Battlefield 3 banned in Iran

Iranian gamers hoping to get their hands on Battlefield 3 will be sorely disappointed, as the country has officially banned EA's latest shooter.

A police spokesperson, working with the security and intelligence division said in a statement:

All computer stores are prohibited from selling this illegal game.

Why? The game features an American war force launching an assault on Iranian capital city Tehran.

The Iran scenario - one of the first to be revealed from the best-selling game - opens on fictional US forces fighting near the Iran-Iraq border before moving to Tehran under threat of nuclear warfare.

This is one occasion where the realism depicted in video games has caused backlash: Various locations within Tehran are represented with alarming accuracy - including an assortment of industrial and urban settings as well as military spots. One scene is set within the city's iconic Grand Bazaar.

It's not just the government who is upset by the game's release, either. A group of "Iranian youths" have also launched an online protest and petition over content in BF3:

We understand that the story of a videogame is hypothetical ... (but) we believe the game is purposely released at a time when the US is pushing the international community into fearing Iran.

Their petition has already gathered more than 5,000 signatories.

Officially, EA has no resellers in Iran, meaning the game is not easily legally available within its borders. However, pirated copies have been in heavy circulation, alongside an assortment of other major video games and computer software.

Some stores which freely stock illicit copies of other titles anticipated a crackdown on Battlefield 3, and have opted not to sell the game since its release.

This may have been a wise decision - reports claim police raids have resulted in the arrest of some shop owners who chose to sell the game "secretly".

9 Responses to “Battlefield 3 banned in Iran”

1. dave says:

   November 28, 2011 at 4:15 pm

   people its a game, not real life, please keep reality where it belongs. no matter what the subject matter someone will be offended, now pass me the controller!

   Reply
   • ryan says:

     November 29, 2011 at 8:01 am

     agreed

     Reply
2. Battlefield 3 Banned in Iran | Battlefield Max says:

   November 28, 2011 at 5:59 pm

   [...] GamePron [...]

   Reply
3. Ricomincia la settimana - Beavers says:

   November 29, 2011 at 7:10 am

   [...] Battlefield 3 è stato bannato in Iran; [...]

   Reply
4. Droog says:

   November 29, 2011 at 10:14 am

   It means that someone has some great virtual models of Tehran, all the better to train for the real thing when it happens. Send in the Drones>>>>

   Reply
5. Battlefield 3 sells bucketloads « GamePron says:

   November 29, 2011 at 6:27 pm

   [...] the game’s recent ban in Iran, it seems that Battlefield 3 is still selling in pretty significant [...]

   Reply
6. alireza says:

   December 1, 2011 at 7:28 am

   xfb

   Reply
7. hossein says:

   January 13, 2012 at 10:08 am

   fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck all of your mothers,BITCHES

   Reply
8. fifi says:

   April 25, 2012 at 6:22 am

   there is a big problem with USA,…>>> american wouldn’t catch their goal with a game but Iranian youths will be hateful of USA
   :-|

   Reply

Article Details

• published: November 28th, 2011
• by: Jessica Citizen
• in: banned, Company: DICE, Company: Electronic Arts, Game: Battlefield 3, Iran, Tehran
• comments: 9

Author Bio:

I like video games, fishing, Depeche Mode, long walks on the beach, writing discussion papers and cups of tea. Not necessarily in that order.

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