Boomtown X

EA has today announced that the Taliban won't be playable in multiplayer after all - citing respect for allied military personal as the reason.

"This is a voice that has earned the right to be listened to. It is a voice that we care deeply about," explained executive producer Greg Goodrich. "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."

Sounds a lot like the enemy force will retain the same visuals, albeit with a name change from "Taliban" to "Opposing Force". No biggie.

More from Goodich after the jump.

October 15th sees the launch of the Medal of Honor multiplayer PC open beta.

Electronic Arts says that it hopes it will put an end to the controversy surrounding the inclusion of the Taliban in the game.

"The Open Beta of the Medal of Honor multiplayer mode will allow players to sample the authenticity and adrenaline-fueled action that the full game will offer on October 15," said Frank Gibeau, President of EA Games Label. "We also hope that by offering the Multiplayer Open Beta, we can clear up any misunderstanding about the patriotism and respect that are the foundation of this game. The Medal of Honor franchise has always shown extraordinary reverence for American and Allied soldiers -- this game is no exception."

I'm not convinced. The kind of bigoted nutcases that attack games tend not to respond very well to facts.

Full PR post-jump:

By now I'm sure you'll have read some of the reactionary nonsense pouring out of the stupid-hole of MP Liam Fox. As ever videogames are singled out in a way movies, books and television shows aren't.

This morning TIGA, the videogames industry body has issued a statement on the issue.

"I can certainly understand why some people feel sensitive about this issue. However, we should remember that some games and indeed other forms of entertainment (such as movies and books) are sometimes set in a contemporary war scenario. The crucial point is that this game is 18 rated so should therefore only be played by a mature adult audience able to understand the difference between a computer game and actual events in Afghanistan. Consumers will be the ultimate judge of this game." - Dr. Richard Wilson, TIGA CEO.

Thankfully the government has been distancing itself from Liam Fox. In recent years thankfully government has had a more intelligent approach to the games industry, even if some MPs have not.