EA’s Medal of Honor has attracted the appropriate media storm for allowing gamers to play as the Taliban in its multiplayer, and now Liam Fox, UK Defense Secretary, has thrown in his two pennies’ worth.
In a comment to The Guardian, Fox expressed his disgust that such a game would encourage and reward players for attacking the allied forces.
I am disgusted and angry. It’s hard to believe any citizen of our country would wish to buy such a thoroughly un-British game. I would urge retailers to show their support for our armed forces and ban this tasteless product.
Failing an outright ban on EA’s title, Liam Fox can certainly work the guilt trip angle on UK retailers.
We always like to shine a light on this kind of knee jerk reaction here at TSA. While in this case The Guardian has presented a balanced story, it’s nonetheless embarrassing to see how video games are still regarded among the nation’s decision makers.
Source: The Guardian
Danza Di Fuoco E Ghiaccio
I am glad that MoH is in trouble if anyone was affected by the sacred struggle against ze Talibon people would be really angry.
It is disgusting that EA would claim that gamers would’nt care?!
Jackarseboyz
Ignorant minded fool. There is hardly ever a good side and a bad side (for the men and women who fight) in a war. Its you killing or being killed, in matters where you hardly ever want to be in or understand. Obviously (in many cases) they are necessary, but for the people who fight them – you dont know or understand the ‘enemy’ and they are in the exact same position.
“The supposed enemy i was fighting. I didnt know who he was or why he was here. Maybe he likes bridge and sitting by the fire. We could have been great friends in a different situation. Shame here im British and he’s German” – WW2 Combatant
tonycawley
I don’t mean to sound like devils advocate here, but i agree with this guy, there wasn’t a need for ea to enable playing as the taliban and kill your own compatriots. Killing the taliban is one thing, playing as them and killing the very people who fight for your own country is insensitive. These guys put their life on the line to protect and serve your country, killing them, even in a video game, is not necessary.
Kitch
How would the multi-player work then?
rht992
again this just leads to the point about the nazis
cc_star
The strength of feelings and emotion of events that happened 70 years ago Vs the happenings of yesterday is incomparable.
AG2297
What!?…
So your saying your absoloutely fine with killing these pixellated characters who reprsent the Taliban, but you feel its very insensitive if its the Taliban attcking pixellated characters representing western forces? Are you going to ask them to make western forces invincible in the game next?
Wow.
jikomanzoku
Agreed AG, Everyone fighting in a war is someones brother, sister, father, mother, son, daughter etc, whatever side they’re on.
You have a very valid point when you mention pixels AG, this is a game. These aren’t real people any more than a pawn on a chessboard is and we all know this. Anyone who doesn’t probably shouldn’t be playing violent games in the first place.
ZebekUK
My favourite games are where I can play the Germans and fight the Americans – Close Combat springs to mind. If a game didn’t have an opportunity to play a non-American force then I wouldn’t buy it.
I don’t imagine that I’m fighting REAL Americans, though – that would be silly.
gazzagb
Sort of agree on this with him.
rht992
we can all see where he’s coming from its just that all this bad press seems to be aimed at games.
even if the game shows the consequences of war, has a rational story line, tries to explain the nature of conflict, no one will care because its a game and therefore evil
YOURMUMANDME
What a knob, I’m sure we all know by now that 9/11 actually had nothing to do with the Taliban or Afghanistan, it was fabricated horror by the American government. There wholly is truth to that, it’s all about oil and the western worlds need for what’s left.
Eeryone knows this in the back of their head but no one has the balls to band together and let themselves be heard !
Jackarseboyz
1000 internetz to you sir
tonycawley
How was 9/11 fabricated by the us government? What an idiotic stupid thing to say you tool.
3shirts
And “we all know” that the moon landings were faked and zebras are just white horses painted with black stripes.
.
Please don’t speak on my behalf in future
jikomanzoku
Nor mine thanks, I consider it an insult to be lumped in with paranoid conspiracy theorsists thanks.
Be very careful using phrases like “wholly is truth to that” when none of the 9/11 conspiracy theories stand up to the slightest of scrutiny. Read a bit more widely around any given subject would be my advice to you, otherwise you may find yourself in the same boat as David Icke given 20 years.
