Medal of Honor Loses Multiplayer Taliban As EA Give Into Pressure

278
Richard Walker

EA has come to a decision amid increasing pressure and mounting controversy, to remove playable Taliban soldiers from Medal of Honor's multiplayer modes. The decision comes in response to the pleas of fallen soldiers' family and friends as well as building pressure from the military after the playable Taliban came to light.

Although the removal of Taliban forces in multiplayer will strip away some of the authenticity in multiplayer, and is a sort of admission of sorts by EA that it was wrong to include them in the first place (even if you happen to believe that it wasn't), it will take a great deal of heat off Medal of Honor, allowing the developer to focus on finishing the game.

Medal of Honor's Executive Producer, Greg Goodrich released a statement noting that there had been a lot of positive feedback on the game from the majority of people, but a great deal of concerned parties vocalising reservations with the inclusion of the Taliban had "earned the right to be listened to."

"We have also received feedback from friends and families of fallen soldiers who have expressed concern over the inclusion of the Taliban in the multiplayer portion of our game. This is a very important voice to the Medal of Honor team. This is a voice that has earned the right to be listened to. It is a voice that we care deeply about. Because of this, and 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 Medal of Honor multiplayer from Taliban to Opposing Force."

Goodrich went on to allay gamers' fears, stating that the change will in no way have an affect on Medal of Honor's gameplay or single-player story, inwhich the Taliban will still be the enemy. Goodrich concluded with a heartfelt note to soldiers who have served and are still serving overseas.

"To all who serve - we appreciate you, we thank you, and we do not take you for granted. And to the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines currently serving overseas, stay safe and come home soon."

Medal of Honor is due out on October 12th 2010 in the US and October 15th, 2010 in the UK and Europe.

[Via Kotaku]

Comments
278
  • Why..it's just a game.
  • Look out! The Opposing Force is after you!
  • It was only a matter of time. They took the best semantic approach they could to it.
  • I agree to #1!
  • Yeah, this is just insane, people need to stop crying and realize it's just a f'n game.
  • Makes sense, would be stupid having allied soldiers back at base killing people as taliban, and honestly those scumbags don't deserve the honor of being featured in a videogame. Can't wait to get killin them ;)
  • Damn!! i had dreamed of killing some Taliban militants(in a game) and now when i finally get a chance to they lay shit on me?
  • at 4 and 1. just look at south park 200 and 201, its just a tv show but comedy central/network still had to beat the WORD **********. i dont think its safe to say the name.
  • Im more concerned about paying for the online if you rent - some of us cant afford all these games and need to rent if thats the case im all for callo of duty and fookin this off -
  • That's for the best. The multiplayer doesn't need that level of authenticity.
  • they don't want u playing as taliban shooting us/uk troops but it's ok be us/uk and shoot taliban troops. as jimbob said, it's only a game.
  • This just gives strength to all those people that complain about anything related to video games. Now they know that if they complain enough and put enough pressure on they'll get their way.
  • I'm sure that everyone who complained about the ability to play as a Taliban probably weren't going to play the game in the first place and just wanted to make it worse for the people who knows its just a game and doesn't affect real life events.
  • Yeah but in a way you are supporting the Taliban, and even worse, killing United States soldiers (and all the soldiers from other countries). It is a little offensive that they would include the TALIBAN, which has claimed thousands of innocent lives and soldiers lives, it wouldnt be that hard to just create an opposing force that is still basically terrorists without giving the official title of taliban.
  • And to all you saying its just a game, have any of your loved ones lives been taken from you by terrorists? I didnt think so, try being a little sympathetic to the people who are truly affected (example: the children who have lost their fathers in war).
  • pac mans offensive to ghosts
  • 14...supporting... what!? Don't be so absurd. Am i supporting the locust when i'm playing gears of war? how about the Nazis when playing WAW?
  • @17, the locust arent real, and A you kill Nazis in WaW, and B soldiers bodies aren't still being flown back to their home country after being killed by Nazis, like they are for soldiers being killed by the Taliban . Think before you type! @16 your an idiot
  • americans always complain... i agree with #1... its just a game... like #17 said, what about the nazis?... they were worst at any point of view.
  • now im not getting this game i was thinkin about it b4 but now its not worth it cuz it caved i like games that stand up for there right to make a great game
  • I actually laughed when i read this. How pathetic is this? I know it isn't really a major issue taking it out, but c'mon are people that stupid, sensitive and offended that easily these days? It's only a game.
  • @#17 Don't forget that you are also supporting the Covenant Army when playing halo. Those filthy filthy aliens. :D I understand that it may offend people, but it is a game. Now if you were to go and add the names of fallen soldiers or soldiers still fighting over in the middle east we are talking about a different story. No one is out there using this game as way to say that anyones loss is funny. Most gamers don't see this is as I'm playing the Taliban against the US and other countries armies. They see it like a football player sees a game day. It's just my team vs the other team.
  • this is so stupid. changing the name doesnt change the reality of who you are playing as. agreed with 12. all it does is just give them more power. and to 15. these soldiers knew what they were getting into when they joined. shit happens.
  • Pussies! I don't hear all the covenant families crying because we can use marines in Halo.
  • Did you know that Frank West AND Chuck Greene are offensive to the families of the zombies they killed.
  • I thought my respect for EA couldn't get any lower....I was wrong.
  • @24 you know, it really isn't worth defending our countries from terrorists, so maybe no one should be a soldier. They knew what they were getting into yes, but it doesn't make their death less tragic
  • they should of just kept it a secret until the game was released
  • If they'd just called them generic terrorists in the first place like the Modern Warfares, all the bad pressure could've been avoided.
  • pathetic
  • it's funny how many people always complain about the soldiers who died in a war, but always forget the real victims: civilians! i think they should remove the american army from the game, they have killed alot of people too
  • And in other news, the "opposing force" have been completely replaced with fluffy bunnies.
  • For every step forward the video game industry makes companies like EA take two steps back. This is why video games will never be considered at the same level as movies.
  • @19 He did think, and then he gave his opinion. You can say that WWII is not an open wound, so it's okay to have Nazi's and Japanese soldiers slaughtering Americans (again and again, across every recent platform), but let's be real. People who still walk among us have lost fathers and grandfathers to that war, the death tolls are ridiculous, and yet veterans from that conflict (and the current one) come out to provide feedback and consultation for the games we play. CoD3 made you play as the "opposing force", nobody gave a shit. Those that have suffered loss are less affected by this than they are by the numerous articles speaking on how many more men & women died over there, they're not even going to play the game. This whole issue has done nothing but take the game out of the hands of soldiers who wanted to play it (hopefully, EA's recent decision will lead to Gamestop changing their current policy about the game on base).
  • And more breaking news the fluffy bunnies forces that #33 talked about will go against the protagonist fluffy kittehs.
  • 19... Regardless the Nazis were worse it that's possible. At least none of them could use the argument that they were just defending their homeland from an invader who themselves have killed many inocents (even if it is accidentally).. Do you not play as the Nazis in multiplayer? been a while since i played so can't 100% remember. The last war with them being long over is a valid point however there are still people around who lost family in the world wars. Would playing as the taliban be ok with you once the war is over then? how long after it finishes is ok to start making games?
  • What about Counter-strike?
  • @1 ditto, @ 23 so true lol
  • I find this the more disrespectful decision. I am very very dissapointed...
  • I'm split here. On one side, I also think it's just a game. But on the otherside, considering it's the 1st MoH that comes out in a long time and they want to be better than CoD, it's a wise choice to not put it in.
  • @jaysfan14 ur a fucking moron. i lost my brother and best friend over seas on the sameday, so dont u speak for everyone who has lost family and friends. ITS A FUCKING VIDEO GAME and i could care less that they were called the Taliban. people are complete idiots i swear
  • I believe it was all a hype to generate publicity for the game. Look at the publicity MW2 got for the airport level playing as a Russian terrorist. EA would of seen that and gone, what can we do to surround our game with that sort of controversy. As they said, the gameplay isn't any different, just the name Taliban, so the game doesn't lose anything really, Fuck call them Taliban if you want. They would of had to known the hype it would cause. Any publicity is good publicity.
  • BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! The people that complained about been able to play as the taliban are stupid. It's a game i've seen movies that are worse
  • You don't hear all the relatives/survivors of WW2 and Vietnam crying though, do you?
  • @6 ur a fucking moran I lost a brother and 3 friends in iraq an afgan, this I the right thing. Some of u are just heartless losers that know nothing of the subject. U don't think some fucked up littlekid somewhere is gonna say" humph I can be in the taliban?? THAT'S GREAT" if u don't then ur blind, kids mimic video games(dumb 1s) n always will. I know I don't want my kid playin as the taliban. This shouldn't even be a question, WE STILL AT WAR WITH THEM !!!! FUCKIN IDIOTS !!
