UK Defense Secretary Calls for Medal of Honor Ban

[Toasted Nuts]

Looked at videos n reactions to beta game looks pants so dont care if its banned or not.

 

[HotFezz8]

i actually agree with this bloke... good for him

 

[the fake]

when i saw this i was like huh interesting when i read i was like ......(lol)

 

[TheTaco007]

Do the taliban in the multiplayer actually have ANYTHING in common with their real life counterparts apart from the name?

 

[TehIrishSoap]

So What?
*MW2 SPOILER ALERT*
Towards The End Of MW2, You Kill Americans. I Know The Game Was Contervesial Enough With No Russian, So Why Didn't The Media Attack It Like A Wasp?
Also, The Game Is Rated 18 For A Reason!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT SHOULD NOT FALL INTO THE HANDS OF MINORS. Its A Big Woop Over Nothing If You Ask Me.
Peace Out!

 

[mxfox408]

Same with the us.....people hate conservatives for what reason? We have different ideals?? Yet they say that conservative dont tolerate othets yet there is so much hate for conservatives. Hippocrits.

 

[mxfox408]

I bet this will make even more british people join the Taliban

Yeah this will recruit more english people into the taliban. Damn what hole do you people crawl out of?

 

[Cpt Corallis]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11056581

And now a statement has been released having Fox defend his comments.
There is also a very interesting collection of soundbytes featured where British Troops give their views on the Game/Controversy.

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

No... NO... NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!! How about you don't ban a game when we're trying to pay off debts you god damned government! We're up to our necks in debt and you want to take away a game which has the full blown potential to complete cash in for retailers? Is that what you want?

No-one complains when it's Nazi's we kill, but when it's the Taliban, a group of people which probably doesn't even have that many members and claims responsibility, and is a group that the press decide to interview every other tuesday, THEN it is wrong? Not the most evil army in the world, controlled by a man who slaughtered MILLIONS of Jewish people, merely because of what they believed in? Some of those people had no idea of their heritage, and still died because of the most absurd links! Strangely, apparently Hitlers Grandfather was Jewish, but he turned his nose up at himself the Hypocrite. Tell me, would you prefer us to march online and be these people, or them.

Oh sure, I understand the fact of the whole "Too Soon" thing, but guess what? The US originally supported the Taliban, and even provided arms, hoping that they would restore order to a war ravaged country. They did, but then got too big headed. Here we are, trying to stop them.

Okay... I have forgotten where I'm going with this. The point is...

Calumon: Here come's Jack's Midland Rage!

Jack is forgetting the millions of Salvs, the gays, the transgenders, gypsies and the Russians that Hitler rounded up and put to death just as gladly as any Jew. As Hitler saw, any that didn't fit into to his ideal of the Arian race was sub human and deserved to be gassed.

And we still are more angry that we may get to play as group (that we basically been playing in the Call of Duty games since 4, but never really named) that has only caused several bombings (most failed), hide in caves, and may not be respouncable for most of the acts they claimed to of done.

...

I just made Jack angrier didn't I?

Calumon: Yep, he's now Super Saiyan shouting at the nearest MP. Not words, just shouting.

...Oops.

 

[mxfox408]

what is all this fuss about its just a game a stream of 1's and 0's. yes the taliban are a terrorist group. but you are aloowed to play as nazi!!! if we are playing the people who have killed many people shouldn't we be playing the americans?

Maybe the united states should have not killed lots of people by staying out of world war 2, but then again doesnt the uk exist today and the rest of the semi free europe exist today because us americans took back what germany conquered twice in one generation?? Lets not forget the millions that were slain from the english empire for more than thousands of years. So go ahead and bash us americans for securing your freedoms twice. I will say that france played a big part in our revolution from ofcourse the english who controlled the world. Dont lecture us on killing when the english history is even darker than ours.

 

[szaleniec1000]

what is all this fuss about its just a game a stream of 1's and 0's. yes the taliban are a terrorist group. but you are aloowed to play as nazi!!! if we are playing the people who have killed many people shouldn't we be playing the americans?

Maybe the united states should have not killed lots of people by staying out of world war 2, but then again doesnt the uk exist today and the rest of the semi free europe exist today because us americans took back what germany conquered twice in one generation??

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AmericaWinsTheWar

 

[mxfox408]

what is all this fuss about its just a game a stream of 1's and 0's. yes the taliban are a terrorist group. but you are aloowed to play as nazi!!! if we are playing the people who have killed many people shouldn't we be playing the americans?

Maybe the united states should have not killed lots of people by staying out of world war 2, but then again doesnt the uk exist today and the rest of the semi free europe exist today because us americans took back what germany conquered twice in one generation??

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AmericaWinsTheWar

Im not saying we single handenly took back what was conquered but if the us had not entered the war england would have eventually fallen to germany, but we faught and lost a substatuial amount of troops not to mention on two fronts, the united states in the first year and a half got thier asses handed to them by the germans, Does the battle of caserine pass ring a bell? The us entering ww II saved alot at the cost of alot yes it was contributed by an allied effort but we had the manpower and resources and bodies. We had to spill blood to save others so like i said the us entering ww II saved europe because of us americans killing.

 

[Treblaine]

I for one hope they don't allow this on British game store shelves.

The phrase too soon comes to mind.

I know it is a game and that if you don't like it don't play it. But my 'pit of the stomach' reaction when hearing about this was not a good one.

