Ben-DutkaWhen the controversy first hit a few weeks ago, we reminded everyone that EA had tapped the U.S. Military to assist in making Medal of Honor , and if those who served and risked their lives aren't offended, than we really don't care what the political windbags say.
Thankfully, one of the military members who had a hand in helping with Call of Duty: Black Ops has stepped forward and illustrated that very point: according to GamerZines , military advisor Hank Keirsey dismissed all the controversy surrounding EA's shooter, saying he's sure the game has been done respectfully, and it will indeed honor the lives of those who served in the war on terror. Said Keirsey:
"To me, if the game (Medal of Honor) is done respectfully – as I'm sure it's going to be done because I know the guys over there doing it – I think it'll honour those who served in the campaign just like it did WWII. 'Oh, but they're playing Taliban in multiplayer'," he added. "Well, you played a Nazi in multiplayer – nobody got offended by that!"
Again, exactly our point. Time is really the culprit here; had all those WWII games came out in the late '40s, we would've had a very similar outcry from parents and politicians. Of course, with over 50 years between then and when the WWII shooters started to flood the games market, nobody did seem to care, did they? Nobody made a peep. But the war on terror is just too fresh for some people. In fact, Britain's defense secretary Liam Fox has asked for Medal of Honor to be banned, saying he was "disgusted and angry" with EA's "tasteless product." EA's simple reply to those who know little about games?
"…many popular video games allow players to assume the identity of enemies, including Nazis and terrorists."
This isn't difficult. We at PSXE maintain our stance on Medal of Honor ; we'd ask the servicemen who volunteered to help with the game, and even others who didn't, if they had a problem with the content. If they did, we'd have a problem, too. If they didn't – and they don't seem to – than we're good to go. They are the ones who matter in this scenario…nobody else.
Related Game(s): Medal of Honor
