Konami criticised over Iraq war game

War veterans have criticised Konami for an upcoming game based on one of the most brutal battles in the recent US invasion of Iraq.

The Japanese firm will release third-person survival game Six Days In Fallujah for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC at some point next year.

Being developed by Atomic Games in collaboration with a group of veteran US marines, the title is the first game to be based on the 2003 invasion of the Middle Eastern country.

It takes inspiration from the Second Battle of Fallujah, which ran from November 7 to December 23 2004 and resulted in 1,500 insurgents and 38 US troops reportedly losing their lives.

However, decorated former British Army colonel Tim Collins told The Daily Telegraph that the game should be banned entirely.

"It's much too soon to start making video games about a war that's still going on, and an extremely flippant response to one of the most important events in modern history," he said.

"It's particularly insensitive given what happened in Fallujah, and I will certainly oppose the release of this game."

Peter Tamte, Konami's president, claimed the title is about presenting the "horrors of war in a game that is entertaining, but also gives people insight into a historical situation in a way that only a video game can provide".

He continued: "Our goal is to give people that insight of what it's like to be a marine during that event, what it's like to be a civilian in the city and what it's like to be an insurgent."