Simple marketing rule: Don’t include a feature in your product that directly contradicts the name of your product. Case in point: The Medal of Honor video game from EA games. In this first person shooter, players get to pretend they are soldiers. I assume it lets you pretend you are a US soldier since those are the only people who can actually win a Congressional Medal of Honor. The latest version of the game — coming out next month — includes a feature where you can play as a member of the Taliban … and thereby shoot US soldiers. Here’s the brand disconnect: Shooting US soldiers is definitely NOT going to let you get a Medal of Honor.
Surprisingly, many people and organizations are upset by this. A lot of those people are the families of soldiers who have been killed in the war. Who could have seen that coming? Also upset is the commander of the US Army and Air Force Exchange Service (that’s the group that runs the stores on military bases), who has decided that they won’t sell the game. That will hurt because, as Sgt. Big Brother CollateralDamage can attest, military folk LOVE games like this. It will also hurt because it will make Walmart and co. think twice about stocking the game. Congrats, guys, on a blunder that could have easily been avoided.
How little does EA get it? From the official EA response:
Hey dummy: You don’t make a game where people can play as the enemy in a war that is still going on. That’s the point. In the words of the comedians: Too soon. And by the way: You’re comparing yourself to Hurt Locker? You’ve got big brass balls there, my friend. Unfortunately, the balls are hollow.
This would have been a strong contender for the stupidest marketing move of the year if BP hadn’t already locked that up. Given that, EA definitely has a strong case for first runner-up.
Collateral Damage 
EA you may have gotten my money this time but I will never buy another one of your games again. This was a total disappointment. As a veteran, I had pride in serving my country and wearing my uniform. You dipicted the soldiers as a rag tag outfit, undiciplined, and totally disrespectful of the way stealth ops should be. You have soldiers jumping out in front of a shooter and blocking his line of fire time after time. Other games that have taken days if not weeks to finish should have been emulated by this game. Soldiers as well as civilians love to play for hours something that relates to an on going war! The least you could have done was graduate a soldier from start to finish on his heroic efforts in acts seen only in the battle field. Where were the decorations where was the recognition for valient self sacrifice??? You took the title MEDAL OF HONOR for your game but no such thing was recognized! We do have and continue to have Medal of Honor winners in the middle east to this day. Please do not defraud the public like this again…your reputation as a game producer is at stake, not to mention your bank account!!
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