Defence Secretary demands MOH ban

By Wesley Yin-Poole Published 23 August, 2010

"Disgusted" at "un-British game".

Defence Secretary Liam Fox has demanded shops refuse to sell EA's Afghanistan first-person shooter Medal of Honor because it allows players to kill British troops as the Taliban.

"It's shocking that someone would think it acceptable to recreate the acts of the Taliban," Fox said.

"At the hands of the Taliban, children have lost fathers and wives have lost husbands.

"I am disgusted and angry. It's hard to believe any citizen of our country would wish to buy such a thoroughly un-British game. I would urge retailers to show their support for our armed forces and ban this tasteless product."

A spokeswoman for EA told the Sunday Times: "The format of the new Medal of Honor game merely reflects the fact that every conflict has two sides.

"We give gamers the opportunity to play both sides. Most of us have been doing this since we were seven: someone plays the cop, someone must be robber.

"In Medal of Honor multiplayer, someone's got to be the Taliban."

Earlier this month DICE, the Swedish developer behind the multiplayer portion in question, defended the decision to allow gamers to play as Taliban soldiers, saying: "It's a game."

"I think it is a fair point," said producer Patrick Liu when asked whether statements saying that gamers will feel uneasy playing as Taliban soldiers are fair.

"We do stir up some feelings, although it's not about the war, it's about the soldiers.

"We can't get away from what the setting is and who the factions are, but in the end, it's a game, so we're not pushing or provoking too hard."

Medal of Honor will be released on 15th October for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.

Picture of Wesley.

About Wesley Yin-Poole

Wesley is Eurogamer's news editor. He likes news, interviews, and more news. He also likes Street Fighter more than anyone can get him to shut up about it.

Read more articles from Wesley by visiting the Wesley Yin-Poole archive page.

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Comments (85) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • WinstonChurchill #1 2 years ago

    "At the hands of [military force], children have lost fathers and wives have lost husbands."

  • Vitor #2 2 years ago

    Can you even actually kill British troops or is this just because the game has a map in helmand province, where British forces are currently stationed?

    Dice and EA really should be handling this a lot better than they are - not just for their sakes, but for the entire industry to be able to push for more provocative, interesting content. The whole 'it's just a game' argument is insulting for everyone involved.

  • dsmx #3 2 years ago

    If your disgusted by it then don't play it.

  • Cosquae #4 2 years ago

    MoD Minister adds to pre-game publicity shocker! More at 11.

  • Slabbathepave #5 2 years ago

    The whole thing is completely tasteless. As is anything like this, but some of those quotes sound ridiculous. I refuse to believe that 'patriots' exist. I just cant bring myself to believe that something so fundamentally stupid has any place in the same world i inhabit.

  • DavidBoring #6 2 years ago

    unbritish like this

  • TeaFiend #7 2 years ago

    Should we change the name of them to Durka-Durka-Stan Army?

    It is no worse than the WW2 games, Vietnam, countless games with "Insurgent" forces in generic middle eastern countries.

  • jack_klugman #8 2 years ago

    Irresponsible comments from both sides, frankly.

  • Eraser #9 2 years ago

    fuckin' hypocrite

  • dsmx #10 2 years ago

    I fail to see how making a game set in Afghanistan is any worse than setting a game in any other setting, if you find it offensive then that's your problem but don't start complaining about something if you have a choice not to see it.

  • bad09 #11 2 years ago

    I would have thought our defense secretary had more to worry about than a video game....

    God some in our world are so obsessed with tailoring media to their own views, standards and tastes. That is something that goes against peoples freedoms and THAT is something very "un-British" Mr Fox my friend our country and army has long fought FOR freedom for people.

    Don't like it? Don't buy it, buy something more your taste and most important of all shut the hell up!

  • lavalant #12 2 years ago

    Most of the soldiers play these games and will most likely play this one if it accurately represents their current deployment, maybe he should have asked them first before getting offended on their behalf.

  • Ryze #13 2 years ago

    And awaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay we go!!!!

    /popcorn

  • TheApologist #14 2 years ago

    It must be awful for Dr Fox that the free market he loves so much has turned on him in this way. Poor him.
    Edited by TheApologist at 23/08/10 @ 08:40

  • keyboardmonkey #15 2 years ago

    "It's shocking that someone would think it acceptable to recreate the acts of the Taliban," Fox said.

    of course it's fine to replicate the acts of the British Army...
    you never see
    "It's shocking that someone would think it acceptable to recreate the acts of the Roman Empire,"
    "It's shocking that someone would think it acceptable to recreate the acts of the Greek,"
    "It's shocking that someone would think it acceptable to recreate the acts of the American army"

    Amazing how after a couple of years it becomes accpetable
    And there are probably no films or books about the subject and this is a first....
    /just to make it clear i don't have a problem with the British Army doing what is asked of them.

