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Medal of Honor's Taliban Renamed To 'Opposing Force'

This will definitely make everyone happy.

The new Medal of Honor's online component once pitted allied forces against the Taliban. It will no longer. Electronic Arts and Danger Close Games have renamed the latter team "Opposing Force" in an effort to soothe all the bad vibrations the game has been receiving as a result of the creative decision to include the Taliban in the first place.
 
It appears the models being used, as well as the weapons by the terrorists formerly known as the Taliban, have not been changed. The swap is in name only, making this move seem kind of hollow in hindsight.

The reaction to the usage of the Taliban hasn't exactly been vicious, but EA has been assaulted by the mainstream media and even the military for it. Before this name swap, EA attempted to explain that Medal of Honor was, in fact, just a video game, and not portraying actual events in its online mode. Later, EA attempted to display the online mode's non-offensive play by giving everybody with a decent rig a free chance to check out the PC version's forthcoming open beta for a period of three days. Now, it's just changing the so-called offensive name entirely. 
 

 A member of the Opposing Force. He answers to Cobra Commander, I think.
 A member of the Opposing Force. He answers to Cobra Commander, I think.


== TEASER ==In a statement, game producer Greg Goodrich confirmed that the people that were kicking and screaming about the Taliban name were a small group. "We’ve received notes from gamers, active military, and friends and family of servicemen and women currently deployed overseas," Goodrich wrote on the MOH blog. "The majority of this feedback has been overwhelmingly positive… However, 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 small number of people means a lot of the Medal of Honor team, and as a result according to Goodrich, EA has "decided to rename the opposing team in Medal of Honor multiplayer from Taliban to Opposing Force." 
 

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I'm guessing this was a tough call for both parties. On one hand, you've got real world people who have given it all in the conflict this game takes inspiration from, who aren't digging the inclusion of the Taliban. On the other hand, this is just a game. It doesn't represent real life--no-one knows that better than the game makers themselves. But does this decision make it better?

178 Comments

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Bloodgraiv3

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Edited By Bloodgraiv3

I think it was stupid that they changed the name.
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KillerBears

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Edited By KillerBears

Idk, using the name while it's still very current news in a game that takes place in a fictional campaign almost seems like trying to cash in on a trend. I think it was unnecessary, obvious publicity stunting, but not in bad taste.
 
...But what I really love are some of the ridiculously ignorant comments in this thread. Way to go, GB.

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captrofl

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Edited By captrofl

They might as well have called them "The Bad Guys"

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sephirm87

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Edited By sephirm87
@Tuggah:  then again, if EA uses the term "opposing forces," you also get the benefit of having your game be relevant for a longer period of time, as well as not offending anyone.
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FrostedDolphin

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Edited By FrostedDolphin

Bitch Out

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sanguis_Malus

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Edited By sanguis_Malus

Just call them "Cunts that must die"..............

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MordeaniisChaos

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Edited By MordeaniisChaos
@Zatoichi_Sanjuro said:
" @Donos said:

" Just occured to me, why exactly does everyone think this is a bad thing? Is there an actual reason for the name to have been kept as Taliban, or is this just the usual internet haterading on change? "

Because they;
  • caved to political correctness from people who don't play videogames
  • claimed the name change was to respect the "friends and families of fallen soldiers" and to maintain "the reverence for American and Allied soldiers"  yet it is blatantly superficial and changes nothing. You still kill American and Allied soldiers dressed as Afghan insurgents in Afghanistan.
"
There is also the fact that it is incredibly insulting to a man who risked his goddamn life to defend his country that people are afraid to even represent the conflict in a respectful way, without beating around the bush. This is just people making trouble where no trouble needs to be. It was a bold move, and as a result it got a lot of respect for the devs, but this is just them giving that advantage away. It's sickening how insistent we are in the universe to treat soldiers like heaven's strongest angels come to save us all, and yet we cannot even have a Taliban soldier in a video game. We cannot pretend they don't exist forever. They are out there, and even more shocking to the average citizen, they are just as human as the rest of us.
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big_jon

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Edited By big_jon
@Kaps said:
"What a fucking cop out "

I kind of agree.
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joelalfaro

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Edited By joelalfaro

Boo.

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Teran

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Edited By Teran
@MordeaniisChaos said:
There is also the fact that it is incredibly insulting to a man who risked his goddamn life to defend his country that people are afraid to even represent the conflict in a respectful way, without beating around the bush. This is just people making trouble where no trouble needs to be. It was a bold move, and as a result it got a lot of respect for the devs, but this is just them giving that advantage away. It's sickening how insistent we are in the universe to treat soldiers like heaven's strongest angels come to save us all, and yet we cannot even have a Taliban soldier in a video game. We cannot pretend they don't exist forever. They are out there, and even more shocking to the average citizen, they are just as human as the rest of us. "
Incredibly insulting?  What kind of imbecile would be insulted by a name being changed in a video game?  EA isn't making a documentary or writing an article for the New York Times, they are in the business of selling video games.
 
If you wanted to be insulted by something be insulted by folks like you trying to strip EA of their right to free speech.
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mike

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Edited By mike

OPFOR is usually used in training scenarios, used to refer to friendly military units playing the enemy. I've never, ever heard it used as a term for actual enemies. Whatever, we all still know who the bad guys are in this game, it doesn't matter to me one bit what they're called.

