EA hits back at MOH "un-British" claim

Publisher EA has responded to the accusation from the Defence Secretary that Medal of Honor is "un-British" because it allows players to kill Allied troops as Taliban soldiers.

Over the weekend Defence Secretary Liam Fox, as reported by the Sunday Times newspaper, demanded shops refuse to sell the first-person shooter, saying: "It's shocking that someone would think it acceptable to recreate the acts of the Taliban

"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."

Responding directly to Dr Fox's comments, an EA spokesperson told Eurogamer: "Medal of Honor is a highly authentic depiction of the soldier's experience in Afghanistan – matching US forces against the Taliban in today's war.

"Multiplayer combat is a long-standing, common and popular feature of videogames. In multiplayer, teams assume the identities of combatants on both sides of the conflict.

"Many popular videogames allow players to assume the identity of enemies including Nazis and terrorists. In the multiplayer levels of Medal of Honor, teams will assume the identity of both US forces and the Taliban.

"The Sunday Times story on Medal of Honor contains inaccuracies. For one, Medal of Honor does not allow players to kill British soldiers. British troops do not feature in the game."

The DCMS has already distanced itself from Fox's comments, describing them as "a personal view".

Expect this one to run and run.