The Taliban are cowards who kill OUR soldiers. I think the problem is that most of you seem to be too far removed from the reality of what is actually happening in the world.

Unless this is a game that portrays the Taliban being just destroyed I will be happy. If there is any divergence into portraying them as 'freedom' fighters or anything but hopped up murderers I will be very dissapointed.

I have good friends who have served over there and they have lost friends there. It is amazing to me that this game was even made when Fuluja was panned.

I for one well be using my right not to buy this game.

Hey, many western shooters ARE banned in parts of the middle east (where I used to live as an ex-pat), and that sucks.

Censorship is wrong. We shouldn't be afraid of viewpoints and this is a far cry from inciting terrorism. If you don't approve of the game you don't have to play it, but you can't force your belief on others by campaigning for its release to be blocked either by legal or industrial action.

If you are worried about how it will affect others, It should be noted that the STORY is told entirely from the coalition perspective where the Taliban is the enemy.

I mean would it be better if the online multiplayer was just British Special forces vs American specials forces? Wouldn't that be INCREDIBLY MORE INSENSITIVE considering the lives lost to friendly fire between these nations that has tested the coalition more than anything the enemy has done?

Just for some perspective, even your friends who served there would participate in military manoeuvres where one side has to play the enemy. I doubt there was much moral searching needed to merely pretend to be the enemy.

Hmm, how is this for an idea:

Mutliplayer = stylised training grounds

The muti-player is an analogue for how real military forces train extensively before fighting in the real thing. How it would work ("simunitions" or use real guns but artistic license for how they "respawn") with one side dressing as the Taliban and using Taliban weapons for authenticity... I don't know. Remember that movie Inception, how apparently the dream-tech was developed for soldier training. How about they say the Training mode is VR mode and the "red Team" are just coalition soldiers dressed as Taliban for authenticity.

But do we REALLY have to go to such extent? I mean isn't THE GAME ITSELF obviously a simulation and with all likelihood you will be playing against other westerners who are opposed to the Taliban's medieval cause. The game is clearly marketed towards those who want to shoot OBL in the head, so what is the issue? This won't convert anyone to anything.

 

[FinalHeart95]

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. "I would urge retailers to show their support for our armed forces and ban this tasteless product." A spokesperson for EA said there that Medal of Honor was just a game, and merely reflected the fact that conflicts has two sides. She likened it to a game of cops and robbers, saying that somebody had to be the bad guy.

As I understand it, it would be illegal for the UK government to try to ban Medal of Honor itself, which is presumably why Fox is trying to guilt trip retailers into banning it for him. It's not hard to see why Fox is upset - EA knew [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/102650-Playable-Taliban-Wont-Push-Too-Hard-in-Medal-of-Honor] this would be controversial when it was making the game - but it's still a little sad to see an elected official respond in such a knee-jerk manner.

"Un-British"? What kind of term is that? Is something "un-british" supposed to be bad? If so, I take offense to that, being an American who clearly is not British.

Oh, and British armies have killed people in other armies. Which means that the British army caused the very same thing that he says the Taliban has done, therefore making the British army equal to the Taliban by his logic.

It's the same way that US figures use the phrase Un-American, fool. Yes the military have killed civilians, it is inevitable in a war environment, but the Taliban were lopping peoples heads off, and performing public executions for females who had even dared to look at other men, long before the invasion. Like I said, The Taliban are not some resistance movement fighting for their country.

I understand all that. Where did I say the American army is innocent? THEY AREN'T. We've done shit things too with our army, pretty much all armies have. I just pointed out the British army because the guy making the stupid comments is the British defense secretary. If it was the American defense secretary, I would've used the American army as an example. Also, as a side-note, I hate the phrase un-American as well. Most of our shit comes from China anyway.

Again, I realize that there is a difference between the Taliban and the British army. A BIG difference. However, I was simply using that man's logic to show how stupid is truly is. Now, if he had gone on to explain how the Taliban is essentially a terrorist organization, then I would say there is a fair argument there. Instead, he throws in the sympathetic argument, even though it goes both ways. Basically, had he explained it better, I would've let him go. But he's a politician, so he's stupid.

Oh, and I wouldn't consider myself a fool. Thank you.

 

[Geo Da Sponge]

How is this anymore wrong then being able to play as US soldiers in Vietnam War games? Thousands of children lost fathers and wives lost husbands at the hands of the invading US soldiers there. Hell, hundreds of children have lost fathers to U.S and British soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. I am in no way in support of the Taliban and their actions (nor am I of the U.S invasion) but if a war game is going to be based on a real war then you have to accept that it is going to touch on some sensitive issues, especially when the morality of the situation is so completely in the grey area.

I kind of agree with you. If anyone wants to be angry at this game because they think it's being exploitative of a real war that is currently happening, then that's fine by me. It's the idea that playing as a member of Taliban shooting British and US soldiers is bad, but the other way round is fine, which seems a very black and white mentality to me. The idea that the Taliban are 'The Bad Guys' and as such it's okay to dehumanise them.

PS. Your avatar creeps me out.

 

[Lucifus]

Of course its UnBritish its an American fucking game. And you only play Taliban on MP. All the board the WAAAAAAAAmbulance, population: the conservative goverment.

 

[Azaraxzealot]

apparently this was a feature specifically tailored to stir up controversy so they could try to compete with the Modern Warfare 2 juggernaut...

and the sheep will follow