Battlefield 3 Banned in Iran Over Tehran Scenario
Iran has banned stores from selling Battlefield 3 over a scenario involving a fictional assault on Tehran. Thing is, the game isn't legally available in Iran to begin with.
Lebanon's The Daily Star reports that Electronic Arts' just-released military first-person shooter Battlefield 3 has been banned in Iran based on an in-game scenario involving a fictional assault on Tehran. The scenario in question involves intense gunfights taking place in various military, industrial and urban areas located in the capital, including Tehran's historic Grand Bazaar.
"All computer stores are prohibited from selling this illegal game," an unnamed deputy with the security and intelligence division of Iran's police said in a statement.
According to the report, a Tehran-based IT union warned all shops to abide by the ban, and so far many seem to be heeding the warning. Several shops even declined to stock the game when it was released, anticipating a possible ban over the sensitive issue.
However a number of shops have apparently refused to cooperate, as one store owner stated that police raided several shops and actually arrested owners for secretly selling the shooter... before the ban was officially set into place.
What makes this ban interesting is that the game isn't legally available in Iran in the first place. There are no official EA resellers established in Iran, leaving room for pirated copies to reach every street corner. For the publisher, the ban is a good thing, as the company hopes it will help prevent pirated copies from reaching Iranian players. Had Battlefield 3 been legally available on retail shelves, EA would currently be singing a different (sad) tune.
Still, legal or not, Battlefield is causing angst amongst the Iranian people, especially a group of Iranian youths. Currently they are protesting the game via an online petition to the Iranian government, and have thus far received more than 5,000 signatures to back their cause.
"We understand that the story of a videogame is hypothetical ... (but) we believe the game is purposely released at a time when the U.S. is pushing the international community into fearing Iran," the group claims.
Developed by DICE, EA's highly-anticipated Battlefield 3 sold more than 5 million copies after storming retails shelves for an entire week. The game is currently available here in the States for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Windows PC.
- EA,
- Battlefield-3 ,
- Iran ,
- Tehran ,
- Electronic-Arts ,
- ban
- World of Warcraft: Hour of Twilight Update Now Live
- Lenovo Passes Dell as the World's No. 2 PC Maker
- PCI Express 4.0 to Support 16 Gigatransfers a Second
- Deals Nov 30: 27" Planar 2ms 1080p LCD Monitor $210
- webOS Decision Expected From HP in Just Weeks
- Microsoft Releases IE10 Platform Preview 4
- OCZ Releases Talos 2 Enterprise SAS 6 Gb/s SSD
- Seagate Now Shipping 2nd-Gen Solid State Hybrid Drive
- Forrester Says Windows 8 Tablets Are Dead-on-Arrival
- Samsung Reveals 2 GHz Cortex-A15 Exynos 5250 Chip
- Report: Intel to Pay for $100 of Your New Ultrabook [UPD]
- Intel's Cedar Trail-M to be Released in December
- Is Microsoft Really Bringing Office Apps to iPad?
- Deals Dec 1: 64GB Lexar JumpDrive USB 2.0 $49 FS
- Intel's Ivy Bridge vs. Sandy Bridge Benchmarks Leaked
- Android 4 Ice Cream Sandwich Ported for x86 Systems
- Samsung Announces mSATA SSDs for Ultrabooks
- Google's Done It: Chrome Passes Firefox in Market Share
yeah, all the copies over there are fake and IM from there originally (not that you cannot buy the original, infact people do find them much more valuable but too expensive)
the other thing is, people over there do spend money on digital goods. even though, they may not make enough money. With some 18% inflation and tons of EU/US sanctions, people like to spend money on tech industry. To just put it to perspective about how bad the economy is, over there, a Mechanical Engineer with Masters could make as low as 400 bux a month while the cost of food and electronics are almost comparable to Canada (US is way cheaper in many things!)
However, if somehow, one of these studios (non american publishers), open a branch in Iran, they could sell their legal product because people simply spend their money on it.
One other issue is, the internet over there is so filtered and so slow. Online gaming is problematic in many cases and often beyond the reach dude to heavy filtering. So another reason to make people not want to spend money on an online game that they cannot play online too often.
danwat1234: we can't buy it online from foreign sites. we don't have credit card or anything else. we don't have much choices, we have to download it or buy the pirated copies (well, this one got banned so it's not an option).
they don't officially release games here so they should know that we have to use pirated copies.
