Playstation game targets Bangladesh

SOCOM 3, an action-based video game designed for Sony PlayStation II, included Bangladesh as a militant country. This version will be released in August 2005.

Sony Computer Entertainment America(SCEA) described the mission of the game in this way:

The world's terrorists have targeted America and her allies. As an elite SEAL commander, your team's orders are simple. Strike targets of importance within 12 intense international missions quietly and successfully - and protect freedom across the globe.

The latest version of SOCOM includes missions in Bangladesh, Morocco, and Poland. The look and feel of each location was heavily researched during trips to each area, resulting in some very realistic and varied battlegrounds. [via GameSpy review]

According to another game review by GameDaily:

Russ Phillips - the art director of Developer team - stayed Bangladesh, along with his small team, for 10 days. He captured thousands of digital photos as reference points for the game's design. A Sony sound technician accompanied the team to record actual background sounds that were incorporated into the game.

I am not a game enthusiast. But this is an important issue of Bangladesh's image towards the world. What do you think?

Looking forward to listen your valuable opinion. [Read some comments of Bangladeshi people]

Update: Sony will remove any reference to Bangladesh from the final version of SOCOM 3. This decision was taken following protest by Bangladesh and a threat to file a lawsuit in the International Court of Justice, if Sony refuses. [detail news: The New Nation, 23 April 2005]

Must-Read Articles

• Bangladesh as militant country in video games
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  published in Shaptahik 2000 magazine (1 April, 2005)
• Sony computer game portrays Bangladesh as terrorist state
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Related Websites

• Game Fact Sheet - SOCOM 3: US Navy SEALs
• Game screenshots - 24 images
• Game Developer - Zipper Interactive
• Game Publisher - Sony Computer Entertainment of America
• Previous version - SOCOM 2

Knowledge-based

• PlayStation 2 - Sony's second video game console
• U.S. Navy SEALs - a SEa, Air, Land team of the United States Navy
• U.S. SOCOM - United States Special Operations Command

Special Thanks (for highlighting the news in media)
# Bangladesh ICT Journalist Forum

[Last update: 23 April 2005]