  • oooooh, opposing force. threatening and imaginative. both traits are so indicative of EA
  • Don't hear people complain bout games where you kill Germans etc. Thats America for you, do what we want but don't do it back to us.
  • Now this is utterly pathetic. What don't call things by their name? So, Nazis, Japanese, and so on in previous MOH and COD games was fine, but taliban... Nooooooooooo!!!
  • #32 touche
  • bloody hell look at cod 4 and 6 do something about that.
  • So what if Iraqi citizens start complaining that someone in their family was killed by a marine, will they remove them? I don't think so. It's just a game.
  • jaysfan u had good points till u said we shouldn't protect ourselves from terrorists And it doesn't give them power, it take from it. Don't u think it would give them power when some little kid is playing as them screamin" kill the americans" And all of u tea swinling crumpet eaters, u also have soldiers being killed everyday by them, ur in their with us! Dumbasses
  • Don't get me wrong, I completely understand where people who have lost family/loved ones are coming from but they don't have to play the game. Its not insulting to them, no one moans about the Call of Duty World at War game because they lost people in the world wars. Its all part of our history. So I dont know why EA feel the need to cater for people who probably won't even end up playing the game. I mean, think about it. If you lost a family member in the Iraq/Afghan war, the last thing you are going to do is play a realistic FPS anyway. So why change it for those who want to play it?
  • but i wanna shoot Towel Heads
  • #46 its their own fucin fault. And little kids arnt gonna fucking go join the taliban because they played a game u twat
  • As usual the vocal minority get their way (95% would never have played the game anyway) wonder how long before the word Taliban gets banned from films as well (apart from in the context "let's kill some Taliban", etc).
  • i think people just want some thing to complain about, i have lost family and friends to the wars and i have learned to deal with it. if anything because of the one's i lost it makes me want to play the game more so when i play against them it gives me more drive to beat the taliban side. i see it as a game and to the people complaining get a life and make it your choice not to play the game.
  • Fucking pathetic, Ea. You spineless pricks are so scared of non-gamers that you alter your game for them? So can we remove the coalition forces aswell? They offend me, look at all the shit they've done. What's worse, innocent Iraqis and Afgahns being slaughtered by trained soldiers in a phony war or folk trying to defend their homeland from these foreign invaders? They're not all Muslim extremists, I know if my country was invaded I would be fighting for it, not a religion. You know what, make it up to us. Give us a mini-game where we look for all the evil stuff that we're in the country for and then explain why we're still playing the game shooting folk when we can't find any of the fucking stuff. Here's a little quote for some of the morons bound to read this and think bad things of me because they are too stupid to question their government. "One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter." " رجل واحد إرهابي هو الآخر الرجل المناضل من أجل الحرية."
  • Well this game is officially off my "to buy" list. The greatest aspect of this game was the fact that I could kill me some Taliban! Just another FPS now...
  • ive been deployed twice now and see nothing wrong with having the enemies in the game. as it is just a game. this is just showing how soft society is getting these days. AAFES (the on base walmarts) have already said they arent going to be selling this game. so it really wouldnt affect anyone who didnt really want the game anyways. its just another reason to bitch. i personally love playing as the bad guys. its a nice change of pace and there is a different excitement with it
  • It doesn't matter who they put up against the US we all know who it is suppose to be. So what does it really change. Yes soldiers are dying still but families should look at it as the story of the war being told so that it reaches everyone. And as far as young children playing parents should be watching what their kids play.
  • meh either everything is ok or nothing is OK, make a stand make a choice and stop pussying out of situations.
  • This is some bullshit.
  • EA doesn't respect anyone, they just don't wanna get sued.
  • #59 ur a fucking russian u knob no1 cares what you think
  • seems to be a catch 22 in opinion only. But the difference i can see between Nazi's and Terrorist's is that the MidEast welcomes them with open arms(or a large portion of the population does anyway) where as Germany has been trying to forget its past since WW2 has ended. @45 im sure 95% of Veitnam Vets are still pissed over that shit.
  • 46# sorry to hear about you family and friends but you dont need to bring on such a negative comment to a fellow x360a member. As for the kids part of your comment its rated 18, if anyone is too blame when a kid is playin this game would be the parents, yes we are still at war but it isnt really a war and it never was a war, its just an and was forever an invasion built by there/are own goverments. I would rather play a game as either the good or bad side cause im not an idoit, i know a pretty simple fact and that is when theres a fight going on dont join cause your life will be depending on other people, the worse for the gamers will just be a internet connection and a 12 year old kid shouting down the mic. you decide which one is the better outcome.
  • Holy shit your pixel hit his pixel you meany.
  • so I guess we should never see again Nazi in a games again. Nazi was way worse than Talibans. When your in the army , you can expect to loose people and friends. I feel sad for wives and childrens who lost their fathers or mothers but when your soldier you should expect that.
  • Nice Job EA. I will be buying this game now. Thanks for respecting the familes of fallen vets, who died protetcing my write to type this, or what ever I want.
  • Well this is most likely for the best. However, keep in mind that Nazi's killing Allied soldiers in games has been ok since the genre came about. In real life the Nazi's killed 1000's of times more Allied troops than the Taliban could ever kill. Yet no one seems to complain about that. There's really no difference. Regardless, I guess it's best to replace Taliban with opposing force.
  • @52...buy for evey 1 Iraqi who buys this game there will be 10,000 americans who buy it. $$$ controls everything.
  • #71 You fucking twat
  • "Because of this, and 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 Medal of Honor multiplayer from Taliban to Opposing Force." So everything is suppose to be all better now 'cause they just changed the name? Really? Wow people are really simple minded. What has come of this world? I mean there's really no difference, like in cod 4 the Taliban was called op for making it ok and "people friendly", yeah ok. I never saw the problem with this in the first place. It's a game for crying out loud.
  • Totally agree with the "Why" comments. It's a video game. It's been 10 years people, eventually, it's just another tragic event and will be the expense of many jokes anyway. In no way am I being insensitive but I'm not a supporter of the war/war in general anyway UNLESS we ever get attacked. There certainly are limits to what should be acceptable content and what can be overlooked as a piece of fiction. The whole controversy of "killing civilians" in MW2 was the biggest joke of all time. You can slaughter civilians in multiple other games in much more inhumane and disturbing ways AND be awarded for it. Where's all the Boo-Hoo Whiners there?
  • As a combat veteran myself I can sympathize with the gripe. But I'm on the fence with the decision. As a game programmer myself I know the difficulties of managing content and providing the best enjoyable experience. But I'm not without sympathy to fallen brothers. People need to understand that if a WWII game was being made while the war was still going on, plenty of people would be pissed. That's the issue, we are currently fighting Taliban in a war. Also, has it occurred to anyone that Taliban might use this game as a training exercise. If you think insurgents and terrorists don't play games, you're just naive to the world. What kind of message is being sent where terrorists everywhere can play as Taliban and win against allied forces. No company can afford that type of message in their product. Now I bet you're about to say "what about the other modern day shooters with present day situations". If you pay close attention, the enemies in other games are labeled as terrorists but under fictional titles. First rule in game design in most games is to declare the world not as our own. That frees up the limitations that a game can have. But when you create a game that is declared as realistic and set in our world, you have to follow the limitations of our world. So the decision is understandable, changing the name doesn't change the gameplay experience, and that's what people really give a shit about anyway. If you support the Taliban don't complain when they blow up your country.
  • Newsflash, #71 The people who are fighting out there and have died, don't give two shits about you, or your right to type whatever you want on a video game forum.
  • Really could care less. They will still look like the Taliban, call them whatever the hell you please. In 15-20 years, the name Taliban will be throughout games like the Nazis are now. People are just pissy because the war with the Taliban is still current.
  • I just tried to e-mail EA using their site and it said operation timed-out five times, I'm thinking someone doesn't want to be receiving e-mails right now that have the words Medal of honor in them.
  • Unbelievable. How is having the Taliban playable in multiplayer any more "offensive" than playing Germans in Call of Duty multiplayer? Is it just because we are currently in the fight against the Taliban, whereas WW2 is in the past? This is just flat out silly. People need to grow some thicker skin if they are getting offended by being able to play the terrorists in a VIDEO GAME.
  • We can't play as TALIBAN in Medal of Honor, But You can Play as Al Qaeda in CoD Modern Warfare 2, that's Garbage, C'mon it's just a game
  • Fuckin pussies i aint getting it now
  • FAIL FAIL FAIL FAIL FAIL FAIL FAIL FAIL FAIL FAIL FAIL....people who opposed this were nothing but retards that need to get over themselves....
  • didn't you guys forget? games are basically the equivalent of real life. so if you kill people in video games, it means you would do the same in real life..... FAIL
  • Name them "Taliban" and you get fucking yelled at.. make the look like Taliban and everything is ok. Seriously, that's stupid, and everyone knows it. The only people who have a problem with it are mothers who don't play the fucking game. If soliders are fine with it, then who gives a fuck? Stupid people are stupid. "I don't play video games, I just rant and make them change!"
