UK Defense Secretary Calls for Medal of Honor Ban

[MetalGenocide]

Maybe he lost too many games to the GLA.
"STOOOPID OP ANGRY MOB NOOOB RUSH!!!11!"
"DUUUUUDE L2 COUNTER ololololololololo"

 

[Lullabye]

"At the hands of the Taliban, children have lost fathers and wives have lost husbands,"
What is with this Glenn Beck logic? that's really the best he has? People have died so we can't play games?

 

[Requx]

If we cant kill the Taliban in game where else will we be able to kill them...in our dreams?

 

[razer17]

Now if you could look at what he had written and inferred, then you might see what I was getting at.

resorting to a sarcastic jibe with more sarcasm is a little lazy, no?

Anyway, I know what you meant being that America is also in that conflict. But what you say and what you do are two different things.

 

[Therumancer]

"At the hands of the Taliban, children have lost fathers and wives have lost husbands,"
What is with this Glenn Beck logic? that's really the best he has? People have died so we can't play games?

I believe the intended point is that the group being presented is killing your own people right now.

Your basically taking a group of people who are at war with the UK, US, and allied forces and have been doing things like bombing trains in Spain to get them to wihdraw troops (it worked), not to mention the entire 9/11 attack... and glorifying them while the war is still going on.

That's pretty irreverant to want to glorify the guys who are trying to kill your dad.

The differance between other violence and other wars is that they are not happening right bloody now. Whether you agree with the war or not, it's being fought.

I mean feel free to disagree with it, but that's his point. It's perfectly logical when taken in context.

I am in an apparent minority, as I agree this is in bad taste. I do not think the goverment should ban or censor it (since I don't think goverments should censor video games at all), but at the same time I don't think people should buy it.

The only time I believe in the goverment controlling information is when in a crisis or war sufficient enough to declare Martial Law. If the UK was under a full Martial Law/Wartime footing I'd agree with him banning it. In this case however it does not appear that you are, so it should be let into the country fully uncut and uncensored. That said, I don't think anyone should support the product even though I feel it should be legal to release it.

 

[Tharwen]

Right...

And the people who lost family to wars that ended more than a decade ago don't count?

And another thing: Who here actually bothers to notice which side they're playing on in online FPSs?

 

[TheYellowCellPhone]

I want you to lean in, I have a secret to tell you:

It's a fucking game.

Even so, people who feel offended and uncomfortable with it won't buy it, and if given it they won't play it.

 

[samsonguy920]

Fox said that he found it hard to believe that anyone in the country would want to buy such an "un-British" game, and that he was shocked that anyone would think that a game where you could be the Taliban was acceptable. "At the hands of the Taliban, children have lost fathers and wives have lost husbands," he said.

Oh delicious irony. How many countries and cultures can say the exact same thing about the British? I have yet to hear the UK issue anything apologetic or formal for all of their own atrocities. But the Taliban have yet to do the same, of course.
I am starting to really tire at this knee-jerk attitude of politicians to speak out against anything terrorist that is featured in something completely fictional.
Now this kind of reaction would make sense for a game where the entire storyline dealt with you playing a Taliban character killing British and American forces. But Medal of Honor is not that. But to act all holy and righteous over a game is downright dumb. If England still had ties to the Vatican this guy would be trying to get everyone at EA excommunicated.

Oh wow this is stupid...

Screw you government... you don't have any idea what's going on.

I'd argue that the Minister of Defence has more of an idea about what's going on in Afghanistan, and the effect that's having on British soldiers and their families than EA, a foreign videogames publisher, does.

I would certainly hope that people who were involved in Defense would know such things.
But this kind of reaction from a leader not only casts doubt from some on whether he is doing his job, but can only stir up more hatred and ignorance from people who don't know better and as far as they are concerned all muslims are the enemy. What's next? Camps to put British Muslims in so they will be safe from violence from their own countrymen and to keep a better eye on them? America already did that once and is still dealing with the aftermath. Germany took that one step further and now that country's freedom of speech and expression is hindered by that.
Where does this madness stop?

 

[ActionDan]

I would ban it for being such a copy paste of Modern Warfare, along with Killzone 3. And I'd ban MW2 as well. I hate this goddamn trend of same ass FPS's.

Spoiler

 

[Enkidu88]

If the Beta was anything to go by the game should be banned for its awfulness rather than a gimmicky feature such as playing as the taliban.

 

[Arawn.Chernobog]

Oh HAHAHAHAHA... Old Man governments are hilarious...

"What's this? TECHNOLOGICAL ENTERTAINMENT! THIS IS SATAN'S WO- Ooops, just pooped myself"

 

[Woodsey]

Now if you could look at what he had written and inferred, then you might see what I was getting at.

resorting to a sarcastic jibe with more sarcasm is a little lazy, no?

That doesn't make any sense.

 

[Spectre4802]

Well of course he's disgusted by it, because the moron hasn't looked into it more than: "OH NOEZ, TALIBAN!1!".

I'm sick of these fucking idiots.

This.

I want you to lean in, I have a secret to tell you:

It's a fucking game.

