While we've heard of military consulting for video games (and how that consulting can get them into trouble) it's a little strange to think such that high profile soldiers would even have to consult for money. The reality of the sad matter though is that – while they may be a war hero – society doesn't have a clear place for them. This makes consulting – using their experience and making money from it – a good option. And sometimes, it's the only option.
Unfortunately, it must be emotionally crushing when they are turned down.
A new report from Esquire says that Electronic Arts allegedly turned down the man personally responsible for taking the shot on Osama bin Laden. Bin Laden was a fugitive long sought after for alleged crimes against the U.S. The man went through his uncle to get a job consulting on EA's Medal of Honor: Warfighter, but he was turned down at a time where the publisher was "stacked with consultants". It is worth noting that EA did not know he was the shooter, due to the need for confidentiality. The man's application also said he was retired, which may have contributed to his denial.
We can only guess about whether having such a high profile consultant would have helped or hurt the game, as the marketing for Warfighter was already criticized up until its release.
One may recall that several consultants were severely reprimanded for sharing classified information to developers, likely to the point of halting their career progress. It is unknown if the man will also face any repercussions for going public about his story, even though he wasn't named.
Medal of Honor: Warfighter itself was released to more than subpar reviews, which caused EA to put the series on hiatus.
You can find more details in Esquire's official report which covers the entire story of The Shooter.