  • I hate the US government. When i graduate Game design school im moving to canada. I just think America has become a bunch of greedy, white trash, Dick heads that are sue happy and want everything for free.
  • Wow! I'm going to have to side with EA on this one. The family and friends of fallen soldiers, soldiers currently fighting, and other personnel involved with the conflict in the Middle East have just the same amount of say in this as do we, the gamers. Possibly more due to certain circumstances. It would be a "slap in the face" to those people who have fought and died to even want to play as the Taliban, even if it is in a video game. Yes, EA could have thought of a better name than "Opposing Force," but they have taken a step in the right direction. And that is all I have to say about that.
  • taliban or not ...i pre-order it! btw: heil osama -.-
  • good posting #77
  • re comment 37: if you think the taliban are just "defending their homeland from an invader" then you have no clue at all. They are violent extremists. The phrase "one man terrorist etc" is outdated phrase, the french resistance didn't go to germany and blow up school bus or trains or behead civilians As for the game, I think EA wanted some free publicity for the game
  • @14,15,19,28.. shut up dude, seriously. who cares, its a game. I DONT CARE WHATSOEVER about anything you said, dont come back at me saying a bunch of stuff about , " oh you never had that.. ect". I would blaze you up in a match for just your comments @87 .. free stuff is cool, but everything else is so true.
  • Either way I want this game. But I do like the fact that they changed it. I know its just a game but being on a team called the taliban just wouldn't feel right
  • Bullshit!! It's a just a video game! I wonder how the russians feel about get their asses handed to them in every modern video game? I was looking forward to playing as the taliban and kicking the shit out of the so called "Allies", I think the Americans should be taken out because they are currently in a war that is going on as we speak, why do they get the right to be in this game? They're the fucking Nazis of the world, that Apache chopper gunner 40 minute video is still up on wikileaks showing them massacring those innocent tea towel heads in Afghanistan.. oh yeah let's shoot a little girl while we're at it.. "Well it was her fault for being there", they have the worse attitude on the planet! I WANT THEM BANNED FROM MoH! Tea Towel Heads should fight for their right!
  • lol if changing the name fixes whatever problem the people had. does it not occur to them that it is not real and is essentially meaningless. i mean the models look the same, they act the same but heck the names different so thats ok! drama queens
  • Totally agreed, 95. It's ridiculous masquerade. As if changing the name changes everything, it's just fooling ourselves. Everyone knows who you will be fighting anyway. Unless they make Taliban look like Covenants, lol.
  • So, it was okay that we could fight as Japanese in WaW. Oh yea, that war is over. So it's okay that we can fight as fictitious Afghan insurgents in CoD4. Oh right, "fictitious". So, it's okay that we play as Dark Siths in SW games. Oh, again, not real. This is THE biggest bullshit joke I've heard... maybe ever. Pressure from what? The US Government? "Rights" groups? Lefts groups? Middle groups? Taliban? Muslims? Hey, why not that... where was the bowing to pressure from Muslim groups to take out the "killing of Allah's warriors"? Where was the pressure from Jewish groups when you could play AS Nazi soldiers in WW2 MP shooters? So what does the MP consist of? US soldier killing US soldier? So... THAT is better? Apparently so. I never expected EA to buckle, but apparently I was wrong. I guess we need to just stick to wars US won (sorry about the upcoming Vietnam Battlefield... US sure as shit didn't win that), or Future wars against "fictitious" enemies. :rolleyes: (yea, I know they aren't here)
  • What a fucking joke. Who gives a flying fuck what the name of the playable characters are. From the news, it appears as if everyone who has a problem with "The Taliban Game" as they call it, are old and have never played a game in their life. I bet they have never even looked into it, they just heard that and said, "oh, EA is coming out with a taliban game! This is insane. We have to stop this atrocity at once!". These newscasters are so fucking stupid, they need to actually do some research into what they are talking about. This is what always happens when the news tries to talk about video games. Just like that "Hooker killing game", also known as Grand Theft Auto. The game is not about killing hookers, it is just something that happens to be in the game. Idiots.
  • Bad move. I you let anyone one thing get banned or removed because of pressure, then more and more things will be banned and eventually video games will collapse. EA shame on you for not having some fucking courage to stand up for your IP.
  • All they did was change the name. Whats the big deal. EA has no balls.
  • Wow, some people simply cannot deal with reality and it's quite sad... Even when said reality is only put into a friggin' video game.
  • Are you shitting me?! Grow some balls EA! The only thing that has changed is a text saying that you are playing as a Taliban, the character models and language are still the same, so basicly you are still playing as Taliban:/
  • If this is a problem, why wasn't Clint Eastwood directing Letters from Iwo Jima stopped? It's about World War II and it's in the Japanese perspective, so by these standards it was a bad idea! However it was a great movie, and it went through just fine. Games like Grand Theft Auto (which I love) and Mafia II, etc. Any game that lets you kill "innocent people" should be banned by this standard. However that is fucking ridiculous, and those games should never be banned. They are fictional games and are great games at heart. For them to ban something fictional like this is stupid. It hearkens back to the banning of Tom Sawyer, etc.
  • my oldest brother (who IS in the national guard) said that its fine if they have taliban in the multiplayer....just as long as everyone doesnt think that the taliban is all good and everything and thinks HIGHLY about the taliban. EA is right for saying it takes away from the authenticity
  • EA for saying that taking the taliban out of the multiplayer****
  • Good thing soldiers fight to keep are freedom and the right put talibans in video games ohh wait
  • Its a sad day when we cant play as talibans :(
  • Fair enough, fallen soldiers should be honoured. But seriously, this is only a game! It is supposed to help us remember their sacrifices, not taboo them!
  • Everyone has the right to get shot.. I mean, russians and americans get killed in bc2 and mw2, africans in farcry2, so why cant the talibans bite the bullet aswell? farcry dealed with something very real, the blood diamonds, and i dont recall anyone getting pissed over it (correct me if im wrong).
  • @53 i was being sarcastic. I was implying that if every soldier thought "hey I could die" then we wouldn't have a military. Im not going to lie, I am really suprised at how many people are mad about this. But it does show how arrogant and ignorant the average person is. I am in the military and my dad immigrated from the Czech Republic during the Soviet invasion. I guess I was just raised to be grateful for our freedoms. These soldiers gave up their lives for this country and you guys want to play as the taliban? I dont get it. I am not saying this game is going to make anyone who plays it want to kill American soldiers, but I am saying that we should honor the men and women who defend us.
  • And btw, more innocent Afghanis or Iraqis die from suicide bombers than American missle strikes. So the fact is, these terrorists are everyones enemy, not just ours. So whoevers saying that we are the bad guys need to get their facts straight
  • It was ok to kill U.S. troops with Russian troops in Battlefield 2 though.... I have some cheese for that whine.
  • oh well doesnt make the game any worse..
  • This is aimed at all u people who think this is joke these soldiers who have been killed put their lives on the line for their country seriously and if it wasnt 4 them puttting their lives on the line u cud b in danger but no u just sit there and take it for granted u shud b a shamed of yourselves i live near place where all the soldiers who have been killed get carried through and if u got a problem with ea i wud like u to go up to someones family who has lost someone to the tallerban u tell them what u think and it wouldnt suprise me if they hit u cuz u deserved it
  • @114 so you mean its only soldiers from US that dies in wars ? In every fps game you play as an american soldier i want some change and for once play as some other soldier from another country. As an example you cant play as a german soldier in a campaign because they are "nazis". I would love to play from some other countrys point of view, isnstead of US,england and russia as always.
  • @110 We don't want to be taliban to kill american soldiers or discrase their memory, we just feel that the game should be as realistic as possible.
  • @114 totally agree. I dont understand why people on this site can be so unsympathetic.
  • This whole thread is pathetic. What a bunch of keyboard warriors. It's a simple name change in multiplayer, that's all. I'm sure if you try hard enough you can exchange 'Opposing force' to 'Taliban' in your minds when playing online. Stop your pissing and moaning, it's bloody sad.
  • @115 no i am not im not fuckin american i am ENGLISH i understand what u r saying but the nazis were sick indivdiduals
  • @119 Yeah they were but so was the Russians and we can still play as them :). Over 100 millions people died thanks to the communists. Everyone has the right to freedom of speech but i think that should apply to games aswell.
  • @85 yes, video games are like real life... thank god real life has respawn. you idiot.
  • Yes I agree it is just a game but at the same time you have to consider the people whos lives have been torn apart by the taliban and how it would effect them to see them portrayed in a positive light. I think all in all its the right decision because does the name of the characters really effect the quality of the gameplay? Not for me i just enjoy shooting them.