I have logged 67 hours in that game by now and I'm still at 3rd SP mission. Based on my exp the ones who should ban this game are yankies and ruskies.
pirating the game was useless anyway.You can't play multiplayer and without multiplayer bf3 has THE WORST CAMPAIGN till date.Good luck playing that FUBAR campaign
I really don't see the Iranian side of the story. It ought to be treated as just an Invasion of one Country of another. Although , I don't doubt the political POV of the Hype of Iran as a threat, since the US has been doing that ever since they invaded or as the Americans like to say, Freed, Iraq , they have been highlighting the Iran issue which is just setting the foundations for a future Iran invasion , occupation or Freedom. Call it whatever they like it is still an invasion and illegal occupation.
and work on what they know or feel they know to strengthen yourselves.
So it's not actually EA that is responsible for the story line entirely, but, current affairs and international relations. But banning the game is a different story, why take it in that stride, why not use it to get your own army to practice
I'm presently on Night Shift (SP Mission) and I personally really don't make a connection between Iranians and the Bad guys shown in the game.... Really.... didn't even know it had anything to do with Tehran.... I thought that was history by now....
I have logged 67 hours in that game by now and I'm still at 3rd SP mission. Based on my exp the ones who should ban this game are yankies and ruskies.
Care to explain why? I hate it when people make comments like this^ and fail to elaborate any of it...
Can the Iranians buy it via Steam?
Also who gives a hoot if it is in Tehran, since when did the location or racial demograph of a game character ever matter before?
Lots of free advertising, that's all this is.
Iranian guy here
pirating is actually not a big problem for many people, although there are many bans and filters on the internet, torrents are somehow left alone (hurrah)
not that I am encouraging anyone to pirate it, but its a last resort here.
the funny thing is, there are numerous (500+) small corporations, dedicated to bering the latest and greatest warez releases to the public! with proper printed cases and prices as low as 1$/DVD
salary: I am a grad student at TMU, quiet a good university, logging a total of 130hrs/month and earning 780$ a month, as a programmer and software engineer, so go figure...
a good internet connection here is 1Mb/s, costing upward of 50$ a month (unlimited download)so theoretically (for us practically) most new software can be downloaded in 2-3 days using bit torrent
not a pretty picture, I know
and no, we can not use steam because:
1) we have no access to international credit cards
2) online shops like itunes, android market and steam, do not provide services to us
I thought this would happen to Call of Duty Games. But poor BF Games got into it.
No one complained in Command & Conquer when Kain blew up the White House with the orbital cannon, in fact players had the choice of 4 locations and the majority picked the White House deliberately.
Grow up.
I am so, so fed up of ignorant people in this world, that take themselves way too seriously.
Bunch of cry babies
Iranian guy herepirating is actually not a big problem for many people, although there are many bans and filters on the internet, torrents are somehow left alone (hurrah)not that I am encouraging anyone to pirate it, but its a last resort here.the funny thing is, there are numerous (500+) small corporations, dedicated to bering the latest and greatest warez releases to the public! with proper printed cases and prices as low as 1$/DVDsalary: I am a grad student at TMU, quiet a good university, logging a total of 130hrs/month and earning 780$ a month, as a programmer and software engineer, so go figure...a good internet connection here is 1Mb/s, costing upward of 50$ a month (unlimited download)so theoretically (for us practically) most new software can be downloaded in 2-3 days using bit torrentnot a pretty picture, I knowand no, we can not use steam because:1) we have no access to international credit cards2) online shops like itunes, android market and steam, do not provide services to us
I doubt that the sensors will enjoy to see people connecting to BF servers located in... Israel. There might be some servers in Lebanon though. Anyway, if I was you Id sleep with my loaded AK and a couple mags. Just in case.
did russian's cry becasue the game STALKER featured realistically mapped out landscapes of Chernobyl ? NO they didn't and niether did their goverment.
Well, Chernobyl is in Ukraine not Russia, but point taken.
