The War on Iraq: A Video Game?

You might be asking yourself, is this a nightmare? How could such a catastrophic event be turned into a video game? Well ladies and gentleman, this controversial video game had plans to make it's debut in 2010, until war veterans' complaints had pulled "the plug" on this recent game. The New Zealand Herald reports that Konami Digital Entertainment had decided no longer to back or produce the game due to the negative feedback that they had received from many war veteran groups. Many critics of the game feel that video games like these have gone too far in presenting haunting material to their gamers.

Six Days in Fallujah has made headlines due to it's explicit and controversial material. In the press release of the game (clip above), President Peter Tamte of Atomic Games states that Six Days in Fallujah wanted to retell the story of the marines so that gamers can gain an insight to what soldiers and marine had experienced in the Battle of Fallujah. They wanted their gamers to crawl under the skin of these soldiers to inform the public on such a historic battle. What you can actually do in the video game? According to the press release, gamers can "blow a hole through any wall and can destroy any building."Tamte states that the main tactics of the game are to "degrade and destroy any part of the game world". And this such an "accurate" representation of such a historic battle? I think not.

Many war veterans feel that this game was too inappropriate for gamers. Gold Star Families Speak Out, an organization for families whose loved ones died in Iraq and Afghanistan state that " Gold Star families continue to live with the horrors of war every day as we mourn the loss of our loved ones. We question how anyone can trivialize a war that continues to kill and main members of the military and Iraqi civilians to this day. The war is not a game and neither was the Battle of Fallujah. For Konami and Atomic Games to minimize the reality of an ongoing war and at the same time profit off the deaths of people close to us by making it 'entertaining' is despicable."

Video games have gone too far in the material that they are presenting to their gamers. Sure one could say that many video games are fantasy based, but games like Six Days in Fallujah aren't. The are based off of real events. And what does this say to young viewers? That life has a reset button, and you can start all over again? Well, the United States soldiers and Iraq civilians didn't get that chance and video games like these aren't portraying them in an accurate or positive light. I am pleased that Konami has finally decided to pull the game due to the negative feedback in which they have received. Unfortunately, games like these are not new and many are still being produced. However, parents and individuals should re-examine what material is being put out there and to decide whether or not they want to sponsor or purchase games like these.

May The Force Be With You,

Lauren