  • Ok, so Taliban is out of multiplayer so cry baby military families who were never gonna play the game could be happy. Do they not realize win the single player game that your American AI squad mates will be getting killed by Taliban and when you play on harder difficulties there is a really good chance you'll be killed by the Taliban as well? Soldiers are born to die. If you don't want to die for your country then don't join the military. People who look at it as an easy way to get money for college or whatever don't belong in it. It's for those who WANT to serve their country.
  • This is BS if you ask me... As if those Taliban soldiers don't have a family back home huh...?? So you can just shoot them without a problem but the other way around!? HELL NO!! Oow and for those who didn't notice yet, it is a videogame... and nobody is forcing you to buy it. And at those who are saying stuff like you don't know what it is like to lose somebody and that you shouldn't say that it is just a game. For a fact, I did lose a close friend of mine in Afghanistan but you people need to see the difference between what is real and what is fiction! Of course it is f*cked up to lose people you love in something stupid called war but for some reason we can't live in peace altogether on this goddamn planet. Bother about something else than just a couple of freaking characters in a game... JEEZ!!
  • Taliban should be changed to Evil-Doers....Not Opposing Force.
  • @124 I cant tell of you are serious or not. First of, the Taliban doesn't have soldiers, they have terrorist who blow themselves up to take as many people with them as possible. Second, I don't think they really do have families. Most let their hatred consume their lives, and they dont give a **** about their families, who probably hate what they are doing anyway.
  • @112 you are a treasure my good sir "I have some cheese for that whine" well done sir well......done *CSI Miami themetune starts*
  • Taliban was the only thing slightly interesting about this game
  • @126 I can assure you that I'm serious. I'm not saying that what those Taliban guys are doing is correct or anything. But they think they are fighting for a better cause as well, otherwise they wouldn't do those kind of things. We call them terrorists but they might think the same about us... As hard as it is, you need to look at it from both sides. Their families might not like what they are doing but they aren't exactly stopping them either, are they? They just have different reasons for why they are fighting, probably ones we'll never understand because we can't... and also because we don't want to.
  • At the end of the day your still playing as the Taliban, there just call Opposing Force. When I play COD with mates they always says play as "the Taliban"
  • :(
  • modern warfare called it op-for, but we all knew what it was, they might as well just redo all the models to make them criminals in facemasks over their eyes and striped clothes so we dont offened people of arab decent
  • I don't know why people made such a big deal about this whole thing. I personally don't care what the enemies are called whether it be Taliban or Opposing Force. It is like the whole resident evil 5 controversy with the infected africans. People take these games way to seriously.
  • @110 So, do you think it is dishonoring to WW2 vets that we can pop in Call of Duty (Or any other WW2 game, including previous Medal of Honor games), go to multiplayer and play as the Germans? Yes, the Taliban are the bad guys, but so were the Germans. It adds a sense of realism. This MoH is supposed to be in out present day Afgan, fighting our present day enemy. I don't see what is disrespectful or offensive in saying that the Taliban should be the MP bad guys as well as in the SP.
  • So the taliban are bad but Nazi's are perfectly fine then? Bloody ridiculous pandering to sensationalism.
  • Edit: Stupid lack of an edit button for our comments. I meant to say "our present day Afgan", not out.
  • I played this today at Eurogamer, the only way you could know they were the Taliban is by the way they looked. It is completely unnecessary to take them out of the game.
  • no matter what they change the enemy to, we'll still be killing US soldiers when we play multiplayer. re-dick-you-lus.
  • Wat about all the little afghan or iraq children who have lost their fathers to americans. Plus they cant even play the game in the first place. Come on america think about the world as people not pawns in a chess game as u try and consume the world.
  • @74, 78 You assholes have something to talk about or just here trolling? Don't agree with what I say? then give me reasons why...otherwise stop trolling you fags.
  • @53 Kids shouldn't play a M rated game... For those saying "what about the krauts and etc...", remember EA is AMERICAN, and that's how the world works. Oh, and for the super-patriots just one word: Hiroshima http://doarcuvinte.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/hiroshima_victim-survivor.jpg&imgrefurl
  • So, let me get this straight...it's ok for the Taliban to be shooting at us in this game...as long as it's the computer that is controlling them, not other players?...I have to ask, WHAT THE HELL IS THE DIFFERENCE?
  • Wow.... EA just proved to the world that they are a bunch of little bitches. This game sucks and I personally wasn't gonna get it. Multiplayer felt like a watered down Battlefield cause of DICE making it. And now they do this shit? Pathetic. I'll stick to Halo: Reach thanks.
  • Yep. Definitely not getting this now. I wanted to play as the Taliban so bad, I wanted to show the Virtual Americans who is the true leaders of the world, I wanted to pour out virtual blood, but playing as an "Opposing Force" just isn't the same.... Opposing Force can be anyone against the U.S, such as Russia, China, North Korea, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc, etc, etc.
  • Should have been America Vs. America
  • WOW I just picked up fifa 11 and I have to say I am deeply offended by the violent nature of the game. I can slide tackle Christiano Ronaldo and injure him. What kind of message does this send to the kids? Soccer injuries have increased 2374% since fifa came out. Its getting ridiculous. Why can't EA just go along with the magical world I live in in my head where there are no soccer injuries and no taliban?
  • didnt we technically play as or against "taliban" in call of duty? i mean i thought those guys were the taliban yet we bitch about this? Whatever either way i think its overkill, i only see this as a the government may have threatened to pursue..."extreme measure" to get them to change it.
  • EVERYBODY RUN!! The Taliban, ohh no, i mean the Opposing Force are coming. No matter what you call them your still able to play as the Taliban, Medal of Honor is an authentic shooter and EA giving in too everyone whining about the name of the terrorists takes away a bit of the games authenticity. I mean, There are tons of games out there where you can play as Nazi's, but no-one complains about that.
  • I'll wait for the patch that puts the characters back in. Or better yet, turn the Taliban characters into angry housewives who have no idea that it's JUST A GAME!
  • As a soldier who was deployed to Afghanistan in 01 and 02 and several more times during the Iraq war in 03 until 09 I can see the argument from both sides of the fence. I've lost friends in Afghanistan and Iraq and to me EA calling the 'Opposing Force' the Taliban is just a name, they are not telling you that you have to believe in what they think, say, read or do. It's a simple title for the group. As for the families who are upset I honestly do feel for their loss and I understand it can be offensive but it is in the end just a game. Another point of interest while reading the posts. I can't remember off hand but they said something to the effect "If you can kill in a game you are capable of killing for real." I won't call them a name but I think they need to grow up. Killing is nowhere near the same in reality as it is in game, there are real consequences and even though I don't need to point it out there are no 'Respawns' or 'Checkpoints' to revert to in a real war so you can't suddenly decide you don't want to have to kill someone after you do and suddenly realize there are serious and complex emotions involved. Some will argue that is what you are trained to do, is kill. That is not even true. You are trained to survive and adapt to your environment and then to not die. I wish I could remember who said this quote. "War is like a disease, violence is a symptom, the enemy the illness and the soldier is the cure. The side effect is always the same death."
  • Wow....jut wow. I have so much I could vent but it'd be pointless because people are just stupid. It's just the name to a group, settle down people it's not like they get you to do rituals in multiplayer or anything.
  • im not meaning to stir up any old shit here but since i was a little kid ive grown up shooting nazis on video games and some u even play as nazis did any of those games call them opposing force no why because its a fucking game im sick of this political correct bullshit we have a saying in australia if its political theres a good chance it aint fucking correct!!!!! lol
  • @145 Civil war games are SOOO boring...
  • people know its just a game but i wouldnt feel good shooting us/uk as the taliban. its just a respect thing, so everyone who says this is a gay decision STFU have a little respect for the people who've lost family with the taliban
  • Sorry but the people complaining were not ever going to buy the game. For the people the were planning on purchasing, they most likely will stil purchase this even with this change. So EA rides the talks about these rants and gives in right before launch for some free publicity. Nice move EA. Thanks for giving more power to these groups and individuals that look to remove anything "controversial" from our entertainment. The same type of people that bitched about the color of the infected in Resident Evil 5. When are these people going to understand that this is a form of art. Whether we are talking about a TV show, movie, comic book or other forms of literature. You have no right to limit this. If this were a book written from a Taliban point of view, would it be removed from the shelves? I am a Patriot and understand what these guys are doing for us over there. But they are fighting for the very thing that is slowly being taken away on the back end...OUR FREEDOM.