  • LazyNinjaUk #16 2 years ago

    I don't think British forces are even in the game, are they?? I genuinely don't know, didn't think they were. =S

  • TeaFiend #17 2 years ago

    @LazyNinjaUk:
    They do not have to be for controversy.

  • madgerald Verified Studio Head of PR & Marketing, Colossal Games LTD #18 2 years ago

    Is Mr. Fox an actual fox?

  • towser #19 2 years ago

    "Is Mr. Fox an actual fox?"

    Nope. He's a c**t.
    Edited by towser at 23/08/10 @ 09:00

  • trousers #20 2 years ago

    I seem to remember running around as a Nazi in multiplayer CoD2.

    So which is worse - Nazi or Taliban? There's only one way to find out...

  • bad09 #21 2 years ago

    "So which is worse - Nazi or Taliban? There's only one way to find out... "

    ...yeah War Criminal Come Dine With Me!

    Not sure about the Taliban night though. Battered deep fried bird heads sounds well dodgy!
    Edited by bad09 at 23/08/10 @ 09:07

  • AphoticCosmos #22 2 years ago

    What's more disgusting, a pointless war where actual lives are lost, or a harmless game where no lives are lost?

    You know what you have to do Mr Fox, but of course your obsession with Trident blinds you to the obvious. Now it's at a point where he's going to start cutting tank division and aircraft carriers to pay for a pointless weapon that would be illegal if any other nation tried to develop it. Worst defence secretary since the last one.

  • MadCaddy13 #23 2 years ago

    At the end of the day they are just 0s and 1s. For gods sakes.

  • barkertron #24 2 years ago

    I'm guessing the irony is lost on Liam Fox that by voting for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars he is complicit in the loss of life on a scale far greater than that simulated by this 'tasteless product'.

  • BritishBlue1 #25 2 years ago

    What the hell is he talking about? As far as I am aware, there are no British soldiers in the game.

  • SAMagic #26 2 years ago

    The only difference between this and games that feature wars is that this one is currently ongoing right now. What would a widow of a soldier who died in Helmand think when she sees people playing a game that somewhat resembles his death? That's what I think people can legitimately feel outraged over with this (I'm sure we'll get the usual moral panic and hysteria - I bet Keith Vaz or someone will suggest that MOH will help to train terrorists or some nonsense).

    So, that said, however, the Taliban are only playable in the multiplayer portion of the game. It's clearly far from a terrorist simulator, so I'm sure renaming 'Taliban' to 'insurgent' would not make any difference whatsoever.

  • RodHull #27 2 years ago

    My turtle was killed when a moustachioed Italian plumber jumped on his back this expelling him from his shell, how comes I don't get a game banning to make me feel better?

  • teabagger #28 2 years ago

    Well he's entitled to his opinion I suppose, but I'm fairly sure he's got more important shit to be getting on with.

  • kangarootoo #29 2 years ago

    "At the hands of the Taliban, children have lost fathers and wives have lost husbands"

    With the greatest of respect to everyone involved, that happens anytime a soldier of any affiliation kills another human being.

  • SleepyDeathFred #30 2 years ago

    In all fairness to him he hasn't actually tried to ban the product, he just hopes retailers won't stock it. Which seems fairly reasonable as a matter of opinion, albeit a somewhat hysterical one. My point is that governments used to make it illegal to sell things they didn't like.

  • CaptainQuint #31 2 years ago

    Ker-ching! The makers of this game must be rubbing thier hands together in readiness, at this news.
    Edited by CaptainQuint at 23/08/10 @ 09:38

  • LetsGo #32 2 years ago

    For once I agree with the outrage.

    Games about wars going on at the time of release should not be allowed.

    The war is happening right now you know.

  • superstu1337 #33 2 years ago

    As long as you keep your sights firmly aimed on the brown skined people with the rags on their heads everything is totally OK! Oh and destroying their villages to find the phantom bearded one - no problem! Roll out the missiles dammit!!!

  • TeaFiend #34 2 years ago

    "At the hands of the British Army, children have lost fathers and wives have lost husbands"

    Also works.

  • chrisjm #35 2 years ago

    At least in the game there is no risk of not having essential equipment.

