Video Game Affiliation Has Left-Wingers Turning on Bono
News
While Bono is usually touted for his advocacy and relief work, the singer has recently come under fire for his involvement in a video game that depicts a war-torn Venezuela. According to the New York Post, a private equity firm that Bono established invested $300 million in Pandemic Studios, which made the game Mercenaries 2: World in Flames. In the game, the player takes on the role of a mercenary sent to a "war-torn world" where a "power-hungry tyrant messes with Venezuela's oil supply," according to Pandemic.
Among the groups speaking out about the matter is the Venezuela Solidarity Network, which is made up of more than 50 U.S.-based organizations. They've asked Bono to halt production of the game, saying it "is designed to demean the Venezuelan people, to undermine the democratically elected government of Venezuela." The group noted that the game might be used as a recruiting tool since it is aimed at teens and "20-something males, the same target market for military recruiting."
A spokesperson at Bono's label did not return a request for comment.
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On the Web:
pandemicstudios.com
u2.com
