New Zealand Politician Joins in Medal of Honor Outrage

[Andy Chalk]

New Zealand Politician Joins in Medal of Honor Outrage

New Zealand is the latest country to jump aboard the anti-Medal of Honor [http://www.amazon.com/Medal-Honor-Limited-Pc/dp/B002ZJPYHS/ref=sr_1_3?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1283282155&sr=1-3] bandwagon as the country's Minister of Defense claims that the game "undermines the values of our nation."

British Secretary of Defense Liam Fox kill British troops [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/102952-UK-Defense-Secretary-Calls-for-Medal-of-Honor-Ban].

And he's not alone in his outrage. Speaking to Gameplanet [http://www.gameplanet.co.nz/xbox/games/160752.Medal-of-Honor/news/135524.20100827.New-Zealand-minister-condemns-MOH/], Fox's counterpart in New Zealand, Minister of Defense Wayne Mapp, expressed a very similar opinion about the game. "This game undermines the values of our nation, and the dedicated service of our men and women in uniform," Mapp said. "Terrorist acts have caused the deaths of several New Zealanders."

"Hundreds of New Zealand servicemen and women have put their lives on the line in Afghanistan to combat terrorism, and this month Lieutenant Tim O'Donnell died in action over there," he added. Lt. O'Donnell was killed near the beginning of August [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/7925648/Afghanistan-first-New-Zealand-soldier-killed-in-combat.html] while on patrol in the Afghan province of Bamiyan.

The angry reaction of Fox, Mapp and all the others who will no doubt pop up as the game approaches release is understandable, if not entirely rational. The Taliban is a despicable collection of thugs and scumbags who engage in behavior so abhorrent that it's bound to inspire strong, visceral reactions. It is a uniquely evil foe - or is it? Nazi Einsatzgruppen murdered over one million men, women and children as they followed in the wake of the Wehrmacht across eastern Europe and the Soviet Union during the Second World War, yet playing online as a German soldier doesn't even rate a raised eyebrow. So is all this really a matter of right and wrong - or just one of perspective?

Medal of Honor is being developed by Danger Close [http://www.dangerclosegames.com/] and is scheduled for release on October 12 for the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.



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[Dr. wonderful]

I say, "just one of perspective," Andy. It seems like they are the new Evil. While the Taliban is evil, they might never reah the heights of the Nazi soldiers.

 

[Jared]

Well, seems everyone high uo is getting there knickers in a twist. Just let it be, tis a game, and wont do any real damage, well, nothing like they are thinking anyway

 

[SteinFaust]

that's dumb.

i understand that they don't like people playing as OPFOR, but it's all fictitious.
that's like protesting every war movie since the 90s.

also, there are a plethora of games that allow you to play as OPFOR, but why did they choose this one to protest?

whatever. politicians' logic make me grey matter go hurty.

 

[Kiefer13]

Freedom of expression undermines New Zealand's values, does it? These people need to calm down. It's only a game, and I don't see how playing as the Taliban in multiplayer is any different from playing as the Wehrmacht in a WWII game. Or are they trying to say that war isn't as bad just because it happened a while ago? Besides, the OpFor in COD4 and Modern Warfare 2 were basically the Taliban anyway. Why does just actually referring to them as such cause so much offense?

 

[Reveras]

Heeeeeeeeh, stupid politicians are stupid. Nothing new yet.

 

[samsonguy920]

If these attacks on the game occured after it was released when there was suitable time to experience what does occur, I might actually agree with these two politicians in some degree. But as it stands they are letting ignorance and reactionism rule their actions which speaks volumes about their lack of character. It is almost the same attitudes that the Taliban themselves have about the West and ideas of free will. You think the Taliban would be as forgiving about content where one could play as a Western Zionist Pig? No, it would be banned outright with any transgressors shot, imprisoned, and/or tortured.

I say, "just one of perspective," Andy. It seems like they are the new Evil. While the Taliban is evil, they might never reach the heights of the Nazi soldiers.

In a lot of ways you could say they are the new Evil. Their transgressions and crimes we may never know everything about, but you can trust that their practices and attitudes place them in the same camp as Hitler, Himmler, and Mussolini even. I wouldn't downplay a group that actively persecuted and repressed their own countrymen.
All the same, though, Fox's and Mapp's attitudes stink as well.

