Defence Secretary Urges Retailers Not to Sell Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor has been the center of attention lately ever since reports emerged that Electronic Arts’ reboot will allow you to play as the Taliban in the game’s multiplayer modes. Now, British Defence Secretary Liam Fox has taken aim at the gritty, modern shooter and has urged retailers not to stock the forthcoming game.
Fox had this to say in a statement:
“It’s shocking that someone would think it acceptable to recreate the acts of the Taliban. At the hands of the Taliban, children have lost fathers and wives have lost husbands. I am disgusted and angry. It’s hard to believe any citizen of our country would wish to buy such a thoroughly un-British game. I would urge retailers to show their support for our armed forces and ban this tasteless product.”
Electronic Arts responded to the accusations and outbursts:
“The format of the new Medal of Honor game merely reflects the fact that every conflict has two sides. We give gamers the opportunity to play both sides. Most of us have been doing this since we were seven: someone plays the cop, someone must be robber. In Medal of Honor multiplayer, someone’s got to be the Taliban.”
What’s your stance on this – should Medal of Honor be banned from retailers due to the fact that you can play as the Taliban? Let us know via the comments section below. Medal of Honor is currently scheduled for a release on October 15th, 2010.
[Via]
25 Responses to “Defence Secretary Urges Retailers Not to Sell Medal of Honor”
I’m glad EA has the balls to do this. It’s ok for movies to use the Taliban, it’s ok for TV shows to use it but it’s not ok for a video game to use it. We are not at war with major countries, we are at war with a group of terrorist called the Taliban. MOH is being true to the reality of life right now, its the good guys (US, England, other partner countries) vs the Taliban.
I think his opinion should be banned. How perfetic this world is coming to.
And this Liam Fox fails to realise thats it’s the same sort of story vice verser
Ah yes. How many fathers, mothers, brothers, sister, etc has the US army taken away from the other countries in the world? I don’t see those other countries boycotting games where you play as the American Army or special force
“I would urge retailers to show their support for our armed forces and ban this tasteless product.”
LOL Fox, the ironic thing is if they did this then they would be showing more support for out British troops than our joke of a government does.
How about instead of criticising video games you take care of our troops with the equipment they need and look after their families, many of whom are relying on charities for food whilst their husbands are off fighting so you can sit behind your desk, sticking your nose into things that do not concern you.
Concentrate on the important things, like our real life troops and banning The X-Factor from British TV screens.
so its okay to play as nazi’s and other “fake” terorirists like mw , but if its current than its totaly bad and should be banned? hate to tell this cry baby but he can’t stop this game from coming out.
Its things like this that actually make me want to get Medal of Honor…
WFT?! All of a sudden?! XD
LOL a game is a game! XD
So what’s next shouldn’t GTA be banned as well? just how many people dies because of street psychos?! what an as$h0l3! XD
Games used to do things like this. I remember a lot of people were mad when SOCOM switched from Terrorists to Mercenaries in the later games. The whole point of these games single player missions were to kick terrorist ass, and I am sure this games story is much the same regarding the Taliban.
When it comes to the multi-player part,, it’s basically just skins a player is using. Not many really identify with the skin they are using, wither they are a Seal, army ranger, terrorist, alien, cowboy, etc. You are gonna play the game modes more or less the same no matter what skin you have on the screen. Shoot the other team before they shoot you.
Sure there are always a few people out there that can’t comprehend the difference between real life and a video game, but to treat every person like they are 5 years old, and hide real life situations is way more damaging in my opinion. This is after all an M rated game right? (i am actually asking, cause I am not sure) If it is an M rated game, then there should be no need to worry about the children right? (not that M ratings stop parents from buying 10 year olds M rated games)
I think what troubles me most about what he said is that children have lost their father and wives have lost their husbands. What happened to all the women going over there to fight? Does Fox really thinking that men are the only people fighting them?
Urm Zak? Asking a bunch of gamers on a gaming site whether a game should be banned? I think there’s the answer everyone gives is pretty stright forward. NO. No offence I’m just saying this is a gaming site after all,
I think it’s sickening how this man thinks he can slump to such a low level, honestly we’re unbritish if we buy this video game? Who the f**k does this man think he is?!
Haha EA is awesome. Ok so what’s the difference between this Medal Of Honor and the past Medal Of Honor games that had to do with WW2 that was 5 times the massacre that British Defence Secretary is finally wanting to boycott the game?
knew something like this was going to happen
EA Games is only allowed to World Wars, so in short if we want to see another Medal Of Honour game we have to make sure WW3 happens. I’m pretty sure if there was a WW3 it’d be called WW3: The Reckoning.
We’ve been playing as the Nazi’s for ages, and I haven’t heard anyone coming out against that.
It’s the usual knee-jerk political posturing. I’m surprised it took this long, frankly.
good things fox did…
my name is earl……..cleveland brown show
It’s Defense, not Defence
Actually it’s either… I’m in the US, and we use Defense, but try might use Defence in the UK. They do in China, I know that much.
Man, EA is starting to become likeable course… And British is Defence normally as far as I know, not Defense, it’s not incorrect.
But that’s a dumb reason to hate a game, people need to realize that it’s a game more often and not telling you being in the Taliban is awesome or something.
I thought being in the Taliban was awesome but appreantly you have to come from their home country which sucks, lol.
Something I just want to note about Liam Fox which I think proves he’s just crazy is he said to ban this “Tasteless” product, he obviously thinks EA want us to eat their games.
I just hope that in some way this game adds something to FPS genre, but I won’t hold my breathe.
We are very special… I mean, the Human Specie is very special. Why do we enjoy war as a play, when war is absolutely NOT a game? Is that a need or something that we inherited from our evolution?
Wow…. Just wow…………
this age old argument again? damn, I thought we had laid this one to rest. Next thing you know he’ll want to ban books about the Taliban too. And burn them.
And Taliban TV shows as well, just when I was starting to like Two and a half suicide bombers
A few things: people need to realize that when authority figures tell the masses NOT to do something… it just makes them want to do it more. EA should send a gift basket to this guy’s office for all the free publicity.
Besides, that statement could easily read:
“It’s shocking that someone would think it acceptable to recreate the acts of the BRITISH. At the hands of the BRITISH, children have lost fathers and wives have lost husbands. I am disgusted and angry.”
As if Britain wasn’t the ruler, oppressor, and conqueror of nations for hundreds of years at some point. Not until the good ol’ U.S. of A. stepped up and pissed in their teacups. (That’s what happened in Boston right? I’m not up to date on my history anymore.)
This guy needs to shut up. First of all, he’s a hypocrite. And second, no one who plays as a Taliban character in a video game is going to suddenly have dreams of suicide bombing the nearest Wal-Mart in their neighborhood.