Developer Feedback: Men of Valor

2015?s John Whitmore on Men of Valor and the controversy surrounding Vietnam games.

GamePro recently had a Pro Vs. Pro debate between the GamePro editors on the subject of Vietnam War games and whether or not they are appropriate subject matter to tackle in a game. Opinions were heated, to say the least: Some found the idea intriguing, as long as it was handled tastefully. Others didn?t quite see it that way, and thought the subject should essentially be off-limits no matter what. To read the full debate, visit this article.

We recently had a chance to talk to John Whitmore, Development Director of 2015, currently hard at work on one of the Vietnam games in question?Men of Valor for Xbox. Here?s what he had to say about the debate, 2015?s game, their approach, and one of the hottest topics in recent video game memory.

GamePro: Games set in World War II have never really been criticized for their choice of content, but games set in the Vietnam War seem to be viewed differently, as if you?re walking on sacred ground. Why do you think that is?

John Whitmore, 2015: Overall, we have not seen this kind of criticism, except from a small minority of individuals who seem opposed to depicting historical wars at all, or who seem to find any potentially positive depiction of American military actions offensive. Probably something like 95% of the correspondence we?ve received on the subject has been enthusiastically positive, especially from those who have kept abreast of the coverage we have received and interviews we have given concerning our treatment of the subject matter.

For those that do object, I think the issue is that Vietnam is more recent, and a lot of what is popularly known about the war is filtered through the lenses of the counterculture that defined itself by opposition to that war. A lot of the other elements of mid 60s to mid 70s counterculture, from music to social mores to political activism, became mainstream elements of public discourse that continue to influence American, and world, society to the present day. This has kind of dragged along the counterculture?s attitudes to the war as well, to the point at which opinions and distortions about the war are now often unquestionably accepted as correct.

Add to this the fact that casual exposure to the war?s history comes mostly from teachers and professors who were part of the counterculture at the time, and it?s not surprising that the Vietnam War continues to be viewed with a reflexive negativity by those who have not made an effort to research it objectively. This allows people to make statements like "millions of Americans were ordered to commit atrocities" without having to justify their rather far-out assertions.

Q: Did you receive any such criticism or feedback working on Medal of Honor: Allied Assault?

JW: Again, most of the feedback was positive, but there were some who thought that games were too light of a medium to faithfully portray the historical circumstances of war. Others thought we had an obligation to portray civilian casualties from mass bombings and other wartime polices in the game. Overall, the public reserved judgment until they were able to play the title, and were overwhelmingly happy with 2015?s treatment of the sensitive issues of war.

Q: Most Vietnam movies clearly make an ethical statement about the war; it is, essentially, why the movie was made. Do you have any ethical objectives or statements you're trying to make with this game? Do you feel that video games are even ready enough or mature enough to try?

JW: Men of Valor is essentially about the bonds that develop between men under fire. The game shows how these bonds transcend distinctions of race and social background, and how the fundamental survival instincts of troops in battle can be channeled and overcome for the sake of one?s brothers-in-arms. We thought that Vietnam would be an excellent setting in which to explore these themes, precisely because the overarching motivations of the war lacked the moral clarity perceived in, say, World War 2. The player can?t really delude himself into thinking he is part of a great crusade or he is saving the world from some massive evil ? the motivations available to him are more personal and force him to think, if he is inclined to think, about reasons for fighting that are less black and white than you?ll find in most games.

Unless developers try to extend the medium of games to support these sorts of messages, games run the risk of stagnating and never advancing beyond a hobby level of entertainment. Just as animation as a medium progressed from simple, diverting entertainment, through parody and satire, up to the complex emotional and intellectual content you can find in some animated films today, video games have gone from plot-less reflex exercises to influential story driven adventures in a rather short time. With the capabilities of new consoles and processors and the rising talent level of developers, there is no reason why deeper and more mature content cannot be displayed in games. I must say, however, that when developers who are attempting something of the sort have their efforts castigated as "jingoistic" or even "racist" by those who haven?t even seen their title, it is bound to create a chilling effect that will seriously retard the growth of the medium. If the gaming community doesn?t support these attempts, publishers certainly won?t, and FPS plots will tend to remain at the level of "aliens invade from another dimension," or tend to eschew plots altogether in favor of multiple unconnected campaigns or other controversy-avoiding techniques.

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