YOURMUMANDME
No I do beleive there was a moon landing, not sure about zebras but if you bother to investigate 9/11 in any detail whatsoever then you’ll see that the story has more holes in it than Tiger Woods 11 !
One example is the Pentagon attack, there are more than 150 cameras that point toward the plane that was supposedly headed there yet only one car park camera that takes 1 photo every second caught the planes decsent ! And in that camera footage it shows what can only be described as a missile being fired at the plane and we were told that the tiny explosive that was attached to the bombers ‘incinerated’ the entire wreckage alone. You would have to be very naive to believe that.
Besides all I should’ve pointed out is that there ate always two sides to the story, even if one is a baddy and one one is a goody you don’t see everyone up in arms when the History channel shows the second world war from the Nazi point of view….,
Danza Di Fuoco E Ghiaccio
beware the terror babies!!
DeathByNumbers
I heard also that the aliens that the government are covering up are putting pressure on politicians as they are extremely unhappy about the unfair way in which they are portrayed in both the Halo and Resistance series…
bunimomike
I assume the upcoming title ‘The Fight’ will be having any British or “friendly” pugilists replaced with sluggers from the Pashtun tribe. You know… just to make it decent and British.
rht992
would he support a british game where you sit around in tweed sipping at a cuppa tea?
rht992
chances are this game would be on the Wii
bunimomike
You wouldn’t have the accuracy. Tea everywhere.
tatoemonkey
ROFLMAO
rht992
well it wouldn’t be on Natal. i like to sit down when i have my tea
Mick939
Waw online…. How come no on was fucked off you could play as nazi’s, hell the Nazis kick the talibans ass when it comes to evil.
cc_star
70 years ago Vs the events of today is a very different kettle of fish.
3shirts
Why? I’m not trying to troll, I am genuinely interested in your reasons for that opinion
cc_star
Ask somebody to talk about the death of their grandfather 70 years ago, or speak to the wife (and mother of a 3 year old) of someone who was blown up this morning by a roadside bomb.
They are obviously two very different kettles of fish
colossalblue
This statement assumes that the British (or allies, as they are) are in the right. The statement, and probably the game, assume that Britain (or the allies) are the good guys and the Taliban are the bad guys. Which, sitting in a nice warm office in Britain, is easy to assume.
Ask the Taliban-sympathisers what they think of the situation and you’ll likely get a different response.
Regardless of the legality or morality (which can be endlessly debated) this is a matter of perspective and viewpoint.
Liam Fox’s extremist British views are just as offensive as the Taliban’s extremist religious views when viewed from a different perspective (like that, say, of a recently-exploded Afghan wedding party). Isn’t the point that extremist views are offensive, no matter who’s idiot mouth they come from?
BIGAL-1992
I think MOH multiplayer tries to show the grey area in war. Let’s face it, when you’re in a war, you believe that you’re the good guys. Although this won’tn matter a damn to the politicians who send off soldiers to die , while they sponge off the taxpayers and use every trick in the book to not get prosecuted for it.
AG2297
Exactly right on the right and wrong there. Its a sensitive issue for some people to even think about, as they could never see themselves (or their country) in the wrong.
This game is allowing you to play as some fighters, fighting a war from some invading armys. If you argue that they are terrorists and they “started it” and therefore must be 100% evil and wrong, then actually think how long we have been in Afghanistan and how many of the current Taliban have been recruited since the invasion because they lost relatives and their livelihoods in the war.
BIGAL-1992
There’s been cases like that in almost every war that happened in occupied territory. During the times odf the troubles, the IRA would’ve have recruited young people, byn making them believe that the british were delibrately letting them down and support all the prostestants, so they’d claim that the British were an occupying force and had to be removed. By the way, I know I’m, but nearly everyone in Ireland don’t want Northern Ireland AT ALL.
AG2297
I agree with you Al, its very common in wars. Im pointing it out as a lot of people are incapable of thinking that the enemy they are fighting might have more valid and more “right” reasons than us.
BIGAL-1992
All true.
