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.
Well, Chernobyl is in Ukraine not Russia, but point taken.
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
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.
they don't officially release games here so they should know that we have to use pirated copies.
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....
Care to explain why? I hate it when people make comments like this^ and fail to elaborate any of it...
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.
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
Grow up.
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.
Well, Chernobyl is in Ukraine not Russia, but point taken.
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.
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.
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)
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)
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