Medal of Honor Not Dead

Leading up to the release of Medal of Honor: Warfighter, Electronic Arts and Danger Close Games were adamant about the game's "authenticity," openly acknowledging close involvement with several US Navy SEALs, whom they hired as consultants during the development process.

The US Navy was none too pleased.

According to CBS News, the group of SEALs who collaborated on Warfighter with EA and Danger Close has been disciplined by the Navy for getting, well, in the Navy's opinion danger close. Allegedly the group -- comprised of seven men from SEAL Team Six, one of whom participated in the raid that killed Osama bin Laden -- disclosed secret information to the developers that was intended to remain classified.

It's unclear just what the SEALs revealed or if/how it ever manifested itself in the game, but the Navy has already slashed the men's pay in half for two months and has issued each letters of reprimand -- often, though not always, a promotional death sentence. All of the SEALs are apparently still on active duty. Four other members from Team Six who contributed to Warfighter but have since transferred out of the unit are currently under investigation as well.

Medal-of-Honor-Warfighter SEALs Punished

With the matter ostensibly being handled behind closed doors, there's no point in speculating where Electronic Arts and Danger Close become involved in the story. But it's not the first time that Medal of Honor has been associated more with politics than pixels: The game was the source of controversy in 2010 when its multiplayer mode pitted U.S. soldiers against the Taliban, and it was announced in September that an upcoming Warfighter DLC pack would tie-in to the Bin Laden-raid film Zero Dark Thirty -- after executive producer Greg Goodrich promised to avoid the subject.

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And it's all rather unfortunate. Despite releasing to tenuous reviews that -- much like its predecessor in 2010 -- buried it towards the bottom of a crowded first-person shooter landscape, Medal of Honor: Warfighter did manage to convey a genuinely human story about the operatives serving as elite, "Tier 1" specialists in the United States military. (You can read how in our Medal of Honor: Warfigther review). With underwhelming sales casting the franchise's future in doubt -- at the very least it's in dire need of another reboot -- it's sad to see the same apply for some of the real heroes who helped make it.

Medal of Honor: Warfighter is out now for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.

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Follow Brian on Twitter @Brian_Sipple.

Source: CBS News