Gleaning potential controversy from Konami's 'Six Days in Fallujah'

Only a day has passed since the game was announced, but Six Days in Fallujah is already stirring up controversy among veterans, families and peace groups, according to GamePolitics. The game is set during the real-life US-led battle for control in Fallujah during the rush to take Central Baghdad in 2004, one of the Iraq War's bloodiest campaigns for American and Iraqi soldiers and civilians.

Reg Keys, father of Red Cap Thomas Keys, a soldier tragically killed by an Iraqi mob in June 2003, told the UK's Daily Mail that "glorifying" the event in a video game showed "poor judgment and bad taste" on Konami's part considering the "enormous loss of life" in the Iraq War -- a war that is still ongoing.

Six Days in Fallujah is reportedly inspired by events that occurred during the second battle in Fallujah -- codenamed Operation Phantom Fury (also, Operation Al-Fajr or "The Dawn") -- which took place between November 7 and December 23, 2004. When it was announced, Anthony Crouts, vice-president of marketing for Konami, said it wasn't the publisher's intention to take a stance on war, telling The Wall Street Journal, "We just want to bring a compelling entertainment experience."

Unfortunately for Konami and developer Atomic Games, the Battle of Fallujah is widely regarded as one of the most controversial battles in recent history. Ducking any associated messages may be an uphill battle.

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Gleaning potential controversy from Konami's 'Six Days in Fallujah' originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 07 Apr 2009 23:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.