Konami pulls plug on 'Fallujah' video game

Wednesday 29th April, 05:39 AM JST

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adm_kenshin at 02:14 PM JST - 29th April

Well, most war games have a very inaccurate description of the battles involved, so they can retain the 15+ rating. Therefore, I believe this game would leave out a lot of detail a movie wouldn't. Games are held to a much tighter standard than movies.

It's quite sad because the interactivity of games is one of the best ways to show an audience the soldiers' viewpoint. Perhaps if more people played realistic games, and not EA crap, they would know how hard it is to avoid civilian casualties and thus protest more against the next war.
H3kat0mb at 03:07 PM JST - 29th April

Yes I agree, the beheadings and human slaughterhouses used by the insurgents in Fallujah were a war crime.
dennis0bauer at 03:36 PM JST - 29th April

Konami doesn't understand, controversy only sells games
neverknow2 at 05:25 PM JST - 29th April

It's just a game.
Midnightpromise at 07:00 PM JST - 29th April

Den Den, I agree, using places of worship and civilian residences as fighting positions are totally against the rules of war. Dressing in civilian attire while hiding weapons underneath or near by with the intent to conduct combat with them is also against the rules of war. You're a very astute scholar of modern land warfare.
Triumvere at 08:22 PM JST - 29th April

Hmmm. Somewhat disappointing. They had veterans of the battle working on the project. Too soon, I guess.
NeoJamal at 09:35 PM JST - 29th April

The game was criticized by veterans groups and others who called it inappropriate.

Denial
Den Den at 11:43 PM JST - 29th April

The folk of Fallujah were protecting their community from an illegal foreign invasion force that was bringing christian morals to their community. These crusaders used chemical weapons, the massacre of civilians and starvation as just a few of their friendly gestures. Obviously midnightpromise and h3cat0mb play too many games and watch too much Fox news. Would the game have these war crime options?
USNinJapan2 at 09:42 AM JST - 30th April

Would the game have these war crime options?

Most likely not as the game's design team included people that actually fought in the battle.
NeoJamal at 02:23 PM JST - 30th April

Most likely not as the game's design team included people that actually fought in the battle.

So by your logic, media representing the Rape of Nanking are inaccurate because Japanese veterans are not consulted? Any Media based on real life battles such as Fallujah should take into account for both sides of the conflict. I know you Americans would agree unless it's you are on the side getting invaded
timorborder at 03:36 PM JST - 30th April

Don't see what is wrong with this game. Bit of blood and mayhem in the living room and all that. Then again, I can assure you that no matter how much technology you put into these games, nothing substitutes for the real thing. There is nothing like blatting off a few rounds from a GPMG in the direction of the enemy, etc.

At the same time, why isn't everybody up in arms at the US military? There is at least one Internet-based game produced by Uncle Sam that is used as a recruiting tool.

Finally, comparing the behavior of the US military in Fallujah to what the Japanese did back during the good old days of the Greater Asian Coprosperity Sphere is a bit rich.
USNinJapan2 at 04:12 PM JST - 30th April

timorborder

Finally, comparing the behavior of the US military in Fallujah to what the Japanese did back during the good old days of the Greater Asian Coprosperity Sphere is a bit rich.

I had posted the same thing but evidently the mod didn't like the way I put it...

Moderator: That's right, and no further comparisons are necessary, thank you.
Tatsumaru at 01:26 AM JST - 1st May

That is too bad really. It would be interesting to see the results, but personally there are too many shooting games on the market, it is rather repetitive one might say.

The biggest problem with the Iraq war is that the US did it all wrong. To root out a ruler of a nation, you declare war on that nation. To root out insurgency you call for Marshall law. Sadly they did neither, and look at the mess we are in now.

Wars by definition are immoral, to say you are doing anything moral while killing people is hypocritical at best.
H3kat0mb at 02:20 PM JST - 1st May

The difference in this game is that it would have presented combat as a survival horror experience. In this way players would feel what is missing from most shooters and that's fear. Fallujah was a true horror fest with foreign insurgents so hopped up on drugs that they would continue walking like zombies after taking a full burst of automatic gunfire. In addition slaughterhouses were used to murder and terrorize the LOCAL population. These were evident during my tour in Iraq. I don't think we should complain about them dressing up in civilian clothing or using their own houses of worship to shoot at us though. Were they in America, best believe I would do the same. All is fair in love and war. This game could've been quite anti-war and a good trainig tool all at the same time.
Sarge at 09:36 PM JST - 1st May

"What happened in Fallujah was a war crime"

Yeah, the terrorists terrorizing the city are certainly guilty of war crimes. We can thank the U.S. military for kicking those scumbags out of Fallujah.