Taliban Faction Renaming Not a Big Deal, Says EA

An EA spokesman is defending the company's decision to change the name of the Taliban faction in Medal of Honor.

Electronic Arts spokesman Jeff Brown recently explained to Kotaku that the decision to change the name of the Taliban in Medal of Honor's multiplayer is no big deal.

Just days ago, EA changed the faction's name from "Taliban" to "Opposing Forces." This upset many fans who believe that EA should stand up for their right to free speech. However, Brown argues that nothing is really changed.

"Does changing one word in the menu screen have any impact on the actual play of the game that takes place in Afghanistan?" said Brown, "The only thing that has changed is one seven-letter word in the menu screen. There is not a single pixel or frame that is changed."

EA has been dealing with this controversy for quite awhile. Some feel that allowing gamers to play as the Taliban and shoot American forces is offensive, causing it to be banned from stores on military bases.

Although EA decided to change the name of the multiplayer faction, they seem to think that the controversy is a bit strange. "If you could place a fiction in Afghanistan in a book or in a movie or in a TV show or other contemporary work, then why draw an artificial distinction of 'but not in a video game?" Brown wonders.

The Medal of Honor beta will begin on October 4, and will be released eight days later on October 12 for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.