US Military bans video game that 'kills' US troops

Here we go again...ripped from Yahoo.

Military bases across the U.S. have banned the sale of a new video game that lets a player pretend to be a Taliban fighter and "shoot" U.S. troops in Afghanistan."Medal of Honor" by Electronic Arts, a major game developer based in Redwood City, Calif., hits stores Oct. 12. Gamers are scoffing at the decision, saying that advanced technology has made it commonplace in the gaming world to let players switch sides and play the bad guy.After public protests, including by British Defense Secretary Liam Fox, U.S. military officials decided not to stock the game in any of the nearly 300 base exchange shops.The game also won't be sold at any of the 49 GameStop stores located on various military bases. Troops will be allowed to own copies, but they would have to buy them off-base."We regret any inconvenience this may cause authorized shoppers, but are optimistic that they will understand the sensitivity to the life-and-death scenarios this product presents as entertainment," said Maj. Gen. Bruce Casella, who commands the Army & Air Force Exchange Service, which oversees more than 180 base exchange shops.Casella made the decision last week, with the Navy quickly following suit. Kathleen Martin, a spokeswoman for the Navy Exchange Service Command, said the game won't be sold at any of the Navy's 104 exchange shops "out of respect for the men and women serving and their families."Past versions of the 11-year old "Medal of Honor" game have been set in World War II, allowing players to act as either members of the Allied force or the Nazi regime.The latest version is set in modern Afghanistan, where some 140,000 U.S. and NATO troops are fighting the Taliban. The story is told through a small group of characters known as "Tier 1" operators, elite fighters who take their orders directly from the president and defense secretary."Operating directly under the National Command Authority, a relatively unknown entity of hand-picked warriors are called on when the mission must not fail," according to an online description of the video game by Electronic Arts.The website does not advertise the fact that the multiplayer version allows a player to role-play as a member of the Taliban.One online promotion features video interviews with Special Operations personnel who the company says served as consultants to improve the authenticity of the game. The faces of the men interviewed were blurred and their names not given."By me being a part of it, I at least have some say on how the community is represented," one man says.Britain's Fox said last month that he was "disgusted and angry" by what was a "tasteless product." Fox called on retailers to show their support for the troops by not selling it."At the hands of the Taliban, children have lost fathers and wives have lost husbands," Fox said. "It's shocking that someone would think it acceptable to recreate the acts of the Taliban against British soldiers."Electronic Arts did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Spokeswoman Amanda Taggart was quoted last month by the Sunday Times as saying video gamers routinely play both good guys and bad guys."Most of us have been doing this since we were 7: Someone plays cop, someone must be robber," the newspaper quoted her as saying.

Kinda crazy personally I don't see any difference compared to the previous titles myself, but I guess with this being close to "current" events may be the difference I am not understanding :-\

Just what I was saying yesterday in my latest news thread, this political correctness bullshit is going too far.
The taliban are fighting for what they believe in and so are we, who's the good guy and who's the bad guy? It depends on who you ask.
Personally im disgusted and angry that all these other games let you kill germans, japanese, vietnamese etc. just think of the poor children who lost fathers to the british and american troops....

Replying to #2

Germans, Japanese, Vietnamese, - BAAAADD, kill em with fire
Americans - GOOOOD, how dare you
All this is pretty fucked up.

Just another shining example of blind American Patriotism folks.And yeah, we took yer jyerbs :P

I try to stay out of the political BS here its only getting worse the more dipshits that get in office and obviously the government has nothing else better to do...bah! I am stopping there.Anyway back to the game, I still don't understand what the big deal is all of the sudden the other games came and went without any issues raised, yes you still hear complaints about other FPS since Columbine, GTA still gets hit on every now and then hell even airplane flying sims get bashed now since 9/11. WTF its just a game! Now all we need is some strange shit happen like on District 9 then we all will get bitched about Halo and all the other man vs alien sci-fi game, or for a more realistic effect let a another game be created outside the US of a war or battle we were involved in and watch our government really blow a fuse.

New news about the release:

Yahoo! NewsElectronic Arts has finally released their new Medal Of Honor title in which you can play as a taliban in U.S. Stores, with a few changes. When playing as a taliban you look like a scrawny, weak devil, yell swears uncontrollably in your own "Strange" language, and can only cry, scream, run away, or suicide bomb yourself (which kills nobody). If you are caught, you must watch an hour-long cutscene filled with U.S. flags and the word "AMERICA" being screamed at you. Anyone caught skiping the cutscene will lose their citizenship. President Barack Obama and the F.B.I. strongly suggest playing as the "God-Mode strength" U.S. soldier.

