EA Defends Medal of Honor's Taliban Faction Change

[Exterminas]

"America" is also just a seven-letter word.

Let's call it Dinkeland, shall we? Doesn't make a difference, when you change one word.

 

[CKalvin]

I love the last line in that article.

So strikingly simple but profound.

 

[dagens24]

"The only thing that has changed is one seven-letter word in the menu screen,"

Exactly. You felt the need to censor your game over a seven letter word. You changed an aspect (no matter how big or small) due to fear (of controversy). You're letting terror make decisions for you and in the process you're helping to promote censorship. Anyone can be offended by anything, stick with your artistic choices. Also, it raises the question of why bother? If the other faction is so blatantly the Taliban, then who cares what you call them? You've pandered to the reactionary masses over a seven letter word, congrats.

 

[Reyalsfeihc]

I agree. It shouldn't matter what the name of the "other group" is. Taliban or Opposing Force you still are fighting the same exact people. It's a terrorist cell with an extreme hatred of the US.

The reason why it's such a huge difference is because people were complaining that you could play as the Taliban. You can't in singleplayer for obvious reasons and by changing the name for multiplayer it meets the protester's wishes.

 

[Scytail]

Somone prolly just sat down and crunched the numbers and realized how much money they could make if they changed the name so they could sell it on base. But when we really get down to the heart of the matter, do the 12 year olds who play these games really care? Or for that matter understand anything that the game they are playing is about?

 

[erztez]

I agree. It shouldn't matter what the name of the "other group" is. Taliban or Opposing Force you still are fighting the same exact people. It's a terrorist cell with an extreme hatred of the US.

The reason why it's such a huge difference is because people were complaining that you could play as the Taliban. You can't in singleplayer for obvious reasons and by changing the name for multiplayer it meets the protester's wishes.

And why exactly should EA give a flying fuck about the "protesters wishes"? They aren't going to buy the game anyway, nor are they going to dissuade people who are.

 

[captain underpants]

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

The same way that a single word upset them in the first place. It's got nothing to do with logic.

This whole 'debate' just keeps on reaching new heights of stupid. If having the Taliban in a game upsets you, DON'T FUCKING BUY THE THING. How many times does this simple principle need to be repeated beofre all the fucktards with the jerking knees get it?

 

[Jammy Fingers]

I don't feel that we've lost any freedom of speech here it's just that the way the entire issue is being solved seems sarcastic and falls back on the old "well, he did it first!" excuse. preferably I think they should have left it seeing as just renaming the side seems sarcastic.

I also believe that Jack Thompson is being an utter child over the whole issue. Anyone satisfied with fridays decision has been fighting this over the right to use a seven-letter word. anyone unsatisfied with the decision cannot achieve anything more without turning the industry on its head.

The way people have tried to portray this is that the game is spreading a pro-taliban message when in fact it's just a name of a faction and admitting what we all knew all along, the opsfor are a euphamism for the taliban, we've all accepted this yet when someone has the balls to actually see the forest for the trees they get bollocked.

 

[Dogstile]

Of course its a big deal. I thought a developer was going to have some balls and go against what it "should" do and show people that it's not a big deal.

Now we're fighting brown people in some non-descriptive middle eastern country. Screw them.

 

[icyneesan]

The game will probably suck anyways, they might as well piss off enough people by mentioning everything everyone is afraid/finds offensive now a days.

 

[Sn1P3r M98]

I find it funny that no models will be changed, no gameplay changes at all. Just the name changed. And this was enough to satisfy protesters.

Okay, fine with me I suppose. The game wasn't high on my list in the first place, and its place hasn't been changed by this fiasco.

 

[LonsomeRhodes]

Wow, can this get any more cynical? Now EA's Jeff Brown says it's no big deal, just seven letters? But I just read a statement (released late in the day Friday, naturally, to try to miss the news cycles) that EA's Greg Goodrich said: "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."
No big deal? And before that I read EA's Amanda Taggart said: "Most of us have been doing this since we were seven: someone plays cop, someone must be robber. In Medal of Honor multiplayer, someone's got to be the Taliban. Nobody who plays video games is going to be shocked or surprised by this."
Make up your mind, EA. The only thing consistent in your message is the Kabul-shit.

 

[AngryFrenchCanadian]

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?

I'll try to find the link, but I'm pretty sure I saw somewhere that the game wasn't explicitly banned from military bases. It's just that Gamestop has agreed not to sell the game in any of its AAFES based stores. You can buy a copy off-base and play it at your own discretion.



Edit: Here's the source.

Source: http://kotaku.com/5628741/gamestop-pulls-video-game-from-military-stores-over-taliban-inclusion

 

[Romidude]

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

It's because the people who protested it are some of the dumbest people on the planet. Doho well demz r naimed diffrnt so we r k.

 

[LawlessSquirrel]

I think that's exactly the point, all they did was change the name to something generic and nothing else. In my eyes, it trivialises the issue for those against the inclusion, and seems like giving in to censorship to those who supported it.

Naturally if you give in to one side of a controversy, the other side is going to be upset.

On a personal level, I'm against the name change because it sets a bad precedent for others in the future. Maybe it's not THAT big of a deal that it's dropped chances of a non-allied perspective in future war games, but I'm sick of seeing the same side over and over again.

 

[rapidoud]

Let's show America as the bad guys and portray it realistically I think.

How about BF:Vietnam shows all the rapings etc that went on... oh wait... that would be 'unpatriotic', pfft, pathetic.

They don't want the other side to get any 'glory' yet don't want themselves to have the truth known? I'd like to see them waving an American flag in Vietnam after what they did there.

 

[Keava]

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?

Maybe some fancy doc in a lab coat told em that it would ruin the morale if they will keep playing as American Army and get their butts kicked by 12 year old kids playing the Taliban? It's a very likely scenario.

 

[jdun]

Honestly, I think the reason people are getting so upset it because it IS such a minor change. I can't really blame them for doing it if it works, but you're still playing as the Taliban really. Really, it's not a bad move to make, and they really shouldn't have gotten so much garbage from people for it in my opinion. But they shouldn't have had any garbage from most the people who were complaining about the Taliban being playable in the first place. The only people I can understand and respect complaining about it are the people who've fought or the families of those who've fought against the taliban. Most these politicians are just trying to complain about something is how I see it.

Funny thing is, from what I've read/seen/heard, most soldiers are fine with having the Taliban included. Its pretty much just politicians, and their families, that are protesting it.

Apparently it is a very big deal, especial with families of dead or injured warriors. The US military was going to break up all connect with EA and I think they should IMO. You can't do something like when there is an active war going on. It's stupid.

What EA should have done was just name the enemy opforce instead of calling them Taliban. It is the proper military name for opposing enemies. It doesn't offend anybody but no they have to go full retard and try to get as much attention as they could. Play stupid games win stupid prize.

There are a lot of people that never been in the military said otherwise on forums. You can easy catch them by posting false accounts but that depending on your military knowledge.

 

[jdun]

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?

Maybe some fancy doc in a lab coat told em that it would ruin the morale if they will keep playing as American Army and get their butts kicked by 12 year old kids playing the Taliban? It's a very likely scenario.

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

The same way that a single word upset them in the first place. It's got nothing to do with logic.

This whole 'debate' just keeps on reaching new heights of stupid. If having the Taliban in a game upsets you, DON'T FUCKING BUY THE THING. How many times does this simple principle need to be repeated beofre all the fucktards with the jerking knees get it?

And they are not buying the game. The military are thinking hard about not helping EA on any future game and they should IMO.