A small story in the context of the rest of the world is the UK Government's call for the banning of forthcoming computer game, Medal of Honor. British Defence Secretary Liam Fox has called for the ban because unlike its predecessors the game is set in Afghanistan, where of course both US and UK troops are still dying.
Dr. Fox is incensed and outraged that such a thing should be used for entertainment and has said so. His Government Department has made it clear (and he hasn't objected) that this is a personal view.
There are complex issues about freedom at stake here. There is also the historical and cultural perspective; the people who died in World War II, when the previous games in the series were set, were no less real than the people now losing their lives in Afghanistan; nobody minded when during the following decade people started turning movies out about them. Clearly there are other sensitivities in play now.
Game developers will need to start considering this sort of issue. If Government Ministers are going to start objecting to games on grounds of taste then this could lead to difficulties obtaining distribution.
Equally, though, this sort of publicity could have Electronic Arts rubbing its hands like anything. Government Ministers drawing attention to a new game? That would be great for sales. Saying they object? Evan better - OK, in the next one we go for broke and the kitten gets it...
