Konami readying realistic Iraq War shooter

By Tor Thorsen, GameSpotPosted Apr 6, 2009 4:16 pm PT

Japanese publisher picks up Six Days in Fallujah, developed with input from real-life veterans of titular battle at Close Combat-maker Atomic Games; due out in 2010.

Although half of the dodeca-platinum Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare took place in an eerily similar Middle Eastern country, Iraq itself has not been the subject of many games. In fact, the only title to actively tout its re-creations of actual battles from the ongoing conflict is the PC shooter KumaWar, which received explosively poor reviews.

Operation Phantom Fury: The Video Game

One battle that got a KumaWar redux was Operation Phantom Fury, also known as Operation Al-Fajr or the Second Battle in Fallujah. The conflict took place during several weeks in November and December 2004, when Iraqi forces and US Marines forcibly occupied the central Iraqi city. The metropolis of 250,000 had become a haven for insurgents following the First Battle of Fallujah (aka Operation Vigilant Resolve) in April 2004, which saw the Marines attack the city following the killing of four Blackwater security contractors. The Washington Post estimates that over 25 percent of all the city's 39,000 homes were destroyed during the fierce fighting, the intensity of which can be witnessed via numerous YouTube clips.

Today, both the Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times are reporting that several Fallujah veterans are advising developer Atomic Games on an ambitious new war game, Six Days in Fallujah. Published by Konami, the game will be based on the diaries, photos, videos, and memories of the former Marines and will attempt to re-create the fighting in the city as accurately as possible.

"We replicate a specific and accurate timeline--we mean six days literally," Atomic president Peter Tamte told the Journal. "We track several units through the process and you get to know what it was like from day to day."

To take Six Days in Fallujah to near-hyper-realistic levels, Atomic Games will also incorporate video clips of Marines recalling their experiences fighting in the city. The Marines will also play themselves in the self-styled "game-amentary," which is reportedly using classified satellite photography for accurate re-creations of neighborhoods. It also helps that the developer, best known for its Close Combat series, makes training simulations for the US military using game technology.

Six Days in Fallujah will be based on an all-new engine designed to create realistic structural damage for the game's almost completely destructible environments. Players will be part of a four-person fire team tasked with taking out any insurgents they encounter.

"For us, the challenge was how do you present the horrors of war in a game that is also entertaining, but also gives people insight into a historical situation in a way that only a video game can provide," Tamte told the Times. "Our goal is to give people that insight, of what it's like to be a Marine during that event, what it's like to be a civilian in the city and what it's like to be an insurgent." Atomic has not yet decided on whether or not insurgents will be playable.

Six Days in Fallujah is expected out sometime next year. According to GamePro, the game is in development for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.

491 Comments

  • vjso2

    Posted Jun 7, 2009 7:32 pm PT

    I find it amusing how americans find it completely appropriate to profit from WWII games but freak once an Iraq War game is made - is it a sense of defeat and hopelesness?

  • havocmerc

    Posted Jun 7, 2009 4:18 pm PT

    I agree with joaoalencar.

  • Mr_Fujiv1

    Posted May 5, 2009 11:10 am PT

    yea i aggree this aint right they should atleast stick with a world war one insted starting on something that aint even finished yet

  • Dr-Strangelove

    Posted May 4, 2009 10:25 pm PT

    @__Pent__

    You prefer fictional war based games or games that are about wars that are over...

    What does it matter if the war is still going on? Are the lives lost in wars that have ended less important or poignant today? or less so compared to our current wars?

    It's a fresh wound for many, many people. But in some ways bringing the war home in the form of a video game, and being relevant to our specific time rather than 20, 30, 40 years ago etc... might make people actually stop and consider what's happening. Rather than popping in Halo or Resistance and wailing away on aliens while the world goes by.

    I see nothing wrong with this game had it been made. I've seen dead bodies on TV from real strife and that's been deemed okay for news loops. Which news is entertainment itself. What's one more entertainment outlet using the same material the others use?

    Heck Tom Clancy games/books are based a lot on what goes on today as far as politics and special forces/military equipment and strategy...I guess that's a no-no also in your opinion?

  • lions_rock_2008

    Posted Apr 28, 2009 9:41 am PT

    it got pulled...

  • __Pent__

    Posted Apr 27, 2009 5:39 pm PT

    I think it's incredibly stupid to make a game out of a war that isn't even over yet. People don't seem to understand that people are actually out there fighting a war and dying, and instead are having fun pretending they're fighting in the war. I bet they wouldn't be having fun if they were actually in the army getting shot at. That said, I do enjoy FPS games, but I'd prefer a fictional FPS game over one based on an actual war (especially one still being fought).

