The new ‘Medal of Honor’ due out October 12 will not be making an appearance at the Army & Air Force Exchange nor the Coast Guard Community Services Command. The reason is simple; the game includes depictions of violence towards U.S. troops in Afghanistan, allowing players to assume the role of the Taliban and kill American soldiers. A statement issued by Army & Air Force Exchange Service Commander Maj. Gen. Bruce Casella said the decision was made “out of respect to those we serve.”
The ability to play as the enemy is nothing new to video games, just take a look at any first-person shooter with multiplayer capability released over the past 5 years. When it comes to the war in Iraq and now Afghanistan, we are not simulating the past, instead we are emulating current conflict. Personally I have several family members and friends currently serving overseas and I agree with the military’s decision not to stock the game, however, a better alternative might have been a custom edition of the game that limits playing as part of the Taliban. It’s not uncommon to see Game Stop offer custom characters or features in their release of a video game, why not use that same scenario for the military’s version of ‘Medal of Honor’?
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