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Guantanamo game cancelled

Guantanamo game cancelled

T-Enterprise claims it has been forced to cancel a game based on Guantanamo because of extreme public reaction.

Small development studio T-Enterprise today announced that it had cancelled development of a game based on the Guantanamo Detention Facility after a series of extreme reactions from the public, most of which were based on misconceptions of what the game was about.

The game, which was to be titled Rendition: Guantanamo, first came to the attention of the public when Moazzam Begg, a British citizen who was interred at the American facility and who claims he was subjected to repeated torture while there as alleged terrorist, was bought into consult. Begg was arrested in 2002 and held until 2005 and was bought on-board so that the developers could consult him about the layout and structure of the camp, though he also admitted to having a financial stake in the game.

Several details about the facility were to be changed in the game however, with detainees being recast as unwilling test subjects being used for scientific experiments run by mercenaries - so, all existing armed forces were removed from the game.

Despite these changes though T-Enterprise says that development of the game was made problematic because of extreme reactions from the public, though much of the negativity was based on misconceptions about the game.

"First and foremost, the main character was NOT Moazzam Begg. Instead, his name was Adam," said T-Enterprise director Zarra Chishti. "He happened to be involved in a case of mistaken identity and so was never a terrorist. T-Enterprise is against all forms of terrorism and would never seek to advocate otherwise. Furthermore, Guantanamo was to be a mercenary run institution and so there would have been NO American military personnel killed within the game. Again, we support the British and American troops that fight the war against terrorism to make the world a safer place and would not make a game that said otherwise."

"Having clarified our position on terrorism, I would now like to refute all suggestions that the game was in any way linked to Al Qaeda. T-Enterprise has never had and would never have a link to Al Qaeda in any way, shape or form. Furthermore, we would certainly not facilitate a means of funding for any group that undertook terrorist activities. The game was simply designed to be an action video game that adults could enjoy.

Is it good that the game got cancelled, or a tragedy that gamers will never get to explore Guantanmo as a virtual space? Let us know your thoughts in the forums.

13 Comments

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Flibblebot 4th June 2009, 12:24 Quote
While I can't really condone any game based on Gitmo, this is just another win for the Daily Mail reading, knee-jerk reactionaries. God forbid that anyone should have an opinion of their own that they didn't read in a tabloid.

Sorry. Rant over :p
UrbanMarine 4th June 2009, 12:53 Quote
It's kind of sad that the world is so uptight. You can't even take a **** without having approval in your own home anymore. It was a tasteless idea but people should have the right to make whatever they want.
Ape 4th June 2009, 12:57 Quote
All they had to do was make a game based on a guy who got incarcerated in a prison by mistaken identity.

There ya go, a game concept that doesn't offend anyone. Unfortunately T-Enterprise decided to make a load of references to guant' and the british guy who managed to get caught doing something 'suspicious' ... lets face it, he wasn't detained while reading a book in a library.
Bauul 4th June 2009, 12:59 Quote
To be honest, if it was a game about scientific experiments being made on unwilling test subjects in a mercenary run prison.... why on earth make the prison Guantanamo? Surely they could have used any old prison and it would have made no difference to the game.

Clearly the only reason they used Guantanamo was, on the optimistic side, the negative conotations the place had to aid atmosphere (e.g. like Stalker using Chenobyl), or on the extreme pessemistic side, pure publicity stunt.
Almightyrastus 4th June 2009, 13:01 Quote
What are the odds that the vast majority of people who jumped on the complaining bandwagon would have never played the game had it been released?

I bet they would never have even heard of it had some reporter not wanted to take a cheap shot and get known.
Thacrudd 4th June 2009, 16:01 Quote
Awwww did they hurt someones feelings? That is a load of bull. They can make games about wars where thousands of people died but not one about Gitmo? I can see it now - "Sim Gitmo! Incarcerate and torture inmates at the click of a mouse!" I mean, could it be any worse than Manhunt? GTA? Seriously you can kill a hooker, cap tons of cops and kill a bunch of US army soldiers in less than 5 minutes! People are too soft......
pizan 4th June 2009, 16:48 Quote
Quote:
Originally Posted by Thacrudd
Sim Gitmo
I'd play that.
Ending Credits 4th June 2009, 17:47 Quote
I don't think they should have ever made plans for the game in the first place and I can't see what the Guamtanamo elelments brings to it.

I'm still a bit sad that all that effort went to waste and it's possible that they may have actually had a decent game on their hands.
Quote:
It was a tasteless idea but people should have the right to make whatever they want.

+1
Ape 4th June 2009, 18:49 Quote
Quote:
Originally Posted by Thacrudd
They can make games about wars where thousands of people died but not one about Gitmo?

They were making a political statement.
Nexxo 4th June 2009, 19:00 Quote
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ape
Unfortunately T-Enterprise decided to make a load of references to guant' and the british guy who managed to get caught doing something 'suspicious' ... lets face it, he wasn't detained while reading a book in a library.
No, but he wasn't charged with any offense either, despite the considerable evidence that was quoted against him.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bauul
To be honest, if it was a game about scientific experiments being made on unwilling test subjects in a mercenary run prison.... why on earth make the prison Guantanamo? Surely they could have used any old prison and it would have made no difference to the game.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ending Credits
I don't think they should have ever made plans for the game in the first place and I can't see what the Guamtanamo elelments brings to it.
Publicity, anyone? It works.
dec 5th June 2009, 00:43 Quote
Didnt someone try to develop a Iraq war or war on terror game? I know theres a flash version of a war on terror game. Regardless renaming the prison would take away from the public backlash. Like WWII if they wait around 60 years or so it'll be completely ok to make this game.

*listens to the silence of the people that would have complained about a WWII game in 1950*
Timmy_the_tortoise 5th June 2009, 08:43 Quote
This is why I hate "the public"....
SMIFFYDUDE 6th June 2009, 00:25 Quote
Knew this would amount to nowt. The developer isn't even a real developer, it just makes shitty flash games. I would bet this would have been similar. Any dev that is so poor it raises money from the sort of person they did wasn't going to make anything special. It was a political stunt, nothing more.

I predict the next story we hear about T-Enterprise, is it going out of business.
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