The world’s best-selling video game won’t be sold in Pakistan. Fox News reports that a declaration has forbidden sales of Activision’s Call of Duty games, as well as EA’s newest Medal of Honor release.
According to the report, the ban came into effect after shop owners complained how Pakistan was portrayed in the games. A notice by the organisation that controls sales of digital media in the Middle Eastern country, translated in the article, says the following:
“The Association has always boycotted these types of films and games. These (games) have been developed against the country’s national unity and sanctity. The games (“Medal of Honor: Warfighter” and “Call of Duty: Black Ops II”) have been developed against Pakistan, and the association has completely banned their sale. Shopkeepers are warned and will be responsible for the consequences if found purchasing or selling these games.”
Both last year’s Medal of Honor: Warfighter and Call of Duty: Black Ops II featured sequences set in Pakistan. Those moments are ones that portray Pakistan as a hotbed of terrorist activity which, according to the Fox News report, doesn’t sit well with local merchants. Saleem Memon, head of the All Pakistan CD, DVD, Audio Cassette Traders and Manufacturers Association (APCDACTM) said, “These games are an effort to malign the minds of youth against Pakistan.”
This restriction on the two titles recalls the temporary halt of sales of 2010’s Medal of Honor on U.S. military bases. That game became controversial after it was revealed that players could play as the Taliban in multiplayer modes. But, unlike the Armed Forces PX store ban, this move by the Pakistani trade organisation seems unlikely to be lifted any time soon. Still, the article notes that there’s a robust market for pirated games in Pakistan, so players who want to get their hands on Black Ops II or Warfighter probably will still be able to do so.
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