Medal of Honor: Playable “Taliban” removed

We all know what a stink this was causing already, but EA has finally given up and opted to alter the upcoming multiplayer aspect of Medal of Honour (sorry… Honor. Stupid American spelling).

This comes just weeks after the US Army decided to block the Medal of Honor reboot from being sold in gaming stores located on army bases around the USA. So what has EA done to resolve the issue?

Greg Goodrich, the Executive Producer for MOH, has released a statement which details their decision to drop the label of “Taliban” and replace it with “Opposing Force” for multiplayer matches in the game. In his statement, Goodrich says the decision came out of respect for the family members who have lost loved ones in recent US conflict against Taliban fighters.

Goodrich was also quick to point out that this name change will not affect the gameplay at all: “While this change should not directly affect gamers, as it does not fundamentally alter the gameplay, we are making this change for the men and women serving in the military and for the families of those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice – this franchise will never willfully disrespect, intentionally or otherwise, your memory and service.”

While most gamers will shrug this off as inconsequential or even a sensitive move on behalf of EA, others will see it as a blow to freedom of artistic expression. If you fall into the latter group, bear in mind that nothing other than the name of the faction is changing; the models, setting and multiplayer gameplay remains the same. In fact, you’d probably not have even noticed had Goodrich not posted news on this decision in the first place!

Source: Kotaku

Last Updated: October 4, 2010