Jackarseboyz
Why arent fucking gamers politicians!? Obviously most of us have more sense the half wits that are in government now! As was outlined in a different article: “We are the mainstream.” so why are we constantly chastised.
If MOH is in strife for showing another perspective of war, then ‘Downfall’ should be banned as well considering that it shed enlightenment on Hitler (note i haven’t actually seen the movie).
BIGAL-1992
Because unless you’re very much liked by the people in your area and you’re in the right party, odds are you won’t be voted. Here in Ireland, I see politicians who get voted just because of their name and mainly do sweet fuck all.
cc_star
It is easy to assume that Taliban are the bad guys because they are (this isn’t to say liberating/invading forces are right) but most certainly the Taliban are bad, their treatment of their own people proves this.
Their views on women, the oppression of the masses through fear, kidnappings, beheadings etc and expansionist views on exporting this way of thinking around the world and conducting mock trials and beheading anyone who disagrees is reason to see them removed from power – There can be no shades of grey regarding that.
However, the use of military action is open to shades of grey and in the nitty-gritty of combat there is no good & bad guys just people of differing opinion.
BIGAL-1992
I understand that cc, but this is about war and in a war, the areas of grey in opinions will always appear.
AG2297
That is true of the orginal Taliban, and the leaders of course. But during the years the taliban have recruited many more men, who is to say they only care about revenge on the western armies and just want their home back. Many of them might not agree with the views on women etc but have no choice but to follow them. Either join the Taliban and their views but get to fight for what you want, or bow to western forces who have destroyed everything you have.
cc_star
There can be no right-minded opinion that the Taliban are good guys, for them it’s not about liberating their country of oppressive invading forces like the jolly freedom fighters they were painted as Vs the soviets in times gone by.
For them (with the benefit of hindsight) its is about rule through fear, oppressing women to the point of stoning them to death if they are raped, not educating them, kidnapping people who don’t agree with them and murdering anyone who stands in their way.
Hell, if they were the jolly freedom fighters on horseback vs the soviet tanks more people would get on board with them, but through them being in power we know beyond doubt they are bad guys.
But like I say the military action is open to debate, but that doesn’t change they are the bad guys (even if there is no ‘right’ guys)
AG2297
Your generalising the whole Taliban though. There are tens of thousand of them, they arent all terrorists. Some wont have any extremist views, but have no other option open to them but to join. If we were discussing the leadership I would agree with you, but to generalise every man in the Taliban as the same is wrong
cc_star
That’s the point, the Taliban is those things.
People who have been scared into going along for the ride aren’t Taliban and put down their arms at the first opportunity, you only have to seen Ross Kemp in Afghanistan to see the British tactics at work in separating the Taliban from those who are semi-brainwashed into going along with them, because it’s better than seeing your family members kidnapped and beheaded.
Jackarseboyz
Oppression of the people is the greatest weapon for fuelling and recruiting in a war – especially a civil one
AG2297
Thats like saying every soldier for Germany during WW2 was evil and wrong. Some are normal men who are forced into wars. Some Taliban are just angry at the western forces who might have killed their family or destroyed their home. Thats exactly why the Taliban will never run out of recruits. The ideas of the Taliban are wrong, but I would say a lot of the soldiers in the Taliban fight for very different reasons.
cc_star
The Taliban are as I’ve described, I’m separating the Taliban from people who happen to be fighting against Nato forces, there is a distinct difference, anyone who doesn’t fit that bill isn’t Taliban and maybe are insurgents or whatever.
I am saying the Taliban deserved removing from power and eradicating, I’m not lumping all opposing forces and pigeon-holing them all as Taliban as you seem to be saying I’m doing.
So to sum up;
Taliban = bad guys
People along for the ride are doing so for their own reasons and… whatever… I’m saying they’re not Taliban anyway and I’m not talking about them
There is no ‘good guys’
mugsybalone
“Taliban = Bad guys”. And there you have it, word for word, the entire Middle Eastern briefing taken from the desk of George W. Bush.
BIGAL-1992
Yeah, I think that’s what happened when they decided to invade Iraq and Afghanistan.