creation seriously.
cheeseburger_ed
thats f-ing stupid!!! people will still call them taliban, so wtf was the purpuse of this? its a useless waist of time!!! the game is black and white, their doesn't need to be no gray side!!! have some f-ing bulls ea keep the dam thing as talibans
djboogymonster78
Wow, all this heat from people that live in their mom's basement.
I glad to see the change, it means for once BIG BUSINESS is thinking about how what they do effects other people. Or, at least I'd like to think so.How can you people get on here and flame like this is just huge injustice. Do you really think our freedom as Americans is so you have the right to just "do whatever" without responsibility? No, everything has consequences whether it be bad press, or bad sales or offending the people that lay down their lives to protect your sorry a$$, EA figured that out. Its funny to me that in our "free country" people get upset about not being able to play as a no-name terrorist. With the face and dress of someone who you watched kill, your fellow Americans (and many others). You want to play a game as people that would like nothing more than to kill you and your family? That sounds fun. Oh, I'm sorry, I meant disgusting.
Ten years from now after the insanity of our military actions is over in that part of the world.(hopefully) Then maybe I would be willing to change my stance. Sure we all wonder if Hitler could have won WW2, but we didn't try to make it happen (for fun) until long after the fact. Have a little respect for someone other than yourself.
tehblessed
This ties back to the "video games can't be art" discussion for me. They were trying to depict actual events in their game and a few people call it offensive so they change it. Nobody's going to take games seriously until they start taking themselves seriously.
There's nothing wrong with games telling a story involving controversial topics. This attitude won't be realized until developers support their own story enough to ignore the "political correctness" complaints to tell their story.
bking0058
Since this has happened I will not play this game!! Creative ideas should not be censored from outside pressure, and the "friends and family" line is b.s.!! They are scared that they will not turn a profit, so they change the name to help the people who would never buy the game in the first place to feel better!! This is just total b.s.!!! It s a douche move on their part!! And they will not get my 60 bucks because of it!!
And we care DrStrangeL0ve, because media pressure is over taking creative ideas of a once free roaming industry!! In your line of thinking in movies/TV/games/books/radio/ma gazines/ect. there would be no mention of Germans, Nazi, Italians, Romans, Americans, British, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Russian, Vikings, so on and so forth .because maybe you just got here but there has been many more wars and battles than what we are in now!! Hundreds of millions of people have died because of war and to censor a name of essentially an army in today s would is riDICules.
XwingVmanX
So they changed the name, but are the character models staying the same? Because if they are then the people who complained are only fooling themselves. I mean what they should of done is what America's Army did. They basically set it up so there are to sides but no matter what side you were on you and your teammates looked like American soldiers while the enemy always appeared to you as the enemy. They said they did that so players were never shooting at american soldiers.
If they had implemented this I am pretty sure they would of gotten away with calling them the Taliban.
chooch1080
congrats on supporting the anti-gaming advocates thinking that video games are some supreme evil and is not a protective form of free speech. seriously i can think of three movies off my head where the taliban is named, portrayed and even supported ( green zone, hurt locker and my personal favorite OSAMA!!!!!!!! in 2003 oh yeah and the moive taliban ) c'mon people if you didn't want it in the game you wouldn't have had it in the first place. you said you were supporting the creative control of your team and endorsed their decision to have it making it a meaningful thing. but now should you once again reverse your decision you will seem like tools just trying to cash in. i understand this is a sensitive issue, but as a whole we need to all look past what makes us as people uncomfortable and let artists be artists. or just say "f" it to everyone and let facists win control all things that might be controversial and upsetting to MATURE audiences ( remember people that was the rating the game was going to get so if you weren't able to handle the subject matter accordingly it isn't their fault ). one day i wonder if we will look back at this decision by EA and think of it as dumb as the laws that we passed restricting comic books in the mid to late 50's?
Attila83
In all honesty, I'm less interested now that they submitted to pressure than when the game had the Taliban in it. I respected that they were sticking to their guns, so to give in like that so close to the release is just trying to win back the market they pissed off with the Taliban in time for some revenue increase.
Ressard
How can u not know why movies and books wouldn't get the same "flack". The difference is that in a movie u're watching a story being told. In a game, whether u're in third or first person, or an overhead view. U're immersed in the experience. You are apart of it. It amazes me how you wouldn't think of that immediately. Being a video game exec and all. Going to or renting a movie is not the same bag as playing a video game. Video games can remind us of the film experience. Their stories can even be told with gorgeous cinematography, but they are not the same. They may even be better. Take responsibility for that, and enjoy.
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