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R4ZOR

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Edited By R4ZOR

Im not sure what this sounds like but "Opposing Force" sounds ok to me, its still what it looks like.
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simian

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Edited By simian

Think of the children(tm)!

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Finscher

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Edited By Finscher

Look everybody! It's a caricature, not a real threat anymore!

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punk_beatzUK

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Edited By punk_beatzUK

It makes zero difference to me - I couldn't care less if I was playing against a team called Opposing Force or one called Taliban. 

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TheJoker138

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Edited By TheJoker138

I understand why they did it, myself.  We're still at war in Afghanistan.  We're still fighting the Taliban.  It is happening right now.  It's not like WW2 games where you play as Nazi's, which I even find a little bit weird and would always be kind of pissed when I was put on the Nazi team in games like COD or Wolfenstein because I don't want to be part of a team of genocidal maniacs, even if it is just a game.  But no one complains because that shit was a long time ago, dude.  Same with even Vietnam.  But I can see how it might weird people out to be playing as the group that killed/maimed your husband/wife/brother/son/daughter/cousin/friend/etc. overseas.

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mathewballard

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Edited By mathewballard

I think people just need to get over themselves and realize that these are videogames and we can just make every thing seem all nice and pretty.

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AsKo25

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Edited By AsKo25

I dunno if I was a Taliban, I'd rather be called Taliban and not "Opposing Force"

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time allen

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Edited By time allen

i'm a fan of logical decisions, so here goes my suggestion: 
 
if you are offended, don't play the game. play something else. not that the majority of the complaints come from people who play video games or intended to play this particular one, anyway.

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LordAndrew

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Edited By LordAndrew
Legitimate Journalism said:

 "It doesn't matter what you call it," wrote one commenter at videogame site GiantBomb.com. "At the end of the day, you're still going to play as terrorists."

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Example1013

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Edited By Example1013
@Zatoichi_Sanjuro said:
" @example1013 said:

Name one positive effect the Taliban had on Afghanistan. One. And if you can make a case, I'll mail you a $5. "

Extraordinarily simple: They brought order to chaos. Thanks to those lovely superpowers the USA and the USSR Afghanistan was turned into a lawless mess of heavily armed warlords who did whatever they pleased to whomever they pleased. A full body veil is an extremely functional piece of dress when you have a pretty daughter and you live in a country where a gang of 15yrs olds with AKs can do what they want. The Taliban ended that. They brought draconian rules but rules, however harsh, are far preferable to chaos. Many Iraqis, even Shia Iraqis, have openly said they preferred to live under Saddam. At least with him they knew what they had to do to survive. A carbomb, on the otherhand, is indiscriminate. "
Sorry for the late response, but this is appropriate for it.
 
Sorry, but that's not good enough. If the Taliban hadn't taken over, another group would have. And since this is true, I contend that the Taliban brought no better stability than could have been provided by a more moderate group, thus invalidating any theory that what they brought was "good", in comparison to what another group would have most likely established. This, because it's doubtful that any other group would have been at least as or more radical than the Taliban.
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maimran91

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Edited By maimran91

This is the best way to avoid controversy! Good job, EA.

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luthorcrow

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Edited By luthorcrow

I completely agree with Justin from the Joystiq podcast.  You can't have and eat your explotation cake at the same time.  The fact is EA is exploiting this on going conflict for sales.  You can't just turn around a change the name of the enemy and pretending like you are not profitering on others woes.  Man up EA and stick to your guns. You can call the Hungry, Hungery Hippos if you want but they will still be Taliban. 
 
Besides let's be honest, how is it ok to still play the U.S. slaughtering hundreds of Taliban but it is not OK to the play the same force doing the same.  I got news for you folks, God doesn't favor either side.  They think they are right too.  If total up the losses on both sides soliders, civilians etc. they are paying a much higher price than we are except for treasure.  
 
But back the main point, EA is cashing in on attention this game is going to get and this rename is just disingenuous. If you are going to be evil be evil but don't try smear white frostying on your shit cake and pretend it's not a shit cake.
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ShockD

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Edited By ShockD

I want my Talibans back!!!

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sins_of_mosin

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Edited By sins_of_mosin

Sad when a game company is afraid of a bunch of sheep humpers.

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Mancuso

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Edited By Mancuso

This is ridiculous. How does changing the name of the enemy make any difference? You are still getting points for killing american soldiers in mass numbers. The more you kill in a row, the better you do. That is disrespectful. Calling the enemies what they are isn't.

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pastabot

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Edited By pastabot

It would've been a nice change to have a modern-day FPS have a real terrorist faction in it. Oh well, I guess the worrisome mommies and Fox News have won again.

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STWNRPWNR

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Edited By STWNRPWNR

EA has big balls for bringing a current event with actual militant forces to the table in a war game. I don't know if it has ever been done before. As far as the name change goes... a rose by any other name... enough said. For the people who can't handle mid-eastern terrorists in a video game- get over it! Reality won't change because you wish the world was rainbows and unicorns. I hear a lot of fear-talk from the media and it enrages me. A smart man once said," Fear is the last step down to the door of destruction." So why don't  they stop all the controversy (that they created) and try to take this game for what it is- a game. 
 
PS- Has anyone considered the hours of fun tea-bagging those dirty OPFOR could bring? Oh, the joy! XD