What the soldiers said
While some commentators may use Fox's comments as another example of an out-of-touch politician finding fault with video games, a vox pop on British Forces Radio (BFBS) via the BBC discovered soldiers were in two minds as to whether the game should be banned.
One soldier said: "It's absolutely shocking, I can't believe they've brought out a game such as this when we've still got soldiers over in Afghanistan," while another added the idea is "out of order" and could make the situation with the Taliban worse.
However, other soldiers said: "It's only a game" and "it won't upset people- gamers will still play it."
Earlier this year, Electronic Arts' president, Frank Gibeau told the BBC the company had taken steps to mitigate controversy although admitting the project was a "big risk". He said the firm has worked with serving solders to create an authentic experience.
Defending the timing of the release, while troops are still being killed in the war, Gibeau reportedly said many soldiers in the past have spoken on radio or written a book while a war continued and games as a medium are just catching up.
"It's a way for soldiers to tell their story and to give people a sense of what it's like in those situations and environments," he added.
Gamers can reportedly take the identities of Taliban fighters in multiplayer mode, although EA is beleived to have pointed out many popular video games allow players to assume the role of Nazis or terrorists.
Whether a ban goes ahead, or individuals choose to boycott its release on 15 October remains to be seen, but the game has been awarded an 18 rating by the BBFC for ‘strong bloody violence'.
