It's illegal to possess a copy of Kuma\War in Iran. Iran's Supreme mullah was behind a statement denouncing Kuma for releasing Mission 58: Assault on Iran and a petition circulated from www.persianpetition.com, which called for Kuma to revoke the game. At the same time, thousands of downloads were being initiated from inside Iran and bootleg copies of Kuma\War reportedly flooded the black market.
We continue to receive letters today by Iranians from all walks of life: Educators using the game as a lesson; civilians pleading for a military intervention; public officials sending political statements; school children making death threats. "Iran is not Iraq." "We need global help." "Iran will never be defeated." "We will do everything for freedom." The responses come in broken translations and fluent English and Arabic and Persian. And more.
But the most amazing response to "Assault on Iran" came last month, in Standard English, over American news wires. The Union of Islamic Student Societies in Iran had something to say to us. And they would express their views in the form of their own video game.
In March of 2007, the Union states they will release their own version of what the next chapter of Assault on Iran would be. In the Iranian video game, the player stars as the fictional Commander Bahram, an Iranian tasked with rescuing the scientist who left the Natanz nuclear facility in Kuma's mission 58. You thought he was working with the US? That he defected from Iran and left Natanz of his own free will? Not so, according to the Iranian story line. The scientist was kidnapped by your men. And Commander Bahram will fight the Americans to free the scientist in the city of Karbala, Iraq.
Nothing could make us happier.
By responding with a hypothetical mission of their own, featuring Iranian soldiers and the Iranian point of view, the dialogue can continue in a forum that's wholly engaging. That Kuma can provide a forum to discuss the issues that separate Iran and the US, and those that bring us together.
Kuma presents the beta version of Karbala, Iraq, where Iranian forces and American soldiers are featured in a custom red on blue map. There is no mission to complete; no script to follow, as this is phase one of a development project in which we invite players from both Iran and the US to participate. Mission 76 is the foundation for a more comprehensive game-the details of which will come from you, the player. How would the story play out in your mind, in your tactical experience?
Based on feedback from around the world, Kuma will create the details of the next chapter in our Iran series. Welcome to Karbala. Welcome to the development team.
Welcome back, Iran.
