It seems that EA has definitely been hit hard by the backlash from “friends and families of fallen soldiers.” So hard in fact that they have now removed the name of the “aggressors” from multi-player that were named “Taliban Fighters,” to now having them called “Opposing Force.” In an earlier article the military removed the sale of the game off every military base in the nation, perhaps even around the world. I wonder if we should go back to the Return to Castle Wolfenstein games and instead of saying Axis Powers, Nazis, or German Army, we can just call them “Opposing Force.”
I wrote an article earlier about the pulling of the game off of military bases by bringing up the fact that many of my friends who are in the military fighting in Afghanistan have told me stories about the situation on base. These men and women are fighting for the very freedoms we enjoy, and they should have the freedom to purchase and play the game whenever they wish. My best friend in fact told me himself that him and his buddies on base want to play the game and do not see the big deal about the situation of playing as Taliban fighters. He said it best with, “Dude…its just a game.”
From the executive producer for Medal Of Honor had this full statement:
In the past few months, we have received feedback from all over the world regarding the multiplayer portion of Medal of Honor. We’ve received notes from gamers, active military, and friends and family of servicemen and women currently deployed overseas. The majority of this feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. For this, the Medal of Honor team is deeply appreciative.
However, we have also received feedback from friends and families of fallen soldiers who have expressed concern over the inclusion of the Taliban in the multiplayer portion of our game. This is a very important voice to the Medal of Honor team. This is a voice that has earned the right to be listened to. It is a voice that we care deeply about. Because of this, and because the heartbeat of Medal of Honor has always resided in the reverence for American and Allied soldiers, we have decided to rename the opposing team in Medal of Honor multiplayer from Taliban to Opposing Force.
While this change should not directly affect gamers, as it does not fundamentally alter the gameplay, we are making this change for the men and women serving in the military and for the families of those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice – this franchise will never willfully disrespect, intentionally or otherwise, your memory and service.
To all who serve – we appreciate you, we thank you, and we do not take you for granted. And to the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines currently serving overseas, stay safe and come home soon.
Greg Goodrich
Executive Producer
Medal of Honor
