E3 2011: Blackwater gets a Kinect game

LOS ANGELES--Konami's Six Days in Fallujah was something of a cautionary tale for ripped-from-the-headlines military shooters, as popular outcry about the game's portrayal of an actual battle in the Iraq War prompted the publisher to pull the plug on the project just weeks after it was originally announced. That cautionary tale was apparently ignored by 505 Games, as the publisher today announced Blackwater, a game based on the private military contractor who had come under so much criticism for its role in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars that it changed its name to Xe Services.

Set for release in the fall, Blackwater is a first-person shooter with optional support for the Kinect motion-sensing camera. The game takes players along on a fictional mission for the company set in a North African town, where they must quell opposing militia forces.

"The Blackwater team is comprised of an amazing group of individuals and we're proud to work with them to create a video game that showcases their talent and courage," said Ian Howe, President, 505 Games. "Being able to get the controller out of players' hands with Kinect and have them on the ground and immersed in the experience will give them a glimpse of what it takes to be a member of an elite fighting force."

Xe is currently facing a lawsuit filed by former employees claiming that the security company fraudulently billed the US military as part of a $1 billion contract to provide security services in Iraq and Afghanistan. The company's image has suffered since a 2007 shooting in Baghdad, which resulted in federal charges against several Blackwater employees.

The Blackwater game is being developed by Zombie Studios, a team with previous experience in the military first-person genre. Zombie developed the near-future shooter Blacklight: Tango Down and is working on a free-to-play sequel to that title as well.

For more on Zombie's previous effort, check out GameSpot's review of Blacklight: Tango Down.