Games president Frank Gibeau: If an Afghan War film can win BAFTAs, why is an Afghan game condemned?
Publishing empire EA says it will not surrender its creative vision to the furore surrounding the upcoming Medal of Honor game.
EA Games president Frank Gibeau told Develop the game is a “creative risk”. He said he anticipated controversy, and he asked why films are immune to the denigration games routinely are subjected to.
The publisher is under fire from both MPs and the wider media for allowing players to assume the role of the Islamist political group the Taliban in the rebooted Medal Of Honor title, set for UK release October 15.
On Sunday Defence Secretary Liam Fox urged retailers to ban EA’s upcoming game, having expressed “anger and disgust” by its content.
But Gibeau tells Develop that the game will not be altered at the behest of politicians and media groups.
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“We respect the media’s views,” he said, “but at the same time [these reports] don’t compromise our creative vision and what we want to do.”
EA’s long-awaited Medal Of Honor reboot is being co-developed by Swedish Studio DICE and Los Angeles-based Danger Close, and Gibeau insists the two groups are proud of what they are creating.
“The development teams care very much about what they’re building, and of course a bit of criticism from the media causes some to get demoralised, but at the end of the day we’re proud of what we’re doing. Brining Medal of Honor back was no small feat.”
Gibeau, nearly in his third year as EA Games president, was philosophical about the fast-spreading denigration of a game that handles sensitive content.
“There’s a lot of furore around games that take creative risks – like games that let you play terrorists in airports mowing down civilians,” he said in reference to Modern Warfare 2 – published by industry rival Activision.
“At EA we passionately believe games are an artform, and I don’t know why films and books set in Afghanistan don’t get flack, yet [games] do. Whether it’s Red Badge Of Courage or The Hurt Locker, the media of its time can be a platform for the people who wish to tell their stories. Games are becoming that platform.
“Games have been set in Afghanistan before. We anticipated this [controversy] when we decided on the concept of the game – this is about being a special forces solider.
“What’s really important for us is that we partnered with the US military, and the Medal of Honor Society as well. We’ve gone out of our way to produce the best story for the game.
“The fact that it’s set in Afghanistan is the context, but the game is about you and your team going through a number of missions and feeling what it was like to be in a soldier’s position.
“That’s always been a Medal of Honor concept – we put you in the boots of a solider, whether it’s in the Pacific, Europe, Afghanistan; it’s always been the story of the solider.”
I say Kudos to EA for sticking to their guns.
It's about time people stood up to accusations levied from people with no idea of video games, let alone the interest, due to either baiest newspaper reports, ill-research or just plain pig-headdedness.
So my hat goes off to you guys.
Good. No one seams to have issues gunning down Germans over and over again (zombies do not qualify...no equal rights). The world is open game. It's what it is, It's what it is.
Brilliant that EA isn't surrendering its art just because some disconnected politician jumps on the Vaz bandwagon.
Looking forward to the game, knowing full well the talibahn forces won't have any affect on my experience whatsoever.
It's nice to see EA not backing down, especially on something that is not only a risk but a commercial risk.
Hopefully another step towards getting the video games industry a reputation they deserve.
Earned another sale here I think
In training scenarios, under the authority of, I must assume, Dr Liam Fox, do British soldiers take the part of Taliban troops? If so, surely, he should resign.
So, if this game should be banned because you can play as Taliban troopers? Shouldn't Transformers games be banned since you can play as the Decepticon's? Megatron is very evil, he wants to destroy the earth, yet people are fine you're able to play as him in a game. But people get pissy that you can play as the Taliban?
...politicians do.
I'm not a big fan of EA usually...but I think they're right not to buckle to the whims of politicians who balk at video games but happily send young men and women into war zones that they've created.
I'm finding that EA seem to be doing more to win back gamers (excluding that useless pass scheme) than most other big name publishers.
I've not bought a MoH game since the gamecube, but I might have to have a look at this for the state of fear that it has induced in the MP's
Hats off to EA for not bowing down to these stupid politictions. And agree with an earlier statement about gunning down the Germans over and over again, what is wrong with EA showing people other avenues of war, like what IW has done with modern warfare and MW2, cause if you note in them you also fight as others, but yet nothing has been said about them!
We have a real war going on right now. If you want to be a part of the real thing then I suggest you put the remote down and go join the military. Maybe then you would think twice! Soldiers are dying every single day so you can sit on your butt and play those games! Never forget, Always remember... FREEDOM ISN'T FREE!
Yes, there is a war going on. And like every single war, there are 2 sides to the coin. American soldiers are dying everyday, but so is the other side. You can't just look at one side and say its so sad that our soldiers are dying and their families are suffering. The other side's soldiers are human too, they have families and they suffer exactly the same way our soldiers do.
Good for EA for not submitting.
That Uk PM's a clown locked in a Pantry since WW2.
The gamers don't transform their owne world because a caractere in a game. In fact, any gamers play to do something else and find something they can't in their live. If that PM's thinking the game rule the mind of kids... He should understands: those kids in fact rule their videogames and they try to escape their OVERPROTECTING parents.
good for EA they should stand ou for them selfs video games need to be taken as siriously as books and movies. These lobiiest are getting away with to much.
It makes no difference to me as long as the children have a basic understand of the geopolitical situations. It is important to remind people that war is not fun or glamorous. It generally just boils down to our power people killing their poor people in the end. When examined at a basic level.
...These wars are created by the very people that are condemning the game...for their own selfish reasons(oil, heroine and political control) thousands of lives have been lost, on both sides so they should just shut up and be quiet...i only feel sorry for parents and relatives who have had to lose their loved ones, but have no empathy for politicians whose sons and daughters will, and have never gone to war whiles they encourage other people to join the army and engage in wars that have no meaning
