Controversy has erupted over the release of a game for the Nintendo Wii in which players can simulate the torture handed out to terrorist suspects; and workers in the Wolverhampton branch of Dixons. The game allows those that play to recreate notorious torture techniques such as sensory deprivation, waterboarding and attaching electrodes to the testes. However, despite the outrage expressed by human rights groups, industry insiders believe that the game, Extraordinary Rendition: Pulling Out Teeth For Truth, will be a massive hit.
In the game, the player takes on the role of a government agent who only has 72 hours to prevent a terrorist attack. The player must interrogate different suspects and get the information necessary to foil a terrorist plot. The sooner the player gets the information, the more time he has to stop the plot (and score freedom points). The game can be played at a range of difficulties ranging from Easy and Medium to We Keep On Getting The Wrong Guy. The game's authors are keen to stress that they are in no way trading on stereotypes as the villains in the game are in fact many different types of Muslim.The creators have also defended the game against allegations of treating the issue of torture too lightly, insisting that the ramifications of “enhanced interrogation” are actually shown in the game. Chuck Woodhead, the chief designer, said, “There is a definite moral message to the game. For instance, let's say you have to get information from some guy, say, Mohammed Jihadiman. You need to get the information, but if you torture him too much, he might die and you won't be able to complete the game without going back and torturing him all over again, even though he's dead. So there's a degree of restraint you have to employ. If you want.”