  • Fist of all, I am an American soldier. @ 78: You are wrong. I didn't join the Army because I want to go to Afghanistan or Iraq. I didn't join the Army because I want to kill people. I joined the army because I love the United States its NATO allies. I joined EXACTLY FOR THE REASON that I give more than two shits about every single one of you. @ everyone who wonders why soldiers join, here's why: I love the freedoms that we have in the West, the fact that we can all live our lives in relative peace, the fact that the thing that worries us most at any given point in time is a discussion over the name of a MULTIPLAYER TEAM IN A VIDEOGAME. That's nice, isn't it? Thank your NATO armies and your Western governments for that, and thank whatever you believe in for a higher power that you weren't born in Afghanistan or one of these countries many of you seem to admire so much, because chances are you wouldn't have the luxury of having this discussion if you didn't live in a country with freedoms and rights protected by a rule of law and an organized military. @ Those of you who sympathize with innocent civilian lives lost. It is right to do sympathize. Those lives should not have been lost. It is TRAGIC whenever innocent life is snuffed out. We should respect the families whose loved ones were unintentionally caught in the crossfire. However, we must also respect the soldiers who have lost their lives trying to carry out a largely humanitarian mission for the Afghan and Iraqi people. I'VE BEEN THERE. We have given millions and millions of dollars in aid to the people of both countries, built them schools, developed farms for them, and invested in their infrastructures. American soldiers and their allies NEVER, except in the rarest instances, open fire or attack anyone in these countries unless they are threatened directly. The few exceptions to this rule which I am sure you have all read about in the news are soldiers who will be punished severely because the Army, the United States, and NATO take every possible precaution to not harm innocent civilians. Very Sadly, it is impossible to prevent all civilian deaths, especially when the people we fight against like to shoot at us while they use their "children", "friends" and "family" as human shields or decoys. ALL lives lost, except of the aggressors (The Taliban and Al-Qaeda), should be mourned and respected. @ Those of you who think the US and her NATO allies are trying to "take over the world", I have two points for you. 1) That world would undoubtedly be better than the one the people of Afghanistan and Iraq currently live in. Just compare your lives to those of the average middle-eastern family. You probably have a house, a TV, a kitchen, a bed.....you live a life of luxury compared to the people in these countries who, because of their corrupt rulers and violent, tribal ways of life, have almost nothing. 2) You are wrong. No where in the mission of NATO forces does it state that the objective is to "Conquer" any country at the present time. Instead, NATO forces build these people schools and homes, and bring them clean water and electricity and money every day. We are not at war with Afghanistan or Iraq as many of you seem to believe. We are not at war with the Afghan or Iraqi people. We are at war with the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. Our mission is not to conquer the world, or even to conquer the two countries we are currently involved with, but to protect the people of the world, INCLUDING the people of Afghanistan and Iraq, from extremist groups such as Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. With that said, to those of you who know nothing about the military except what you see in movies, play in video games, or read on the BBC, CNN, FOX News and Facebook.....go educate yourselves on what Soldiers from ALL NATO COUNTRIES (the US is only one of MANY countries involved) do in Afghanistan and Iraq every day. Finally, to the point of this discussion: Personally, I do not have a problem with the Taliban being included in a video game because it is just that, a video game. Most adults should be smart enough to differentiate between reality and fiction. On the other hand, why SHOULD EA call them the Taliban? Why does it matter? Why even discuss it? IT IS JUST A GAME NO MATTER HOW YOU LOOK AT IT. Whether they are the Taliban, Al-Qaeda, or the Evil Llama Zombie People, you will still play the same way, and it will still just be a game. It really doesn't matter either way because ITS NOT REAL.
  • @156 you own
  • I never hear any complaints about playable nazi's, zombies, american indians or the like. Those are offensive too, you know. I'll make you a deal EA: keep the taliban in the multiplayer I will buy a copy of this game even though I want nothing to do with it otherwise. =]
  • I really don't get this, I can understand to an extent why some familys could feel bad about this, but this is just plain stupid. People have played as enemies used to "represent" the taliban, we've played as the Nazi's ect. why should this be treated differently?
  • I am the only whom sees that this is a FICTIONAL GAME.
  • @ 160, #157 and #156 agree with you.
  • @ 160, what I meant by that is that we agree that it is a fictional game, not that you are the only one who thinks so :)
  • I no longer have any reason to buy this game.
  • @ #150, you said the other half of what I was thinking in #156. Couldn't have said it better myself. @ #157, thank you. you own, too.
  • @156 and @150, preach fellow brothers in arms, preach.
  • Sooo... the funny thing is that EA doesn't give a damn about any of this except as it translates to dollars. Short term PR and a potential sales boost due to the novelty vs. long term reputation damage and a sales loss due to boycotting. You know it's true...
  • heh heh heh does that mean a towlieban is in effect?
  • fuck u america
  • @150 and 156 - Those are exactly my thoughts. And everyone is freaking out about the game losing its accuracy, but is Gears of War, Halo, or GTA very realistic? No And @42, im sorry for your losses, but dont talk to me like im shit. Just because you dont find it offensive doesnt mean no one does.
  • I only just made the connection that the Op For from CoD4/MW2 is short for Opposing Force....
  • lol they only a ragheads! who cares! fucks sake the armed forces who join up and died its not my problem they wanna act all mr big with a gun i am, they deserve it! sooner the troops from uk/usa/aus ect ect are home i could not giva fuck who dies! pointless war! dont blaim the taliban for the deaths of our soldiers blame the goverments!
  • People are too sensitive these days. It's a game for fuck sakes
  • i can understand the opposition by certain groups to callin the opposition "the taliban", maybe EA should have considered that prior to production of the game. but regardless people playing the game are still going to consider the "op for" a terrorist group, the damage is done in that respect. off the main point i am a little disapointed that EA caved to public pressure (regardless of the nature) because, as others have pointed out, it only give public and other small minded groups a reason to moan about other games, the HUGE and pointless debate over Mass Effect comes to mind.
  • So let me get this straight... how many German Nazi's have been killed in the last how many Call of Duty games? No one complained there. During that era, the Nazi's were the "bad guys". In the most recent war against terrorism, the Taliban are the "bad guys". And we're going to take out Taliban because it hurts someones feelings. The game is set in a current setting with modern type warfare. As an American, I have to say... America cares too much about other peoples feelings and not their own. This country has seriously lost it's priorities and morals. Goodbye. We give how much money away, adopt, feed, clothe and sponsor how many starving people all over the world? We have starving people in America! Homeless people! Who are we to help anyone when we can't even help ourselves!? Good Lord. Sorry about that... I'm off my soap box now. Elections are coming up and I'm aggravated. Back on topic. For crying out loud, it's a game! Then again... there are the idiots who think games are real.
  • Dumb dumb dumb. How are some virtual people more offensive than the fact we're still in a war we never should've started, and Bush and friends still havent been punished?
  • At the end of the day, all they've done is change the name to "Opposing Force". The characters still look the same, and your still fighting in an area that looks like Afghanistan, people will know where they are and what they're fighting as, but it won't make any difference. For me, and hopefully most gamers on here, the gameplay is the most important part, not what the names of the factions are. EA made themselves an easy target, but this is a kick in the teeth for freedom of speech with the gaming world.
  • @14 Are you for real i mean the USA never kills innocent people do they ( hence the USA army serial killer) One mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter. Maybe i should take offense to playing as a USA soldier because they keep killing the British troop with friendly fire. EA acts like it gives a shit when it really doesn't its all just hype and headlines
  • Here's my question.... If all a sudden they decided to remove the Taliban from the game... How the hell they gonna get it on the streets by October 12th?
  • @156 Well said. Thank you for defending our freedom. How easily the Europeans forget WWII...with the Nazi's taking over Europe. I'm sure they weren't saying F*** America. everyone else can go sit on your thumb and smell it.
  • @#178 they would rename them as something else, they just wont be labeled Taliban.
  • In this country, the bible pushers somehow keep winning.
  • Oh jeez
  • comments section is ridonkulous
  • @181 how is this bible pusher related? i dont see how.
  • y take it out. lets not forget the Modern Warefare 2 level where u kill people in the airport, they didnt take that out, yes they made it where u can skip it but still it was there.
  • @ 14. So, nuking Hiroshima was a justifiable move? Thousands upon thousands of Japanese CIVILIANS died because of those 2 nukes, all done by the USA. It's hardly surprising that the USA have the highest friendly fire rate in the World though is it? And yet they STILL think they're above it all.. @ 174. Same could be said for the other Power 5 in the World. Willing to pay for all those other suffering yet we have the same problems right on our doorstep. Back on topic: We've killed Nazis and Japanese loads of times but you don't see them coming out and saying "OMG!! THAT IS SO WRONG!! BAN THAT GAME!!!" do you? I can understand why families would want it to be banned but it's a game at the end of the day and everything in it is fictional. Only an idiot would believe it was real.
  • This is dumb. Follow the logic: Family died in Afghanistan? No more Tailiban. Family killed by drive-by? There goes half of GTA. Death from lung cancer? There go Solid Snake's cigarettes. Died of old age? NO MORE TIME LIMITS! I'm offended when we kill robots in games because as soon as the robots revolt, I'm gonna join the military to fight them? Damn you, game developers for enabling our eventual cybernetic overlords! EA, quit caving in to moronic special interest groups who are doing nothing but HELPING the Taliban by allowing their attacks to influence the way America operates.