Replying to #6

lol

stupid government always doing something to take away our freedom T_T

personuserNew news about the release:Electronic Arts has finally released their new Medal Of Honor title in which you can play as a taliban in U.S. Stores, with a few changes. When playing as a taliban you look like a scrawny, weak devil, yell swears uncontrollably in your own "Strange" language, and can only cry, scream, run away, or suicide bomb yourself (which kills nobody). If you are caught, you must watch an hour-long cutscene filled with U.S. flags and the word "AMERICA" being screamed at you. Anyone caught skiping the cutscene will lose their citizenship. President Barack Obama and the F.B.I. strongly suggest playing as the "God-Mode strength" U.S. soldier.

Nice! LOL

Tomoka · #8stupid government always doing something to take away our freedom T_T

It's stupid I know, but I don't think it's that big of a deal. It's not like they can't buy it somewhere else.

Considering the GameStop stores are on military property they actually have as much right to ban it as they would any other contraband. It's like me not letting anyone have crystal meth on their person before walking in my front door. It's their choice, although it's based on a lot of America-centric hype by the media.

Like it or not, this is free speech at work.
They have decided not to sell the games. And it's only at military bases. Everywhere else still sells/buys the games.Freedom works both ways. You may be free to create the game, but other people are free to choose not to sell it.The whole "ban" thing seems to be blown out of proportion. Military bases already have a lot of limits placed on them that civilian life doesn't. This is nothing outrageous or unexpected.

Cahos Rahne Veloza · #4Just another shining example of blind American Patriotism folks.And yeah, we took yer jyerbs :P

OH MA GOD! YU TOOK ER JOBS!? Also, blind patriotism is a little much. ALSO, what the fuck is wrong with being patriotic? Patriotism isn't bad. I think the exact opposite is true.

Rysio · #3Germans, Japanese, Vietnamese, - BAAAADD, kill em with fire
Americans - GOOOOD, how dare you
All this is pretty fucked up.

Its not THAT fucked up. I mean, they are games made in America. Historical games. Where you play as Americans. And those are the people America was fighting. Its not like they're making the games to say "We hate those dirty Asians!" or "Fuck Germany! Besides, its not like Americans NEVER get killed in video games. Thats ridiculous.ALSO, I think the military banned it not simply because Americans get killed (MW2, BC2, and such are all available, and Americans are a team in both multiplayers). I think its more they don't think soldiers need to see what looks like their buddies getting killed by what looks like the guys that just killed their buddies. They aren't saying they have a problem with the game, just that they don't want active duty soldiers playing it. I respect that. Now, if they were bashing the game and saying it shouldn't be sold, that would be total bullshit. Its not the case.

personuser · #6New news about the release:

1. Thats barely funny.
2. So we should portray the TALIBAN as awesome, super nice people? Unlike past enemies (such as the mentioned Vietnamese and Japanese) these people are FUCKING EVIL. These guys want nothing more than to murder shitloads of people for no reason. And not just soldiers. Innocent. Women, children, babies, puppies, whatever. They want it dead. Because they are TERRORISTS. But no, lets all make sure we're all politically correct and be super polite to them. Invite them over for tea, and...oh, your out of tea. Because they blew it up. Along with your house. And you. And your wife. And your kids. For shits and giggles. Yeah. Real good guys that deserve our respsect.And I know SOMEONE will say it, because god forbid anyone say anything bad about terrorists. Muslims aren't the enemy. The fucked up bastards who like to blindly slaughter people are. And if you actually BELIEVE Islam is the enemy, to put it politely, fuck your face.

Tomoka · #8stupid government always doing something to take away our freedom T_T

I didn't hear anyone say that I couldn't go out and buy 800 copies of the game if I really wanted to. They are the military's stores, and they don't have to sell anything they don't want to. So, actually, saying that they must sell it is taking away THEIR freedom.

