Call of Duty: The terrorist video game
Is it wrong to release a video game that lets players take part in terrorist attack so soon after Fort Hood?
Store employees stock the shelves with copies of the game "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" at a GameStop store in New York.
(Reuters/Corbis/Lucas Jackson)
A new video game is under fire for scenes in which players can kill innocent bystanders in a bloody terrorist attack on an airport. While the makers of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 say they want players to be “emotionally shocked” by the “authenticity” of the scenes, others say they are gratuitous and could encourage violent behavior. Should video games allow us to play at being terrorists? (Watch scenes of terrorist attacks from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2)
What horrible timing: It's shocking that the makers of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare would release this game so soon after the Fort Hood massacre, says Jonathan Berr on Daily Finance. The company, Activision Blizzard, could at least have "waited until after Veterans Day." Then again, with casualties still mounting in Iraq and Afghanistan -- more than 350,000 have been wounded since 9/11 -- maybe there's "no good time" to release this game.
"Call of Duty game release ill-timed after Fort Hood shooting"
The terrorism scene is just tasteless: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is an "undoubted masterpiece," says Charlie Brooker in Britain's Guardian, but the airport scene is "jarringly misplaced." If you’re going to evoke the memory of terrorist attacks like Mumbai or Fort Hood, "it’s best to do so with good reason." Given that the rest of the game is little more than a "dumb Tom Clancy romp," this is a "misjudged lapse into tastelessness."
"Modern Warfare 2: just a machine"
The game makes terrorism real: The airport scenes “turned my stomach,” says Jamin Brophy-Warren in The Wall Street Journal, but not because I thought they shouldn’t be there. I felt “helpless to stop the slaughter.” The game turns the “horror of terrorism” into a “wrenching interactive sequence” rather than simply something you watch on TV. “These are exactly the types of difficult issues videogames should be exploring.”
"Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2–An Early Look"
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7 Comments
Posted by MarcusDolby, Wednesday, November 11, 2009, 11:25 am I purchased MW2 and played the infamous airport mission last night. As a lifelong PC gamer, this was one of the most uncomfortable missions/scenes that I've experienced. I think the younger audience won't take it as seriously, but as a person in his mid30s, it hits home and strikes a chord. Even though I love the Call of Duty games, I think this mission was not necessary and over the top from a morality standpoint. It was not critical to the storyline and didn't provide any insight. I would have taken it out. But the game is quite impressive.
Posted by bon, Wednesday, November 11, 2009, 1:21 pm MarcusDolbyThank you for your thoughtful and educated commentary.
Posted by Mitch, Wednesday, November 11, 2009, 3:13 pm There's this interactive game that glorifies shooting people. You hold a gun and your team wins if you shoot everyone on the other team. Kids can start at a really young age if they choose to. It's called paintball and no one complains about that because it's dressed up in pretty colors. At least give them credit for not glorifying terrorism. Also, I think the point was to make a person uncomfortable, I can't imagine they wanted people having fun in that part now that would be really creepy
Posted by out of touch, Wednesday, November 11, 2009, 3:23 pm MW2's release date was announced almost a year ago. In fact, Gamestop got in trouble because they released the game a day early, and Activision locked out access to the internet aspect of the game, such as multiplayer and updates. The terrorist attack portion of the game was revealed at one of the recent video game expos. Media is completely out of touch with this industry, which will top the movie industry any day now. Also, Marcus, MW2 is not made for the PC, you know they ditched dedicated server support?
Posted by Ha Ha, Wednesday, November 11, 2009, 5:06 pm Part 1. Same argument against games and music. If the song says: gonna kill that mofo, then someone out there thinks that the song is promoting the senseless murder of mofos. If you are an actual player of games or listener of music with tough lyrics, then you understand the context and that it does not actually promote violence. Part 2. Games take tons of time to program and test. The game probably wasn't trying to simulate Fort Hood. Plus there are financial consideration. Businesses, like people, don't want to default because of lateness.
Posted by TG, Wednesday, November 11, 2009, 5:17 pm You know, it asks if you want to opt out of that mission in the very beginning of the game. It's just a game, so get over it. There are plenty of movies with terrorits...why don't you go flame those?
Posted by Moob, Thursday, November 12, 2009, 9:47 am It is absolutely shocking that the video game developers were unable to foresee the massacre at Fort Hood and change the release date. Blasphemy!
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