Being Taliban is fun?

[n0n1m0us3]

Sales of new 'Medal of Honor' video game banned on military bases

By Anne Flaherty
Thursday, September 9, 2010

Military bases across the United States have banned the sale of a new video game that lets a player pretend to be a Taliban fighter and "shoot" U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

Gamers are scoffing at the decision, saying that advanced technology has made it commonplace in the gaming world to let players switch sides and play the bad guy.

washingtonpost.com

 

[Baz]

Sales of new 'Medal of Honor' video game banned on military bases

By Anne Flaherty
Thursday, September 9, 2010

Military bases across the United States have banned the sale of a new video game that lets a player pretend to be a Taliban fighter and "shoot" U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

Gamers are scoffing at the decision, saying that advanced technology has made it commonplace in the gaming world to let players switch sides and play the bad guy.

washingtonpost.com - nation, world, technology and Washington area news and headlines

Would they prefer a game where American soldiers were shooting at each other???

Somebody has to be the bad guy.

 

[vraiblonde]

I find that game to be in extremely poor taste and, in ChristyVrainia, the developer would be lethally injected.

 

[TurboK9]

Would they prefer a game where American soldiers were shooting at each other???

Somebody has to be the bad guy.

We used to have LAN parties years ago, and played a LOT of Rogue Spear. It was great fun to play the terrorists, because the mock-arabic gibberish you could cue up and yell out in-game was hysterically funny.

They were also tougher to play, what with no body armor, less accurate aiming, and evry few hours of in game-time they'd stop, turn toward Mecca and kneel.(J/K).

 

[Lugnut]

This is absolutely NOTHING new. In almost every war based video game you have te ability to play the antagonist.

 

[Baz]

I find that game to be in extremely poor taste and, in ChristyVrainia, the developer would be lethally injected.

You do understand that in online multiplayer, somebody has to be the enemy, right? Just like people play as Nazi's, Japanese, North Vietnamese, Russians, and Martians in other online shooters.

Wouldn't really be "war" if everybody was on the American side, and they just walked down a dirt road commenting on the weather, occasionally taking out a snake with an RPG.

 

[Baz]

We used to have LAN parties years ago, and played a LOT of Rogue Spear. It was great fun to play the terrorists, because the mock-arabic gibberish you could cue up and yell out in-game was hysterically funny.

They were also tougher to play, what with no body armor, less accurate aiming, and evry few hours of in game-time they'd stop, turn toward Mecca and kneel.(J/K).

 

[Toxick]

Just like people play as Nazi's, Japanese, North Vietnamese, Russians, and The Covenant in other online shooters.

:fixed:





(4 more days to Halo:Reach )

 

[Baz]

:fixed:





(4 more days to Halo:Reach )

Yeah, them too!

I played Halo 1, and bought 2, but never started it. Skipped the other sequels altogether. No real reason why, other than just too many good games, not enough time.

Is there anything "new" to Reach, or just an improved version of the same?

 

[vraiblonde]

You do understand that in online multiplayer, somebody has to be the enemy, right?

I'm not a gamer. But any game where US military personnel are the kill targets is in poor taste. You're not going to change my mind on that.

 

[TurboK9]

:fixed:





(4 more days to Halo:Reach )

 

[TurboK9]

I'm not a gamer. But any game where US military personnel are the kill targets is in poor taste. You're not going to change my mind on that.

When I was a kid we played at being soldiers. Somebody had to be the Germans. or Indians, or Japs, or VC, etc. We weren't imagining ourselves killing Americans, we were just trying to be better than our friends, who happened to be on the opposite team. :shrug:

If I play as the Covenant in Halo, I don't get wrapped up imagining myself as wiping out humanity :shrug:


Toxick might though.

 

[thurley42]

I think it's just a matter of poor taste in timing.....we don't get mad about being a WWII/Vietnam/Revolutionary War enemy because time has passed to heal wounds...if technology would have allowed for someone to play as a Nazi or Japanese in the 40's the developer would have been thrown in a camp somewhere...

 

[Toxick]

Yeah, them too!

I played Halo 1, and bought 2, but never started it. Skipped the other sequels altogether. No real reason why, other than just too many good games, not enough time.

Is there anything "new" to Reach, or just an improved version of the same?

It's a ground-up reboot of the engine. It's still a FPS, and the factions within the war are the same, but the game itself is spankin' new.

The most conspicuous new thing is that you have to choose between "character classes" now. There are 4 that I know of... Guards (who can become invincible on demand), Scouts (who can sprint), Airborne (who can fly with jetpacks) and Stealth (who can become invisible on demand). If you play as Covenent, there are other classes you can choose, but I've forgotten the details. I only played as Convenant a few times.

