Terrorists use Bethesda game image, fool a few pros

In the global fight against terrorism numerous government and private organizations have kept their ears to the ground, trying to prevent the next 9/11. Now it seems that Bethesda Softworks, a Maryland based developer which created the Elders Scroll series, has unwillingly become part of terrorists’ war on the Western world.

No, Bethesda isn’t dropping the controller and mouse for AK47s and joining Al-Qaeda, but it seems that even the world’s most fearsome terrorist group is also a fan of Bethesda’s upcoming game, Fallout 3.

In a mistaken investigation by the SITE Intelligence Group, an intelligence contractor often used by the United States to collect data on global terrorist activities, SITE discovered that a extremist Islamic group had been using a conceptual design of a destroyed Washington D.C. image for their web site.

SITE reported that the password-protected forum was affiliated with Al-Qaeda and encouraged the development and deployment of weapons of mass destruction to be used against American and European targets. The image of a destroyed Washing DC was reported to have been created by Al-Qaeda to show an example of what they were aiming for in terms of lives lost, and total devastation.

However, Gamers quickly figured out that the supposed Al-Qaeda image of a destroyed Washington was, in fact, a concept painting from the upcoming Fallout 3 being developed by Bethesda Softworks.

After the truth of the image’s origin was discovered, British newspaper The Telegraph reported that the SITE group was “embarrassed” and “red-faced” over their mistake in believing that the concept art was created by Al-Qaeda.

Bethesda Softworks has yet to comment on the SITE mistake, nor does it seem likely that they will seek legal penalties against Al-Qaeda for infringing on their copyrighted material.

In an updated press release by SITE, they claim that they stand by the accuracy of its information and its analysis and at no time did they ever claim that Bethesda concept art of a destroyed Washington DC was every created by Al-Qaeda or any extremist groups.

Read [Gamespot] Also Read [Kotaku] Site [Bethesda Softworks] Site [Telegraph]