thedrifter
06-09-09, 08:07 AM
Developer insists Six Days in Fallujah will go public
June 09, 2009 10:12am
A VIDEO game about the battle of Fallujah has been dropped by its publisher after public outcry from the families of dead marines.
Six Days In Fallujah is billed as an ultra-realistic recreation of the 2004 Iraqi fight, developed using stories and likenesses of US veterans who were there.
While games like the US-Army recruitment tool America's Army, as well as Call of Duty and Battlefield already use the Middle East as a battle setting, this is the first time documentary-style gameplay has been specifically based on a recent battle.
For parents of some dead marines, the immersive game - built with technology allowing almost completely destructible environments - is simply too close to the bone.
"By making it something people play for fun, they are trivializing the battle," Tracy Miller, whose son was killed by a sniper in Fallujah, told Newsweek.
Family group Gold Star Families Speak Out released this statement: "The war is not a game, and neither was the Battle of Fallujah.
“For (publisher) Konami and (developer) 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."
Konami has since dumped the game without any member of the public having a chance to play it.
The game was further dogged by controversy after a report claimed the developer had consulted and possibly paid insurgents as game consultants. Atomic has since denied these claims.
Despite these setbacks, Atomic boss Peter Tamte remains determined to finish the $US20 million project with alternate funding.
"We have a lot of people who are interested in the project," Mr Tamte told Newsweek.
"But I'll feel better when we sign something and the cheques start coming."
The military connection
Mr Tamte says that marines he knew through working on previous projects asked him to make a game about their experiences in Fallujah and the game was meant to honour their valour.
A company owned by Mr Tamte first applied for the naming rights to Six Days in Fallujah in February 2005 – less than 60 days after the battle ended.
The company - Destineer - is also behind military training software and is partially funded by the CIA's venture capital fund, In-Q-Tel.
Six Days In Fallujah was designed using the Marine's diaries, unclassified maps, and even their own faces.
Atomic Games has told protesting families that it would not use images of soldiers that had fallen in battle.
Studio director and army reserve lieutenant colonel John Farnsworth said: "I have the highest regard for our troops in uniform and their families, for their brave willingness to sacrifice for liberty, country, family and friends.
"Out of respect, we have not included any fallen Marine in the interactive re-enactments."
Ellie
June 09, 2009 10:12am
A VIDEO game about the battle of Fallujah has been dropped by its publisher after public outcry from the families of dead marines.
Six Days In Fallujah is billed as an ultra-realistic recreation of the 2004 Iraqi fight, developed using stories and likenesses of US veterans who were there.
While games like the US-Army recruitment tool America's Army, as well as Call of Duty and Battlefield already use the Middle East as a battle setting, this is the first time documentary-style gameplay has been specifically based on a recent battle.
For parents of some dead marines, the immersive game - built with technology allowing almost completely destructible environments - is simply too close to the bone.
"By making it something people play for fun, they are trivializing the battle," Tracy Miller, whose son was killed by a sniper in Fallujah, told Newsweek.
Family group Gold Star Families Speak Out released this statement: "The war is not a game, and neither was the Battle of Fallujah.
“For (publisher) Konami and (developer) 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."
Konami has since dumped the game without any member of the public having a chance to play it.
The game was further dogged by controversy after a report claimed the developer had consulted and possibly paid insurgents as game consultants. Atomic has since denied these claims.
Despite these setbacks, Atomic boss Peter Tamte remains determined to finish the $US20 million project with alternate funding.
"We have a lot of people who are interested in the project," Mr Tamte told Newsweek.
"But I'll feel better when we sign something and the cheques start coming."
The military connection
Mr Tamte says that marines he knew through working on previous projects asked him to make a game about their experiences in Fallujah and the game was meant to honour their valour.
A company owned by Mr Tamte first applied for the naming rights to Six Days in Fallujah in February 2005 – less than 60 days after the battle ended.
The company - Destineer - is also behind military training software and is partially funded by the CIA's venture capital fund, In-Q-Tel.
Six Days In Fallujah was designed using the Marine's diaries, unclassified maps, and even their own faces.
Atomic Games has told protesting families that it would not use images of soldiers that had fallen in battle.
Studio director and army reserve lieutenant colonel John Farnsworth said: "I have the highest regard for our troops in uniform and their families, for their brave willingness to sacrifice for liberty, country, family and friends.
"Out of respect, we have not included any fallen Marine in the interactive re-enactments."
Ellie