This is sad. There are so still so many countries where the people are totally controlled by their government. I know the US is far from perfect, but I'm glad I live in a country where I still have some freedom.
I hope someday Iranians will be free to make their own choices. It's not any governments place to make decisions for it's people on what they should or shouldn't do. This is absurd.
could not agree more, this coming from a Persian guythe only feeling I have, is that of curiosity to see how they portrait Tehran
Most of us are just pretty much the same. Same wants and desires and goals. We want to have fun, have a family and a good job, be able to eat. Its the government and the use of religion (by said government or the various churches/mosques/.......) against people that make their lives miserable.
Personally, there is nothing more entertaining that shooting some 14 year old online who is mouthing off so you can hear them whine.
i see the communist censoring is alive an working. +1'd a guy for calling mr parrish on his b.s. about pirating and his flawed logic in lost sales in a game that can not be sold due to lack of retail partners in iran. not to mention it is now banned.
in fact this is exactly the kind of censoring Iranian and Chinese officials perform.
good luck with your anti capitalist anti patent sentiments mr parrish, your comrades thru out the world in social communism love you.
(we knew this was going to happen soon as toms sold out to the socialist french)
i see the communist censoring is alive an working. +1'd a guy for calling mr parrish on his b.s. about pirating and his flawed logic in lost sales in a game that can not be sold due to lack of retail partners in iran. not to mention it is now banned.
in fact this is exactly the kind of censoring Iranian and Chinese officials perform.
good luck with your anti capitalist anti patent sentiments mr parrish, your comrades thru out the world in social communism love you.
(we knew this was going to happen soon as toms sold out to the socialist french)
If you don't like the rules of this websites forum then go elsewhere.
Pathetic. Another country that can't handle their show and feels insecure...
Good for them: The USA and UK have tampered for far too long with Iranian politics. They should keep their bloody noses out of other countries affairs, especially when they do their utmost to subvert them. If it's not home-grown-commies, Aliens, UFO's, the French or Soviets, it's alternate Abrahamic cultures. America should look to its own shambolic socioreligious economic structures before planning outcomes for others.
Good for them: The USA and UK have tampered for far too long with Iranian politics. They should keep their bloody noses out of other countries affairs, especially when they do their utmost to subvert them. If it's not home-grown-commies, Aliens, UFO's, the French or Soviets, it's alternate Abrahamic cultures. America should look to its own shambolic socioreligious economic structures before planning outcomes for others.
If Iran was to stop developing warheads. Nobody would care about them.
Im all for going final solution on our internal Talibans but that's not PC anymore, sadly. Id like to bomb the bible belt as much as Id like to bomb Iran.
It's 2011 and we still have countries that try to dictate what their citizens can and can't do. This is the modern era, not the medieval era.
Good for them: The USA and UK have tampered for far too long with Iranian politics. They should keep their bloody noses out of other countries affairs, especially when they do their utmost to subvert them. If it's not home-grown-commies, Aliens, UFO's, the French or Soviets, it's alternate Abrahamic cultures. America should look to its own shambolic socioreligious economic structures before planning outcomes for others.
In case you didn't know...it's just a video game. I get your message though...nobody should create entertainment with any references to another country. Yeah OK. Nobody uses past and current affairs to make a buck apparently...
Im all for going final solution on our internal Talibans but that's not PC anymore, sadly.
Implying mass murder would have been perfectly PC at some point in the past?
lmao, Iran is lulzy :3
Omg its just a video game, this kind of reaction and banning video game make me just wanna assault iran.
Implying mass murder would have been perfectly PC at some point in the past?
As uncle Joe once said: ''The death of one man is a tragedy, the death of millions is a statistic.''
Nobody seemed to care that much in the 40s.
The game was made by Swedish developers (DICE). I don't think the US government had any influence in where it takes place. All you have to do is watch international news for the last 2 decades and you will see most of the hate, anger, and war in the world is coming from the middle east. Its no surprise that game developers would choose that backdrop to base to their FPS war games on. Same reason there are tons of WW2 games out there.
I wouldn't mess around in a dictatorship country like Iran. You're liable to get killed for treason or something. After all, this is the same country that will kill you if you are gay. i'm not even exaggerating here.
Hurt someone's feelers...ban the game.