  • deriko24 #36 2 years ago

    looks like i'll have to walk down my local high street with a huge end of the world sign saying " i have just brought the new MOH and i'm going home to play as the taliban" :)
    Edited by deriko24 at 23/08/10 @ 10:02

  • el_pollo_diablo #37 2 years ago

    Patriotism is such a disgusting concept.

  • RodHull #38 2 years ago

    If they're going for realism I trust that at the end of the campaign should you vanquish the Taliban you can unlock a pipemania style mini game that allows you to syphon all of the regions oil back to the motherland. Plus 100 gamerpoints.

  • metalangel #39 2 years ago

    You just want to buy the game now, just to fuck him off. Look at me, I'm "unBritish".

  • TeeHee #40 2 years ago

    Un-British, eh?

    Good job i consider myself European then.

    Someone made a good point before; is the BA even in it? I've not been following it personally, but from what i know i would put money on British soldiers not even making an appearence in game.

    Reckon he's just doing this to go down on record as being against it before the wonderful british press get hold and somehow find a secret level where you have to run around Wootton Bassett and rape as many grieving widows as possible.
    Edited by TeeHee at 23/08/10 @ 10:21

  • riceNpea #41 2 years ago

    i may be wrong but i think you'll find a great deal of the weapons that have killed British troops over the years have been sold to foreign states by the British government.

    get angry about that Fox

  • roquey Verified Lead Quality Assurance Tester and Compliance Specialist, Universally Speaking #42 2 years ago

    I heard this on the news this morning. i just laughed. a friend said rather than bitch about a game why not actually pull our f*king troops out instead? ITS A GAME heaven forbid some British pixels get shot. OH THE SHAME i think ima go cry in a bowl of milk.

  • Whizzo #43 2 years ago

    Considering how awful I found the multiplayer beta I doubt many people are going to be playing the Taliban much anyway.

  • antinazi #44 2 years ago

    So, let me get this straight! Killing afghan people is OK in a game but killing British people is not! Politicians should really put a sock in their foul mouths! It'a a freakin' game, maybe he should be disgusted at himself for letting British troops die while following american foreign policy! This is utterly ridiculous, I didn't hear his remarks about the videos wikileaks leaked, isn't he disgusted by coalition soldiers crazed by blodlust? I can't start explaining how disgusted I am with these hypocrites...

  • menage #45 2 years ago

    So killing is alright just as long as we are killing them. I bet the Taliban are outraged that they can play the US in this.

  • lucky_jim #46 2 years ago

    Welcome back to Tory Britain, people.

  • senso-ji #47 2 years ago

    I take it there's less chance of this government giving the british computer game industry subsidies :/

  • PlugMonkey #48 2 years ago

    And so it begins.

    "I can't start explaining how disgusted I am with these hypocrites..."

    Me neither.

    At the same time, I still can't help feeling that the gameplay experience of actually getting to BE the actual Taliban isn't worth throwing this much shit at a fan, and then throwing the fan at a hornet's nest, and then throwing the hornet's nest at the vulnerable and recently bereaved. I don't really need to BE the actual Taliban, I don't really need to SHOOT the actual Taliban, so why not just not bother? It's a giant shitstorm with absolutly no tangible benefit.

    It all just seams pretty unnecessary.

    Oh, well. If Liam Fox is genuinely upset, maybe it was all worthwhile after all. If I could believe that DICE were doing it to highlight the hypocrisy of the media and politicians then I'd be all for it.

    I can't quite cross that credibility gap though, and as a publicity stunt (which is all that remains for it to be), it's pretty crappy.

  • M_of_the_sys #49 2 years ago

    Daily Mail article

  • Kikizosan #50 2 years ago

    TBH, I find the jingoism and dehumanising of the enemy in games like America's Army to be more offensive and harmful than something like this.

  • PlugMonkey #51 2 years ago

    The Daily Mail: "Backlash: The game, published by Electronic Arts, has provoked an outcry after going on sale in the U.S."

    Good research, boys! Journalism at its finest!

    Also, I love this:

    "It comes after hundreds of parents slammed Activision's game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 last year after players could take part in the massacre of civilians at an airport as part of the game."

    Hundreds of parents. Because their opinions count double, you see. They're opining for two.

  • TeaFiend #52 2 years ago

    The parents were soooo responsible, buying the game for their under 18 kids.

  • ignatiusjreilly #53 2 years ago

    TBH, I find the jingoism and dehumanising of the enemy in games like America's Army to be more offensive and harmful than something like this.

    You don't think there will be jingoism and dehumanising in this game too?

  • kobashi #54 2 years ago

    some people are going way OTT regarding this game.

    Seriously there is a resistance in afghanistan that has every right to fight back against US/British troops. Why is it okay to kill the resistance fighters but is not okay to kill the invading troops.