  • joaoalencar

    Posted Apr 21, 2009 10:31 am PT

    It's always interesting how us civilians seem more sensitive about the sanctity of war than military people. You get a sense that military people feel misunderstood by the populace and that they look forward to anything that allows us normal people insight into their world.

    This is what some military members feel about the game:

    Gunnery Sgt. John Mundy, U.S. Marine Corps: "You will have your group of idiots that try to be the terrorists and kill Americans and shout obscenities through the TV, damning American military personnel. But hey, those individuals can make fools of themselves all because of the protection that we military people give them each day. ... If someone doesn't agree with the game, they can spend their money elsewhere."

    Sgt. Casey J. McGeorge, U.S. Army: "As a combat veteran and as a gamer, I have no problem whatsoever with the game...As long as it's made as realistically as possibly, I believe that this could be a good thing for both combat veterans and for the war in general."

  • Aarontan1

    Posted Apr 14, 2009 12:24 am PT

    I still prefer this type of army base game to be third person shooting game, and also the the way the characters in the game move should be as realistic as ever, unlike the Full spectrum warrior, when the characters move, they are moving on side ways rather then straight.

  • 008Zulu

    Posted Apr 11, 2009 2:44 pm PT

    Modern day shooters are mediocre at best, the FPS's that have seen better reviews are either futuristic like Crysis and Unreal Tournament, or ones set during WW2. Even the WW2 ones are starting to look like the same famous battles constantly rehashed. Maybe time for a WW1 game? These modern day (themed) shooters will one day be popular, but not for another 30 or 40 years.

  • TheSilverArrow

    Posted Apr 10, 2009 7:46 am PT

    Hey, glad to see theres points from both sides and honestly, Ive seen you guys talking to one another like we're all friends in a room trying to make sense of the lies our parents generation were cursed to continue. Okassar, thanks for your POV and points of contributions of Islam, etc. Slovaki, in the post of mine that has the "subhumans" thing, that was a cut n paste from another post. I just didnt put quotes on it like a dummy. But it wasnt me and I really dont think there was anything hidden with a meaning there or anything.

    As far as this game, I still say this: Fightin' a bunch of dudes with AK-47's and every one of 20 soldiers has an outdated RPG to shoot at you hardly sounds like a formula for a good FPS. I think theres something incredulously WRONG about making a GAME reagrding a conflict currently running where people are DYING. Can anyone say "Bad Taste"? How about "Stupid Idea"? Dunno....

  • shakensparco

    Posted Apr 9, 2009 5:54 pm PT

    Seems ambitious but I'm sure it will get poor reviews.If you think about it, most shooters don't do so well. Only a few really sell a bunch.

  • Cody14W

    Posted Apr 9, 2009 12:46 pm PT

    This is a bad idea... Past wars and things of that are entertaining but playing a current war dont seem that fun @ all to me. and some of the PDS some of the troops now go threw they wont be playing it due to things like that. so yeah... all around bad idea imo.

  • chico129

    Posted Apr 9, 2009 11:33 am PT

    "_ERT_: No one can beat activation at first-shooter" I assume you mean "Activision" And if that is what you mean, then Jesus Christ, read the description "Hyper-realistic shooter" Seriously, if you consider Call of Duty 4 to even be SLIGHTLY realistic, then you should not buy this game if they stay true to what they said here. Activision has NO experience in the "Realistic" Genre of shooters. And also, "Konami sucks" Seriously, the company with games like Silent Hill and the Metal Gear series sucks? Just no.

  • _ERT_

    Posted Apr 9, 2009 9:49 am PT

    Konami sucks , no one can beat activation at first-shooter .

  • GDI_SOLDIER_94

    Posted Apr 9, 2009 9:14 am PT

    ahaha guys uv seriously gtta watch this video called the "hardcore gamer song" its awsome it sums up a gamer completely x]
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQctcg9_--U&feature=channel_page

  • Phoenix_o2o

    Posted Apr 9, 2009 7:54 am PT

    Wow...I read articles on gamespot to get information and viewpoints on GAMES. If I wanted to hear a bunch of political debating on worldly policies I would make a visit to some BBC forums. The condition of the our world wont be changed on a $#%@ing gamespot preview for a military game so please quit wasting my time with your way off topic babble. I think the idea of the game sounds great however the problem will come in trying to make a "hyper-realistic" game about war and make it entertainment, as I am sure many would agree real war is anything but entertaining.

