DANNY LEDONNE (Creator, Super Columbine Massacre RPG): So the idea was that this video game, regardless of it's content, the very form of a video game with the subject of Columbine, inherently trivialized the subject of the shooting.ĬHAPLIN: This double standard between movies and games stems from a fundamental misunderstanding of the psychology of play, says Eric Zimmerman, co-author of The Rules of Play and a professor at NYU. A disturbing and thought-provoking look at the last day of Dylan Harris and Eric Klebold. Danny Ledonne learned this first hand when he made Super Columbine Massacre role playing game. And not only when it comes to military conflicts.
You shouldn't put a band aid on it.ĬHAPLIN: The name change might satisfy some critics, but there are those who think that setting a video game in a current war trivializes it, period.ĬHAPLIN: Never mind that the movie The Hurt Locker about the war in Iraq won the Oscar for Best Picture last year. BRIAN CRECENTE (Editor-in-Chief, ): My feeling is, if you think that the decision to include the Taliban in the game needs to be addressed, then you should address it. Brian Crecente, the editor of gaming site Kotaku, says it's a fake fix. Other than that, not a single pixel has been altered. With all the controversy, Goodrich decided at the last minute to change the label Taliban to opposition forces in the menu in this one part of the game. GAME AVATAR: Well, keep your fingers on your triggers.ĬHAPLIN: But there's one small part of the game that seems to be particularly problematic: The part where you could play as the Taliban. And it's filled with opportunities to kill members of the Taliban and heroic dialogue about getting the bad guys. It was made with the support of the army. His game is like a love letter to the American military. You know, devoid of politics or debate or any of that.ĬHAPLIN: That's Greg Goodrich, executive producer of the game. GREG GOODRICH (Executive Producer, Medal of Honor): We're trying to tell the soldier's story from the soldier's point of view. HEATHER CHAPLIN: The game starts by dropping you.ĬHAPLIN: Guns blasting into Gardez - the town in Afghanistan held by the Taliban and Chechen militants. It's set in the current war in Afghanistan, and it was going to offer people the option of playing as the Taliban, but there were calls for bans and boycotts.
The latest installment of a popular video game series will be released tomorrow after weeks of controversy. I'm Melissa Block, and it's time for All Tech Considered.īLOCK: Our topic today: war games on video. From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED.