{"id":7745,"date":"2010-09-27T14:07:00","date_gmt":"2010-09-27T12:07:00","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"-0001-11-29T22:00:00","slug":"war-vets-speak-on-medal-of-honor-controversy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/business\/7745-war-vets-speak-on-medal-of-honor-controversy","title":{"rendered":"War vets speak on Medal of Honor controversy"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Medal of Honor reboot has generated a small controversy<\/a> thanks to the inclusion of the Taliban as a playable faction in the multiplayer component of the game. Ironically, this sort of bad publicity usually does no harm to game sales, and will probably even boost initial sales as everyone wants to find out what all the fuss is about.
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Industry Gamers<\/a> recently took some time to interview people whose opinions on the Taliban probably carry more weight than most – three Special Operations soldiers with extensive combat experience in Iraq and Afghanistan. The soldiers hail from various specialized battlefield groups – the Rangers, Special Forces, and Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC).<\/p>\n

\"MoH\"<\/p>\n

What’s immediately apparent is that these guys love a good FPS, although they do branch out into other titles such as Red Dead Redemption, Forza III, and various sports games. Just your average gamers then.<\/p>\n

Of course, these soldiers see the very real end of warfare. The Ranger has been deployed in direct raids and assaults on various targets, attacking from ground, helicopter and boat. The Special Forces soldier has been deployed as an infantryman during the invasion, and numerous times in the Special Operations Forces. JTAC has been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan to call in strikes from fixed or rotary wing aircraft, often whilst in close proximity to their enemy.<\/p>\n

Getting down to the controversial heart of the Medal of Honor game, Industry Gamers asks: “Do you feel that these types of games are appropriate and that real world units should be played out in a revisionist history sort of fashion (the game developers have stated that actual engagements will not be recreated, only that setting, enemies and time frame will remain the same)?”
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Ranger:<\/strong> “This is a game I’m very excited about, and I am hoping it can capture the types of missions we perform and also the realism that some other games lack.”<\/p>\n

Special Forces: “I do not see the difference in this and MW2, etc. other than names of the “bad guys.” We’ve been playing as terrorists vs. Rangers\/SF for years in various games (Delta Force: Black Hawk Down, Call of Duty, Modern Warfare, Modern Warfare 2, Delta Force TF Dagger). It’s also an opportunity to tell a story to an audience that does not watch the Discovery Channel and maybe have a positive impact on some kids.”
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JTAC:<\/strong> “It’s war profiteering. They are just cashing in on what could sell. Many businesses are guilty of this.”<\/p>\n

\"MoH\"<\/p>\n

As for the playable Taliban faction, the three were asked if they feel this will foster anti-US military sentiment during an ongoing conflict.
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Ranger:<\/strong> “Personally, I feel that this claim of attacking U.S. soldiers is malarkey. It’s a video game and has a mature rating to ensure those playing it are competent enough to know the difference between life and a game.”
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Special Forces:<\/strong> “We played Arab terrorists and militants killing Americans in MW2, DF: TF Dagger already.  We killed Americans in Rainbow Six and Ghost Recon, but we were ambiguous third world brown guys in aviator glasses.  If the game is set on the current world situation, who else should the bad guys be?  I am also curious why nobody has ever made a truly big deal like this about gangsters killing cops in games.”
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JTAC:<\/strong> “I don’t think everyone that plays the Taliban will have anti-US sentiment. If I were to play the game, I eventually will take on the role as the “Taliban.” I wouldn’t think anything of it. It’s just a game. Just like the other games with Nazis as the enemy or the Japanese, this will add “realism” to the game. It’s better than Dirka Dirka from Dirkastan.<\/p>\n

The three went on to say that none of them feel offended by the game’s subject matter, as war is a fact of life. “Not everyone we fight is the “Taliban.” They are called the Taliban but in fact, they are just foreign fighters who want to fight the big bad Americans,” said the JTAC member.<\/p>\n

\"MoH\"<\/p>\n

No war themed video game can ever truly re-enact all of the experiences of soldiers in real combat situations, a thought echoed by all three interviewees. As for limits to crafting a realistic experience, JTAC added that “I think the only way I will “hate” this game is if they show soldiers being executed (beheaded), torture females or something along those lines. Distasteful to say the least.”<\/p>\n

The Ranger and JTAC soldiers were of mixed opinion on the possibility that the game will be used as a recruitment or training tool for either side of the conflict. “To believe that the Taliban or even the U.S. military can use this game for anything referred to as “training” is just nonsense,” said the Ranger.<\/p>\n

JTAC concluded the interview by stating: “The Taliban will use this game as a recruiting tool. If you are thinking about a reason to hate this game, I just gave you the only reason that makes sense to me. Every time they make the news for claiming a bomb or whatnot, even if they didn’t do it, you are giving the Taliban un-needed press. Adding them to this game is a small victory for them as they are now recognized as a legitimate fighting force.<\/p>\n

The Medal of Honor PC requirements<\/a> have just been specified and the PC version is heading into its second beta testing phase<\/a> before launch in mid October 2010.<\/p>\n

Discuss the war vets opinions about Medal of Honor<\/a> on the MyGaming forum.<\/p>\n

Source: Industry Gamers<\/a><\/p>\n\n\t\t