The physics are all upgraded, there are more cool weapons, and the existing weapons have been re-geared a little to add realism. The visuals are more realistic and gritty. The interface and HUD is different as well. And it replaces the flashlight with way superior Night-Vision (bonus: the Night Vision adds IFF enhancements to visuals).

I havent played the campaign (obviously), but I was part of the Multiplayer Beta test back in May, and I have thought of little else since then. There are a couple new enemies in the campaign (Jackal Skirmisher), and there are Firefight missions like in Halo:ODST (which probably means nothing to you unless you played ODST).

But yeah, if you stopped playing after Halo: Combat Evolved, then this will be an entirely new experience inside and out.

 

[Toxick]

If I play as the Covenant in Halo, I don't get wrapped up imagining myself as wiping out humanity :shrug:


Toxick might though.

I've been heard yelling "DIE HUMAN SCUM" at my TV before.

 

[vraiblonde]

When I was a kid we played at being soldiers. Somebody had to be the Germans. or Indians, or Japs, or VC, etc. We weren't imagining ourselves killing Americans, we were just trying to be better than our friends, who happened to be on the opposite team. :shrug:

But you were also pointing a toy and yelling, "Bang bang!" It wasn't a realistic blood-splattering game, similar to what is actually happening right now to our American men and women. This game is something that our enemy would be using as a training simulator. And it's in poor taste.

 

[n0n1m0us3]

I think it's just a matter of poor taste in timing.....we don't get mad about being a WWII/Vietnam/Revolutionary War enemy because time has passed to heal wounds...if technology would have allowed for someone to play as a Nazi or Japanese in the 40's the developer would have been thrown in a camp somewhere...

Agreed. I think it's kind of soon because we are still fighting the Taliban but I also think our service men and women are old enough to decide for themselves whether they want to buy the game or not.
I'm not a big fan of the realistic war games, I prefer to slaughter zombies and aliens and whatnot as opposed to people.

 

[Baz]

It's a ground-up reboot of the engine. It's still a FPS, and the factions within the war are the same, but the game itself is spankin' new.

The most conspicuous new thing is that you have to choose between "character classes" now. There are 4 that I know of... Guards (who can become invincible on demand), Scouts (who can sprint), Airborne (who can fly with jetpacks) and Stealth (who can become invisible on demand). If you play as Covenent, there are other classes you can choose, but I've forgotten the details. I only played as Convenant a few times.

The physics are all upgraded, there are more cool weapons, and the existing weapons have been re-geared a little to add realism. The visuals are more realistic and gritty. The interface and HUD is different as well. And it replaces the flashlight with way superior Night-Vision (bonus: the Night Vision adds IFF enhancements to visuals).

I havent played the campaign (obviously), but I was part of the Multiplayer Beta test back in May, and I have thought of little else since then. There are a couple new enemies in the campaign (Jackal Skirmisher), and there are Firefight missions like in Halo:ODST (which probably means nothing to you unless you played ODST).

But yeah, if you stopped playing after Halo: Combat Evolved, then this will be an entirely new experience inside and out.

Thanks for the info! I've been kind of hoping for a reason to give this game a try, for news that it's not just more of the same. Guess I'll add my $60 to Bungie's pile o' money.

 

[TurboK9]

But you were also pointing a toy and yelling, "Bang bang!" It wasn't a realistic blood-splattering game, similar to what is actually happening right now to our American men and women. This game is something that our enemy would be using as a training simulator. And it's in poor taste.

It also isn't targeted at or sold to 5 year olds on military bases. Or have they really started reaching in recruitment practices?

This just in- Don't ask don't tell unconstitutional, but banning video games OK for miltary.

Restricting free speech is bad only if you get sued over the issue, or offend a minority through that restriction.


Um what?

 

[Baz]

But you were also pointing a toy and yelling, "Bang bang!" It wasn't a realistic blood-splattering game, similar to what is actually happening right now to our American men and women. This game is something that our enemy would be using as a training simulator. And it's in poor taste.

Well, if the enemy wants to use this as a training simulator, half of them are going to have to be the enemy, too. Not sure Allah (or whoever their god of choice is) would approve of them killing their own while playing as an "American infidel satan dumb-dumb" (or whatever it is they call us).

(On a side note, I think being a member of the Taliban is against X-Box Live's terms-of-service agreement. So their accounts would be banned, and they wouldn't be able to play the game anyways.)

The troops can get the game anywhere they want off-base. The only people that really lose in this decision are the on-base retailers.

I imagine you're REALLY against the American Civil War games out there!