 

[ZehGeek]

It's probably that typical factor of everyone trying to make themselves look like the good guys. War causes casualties. Since there the "bad" guy, it dosen't matter that there familys probably lost there husbands, sons, uncles, etc right? But since the "good" guys lost members due to em, we get up in arms bout it. It's pretty much the obvious question that Andy stated above. The Nazis were on there own level of doucebaggery, and self-centered evil, yet there's plenty of games that let you play as em. Isn't like the Talaban nuked us or anything. Only one that'd have a chance of becoming a next Nazi-Germany, is if Communist-Russia came back, or Communist-China decided to go crazy.

 

[RobCoxxy]

Isn't like the Talaban nuked us or anything.

I LOST 50,000 MEN IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE.
AND THE WORLD JUST FUCKIN' WATCHED.

QQ, Shepard.

Please refrain from using all-caps. Mod.

 

[cheese_wizington]

So when a carpet bomb destroys your home and kills your family, and people offer you a chance at revenge, taking up that offer makes you evil?

 

[mageroel]

I honestly don't care who I shoot in this kind of game, as long as you get some story or reason to do so - it doesn't matter if you're fighting against what they think is 'the good side' or the bad side, just get over it. We like shooting things in videogames. That doesn't make us want to shoot them in real life...

 

[Fingerprint]

Dammit, and I'm going back there - permanently I hope - in ten days. To be honest I'm not very surprised at this. Recently New Zealand lost their first casualty in Afghanistan and I'm sure that that will have provoked this MP to side with the whole Anti Medal of Honour thing. The country took the death of Lt. Tim O'Donnell to heart, especially since the last military loss for New Zealand was, I believe, ten years ago in Indonesia.

I really don't see the problem on the whole about being able to play a Taliban soldier - and I guess in 60 years no-one will care less, but at the moment I can only speculate that MP's simply don't like the thought and as such are trying to stop it. I guess one of the main issues might be is that with games like Medal of Honour etc. trying to be as realistic as possible it may be a little to close to reality for the politicians, I just wish they could see that it's only a game.

 

[Grayjack]

I'm getting sick of politicians whining about this.

 

[DarthHamster]

It's all about what is considered a "sensitive" political issue. Some people consider things not done, while others don't see the problem. Remember that game they were going to make - 3 Days in Fallujah, or something. Everyone outraged at the not-done-ness of it all, so it was cancelled.

I would say that's a bad thing: if anything is important it's teaching people how horrible war is. While you play a game for entertainment, if it's as realistic as the real thing people won't like it, because war IS hell. Games are exceptionally good at showing something through immersion, in ways films or books can't hope to achieve - that's because you're directly in control, and experience the whole thing.

 

[DSK-]

Right. Because killing German troops in various WW2 games doesn't do the same thing. Complete bullshit.

 

[Acalla]

I just ran a quick little test and asked my non-gaming wife if she had a problem with a game that let you play as the Taliban and she immediately went, "Ahhh.... ..... ... ouch. No. I have a problem with that one." Then I explained to her that in multiplayer you have sides and one side needs to be the bad guy and how multiplayer works in these games. Then she changed her mind. She thought you got to play as the Taliban meant that you would be killing American soldiers and killing hostages and blowing up markets, etc. In the context of just playing against the other team, she didn't have a problem. I wonder if these (and I am going to go out on a limb here) non-gaming pols have not been explained what "playing the Taliban" in multiplayer really means.

 

[Baconmonster723]

While I believe that these individuals have every right to speak up they honestly should shove it. When you bring one of the soliders back and they say something about it, then I'll care. It's not your blood that stains the ground it's their blood. And I'll be damned if a politician tells me that something undermines my nation (because, you know, politicians do that, a lot).

Plus as an American I haven't heard any backlash from my nation about it. Granted when it comes out it'll probably brew up a s*** storm of epic proportions. But still, I'm not bothered by it if the men and women who serve aren't. And they could probably care less about it, see as it's a GAME and they are fighting every day just to stay alive.

So when a carpet bomb destroys your home and kills your family, and people offer you a chance at revenge, taking up that offer makes you evil?

No, but strapping bombs onto children and having them run towards NATO troops is pretty evil. Not all of them are but like any group of people they have their evil bastards.

 

[greenflash]

stop whining about games.
really it is only one game!
also i bet 100$ australia will do the same.

 

[icyneesan]

I believe my quote about the UK Def. Minister can also be applied to this one.

Please, someone inform this gentlemen that a Human's head is not suppose to be up it's ass.

He could seriously hurt himself

 

[thenumberthirteen]

New Zealand and Australia jump on more bandwagons than an indecisive roadie. I understand that playing as the enemy may sound bad, but very few forms of media attempt to tell their story maybe we actually need some thing from their viewpoint.