  • BillPoon #55 2 years ago

    You can't eat a flag.

  • beastmaster #56 2 years ago

    There's a very slim chance this could all backfire on EA. If the media really does really go with this (and with COD coming soon after) then parents may not buy it for their kids (sad that this happens). If the game turns out to be shit as well then it'll not sell with people who go to gaming websites.

  • Entity #57 2 years ago

    EA PR: "Nobody who plays videogames is going to be shocked or surprised by this"

    Why not just call him a geriatric? No point beating about the bush.

    "Welcome back to Tory Britain people"

    Keith Vaz.

  • RodHull #58 2 years ago

    If the British Army are a playable faction then will the be camped in squamous conditions, have archaic equipment compared to the Americans and have their rifles/helicopters fail at random times? Would that pacify you, Dr Fox? Now shut up and go back to Pop Idol.

  • TeaFiend #59 2 years ago

    @RodHull:

    There would also be a chance of spawning without ammo, armour or hat.

  • icematt12 #60 2 years ago

    Since when did the regular British troops start using M4s and M16s? I know I said something on Yahoo when they reported that Fox News was mentioning this. My mesage didn't appear though.

    I have already played as Taliban forces, next thing you know I'm going to be branded a traitor. I guess reporters forget about the input from REAL Teir 1 operatives who have done all sorts and probably taken out a few real nasties. To me it's like people are only hearing/seeing part, don't fully understand and overreact. Fox News did the same with Shep/Liara romance in ME1, calling it porn I believe.

    Let's see what Clegg, the PM or Labour says (if they can unite on one statement that is).

    EDIT - or what a high ranking officer in the military says, not some suit in London that has probably never had a bullet fired at his position.
    Edited by icematt12 at 23/08/10 @ 11:43

  • Cronan #61 2 years ago

    In news today, slimy Scottish politician pretends to be outraged at something to improve his visibility. What a cunt.

  • ignatiusjreilly #62 2 years ago

    Let's see what Clegg, the PM or Labour says (if they can unite on one statement that is).

    EDIT - or what a high ranking officer in the military says, not some suit in London that has probably never had a bullet fired at his position.

    Let me predict that one for you - Clegg, PM, Labour and generic high-ranking military officer all think the game is in bad taste, but shouldn't be illegal. Same as Dr Fox and most grown people.

  • alcides #63 2 years ago

    "Disgusted" at "un-British

    racist cunt? 97% of this world is un-british, like it or not. Such a blank statement to make, too. Like the fact that a cultural product might not be nationalist propaganda. Talibans have a will to fight and convictions of their own (as moronic criminals, alright)? Yeesh! I thought they merely foamed at the mouth!

    "At the hands of the Taliban, children have lost fathers and wives have lost husbands."

    Could you be even more phallocentric than this guy? How about pregnant women who got shot in the head because they had their child out of wedlock?

    EDIT : My opinion is merely that depicted in the article, the very same line of defence both developper and editor chose as a reply to the minister's criticism.
    Since everyone seems to agree with them guys, I think it's very weird that I get negged. Bots? Haters? (morons?)
    Edited by alcides at 23/08/10 @ 12:58

  • LR100 #64 2 years ago

    Yet it's fine to send real british troops to the far east, to be killed by the real Taliban? Sure, ok, why not? BAN THIS FILTH!

  • chrisola #65 2 years ago

    i wonder if the killing of British soldiers thing applies to games played with Friendly Fire turned On aswell as games where you play as the Taliban side?
    Edited by chrisola at 23/08/10 @ 12:21

  • gnrlstuart #66 2 years ago

    ban ban ban ban ban ban ban. fuck you.

  • Dylbot #67 2 years ago

    WON'T SOMEBODY THINK OF THE CHILDREN

  • Dylbot #68 2 years ago

    On a side note, fuck you 2K Games, thanks to these retarded adverts I'm definitely not buying Mafia 2.

  • PlugMonkey #69 2 years ago

    "Could you be even more phallocentric than this guy? How about pregnant women who got shot in the head because they had their child out of wedlock? "

    Or, indeed, how about the servicewomen who have been killed in the conflict? Children have also lost mothers, husbands have lost wives.

  • Mark1412 #70 2 years ago

    Ridiculous that the only reason they're kicking up a fuss about this is because of the use of the word 'Taliban'. It's fine when it's just 'Terrorists' or whatever they call them in Modern Warfare.

  • Retroid #71 2 years ago

    "I love the smell of right-wing Bandwagon-jumping in the morning!"

