New Zealand has become the latest country to feature angry backlash over Medal of Honor as the grimly predictable carnival of kneejerk punditry continues. New Zealand's Minister of Research, Science and Technology has attacked the game for undermining his country's values. Yes ... Medal of Honor is now anti-New Zealand!
"Terrorist acts have caused the deaths of several New Zealanders," he claims. "This game undermines the values of our nation, and the dedicated service of our men and women in uniform. Hundreds of New Zealand servicemen and women have put their lives on the line in Afghanistan to combat terrorism, and this month Lieutenant Tim O'Donnell died in action over there."
BREAKING: Soldiers have died in a war. Because they were soldiers and that is what soldiers do! More on this hot story as and when it develops!
New Zealand Minister condemns MOH [Game Planet]
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
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Contest:
3:20 PM on 08.31.2010 | 
"freedom of speech but not against what we like"
Blah blah blah.
Several, you say.
BAAAW
I also think that its pretty brave allowing players to play as a real-life extreme terrorist organization. But, would people be so offend had it been a fabricated organization? I still don't understand fully why THIS is so bad. But, the slaughter of a million german soldiers is accepted. Is it just because it is set at this point in time? Can we play as the taliban in 5 years time?
media is changing. Yes, it is becoming more brutal and I also think that people are becoming de-sensitized to it. I wonder how this will effect this generation in the future. We have already been through pornography, video nasties & gangster rap. Are violent gun-toting videogames not just the next evolution?
Hmmm, i'm losing my train of thought here. This subject creates lots of questions in my mind..
If you want something to really mess your head up think of this.
How do you think locals in the Iraq and Afghanistan feel when they see yet another game glorifying the conflicts in their region is going to be released? Do you think they will be happy with all the extra tourism the game will bring in? Or will the be pissed that yet another game is depicting the senseless and needless raping of their homes?
It's no wonder we in the west are frowned upon and vilified.
OMG YOU SHOOT PEOPLE WHO ARE (Insert ethnicity) BAN THIS FILTH! Its the 'DON'T PUSH THE RED BUTTON' situation... telling us not to buy a game.... we are still going to buy it. Same thing with MW2. It has a terrorist level DON'T BUY IT! *Goes to local game store and buys MW2)
I agree completely with what your getting at. Thats kinda what I was suggesting about the millions of germans slaughtered thing. Its okay to tell a story one way, but its not okay to tell it the other. Heavy censorship.
Because politicians are old, and new things care old people. They find loud noises especially disturbing .... well truth be told they find anything that interrupts strained pees night especially disturbing. Now we should all just nod our heads and move along before they come out and yell at us to "GET Off THE LAWN YE DARN KIDS!
"Do you think that perhaps EA intended for all of this negative media?"
Absolutely. I still remember the huge ordeal surrounding Dante's Inferno, what with the "Bad Babysitter" achievement and the Superbowl commercial controversy and everything else. They're no strangers to manufacturing controversy.
What's more, they no doubt saw the big kerfuffle that arose over the "No Russian" level in MW2. People made a big stink, the media pretended to be outraged, but in the end, all it did was draw attention to the game. Sales were through the roof, and EA is probably hoping for this Taliban thing to play out in a similar manner.
Hundreds?...Hundreds?!? My heart goes out to any families that have suffered a loss, but fucking come on. If the game is developed in the country with the highest stake in Afghanistan, you can STFU and deal.
Leon Field: What a cunt you are.
This just in: a lot of people don't play video games and can't easily swallow the idea of 'play' and 'fun' being associated with the really horrible shit that goes on in the real world. But you're right, let's show them how video games are a valid and maturing medium for stories and ideas by acting like bratty children.
I used to respect this site.
Enjoy your circle jerk, you twat.
Btw Jim, minor correction, it was Minister of Defence, Wayne Mapp echoing his British counterpart (Fox) that said those things, not the minister you stated.
PS The original Zealand was WAY better.
So have cars. Time to ban GT and Need for Speed.
8-0
Look, I know what your saying...but do you realize what an utterly disgusting comment you made by trying to be funny? You were doing just fine until you wrote those words.
No.