There we go, when the North America killed, they're heroes, brave soldiers, but when the talibans killed, they're terrorists.
I still hope that some country, a poor one as Vietnam kick their asses one day, as they underestimate everybody.
They won it cuz there was two guys (I don't remember their names) that has studied in the States, then came back in the 1969 and has made the connection (begining of the internet), which those who studied it may know.
As that "alert of nuclear weaponry" in Iraq was just a excuse to take all their petrolleum. Then they call 'em terrorists.
The thing is, they dunno to lose and when to stop.

Replying to #14

Okay, ANYONE who dies for their country is a hero. You don't have to be American. British, Vietnamese, German, Japanese, I don't care. If you give your life for your country, for your people, just to save some random person's life, you are a hero. And again. The Taliban is A TERRORIST GROUP! THEY ARE TERRORISTS! I don't see why even a little respect or anything of the sort should be given to people who want simply to kill truckloads of innocent people.Also, what the hell kind of worthless fuck hopes for WAR just so he can see a country he has some strange country he has a problem with "lose", and in the process thousands of people are killed.ALSO, you no read good. I said that terrorists are terrorists. The Iraqis were and are not terrorists. They fought to defend themselves from a reasonless and illegal invasion. Oooh, shocker, not EVERYONE in America was alright with the invasion. Lots of us, in fact. Shitloads, you could say. Side note; the pertoleum thing, while it sounds good, is bullshit. I hear it a lot, but I NEVER see ANY proof of it.So, fuck your face. You grasp at straws and wish destruction on people and their nation for no fucking reason.

On point gentlemen.
No flaming necessary. You guys are too smart for it.

The taliban are not strictly terrorists, they are an insurgency movement that used to govern afghanistan before the US decided to overthrow them.
Al Qaeda are the terrorists.

Replying to #17

you forgot

ChristMonkey95 · #15Okay, ANYONE who dies for their country is a hero. You don't have to be American. British, Vietnamese, German, Japanese, I don't care. If you give your life for your country, for your people, just to save some random person's life, you are a hero. And again. The Taliban is A TERRORIST GROUP! THEY ARE TERRORISTS! I don't see why even a little respect or anything of the sort should be given to people who want simply to kill truckloads of innocent people.Also, what the hell kind of worthless fuck hopes for WAR just so he can see a country he has some strange country he has a problem with "lose", and in the process thousands of people are killed.ALSO, you no read good. I said that terrorists are terrorists. The Iraqis were and are not terrorists. They fought to defend themselves from a reasonless and illegal invasion. Oooh, shocker, not EVERYONE in America was alright with the invasion. Lots of us, in fact. Shitloads, you could say. Side note; the pertoleum thing, while it sounds good, is bullshit. I hear it a lot, but I NEVER see ANY proof of it.So, fuck your face. You grasp at straws and wish destruction on people and their nation for no fucking reason.

I'm not gonna play your game, so smart a$$ this is a forum, a place where people exchage ideas, I just shared my opinion, if you don't like it then good, but don't need to throw stones at me and your arguments are so fail, where's the annex?
Oh I see, there's seems to be a Brain Wash out there, did George W. Bush did it to you?
And take this:

msg2009 · #17The taliban are not strictly terrorists, they are an insurgency movement that used to govern afghanistan before the US decided to overthrow them.
Al Qaeda are the terrorists.

Much obliged msg for showing him the point.ChristMonkey95 you also forgot that in the earling 80's U.S.A. helped they, and Osama Bin Laden was trained by CIA, they overrun the U.S.S.R. from there, soon after that Al Quaeda become to fight against 'em, the Talibans by theirself aren't the terrorist.
Study a lil' more, make your mind up before throwing sh*t on me.

America is nothing more than a "free state" with so many laws and rules that the people might as well be slaves. America is drowning in its own hysteria. Hysteria against the unknown, the "terrorists" for example. There is actually little proof of Al Queda conceiving the plan to attack the WTC. Did you know the black boxes were never found from the wreckage. They were able to find tiny shards of bone and skin but they were not able to locate boxes which were built to withstand the heat of over 2000 degree heat. I think not. The fact of the matter is that we would not be in this situation if America kept its big ass nose out of other peoples backyard. America speaks of freeing the poor people of Iraq and Afganistan, but what about the African people who are in even worse conditions. America only wants the oil rich land of the Arabic lands. So there is a game of killing Americans? There are games killing cops and other people of recognizable authority but no alarm has ever really been raised as big as this. Except ofcourse when Mass Effect came under scrutiny by FOX. By a woman who never even played the game no less. im ranting now so ill stop here.