  • If I'm not mistaken some games were banned in other countries. (Russia, China,...) I think games should be as realistic as possible but always not related to existing conflicts, better yet, have fictional groups/organisations/events. Honestly I don't care if I can't impersonate Hitler, Taliban soldier, USMC, whatever,... As long as the game is good and has an original storyline. I even felt bad playing MOH:AA storming Omaha beach. lol Conclusion: realistic environment/ weapons/..., fictional ethnic groups/story. Just my 2 cents, let the flame begin/continue
  • Huh,you know I just realized? That Call of Duty's Op For is short for Opposing Force. Op For = Opposing Force OT: I couldn't care less, it's still at the core U.S vs Taliban.
  • I am just amazed at the idiocy of this thread. I think the real reason no one is ever going to take games as a serious art is looking at a thread like this and seeing MOST, not all, of the arguments one way or another are horribly put together thoughts and sentences with horrid grammar and spelling and even worse attempts at humor (not the content of said humor, just quality). Sure, argue that grammar and spelling isn't that important and then argue that video games are an art, that will get everyone on your side. Then one of the early comments that the poster said they can't afford to play everything so they're going to rent: EA and every other game company doesn't give a damn about your opinion. You're not paying THEM to play a specific game, so they couldn't care less what your opinion on it is. If you think any game company is any different at the end of day, you've got a nice fictional look at corporations. As for the topic at hand, it is a bit sad that EA caved to the pressure, but how is this going to change gameplay? They did say it isn't changing anything in singleplayer mode, so you can still "kill" Taliban. Some of the same people arguing that it shouldn't matter if the opposing force in multiplayer is named the Taliban or not decided because of EA giving in to the pressure you're going to not purchase it? Hypocritical much? That's all from me. I'm sure I'll get some flak about this, but really, what does it matter? It's a game. We sure do get riled up over a decision on something we labeled as "just a game."
  • @6 you are a sadistic jerk. You want to slaughter others in a video game, but fidget at the mere word "Taliban". "honor of being in a videogame" LMAO. you cant be serious. What are you going to do, quit everytime the game switches you to the Taliban (or Opposing Force now)? Retard.
  • @15 They're not "terrorists" when you are over in Afghanistan killing them in the millions. They are the insurgency, more properly known as Taliban. If anything, we have more reason to censor "US Army Rangers" and just make it a generic "Allies".
  • @188 amen to that man! You can imagine them as the Taliban while you're playing the game if you guys want to. None of this won't affect the game itself so I'm still gettng it.
  • Dear EA here are your options either you have both a censored and a uncensored copy of MOH or Have a free DLC of our choosing censored or not. I'm frustrated now of what i'm hearing and it's not good at all for you guys come October 12, I will Not get my copy of the game that I have already pre ordered 3 (copies btw) and I will not BUY any of your games anymore. This shit is mindless and you should stay out of the fucking game industry period.
  • Damn, good news. Now they'll actually sell the game over in Germany where I'm stationed.
  • Im not gettin it now. I wanted to do some suicide bombing :)
  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kelmEZe8whI watch this and then tell me who is doing the wrong thing. I HATE AMERICANS AND ALWAYS WILL!!! (except for the dude in this vid for actuall y telling the truth) I have no remorse for any american that dies in this war......I wish the taliban was still in this ggame :(
  • i also like the americans that are for peace not war!!!!!!!!!!
  • Americans... -.-
  • @196,197,198 We aren't all like that. Way to be a triple posting troll BTW. You are a piece of trash.
  • 199 has it spot on...... Americans -.-
  • Did we support comunism by getting world at war?did we support socialism by buying it?no. do we support the murder of christians because we get assains creed 2?i love how in the single player u can kill the taliban, way to be 2 faced. wont buy or recommend this to anyone.
  • Don't start turning this thread into American bashing. It's a fight that's never going to end.
  • This. Is. Bull. Litteraly EA, hang your heads in shame for giving in. Ea you were gaining popularity again. You have just undone everything that you have worked towards in my mind with this. Ea clearly care more about sales than anything else. I honestly thought that this company had turned a new leaf, and here we are. So much respect lost.
  • @186 the nuking of hiroshima was wrong and our government knows it. Why do you think we haven't used one since then. And as for the friendly fire thing, we also have the highest number of soldiers in the Middle East, so that would increase the number of friendly fire occurences. Unless you can quote the actual statistic, you cant really push that point.
  • Correct me if I'm wrong but Talibans are also humans and have familys. IMO: The US is no better then any other terrorist group.
  • EA needs to see a chiropractor to deal with this new spine issue.
  • Yes it's sad that these families lost their loved one's but in all honesty, this is bullshit. It's just a shit double standard, I mean it's perfectly okay to reference Nazi Germany, The Vietcong and Soviet Russia, but the Taliban is a no go zone? Fuck you middle-class conservative America, you do ruin everything with your ignorance.
  • @156 and whoever calls him a mighty US soldier? What the hell are yu doing in the first place on the otherside of the world, not diggin' for petrol I assume?? No you are freein' Iraqies or Afghans from bad people!! Well there are more countries which need help, why you do not even mention their names, your people only know Iraq and Afghanistans, why? They have the best strategic places in the middle east?? they have petrol reserves, hmmm yes.. and they have so many problems so you can easily march into their countries, take control and stay there forever, in the mean time (may be not you but) your colleagues, kill innocent people for fun, rape them, make pictures and fun of them, dont tell me that's BS, we have only seen few examples of your freak colleagues, I am sure there are more!! Ans why your youth joins army, I got the answer!!! not for mighty US, coz those of you can not get a decent job in your own country, so you go to army for 4 years, for say 90000x4= 360.000 USD and leave with it for the rest of your life!! So when you sell your body and soul, you can not whine about a stupid name in the game!! you want the fight, you get it!! US created Taliban anyway, those guys have no money but shoot at you with US weapons, how do they get those guns?? I will buy that game and no matter what they call Taliban, we will all know we will be playin as Taliban even it is Toriban, Taliwhoever..
  • Oh no! Not virtual taliban pixels! What ever will these evil geniuses behind video games think of next?!
  • I'll have to agree with : Comment #174 by Ingles Friday, October 01, 2010 @ 10:03:17 PM So let me get this straight... how many German Nazi's have been killed in the last how many Call of Duty games? No one complained there. During that era, the Nazi's were the "bad guys". In the most recent war against terrorism, the Taliban are the "bad guys". And we're going to take out Taliban because it hurts someones feelings. The game is set in a current setting with modern type warfare. As an American, I have to say... America cares too much about other peoples feelings and not their own. This country has seriously lost it's priorities and morals. Goodbye. We give how much money away, adopt, feed, clothe and sponsor how many starving people all over the world? We have starving people in America! Homeless people! Who are we to help anyone when we can't even help ourselves!? Good Lord. Sorry about that... I'm off my soap box now. Elections are coming up and I'm aggravated. Back on topic. For crying out loud, it's a game! Then again... there are the idiots who think games are real.
  • Except one thing all of you fail to see, we make games from WW II and u can play as the germans online and the japanese, ummm they killed more people of allied forces than the taliban. So basically its saying in like 50 years it'll be ok to make games about the taliban and stuff because its in the past. IMHO i thinks its pretty stupid, theres still WW II veterans around today and do they complain about WW II games where you are germans killing americans and such.
  • oh, so let's remove all nazis from ww2 games and pretend it never happened. let's change history because everything that happened is inappropriate...
  • no offence to the yanks or whatever its jsut a f***in game, its not a threat or whatever its just entertainment for god sake ya no? man ppl gotta get a life!.
  • Yeah, WTF? WWII games feature Nazi soldiers complete with swastika emblems and all killing American forces. Just because that was a long time ago doesn't make it any different. It's just a video game.
  • completely guttered who are going to be the bad guys to fight~??????
  • T0#46 war is over WTF its only a game if you take video games that serious then don't play the game. EA you are pathetic for giving in.
  • @110, It is more of an issue of censorship for me, I respect our soldiers, but the list of what freedoms they are defending just got a bit shorter. Freedom of speech really isn't a freedom in America anymore. @211 Any many of the homeless in America are veterans from Iraq, Afghanistan, or Vietnam. Why are we helping those change the name of a virtual enemy force, while letting those who actually fought for our freedoms suffer on the streets. "More than 400 veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have turned up homeless" - NYTIMES from 2007.
  • *and many
  • You play as Nazis in Call of Duty multiplayer. Are the Jewish making a big deal out of that? Stupid contemporary sensibilities.
  • Just finished reading the article in full.... All they're doing is renaming a faction? How fucking stupid. If the gameplay didn't change in the slightest, what's the big change there? There is none. A big deal over nothing. @218: We've never had freedom of speech from each other. Our amendments protect us solely from our government, and not from each other. The gov't didn't force this to happen, so this has nothing to do with "freedom of speech rights." I personally don't believe in any way that killing a pack of pixels labeled "American" would be dishonoring at all. It's a video game.