  • sakaiXxX

    Posted Apr 9, 2009 7:24 am PT

    U know if the british goverment give palestine to the arab back in the 40's I think the world will be different u know....no war....fewer terrorist.....no hatred against the jews(MAYBE) and the west,no israelis killing the palestinian,fewer suicide bomber,fewer aeroplane hijacker........yup this all start with the british and american gov.......

  • joeboosauce

    Posted Apr 9, 2009 7:21 am PT

    @slavik700
    "occupy Kuwait and steal their oil" Your ability to infantilize the discussion of points you really have no understanding of or possibly want to defray legitimate discussion is woefully transparent. At least TRY to act like you can debate here. So, you are implying that people who disagree think US soldiers were sneaking around Kuwait siphoning oil from peoples cars, stealing barrels in the cover of the night, etc. You are creating a strawman argument to take away from when I and others here bring up points that counter your weak and narrowly controlled ideas.
    So, with that statement, you have no understanding of Kuwait's relationship with the US. Then you should gracefully get the F@#$ out of the discussion and let the big boys have a real discussion. I listed my points below on Gulf War Part 1. If you cannot understand that then follow the link to Blum's site. http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Blum/Iraq_KH.html
    It's all documented (122 citations) how the US encouraged Iraq's invasion and then acted "OH MY GOD, HOW COULD HE DO THIS?!?!?"

    Second, Israel had ZERO right to the land in Palestine. A religious zealot like yourself should come to terms with the fact that land claims from thousands of years ago cannot be recognized. According to your own logic, then we should give the Brits back the US as someone else mentioned here or go back further and give back the all of the USA to the Natives. So, are we going to see you at the US land reappropriation for Natives and Brits rally? Lets make it to fit your religiously brainwashed simplicities: So I get up & leave my seat in the food court, come back a week later and find another person there, I can grab the security guard & make them leave? Same idea.

    Did you know that the Palestine was not the original site for a Jewish state? The original Zionists looked to Ethiopia for a state. Mind you this was BEFORE the Holocaust. Seems like land grabbing is common thinking for these people. Now, IF the Holocaust was really the motivator, why should Palestinians pay for the crimes of Germany? The current state was founded illegitimately. Polish, Germans, Russians, etc who MIGHT have had ancestors from 2000+ years ago who are Jews have ZERO claim to land that was occupied recently by Palestinians who were driven out by Jewish settlers. As for Israel today, it is not so much a democracy than an APARTHEID state like South Africa under white rule. Just ask Ariel Sharon who hailed the model of apartheid when he visited S Africa. Remember which 2 countries were the biggest supporters of APARTHEID S Africa. Israel was one. So, how democratic is a state that gives more rights to Jewish people than non-Jews? Yes, Palestinians have to have special identification they must carry and many checkpoints. This is strangely reminiscent of Germany under the Nazis. So, Israel is a dictatorship of a religious minority over the majority of the population of Palestine and just dubbed it Israel. Its only a "democracy" in the sense that it is for a select group. Now, is THAT your version of democracy? You have no place criticizing dictators.

    And to push the point of how the US being blindly pro-Israel hurts its own interests as it is doing now, I will mention these incidents. How many Israeli spys have been caught spying on the USA? Anyone who is interested check out Johnathan Pollard. Also look up the bombing of the USS Liberty. Israel knowingly bombed US servicemen so to blame it on Egypt and draw the US in. Really, if you call people like these allies then one has to wonder who is really pulling the strings. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Liberty_incident
    As to pulling the strings, reading this book by the Harvard and U of Chicago professors is a must read of ALL Americans.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Israel_Lobby_and_U.S._Foreign_Policy

    Sorry slav, but the Torah is no basis for any actionable claims today. Get out of ancient texts and into the modern day. Blum's writings has more validity than that.

  • Welshmun

    Posted Apr 9, 2009 6:35 am PT

    okassar sorry to break it to you but ..umm but your arab bum chum friends didnt invent algebra the bablyonians greeks etc were using it for centuries before the arabs did.. same goes for the pyramids how do you think that tIf you take the perimeter of the great pyramid of giza and divide it by two times the height, you get a number that is exactly equivalent to the number pi (3.14159...) ALGEBRA? after the arabs came into egypt the ancient egyptians went south (that is if you belive that the pyramids were built by humans) oh by the way i used to live in the middle-east got bullied for eating pork being non-muslim.... i recommend u live there... learn your history stop giving people credit for things they didnt do or invent! arrrgh!!!!!!!

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