Whenever a book, film, television, painting or music album becomes the topic of heated debate, a critic who is an expert in that field is called in to provide context. If a video game makes headlines, it seems anyone from any field, regardless of their experience, can pass judgment on not only the title up for discussion, but the entire games industry. Whether or not these pundits have any first-hand knowledge or experience of video games is seldom mentioned. In the rare instances video games experts are called upon for their expertise, they’re usually shouted down or dismissed.

This week, Liam Fox, the Defence Secretary, kicked open a proverbial anthill by calling for the forthcoming first-person-shooter (FPS), Medal Of Honor to be banned. Fox branded the game “un-British” over reports that it allowed players to take on the role of Taliban soldiers and kill British troops. In an interview with the Sunday Times, in which he expressed his outrage and disgust, Fox called on video games retailers not to sell Medal Of Honor “to show their support for the armed forces”.

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Electronic Arts isn’t satisfied being a distant second to rival Activision when it comes to first-person shooter gaming.

The company hopes to gain ground in the shooter space this holiday with the release of Medal of Honor, and will continue to chip away at Activision’s lead with steady releases of Battlefield titles next year.

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