Even so, people who feel offended and uncomfortable with it won't buy it, and if given it they won't play it.

And this.

 

[Logan Westbrook]

As I understand it, it would be illegal for the UK government to try to ban Medal of Honor itself...

You imply in the UK we actually have the right to Freedom of Speech in any way protected under law.

LOL!

The English Parliament has ABSOLUTE POWER! We have no written constitution, they can enact ANY law that gets enough votes, also repeal any law.

Certainly they can ban any entertainment product they like.

More simply the BBFC merely has to REFUSE TO GIVE IT A RATING and it becomes illegal to sell the game in the UK. Yes, it's illegal to sell any game, video or show any film reel that has not been approved and rated by government censorship board. And they only approve THEIR censored cut.

This happened with Austin Powers, all reference to the comical Irish terrorist were removed to get any rating at all.

Actually the right to free expression is covered by the Human Rights Act of 1998, and despite your assertion, the BBFC is not a government agency.

 

[The Code]

Please tell me that Fox isn't turning into a British clone of Michael Atkinson... -_-*

 

[Lullabye]

"At the hands of the Taliban, children have lost fathers and wives have lost husbands,"
What is with this Glenn Beck logic? that's really the best he has? People have died so we can't play games?

I believe the intended point is that the group being presented is killing your own people right now.

Your basically taking a group of people who are at war with the UK, US, and allied forces and have been doing things like bombing trains in Spain to get them to wihdraw troops (it worked), not to mention the entire 9/11 attack... and glorifying them while the war is still going on.

That's pretty irreverant to want to glorify the guys who are trying to kill your dad.

The differance between other violence and other wars is that they are not happening right bloody now. Whether you agree with the war or not, it's being fought.

I mean feel free to disagree with it, but that's his point. It's perfectly logical when taken in context.

I am in an apparent minority, as I agree this is in bad taste. I do not think the goverment should ban or censor it (since I don't think goverments should censor video games at all), but at the same time I don't think people should buy it.

The only time I believe in the goverment controlling information is when in a crisis or war sufficient enough to declare Martial Law. If the UK was under a full Martial Law/Wartime footing I'd agree with him banning it. In this case however it does not appear that you are, so it should be let into the country fully uncut and uncensored. That said, I don't think anyone should support the product even though I feel it should be legal to release it.

I pretty much agree with what you're saying. the problem is, they are trying to ban it. yes, it's in bad taste. I mean, picture if one day you come home after having been through that war and find your son playing as the people you've spent fighting against for the past decade? Yeah, no.
But then, how many books have gotten this treatment? A few, I'm sure, but nothing as potentially demeaning as this to their medium. In the end, it's a game, and I'm sure the moral if any at all is not promoting the Taliban as a good thing, but perhaps trying to understand them a little better?
Either way, it's just a game.

 

[Nouw]

What about books? Movies? Seriously, what an idiot.

 

[Jumplion]

I want you to lean in, I have a secret to tell you:

It's a fucking game.

Even so, people who feel offended and uncomfortable with it won't buy it, and if given it they won't play it.

I tend to dislike that argument of "It's only a game! Gosh, lighten up!"

Video Games are a much more interactive medium than Film and Books, those are mostly passive. In video games you're actively involved in the violence and conflict. Medal of Honor is trying to tell the story of the people fighting in Iraq/Iran/Afghan/whatever in a respectful manner and trying to tell the soldier's stories.

If we say "It's just a game!" that kind of undermines the point, doesn't it? And in turn, the people against it will think that because it's "Just a game" that means it won't respect those who died and those who fought, causing even more complaints.

I'm just saying we gamers have to be a bit more open with other people's grievances. While I don't agree with what Liam Fox is saying, I understand where he's coming from and why he's offended by it. To be perfectly honest, I was a little jarred at first to, I just got used to it. Same thing happened with RE5 when people said "GOSH, it's only a game! Black people are in Africa!" when that was never the accusation in the first place (of there being black people in it).

 

[samsonguy920]

Saved for space, click on Therumancer's name to refer to what is being quoted.

I follow what you say here, but I have to wonder what exactly you understand is going on. Liam Fox is the Secretary of State for Defense of the United Kingdom. Which puts him in a very large position of power and influence.
As it stands now he can not outright ban the game, and even during a time of crisis I doubt he himself would be in the position to make such an order. That would most likely be handled by the Prime Minister or the Interior.
But he is blatantly using his position as a platform to speak against a game he views as objectionable. He knows this, and expects that kind of influence to carry weight. I can understand his objection and respect his right to object to it as well as speak out about it.
But using his position to megaphone the objection is downright irresponsible, immoral, and negligent to the duties of his office. It is only going to create an increasing hatred and division between peoples of his own country that can only too easily spiral out of control.
The line needs to be drawn now before innocent lives are taken in the battle to defeat terrorism.
I like to think I spoke on this well enough, but will share the words of Keith Olbermann that he eloquently puts forth: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/38731398#38731398
Granted it is on a separate subject but I feel it has a strong enough relation to this issue to be relevant.