New Video Game Will Let You Play as the Taliban

[nebula]

New Video Game Will Let You Play as the Taliban

Updated: 5 hours 59 minutes ago

Dave Thier

(Aug. 13) -- It's a standard feature of World War II-themed video games like Electronic Arts' best-selling "Medal of Honor" series: In multiplayer sessions, while some players take the roles of Allied troops, the other half wind up playing as soldiers of the Third Reich. Now EA's next "Medal of Honor" release is set to up the discomfort factor that comes with such an option. Set in modern-day Afghanistan, it will allow users to play as the Taliban.

Developer DICE has emphasized that it isn't trying to make any grand political statements with the game. Along with publisher EA, it says it's not possible to make a game about a contemporary war without including this kind of feature -- and facing the controversy that comes with it.

"Most of us having been doing this since we were 7 -- if someone's the cop, someone's gotta be the robber, someone's gotta be the pirate and someone's gotta be the alien," Amanda Taggart, senior PR manager for EA, told AOL News. "In 'Medal of Honor' multiplayer, someone's gotta be the Taliban."

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[MorningGlory]

While I would NEVER play as Taliban myself, it's not really that big of a deal. If parents don't want their kids to play, or to play themselves, then they just don't buy the game. I do worry that under the wire jihadis might use it to recruit but censorship is not the American way. Let the market kill it....hopefully.

[nebula]

While I would NEVER play as Taliban myself, it's not really that big of a deal. If parents don't want their kids to play, or to play themselves, then they just don't buy the game. I do worry that under the wire jihadis might use it to recruit but censorship is not the American way. Let the market kill it....hopefully.

Unfortunately, what you expressed does not reflect what is going on with teenagers. I've seen them playing a video game - I forget what it's called but it is/was very popular - where your character steals cars, runs from police, robs people, hires a prostitute, then if you kill her you get your money back, etc. So I don't trust this parent regulation thing.

And it isn't about recruiting jihadists. It's about the disrespect and virtual backstabbing of our troops who are risking their lives in a very real situation they are currently facing.

[MorningGlory]

While I would NEVER play as Taliban myself, it's not really that big of a deal. If parents don't want their kids to play, or to play themselves, then they just don't buy the game. I do worry that under the wire jihadis might use it to recruit but censorship is not the American way. Let the market kill it....hopefully.

Unfortunately, what you expressed does not reflect what is going on with teenagers. I've seen them playing a video game - I forget what it's called but it is/was very popular - where your character steals cars, runs from police, robs people, hires a prostitute, then if you kill her you get your money back, etc. So I don't trust this parent regulation thing.

And it isn't about recruiting jihadists. It's about the disrespect and virtual backstabbing of our troops who are risking their lives in a very real situation they are currently facing.

You're talking about Grand Theft Auto; yeah, I've seen it, tried to play it and it's a disgusting game. And, yes, this new game is desrespectul to our troops. We always think of the teenage gamer but the average age of someone buying these games is 39. Of course they could be buying them for their kids but my point is.....what would you do about it? Censorship? It would be great if the developer had a better moral compass but I still believe the way to kill the game is in the marketplace. The dumb game isn't going to kill more Americans; it's simply insensitive and in poor taste.

[Fez]

So Medal of Honor, or Medal of Honor - Pacific, is not disrespectful to Germans or Japanese?

There are a host of upcoming Arabic video games, as good as any other in their quality, that depict NATO troops as the baddies.

[MorningGlory]

So Medal of Honor, or Medal of Honor - Pacific, is not disrespectful to Germans or Japanese?

There are a host of upcoming Arabic video games, as good as any other in their quality, that depict NATO troops as the baddies.

I think the problem is that this game is based on a current war situation and that it's being sold in the U.S. I don't think British, Canadian or other western countries would be thrilled with a similar scenario either. But still, the power is in the wallet.

[nebula]

So Medal of Honor, or Medal of Honor - Pacific, is not disrespectful to Germans or Japanese?

I understand your point on one hand.

(In this respect, on has to question if any war video game is Christian?)

On the other hand, a game dealing with history has a disconnect to it.

A game dealing with a current situation could impact how you view the current situation.

Is it a good idea to have have American inner city teenagers (if you had interaction with this culture, you would understand why I believe it probable this game will be played in their hands) playing Taliban shooting American troops in Afghanistan (or however the game sets it up)?

Consider this, how would you react to South African kids playing the role of poachers - shooting both animals and law enforcers?

[Axxman]

Nobody ever played cops and robbers? Seriously? I totally agree with the game developer. I guarantee our troops will play this ...GAME. Its no different than Risk, Axis and Allies...or any other game in which one side gets to be one country...and the other person(s) inevitably has to be the other.

EA's wargames have NOTHING in common with Grand Theft Auto and attempting to make any comparison is based either in dishonesty or ignorance of the games themselves.

If people don't like the idea of the Taliban killing American soldiers maybe they should protest the real war that Obama is playing and getting a large number of Americans actually killed. Let the free market do its job when it comes to games.

[Fez]

Nobody ever played cops and robbers? Seriously? I totally agree with the game developer. I guarantee our troops will play this ...GAME. Its no different than Risk, Axis and Allies...or any other game in which one side gets to be one country...and the other person(s) inevitably has to be the other.

EA's wargames have NOTHING in common with Grand Theft Auto and attempting to make any comparison is based either in dishonesty or ignorance of the games themselves.

If people don't like the idea of the Taliban killing American soldiers maybe they should protest the real war that Obama is playing and getting a large number of Americans actually killed. Let the free market do its job when it comes to games.

On the game front I agree. EA's stuff is mild compared to some of the other stuff. Have any of you ever seen any of the Japanese cartoon game stuff? Now that is really, really sick.

[Axxman]

It should also be pointed out that the single-player campaign mode is pretty pro-american soldier...as all of EA's games are. It appears that the only time you actually might play a Taliban looking character is in multi-player mode in which you play against other people. And those characters are customizable.

So, the narractive of EA's game is still decidedly pro-American...but when you have 20 people playing against each other (10 on each team) in multiplayer...its inevitable that 1 team has to be one side, and the other has to be the other side. Unless you'd be more comfortable with American soldiers killing American soldiers. As an avid multi-player participant I can tell you that multi-player is vastly different than having to play the Taliban in the game...there is no narrative...its just an avatar to distinguish the two teams. I would agree that they could have named the team something generic like "insurgents" or "terrorists" and not "taliban"...but people would still complain.

As a person who has played all of EA's Medal of Honor series games...I can tell you that I cannot wait to experience MOH's signature opening Battle. Their depictions of great battles is epic and puts the player right in the middle. From D-day to Pearl harbor...and now Afghanistan...its going to be amazing.

The graphics are dated (2002) but still one of the best ever opening scenes to a video game....

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