  • If it's really bad for them, then what about the movies? Just saying...
  • EA = cowards
  • @47 "We" who? I'm not at war with anyone. Let's not personalize foreign policy.
  • The ridiculousness of this bullshit astounds me. This is a game, not real life. What happened to freedom of speech? So now freedom of speech applies to games such as this only if we are the good guys? I am twenty years old and am in my first year of Game Development at Fullsail University. Doing this not only takes way from the freedom to express ourselves as we see fit, but can alos lead to excuses in later games. So are you telling me in Dante's Inferno that we shouldn't go to hell because some people believe that there is only a heaven? Because they find it offensive to their beliefs? Are you telling me that I shouldn't play Sonic because hedgehogs aren't blue with super speed abilities and it's appalling to see it that way? Should I not go back and play Duck Hunt because PETA thinks that all animals should have the same rights as humans? This is just simply yet another excuse to sensor even more of American culture than they already have. My stepfather was in the Marines for over 15 years. My grandfather was in the Navy for over 20 years. If you've lost a loved one in some way, shape or form to an act of terrorism, than I truly am sorry. But, they made the decision to do such and serve this country. I support all people in the armed forces, but to censor this game because of the insurgents getting labeled as Al-Quaida, is appalling to me as an American.
  • THIS IS A F***ING OUTRAGE!!!! STUPID IGNORANT AMERICANS!!!! ITS A F***ING GAME!!!! GET THE FUCK OVER IT!!!! Im a military member myself and this is complete bull. We can show Nazi's and other extremists killing American and British soldiers all the time but as soon as its related to current day the rules change. If we are going to be this picky about bull like this... tiss tiss tiss America. Tiss tiss tiss EA. Dont give into the political bull. This is how Western Civilization WILL fall. This is how the terrorists win! If you got something to say to that. Send me your hate mail. Cuz this is just f***ing retarded. excuse any offensive language. i feel quite passionate about this and ignorant Americans who cause others to change their ideas tick me off.
  • Its no issue for me
  • What's wrong with Nazi's? Hitler's my hero.
  • I think that the U.S.A soldiers should be removed not the talibans. Even if the talibans are gone, you'll still be able to kill aamerica soldiers, so it makes no sense. I think everybody should calm down, first its just a game, second its removes the realism, I'd rather see a taliban killing a soldier than than 2 americans killing each other.
  • yea but this is a game about WAR not fuckin puppies look at Call of Duty MW2 u play as um i cant remember the name of the force but they are what? i belive taliban soldiers but there just not called that but w/e i hate EA shooters lol COD FTW!!!!
  • @17 I think that U.S military kills more innocent people than the talibans do. Just saying.
  • i mean @14
  • @#14 n #25 so true
  • @120 Woah! Woah! Woah! How many people do you think are homeless and (or) die because of capitalism? Communism isn't good but it's still a very more intelligent concept. U.S.A army is stupid any way they sacrifice thounsands of unpricable lives for a dumb war. The United States should take exemple on Canada (U.S.A wouldn't exist if not for that country (mostly for Quebec, VIVE LE QUÉBEC)), we have a could healh care, we don't fight for stupid causes and sacrifice thousand of lives in the process and we're more open culturaly. I don't hate America, I just think it's overated and the population is a lot too patriotic in my taste and this is a good exemple.
  • ok people seriously... all of you need to calm the hell down... first off look at the name of this series... medal of honor... now i know all of you non-americans may not know this but the medal of honor is only given to those soldiers who patriotism is go great that they go above and beyond serving their country ok, that is the highest recognition any soldier can receive in any of the four branches of military, and yes medal of honor have probably done work with some of the recepitates of the medal of honor, at least to hear some of there stories to create parts of past games, in fact most soldiers who receive this honor do not survive what has given them this honor. there is one soldier the 4th to receive the moh in the iraqi war, that got hit in the chest of with a grenade and died 30 minutes later after covering the grenade with his chest shielding his fellow soldiers, and if you want to tell me that man should not receive that award then you sir can go *&%$ yourself. yeah i agree opposing force sucks as a name, but if say even one of those gentlemen that has received the medal of honor requested that the taliban not be included in the multiplayer, then by god EA better honor that request. all non americans relate this honor with something to your nations equality and think about it, this is more about respect for the ones that gave your freedom to sit on ur ass and play xbox then anything else.
  • Wow such many comments other such a small thing, it's only the multiplayer people.
  • Reuters: Game Publisher EA gives into pressure and removes 'Taliban' from upcoming Medal of Honor game, replaces them with 'Aliban'
  • guna be a shit game anyways
  • Wow, EA actually has a soul after all.
  • @231, I dont think thats true. Think of how rare it is that a missle strike hits a village, like once every couple months. Now think of how often a suicide bomber goes into a mosque or the market and kills 27 people and wounds 78 more, like twice a week.
  • So it's alright to play COD W@W as a German solider but you can't play MP as a Taliban solider? I guess 7 million Jews dieing is nothing compared to a few thousand American soldiers dieing..... good f***ing grief.
  • This is why our country looks like crybabies the past decade. We sit around and cry about people playing as "Taliban". It's not like we are playing as Osama Bin Laden himself or his radical group "Al-Qaeda". I think most people are confused to who the "Taliban" actually are.
  • just use your imagination and pretend they are whatever you want to shoot at.problem solved.....next!
  • Ughh. I hate people who care too much. People live, people die. There's war, there's peace. Get over it and keep your shit out of where it doesn't belong.
  • @240 How many people do you think got killed by that unnecessery bombardment on Bagdad, how many innocent children. All taht because they think all arabic people are the same.
  • absolutely pathetic. shit load of games with nazi's and stuff but nobody cares. its a bunch of graphics moving around a screen. of course its a disgrace whats happening with fallen soldiers and you have to feel for their love ones but its stupid complaining about having bad guys in a gun game
  • After trying out the MoH Multiplayer Beta, the online was fun. i was looking forward to buying MoH and play online for the supposedly good achievements but seeing as the name Taliban is removed from the Multiplayer, my interest for MoH game and the multiplayer is lost. i don't think i will buy MoH game at all and i don't think the multiplayer will last.
  • To be honest I can see why some people would take offence to this, but at the same time as a die-hard gamer I CAN tell the difference from reality to the game world. People say that playing as the taliban is just the same as supporting them clearly are the same type of people that accuse GTA of being why people shoot each other, use and abuse prostitutes, steal things... etc. If you pull your heads out of your arses and go read a history book you will soon learn that violence and death have been around for a wery long time, and the people that write about it clearly don't support the "BAD GUYS", we as gamers don't support the taliban (unless of course you do, whatever floats your boat)we just want to be able to play a game and relate to the characters for a more enjoyable and in depth experience, so if say we did play as the taliban and kill the allied forces (or in this case americans) we may just relate that little bit more and feel very regretful to everyone who has gone out there to kill the "EVIL PEOPLE"...
  • wow, ea you are pussies. anyone play socom? 2, 3, confrontation? you are terrorists in that game and not one word has been said about it. this is why god is merciful and i don't have magical powers. because this shit would stop.
  • Didn't see anyone crying foul when you killed American and British soldiers in Call of Duty.
  • Another company to fall to censorship. W/e tho, the game will still be great. @250 - because we arent little bitches and cry about people dying in a damn game. :)
  • This is typical of a lot of american's attitudes. Its fine for them to offend other cultures and countries, but as soon as something as little as the Taliban being in a "VIDEO GAME", an uproar is caused and some of them drop their dummy and start whinging about it. If the use of the name 'Taliban' was whinged about until it was dropped from the game, and yet the american public was fine with the Russian Airport massacre scene in MW2 to not get it completely removed from the game, then that just backs up my statement
  • The americans can go die in a hole, and fuck the talibans i hate america...fucking white kids
  • @230 im with you on that one
  • This is like taking the Nazi's out of COD: WAW because it would offend WWII veterans.
  • Its just multiplayer. The Taliban aren't being removed from the game's single player, and they are only being RENAMED for the multiplayer. Everyone wins. The complainers in this thread can still play indirectly as your precious little terrorists; the families of fallen soldiers can stop worrying about their children's death being taken too lightly, and US gamers can play a little more comfortably knowing that we aren't EXACTLY playing as someone who wants us dead. If you hate America then I can't understand why you would even be interested in a game that celebrates the true events of our honorable soldiers in Afghanistan in the first place. This game is about the American military experience in the present War on Terror, and the title is a reference to one of the highest military honors available to a soldier. The Taliban are a very important part of this story, but this is not their perspective. But multiplayer? Multiplayer grinds everything down to names and stats. Playing as a Taliban terrorist specifically here is extremely insensitive because it means NOTHING. And because it means nothing, a lot of video gamers fail to see its offense. But its the nothingness and lack of emotion in the idea of taking control of a man who slaughters Americans as a living in real life, just to get some online stats, that gets under a lot of peoples' skin. If you see both sides, the issue becomes a lot clearer, and this solution, I think, more appropriate. Just to clarify, my family does have military history, and I know additional veterans and soldiers as well. And a hearty Amen to 235 and 236.
