Reaction to Solomon Islands featured in the gaming series Battlefield.
According to an article first published by Newsweek and re-published last week in the Solomon Times on line, the Solomon Islands has been featured in the new installation of the popular gaming series battlefield.
The article, as quoted, said:
“Players will be able to get their hands on the new Solomon Islands map today, and the patch also adds tweaks for vehicle and map glitches, a small AA buff and more.
“Battlefield V is a first-person shooter video game developed by EA DICE and published by Electronic Arts. Battlefield V is the sixteenth instalment in the Battlefield series. It was released worldwide for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on November 20, 2018.
“According to Microsoft, there are more than two billion gamers around the world. This number includes everyone from those playing free games on their phone to those using a state-of-the-art computer fitted with the latest hardware. And the gaming market is only growing.
“By 2022, experts forecast the gaming industry will produce $196 billion in revenue. It's no wonder then that tech giants like Apple and Google are trying to cash in by launching gaming streaming services.”
Source: Newsweek/Solomon Times on Line.
Apart from the sensitivity that lingers following the epic Battle of Guadalcanal when over 7000 United States troops died and more than 38,000 Japanese Imperial Troops lost their lives, I just wonder whether the battle field game featuring the Solomon Islands might in some way infringe copyright materials in depicting military uniforms of the time and vehicles used by the military, on both sides, during that time of conflict.
As I understand the legal position, the claim that a filmmaker has a fair use privilege to show another party’s copyrighted work generally has little support if the work is being used as background or foreground decoration on a feature film or television show, but in respect of a game, I am not entirely sure.
Whatever the legal position might be, having regard to the great loss of life during the Battle of Guadalcanal and the feeling and sensitivity that still persists, would it not be morally justifiable for Play Station to use some small degree of its profits from the game to see to the upkeep of both the United States and Japanese War Memorials in the Solomon Islands, perhaps, also offering some aid to worthy causes in the Solomon Islands?
Just my thoughts, what do you think?
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