  • dirtysteve #72 2 years ago

    'thoroughly un-British', yup, the dev is Swedish.

  • jefranklin18 #73 2 years ago

    @AphoticCosmos: You know what you have to do Mr Fox, but of course your obsession with Trident blinds you to the obvious. Now it's at a point where he's going to start cutting tank division and aircraft carriers to pay for a pointless weapon that would be illegal if any other nation tried to develop it. Worst defence secretary since the last one.

    In fairness, the nuclear deterrent has always been a geo-political weapon as opposed to actually useful and centrally funded from the Treasury, however Fox is being forced to fund it from the existing Defence budget.

    If he has any balls, the defence review in Oct/Nov will recommend not proceeding with the Trident replacement and put the money into conventional forces. It's too late now, but the aircraft carriers and JSF are an expensive combination that really should have been thought about more carefully agreeing to their purchase. Still, you can always tell the flavour of the Chief of Defence Staff based on the capital investments that year. Funnily, it was a Naval CODS when the Trafalgar class/JSF combination were agreed to.

  • darleysam #74 2 years ago

    This might just tip my hand on purchasing.

    Nothing like a "ban this sick filth!" campaign to encourage a sale!

  • darleysam #75 2 years ago

    Two more things. Firstly, "un-British". Well does that mean I'm not British because I approve of this game? That I am against this country? I can't stand the way this kind of term is used to set up a division, whereby you're either "with us or against us", and claiming an entire land-mass as being one side. Guess I'd better hop in a boat, since I'm apparently not welcome here any more.

    Secondly, Doctor Doctor FOX.
    Edited by darleysam at 23/08/10 @ 13:33

  • SpaceMonkey77 #76 2 years ago

    No surprise that some muppet in our govenrment is going to tow the Fox media line. I give up on politicians, for every good policy one has, you get two bad ones or just knee jerk thinking like this.

    Nice one to go on about capitalism and a free market when it suits you, but turn coat when it doesn't. I think MoH is going sell the motherload now, because there's nothing like checking out this baby for yourself.

    And if I see any protesters outside game stores, I'm going to take me some snaps.

  • callum9999 #77 2 years ago

    To be fair to him, despite being a hypocritical, incompetent idiot, he was merely expressing his opinion. There was no "demanding" as the headline implies (actually no, deliberately misleads like so many on here seem to do nowadays....). You are still allowed to have opinions if you are in government - no matter how stupid they may be.

  • uknortherner2000 #78 2 years ago

    Seriously there is a resistance in afghanistan that has every right to fight back against US/British troops. Why is it okay to kill the resistance fighters but is not okay to kill the invading troops.

    Yeah, some "resistance fighters". Must make you proud when you hear of the Taliban killing British soldiers, slaughtering aid workers, stoning women to death for daring to be independent and using children as human shields.

    Something to really aspire to, I'm sure.

  • ignatiusjreilly #79 2 years ago

    Big plus one to you Callum - if we claim to want honesty and transparency from politicians, then we should be prepared to hear differing opinions from time to time.

    Unless he is actively trying to get the game pulled form shelves I really don't think anyone has anything to be angry about.

  • dingo75 #80 2 years ago

    Granted if you'd invade my home country you would see me join the resistance as well!
    There is a fine line between Taliban and Al-Quaeda and it seems Mr. Fox doesn't know it.
    Should probably ask one of his staff to show him a video or something since he seems unable to read / comprehend what he has read.

  • Spekingur #81 2 years ago

    Silly politicians with their vain little outcries for votes.

  • Mr_Bogus #82 2 years ago

    Why not just ban all wargames? In fact, why not just ban war?

    Oh wait, that'd mean him out of a job.

  • kobashi #83 2 years ago

    @uknortherner2000, you invaded another land and what did you expect, flowers and chocolates! Actually I think some of them british/US generals really had no idea that they were gonna be met with a strong resistance.

    Look I dont support everything the taliban do but the resistance is perfectly acceptable. Some people seem to hold a view that nobody is allowed to fight back against the invading troops in afghanistan.

    Also remember that not all the resistance groups belong to the taliban. There are plenty of other groups all fighting to get rid of occupying forces.
    Edited by kobashi at 23/08/10 @ 17:17

  • Harmonica #84 2 years ago

    Let's ban it, that's very in keeping with British values. Or, you know, if it's shit, people will just call it a shit game and move on with their lives.

  • Ashcroft #85 2 years ago

    What makes a game un-British? What would a British game be anyway? FIFA Curbsie 2011? Queueing Simulator? A version of Rock Band where you have to tut and sigh at how loud the music is in just the right places?