  • @#6 its kinda naive to think the taliban aren't people who deserve to live. You might do good to invest some time in their culture before judging them. Try reading a book.
  • Its just a game, that abviously was tryin to target a very delicate issue that the nation and the rest of the world still is dealin with, but people have to come to the realization that it just a game. the fact of the matter is that by changin the name of the terrorist team doesnt erase what bin laden and his followers did and are still doin. pplz need to mature pass this minor thing, if by them requestin the name change what happen in my beautiful city of new york, then shit by all means lets just delete/change/stop makin games that includes terrorists/talibans and that comes from a person who witness funerals of friends love ones who died in the world trade center. my condolences to the affected families and their love ones, god be wit the soldiers fightin out their, but pplz lets grow up its just again close minded issues like this is wat has the world where it is now.
  • oh so British soldiers killing OTHER British soldiers is OK but the Talliban! 'No it's offensive!' No is a FUCKING GAME!! Yes maybe they are killing our troops but itrs not like EA are using the fucking game as a recruiting measure for the Taliban. God I just think people just WANT to moan so they have somthing to complain about!
  • hey well i felt weird in MW2 when i had to Kill in the Airport, i was like what the F am i doing here, (feeeln weird) then played along with the (STORY GAME)
  • @260 Yea i was like WTF? Poor innocent civilians i thought.
  • I didn't know gamers were such douch bags. Do you not have any respect for your country. The taliban are our enemies and you think there is nothing wrong with playing as our enemies and killing US soldiers?? Wow what is this country coming to. And its not just a game its the idea of killing US soldiers with enemies that we are still fighting today. You still get to kill taliban you just cant play as them and kill US soldiers. I think EA did the right thing here. Good job EA you finally did something right for once.
  • @262 Yet you'd pay to watch it in a movie...It's a f***ing double standard.
  • #263: Taking control of a Taliban radical to kill US Soldiers and WATCHING a battle taking place between Taliban and US Soldiers in a film, cut scene, or even real life are entirely different. If you cannot comprehend that, then you have no concept of different media outlets. What sets Medal of Honor apart from Bad Company 2, Modern Warfare 2, or Gears of War 2 (etc) is that this game is based on fact, actuality, its legit, get it? The US is not in a war with Russia. Locust do not exist. Taking control of the enemy in these situations is not problem, because they aren't actually enemies. Its like cops and robbers, checkers, chess, etc, on your Xbox. But Medal of Honor multiplayer is essentially a reenactment of something that could have actually happened, say, last year. Or last month. Or last week. Or yesterday. So the name change is appropriate, because it takes a level of realism away from the mp, and reduces it to a more "cops and robbers" level. Mp only needs enough realism to be acceptably playable. The time period does make a difference, as well. Believe it or not, when time passes, people grow more insensitive to the events of the past, distant or near, as the emotions fade to facts. The present, however, is fresh: a scar from a year ago does not need medical aid. A fresh wound will need to be treated now, and for a short time to come. @#156: I don't want to clearly pretend to be the guy trying to kill you, sir! "Opposing force" is much more impersonal and unrealistic, imo. But thank you for your service sir, God bless you, stay safe.
  • @255 My opinion exactly.
  • So they changes a name for multiplayer. Big deal, it is just a game like many have mentioned. Can't really see what's all the fuss about...
  • Who gives a shit. People will find anything to bitch about...
  • Had a feeling this would happen!
  • @20 How can you say "americans always complain... i agree with #1... its just a game... like #17 said, what about the nazis?... they were worst at any point of view." When the UK Minister of Defense wanted to have the game banned because of the fact that little kids would be playing as the Taliban. So don't give me this SHIZ about Americans Always Complain. When that guy wanted to have the game banned from the entire UK for gods sake. For all of you little kids out there saying that I was looking forward to killing some Taliban Join your countries Military and get off of your freakin couch. @32 you are an ID10T. Why remove just the americans Jackass think b4 you type. I can not read anymore of these post most of them are stupid. It is EA's game they can do with it what they want, and what they want is to get it into the hands of as many people as possible which is why they changed the name they can take the high road and say we changed the name to make the people who lost someone happy. They did it for the money and there is nothing that you I or anyone eles on this forum can do about it. If you want to play the game play it, if you want to buy the game buy it. As a United States Marine do I find this offensive Hell no, but I understand that there are those out there that do. For everyone eles if you have not been in Combat or if you have not lost someone in Combat, do the world a favor and SHUT IT.
  • This is stupid, I understand if you lost someone in the Afghan of Iraq war why you would be upset about this, but if you are, ignore it and DON'T FUCKING PLAY IT. I can't stand it when these fucking lazy parents who just use a 360 as a cheap babysitter, then freak out when something that upsets thier ass comes out when they were never going to play it at all. SHUT UP AND MIND YOUR OWN FUCKING BUISNESS
  • #262 Wrote: I didn't know gamers were such douch bags. Do you not have any respect for your country. The taliban are our enemies and you think there is nothing wrong with playing as our enemies and killing US soldiers? Well, EA obviously didn't think there was anything wrong with it when they named the opposing forces, "The Taliban" in the first place. They've only done a U-turn to keep potential buyers happy. @262: Hope you don't hurt yourself while climbing off your high-horse. But who cares? It doesn't change the game-play in the slightest. I was quite disappointed with the Xbox 360 beta, but I've just played the PC beta this week and I'm very impressed how much better it is. Roll on next friday.
  • I honestly don't care cause it is just a game, you have some freedoms, if you don't like the idea don't f***ing mess it up for the rest of the gamers just don't play it. How some of you said it can teach the taliban tactics to use against our troops then use the same F***in tactics on them play as the taliban and fight the US, but act like your trying to protect your home from an invading army that kills their families- accidentally or not-, loots their natural resources-oil-, and destroys their cities. Though I do also sympathize with the people that lost their family, friends, loved ones in the Iraqi, Iran, Afgan engagements, because congress did not officially make them a war, but they should have known better than to sign up when and after the killing started, because people and I DO mean PEOPLE on all sides will die. Now as to parents who say that they don't like their kids yelling "I'm playin as the taliban and I'm killing the infidels," here's some advice try to "not" buy them the game or how about sitting you children down and telling them the differences between reality and make believe, or how about taking the game away from them if they do somehow get the game, or how about the least respected ,nowadays, but also the most effective actual punishment(I mean seriously parents are alot more lax then they were back in the 50's or even the 60's.)
  • I say ya don't wanna play as the Taliban then DONT PLAY THE GAME!!! Thats why they have a Big M on the box. Contains content for Mature audiences. If you can't realize its just a game then your not Mature!!
  • was this patched after release? cause i just got the game and it updated immediatly, i wonder if i clear my cache and try to play system link match if it will still say Taliban
  • I agree, this is absolutely rediculous. So what about Call of Duty: World at War. Playing as Nazi soldiers isn't supporting the holocaust? Or playing as the Japanese and killing Americans, or vice versa, is politically correct? People need to realize that these are pixelated figures running around in a totally fake world on a computer screen, laptop, or whatever god damn console you play on. Also, as others have said, we understand how real life losses can be very hurtful. And we respect your suffering, and hope that things will be better. But why do your, no offence, problems have to effect thousands of others? ESPECIALLY when it comes to something called VIDEO GAMES. Jeeze, people need to get a life instead of standing around finding something to complain about. Come on everybody, we aren't a bunch of Subject 16's from the Animus in Assassin's Creed, where we can't find the difference between reality and what is fake. And doesn't it just sound absolutely retarded, when you say a game could possibly help real Taliban militants develop tactics? Wow people, I bet half of these god damn places don't even exist, and if they do, they probably aren't very accurate when it comes to where buildings are placed, and what not. Now that the 'Complainers' have found out that if they complain enough, they'll get what they want. Which is BAD. Because that means every game in the future will just be absolutely stupid, because a bunch of adults have kids who run around their houses with towels on their heads, pretending to shoot fake guns in the air, and yelling, "Kill the infidels! Allah-Ackbar! AYAYAYAYAYAYYAYAYAYAYAYYAYAY!" Parents need to learn how to control their kids. Not complain to the makers of the game on how they fail at raising their children, and that their children don't understand how video games and what they dictate, are totally unrelated to reality.
  • @169: And just because you find it offensive, doesn't mean everybody else does. Dumbass.
  • @275... well said my man! ;o)
  • #275 I AGREE IT IS JUST STUPID
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