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10-04-2010, 01:30 PM
Makers of Medal of Honor do U-turn on Taliban role
Page last updated at 10:38 GMT, Monday, 4 October 2010 11:38 UK
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/media/images/48516000/jpg/_48516203_danwhitworth.jpg By Dan Whitworth
Newsbeat technology reporter http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/49357000/jpg/_49357136_mdealofhonor.jpg Defence Secretary Liam Fox had called on retailers to ban the game in the UK Medal of Honor developers say the latest game in the series won't let people take on the role of the Taliban.
Electronic Arts has been criticised recently after it was announced the multiplayer version of its new game would let players do that.
In a statement EA's Greg Goodrich said: "We have received feedback from friends and families of fallen soldiers.
"[They] have expressed concern over the inclusion of the Taliban in the multiplayer portion of our game."
He added: "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 multiplayer from Taliban to Opposing Force."
Check out Radio 1's Gaming Week and play one of the DJ's games (http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/games/)
Step too far The change won't make any fundamental difference to how multiplayer works.
http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/49358000/jpg/_49358410_medalofhonourscreenshot.jpg The game's makers said they had taken advice from current soldiers But EA is hoping the different labelling will help dilute some of the controversy surrounding next week's worldwide launch.
Previous versions of the game have been set in World War II and let people play either Allied or Axis forces.
But with 150,000 American, British and Allied troops fighting in Afghanistan many felt taking on the role of the Taliban was a step too far.
Military bases across America had already refused to stock it while UK Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox labelled the fact that gamers could play the Taliban "shocking".
Page last updated at 10:38 GMT, Monday, 4 October 2010 11:38 UK
E-mail this to a friend (http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/email/www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/11465565) [an error occurred while processing this directive]
http://www.bbc.co.uk/media/images/48516000/jpg/_48516203_danwhitworth.jpg By Dan Whitworth
Newsbeat technology reporter http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/49357000/jpg/_49357136_mdealofhonor.jpg Defence Secretary Liam Fox had called on retailers to ban the game in the UK Medal of Honor developers say the latest game in the series won't let people take on the role of the Taliban.
Electronic Arts has been criticised recently after it was announced the multiplayer version of its new game would let players do that.
In a statement EA's Greg Goodrich said: "We have received feedback from friends and families of fallen soldiers.
"[They] have expressed concern over the inclusion of the Taliban in the multiplayer portion of our game."
He added: "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 multiplayer from Taliban to Opposing Force."
Check out Radio 1's Gaming Week and play one of the DJ's games (http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/games/)
Step too far The change won't make any fundamental difference to how multiplayer works.
http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/49358000/jpg/_49358410_medalofhonourscreenshot.jpg The game's makers said they had taken advice from current soldiers But EA is hoping the different labelling will help dilute some of the controversy surrounding next week's worldwide launch.
Previous versions of the game have been set in World War II and let people play either Allied or Axis forces.
But with 150,000 American, British and Allied troops fighting in Afghanistan many felt taking on the role of the Taliban was a step too far.
Military bases across America had already refused to stock it while UK Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox labelled the fact that gamers could play the Taliban "shocking".