UPDATE 2: Electronic Arts is preparing a statement to address several alleged inaccuracies in Fox's characterisation of the game. The culture minister Ed Vaizey has been keen to show his support for the games industry since the election. UPDATE 1: the video game news site Eurogamer has quoted a source from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, describing Fox's comments as "a personal view". It will be a key title in the Christmas line-up, alongside the rival shooter Call of Duty: Black Ops. The game, due out on October 15, has already received BBFC and PEGI certification and has secured an 18+ rating. It is extremely unlikely, however, that retailers will follow Fox's suggestion.
While it is generally accepted that linear media such as books, films and TV series' are "allowed" to use contemporary warzones as settings, games tend to be viewed differently – mostly because of their interactive nature, and the belief that "game" content trivialises serious subject matter. Whatever the intricacies of this particular case, it once again opens the debate about whether it is acceptable for video games to portray and explore current conflicts and other news issues. It could be that this distinction is irrelevant to him. It's not clear, however, if Fox is aware of the distinction between a narrative-led single-player campaign and a "deathmatch"-style multiplayer mode in which players are able to take on both enemy and allied roles in essentially context-free shootouts.
The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare series has always avoided similar accusations by using fictional settings – even though the titles clearly employ contemporary Middle Eastern environments and protagonists. Video games based around current conflicts have often provoked controversy in the past, with opponents suggesting they exploit the suffering of real-life soldiers and civilians. Of course, this was always going to happen. In Medal of Honor multiplayer, someone's got to be the Taliban." Most of us have been doing this since we were seven: someone plays the cop, someone must be robber.
We give gamers the opportunity to play both sides. Meanwhile, the news site al-Jazeera has a video report on the story, showing some in-game footage of a Taliban soldier using a mobile phone to set off a remote explosive device.ĮA has reportedly responded to Fox via the Sunday Times with the following: "The format of the new Medal of Honor game merely reflects the fact that every conflict has two sides. I would urge retailers to show their support for our armed forces and ban this tasteless product." It's hard to believe any citizen of our country would wish to buy such a thoroughly un-British game. Stars: William Bassett, Steve Blum, Steve Bulen, Cam Clarke. Using anything at your disposal, you will fight your way from Arzew to Omaha Beach, and then straight into the heart of the Third Reich. At the hands of the Taliban, children have lost fathers and wives have lost husbands. Medal of Honor: Allied Assault drops you into World War II as American Lieutenant Mike Powell. The last we heard of the series was in 2007 with Medal of. The Press Association quotes Fox suggesting that the game should be subject to a retail ban: "It's shocking that someone would think it acceptable to recreate the acts of the Taliban. Hey, remember Medal of Honor It was that other World War II game that people loved so much. However, the multiplayer online mode allows players to take part as terrorist operatives, gaining points for killing allied soldiers, and this is the element that Fox objects to. EA's relaunch of its hugely successful series is set amid the war in Afghanistan and the single-player campaign follows US troops as they seek to defeat the Taliban. At least not yet.The defence secretary, Liam Fox, has launched a stinging attack on the forthcoming first-person shooter Medal of Honor, requesting that retailers refuse to stock the game. Given Facebook’s partnership with EA to bring the game to Oculus, it seems unlikely that a Steam or PlayStation VR version is in the works.
Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond will be launching in 2020. As you complete your tour of duty across Europe, you’ll collaborate with the French Resistance, working to sabotage Nazi operations from behind enemy lines. You’ll play as an Allied agent of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), tasked with infiltrating, outgunning, and outsmarting the Nazi war machine. It wouldn’t be a World War II shooter without Normandy now, would it? Here’s the official blurb: The game looks stunning in motion and as preview start to surface (select media got a chance to see an early build of the game) Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond is starting to generate some buzz.Īccording to those who have seen the game in action, it will feature both multiplayer as well as a singleplayer campaign spanning 10 hours split between three acts across Europe, featuring iconic battles including Normandy.