EA Defends Medal of Honor's Taliban Faction Change

[ChromeAlchemist]

That's bad. That's oh so bad.

Sure, it's a minor name change, but if it was so minor then why change it at all? It's like EA's balls just shrivelled up and they lost their nerve. You saw what happened with six days in Fallujah, and you knew that people wouldn't like this in the first place. Changing the name to Op For probably won't even stop the protests and complaints. Oh wait...

It probably will. It's like this medium will forever be treated like a child. *sigh*

 

[Cynical skeptic]

You know what would be news? "[massive corporation] admits it fucked up."

 

[Bon_Clay]

The only way I would buy this game is if I can play as Bin Laden.

 

[SelectivelyEvil13]

Personally, I never saw the big deal with the name either way. Knowing how controversy blows up with anything video game-related like a powder keg juxtaposed to a burning building, some backlash was inevitable though. From the get-go, I don't even see why "playing as the Taliban" was even necessary or even related to the game's authenticity and respect for soldiers when the multiplayer was concerned.

"The only thing that has changed is one seven-letter word in the menu screen," he added. "There is not a single pixel or frame that is changed."

Now here is the caveat; they openly admit it's a name change and nothing more. The "Opposing Force" is still the Taliban and we all know it, and everyone that probably is not going to be even buying the game had any issue with the name in the first place will still know it as well. If a WWII game had one side with vibrant-red swastikas and even held a love-letter to Hitler, but were called the "Care Bear Affair" instead of "Nazis," we'd all know that they were really the Nazis regardless.

 

[MinishArcticFox]

Way to pussy out I don't think this fixes anything it just makes both sides angry.

 

[Tom Phoenix]

As many others have said....if it's such a minor change, why bother changing it in the first place?

I guess they are just unwilling to take the heat from the general public to do what is right. Sigh...

 

[Evil mr dave]

Sigh. I was almost excited about this game, it looks alright and it probably plays alright but I was thinking that if EA is willing to stare down the US military to have the Taliban in THERE game then I think they deserve my money as an encouragement to do things more controversial in the future. But now they have hung there tails between there legs and changed the Taliban to the Op for, chickened out at almost litteraly the last minute all I can say is that im dissapointed, and will most definatly only be renting there game at the most, and only then if I have a coupon for a free game. Oh well, maybe they'll do something really controversial with ME 3, that would make it up.

 

[Dommyboy]

OMG TAILBAN OMGOMGOMG TAILBAN IN A GAME OMG OMG OMG GOD SAVE US PLEASE JESUS DESCEND ONTO THE EARTH AND RID THE EARTH OF THIS OF A EXCUSE OF A GAME. THIS GAME IS THE DEVIL!!!

Haha, oh how I love you.


I saw a great comedian last night who just talked about how fucking stupid people now are these days with being offended by everything. What ever happened to 'sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me?' That's stuff we teach our kids, yet now OH NO THIS VIDEO GAME HAS A REFERENCE TO SOMETHING I AM IN FAVOUR OF, ITS AGAINST ME!

 

[Weaver]

I wonder why the game is banned in military bases? Does the US Government really think it's soldiers are just going to jump ship and join the Taliban because they can play them in a video game?

 

[II2]

This is the sort of thing that isn't a very big deal in of itself. It is more significant in the poor precedent it sets by having the developer fall under the pressure that, "you can't do that in a GAME" (regardless of how tasteless some might perceive it to be).

 

[II2]

Way to pussy out I don't think this fixes anything it just makes both sides angry.

Here here! They've actually managed to score a double-fail with this one. :|

 

[Kurokami]

Starting on October 4, EA will be holding an open beta [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/103900-Medal-of-Honor-Beta-Client-Available-Tomorrow] just so that everyone can see that Medal of Honor's gameplay hasn't changed one bit.

Last time I checked that wasn't a good thing.

Seriously: Cop-out. Seriously.

How so? Not quite sure what you're refering to. Copping out by changing the name?

Way to pussy out I don't think this fixes anything it just makes both sides angry.

Only because both those sides are equally immature, these guys are just trying to make a game, a game in my opinion no different than MW, but all the same people just need to chill out. If they've changed the name then great, people should just shut up. (or blame the other side instead of the game for trying to please people)

 

[Kurokami]

Sorry for double post.

 

[MinishArcticFox]

Starting on October 4, EA will be holding an open beta [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/103900-Medal-of-Honor-Beta-Client-Available-Tomorrow] just so that everyone can see that Medal of Honor's gameplay hasn't changed one bit.

Way to pussy out I don't think this fixes anything it just makes both sides angry.

Only because both those sides are equally immature, these guys are just trying to make a game, a game in my opinion no different than MW, but all the same people just need to chill out. If they've changed the name then great, people should just shut up. (or blame the other side instead of the game for trying to please people)

I agree it is just a game and it really doesn't matter if they call them the Taliban or not and I agree that there shouldn't be any controversy over it at all but what they've done has angered both sides and helped neither. One side will always think of them as the Taliban anyway and the other will just remember the horrible cover up job it seems to me that they should at least have the conviction to stand behind an idea or if they decide to change it they should change it not just put a different label on it.

 

[The Imp]

Does anybody else think it may be just a big publicity stunt? Create a big controversy that's easy to fix and "cave in" at the peak of the discussion to demonstrate how "reasonable" you are.

 

[Orcus The Ultimate]

I still don't get how a simple name change satisfied all the protesters.

yeah...the cowards they are...

 

[SelectivelyEvil13]

Does anybody else think it may be just a big publicity stunt? Create a big controversy that's easy to fix and "cave in" at the peak of the discussion to demonstrate how "reasonable" you are.

I also feel that at some level beneath the ostensible "realism" that this controversy was at least partially motivated to vie for attention.

I also find it humorous that there isn't much of a difference between the American forces or the Taliban/Opposing Force other than purely cosmetic alterations.

TVO: Taliban Versus Opposing
Whoever wins, we lose