11:10:09

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 comes out on November 10, which is only 11 days away. I am so excited for this game. Modern Warfare was some of the most fun I've ever had in a game, and the online play was probably the best I've ever seen. Modern Warfare 2 has a story that looks amazing (DC is attacked!), and way more online play (75 levels! New perks! Customizable kill-streaks!). There's no real point to this post other than to voice my excitement for this game. Although...

In case you missed it, a particular level was leaked for by a French guy. Now, given the French language, I don't know the specifics of what is said, but I do know that you are with a terrorist organization. What occurs in the level is truly something that has never happened before in a game, and likely something that will cause a great deal of controversy due to misunderstanding. Activision released a statement explaining the scene by saying that the game features "a skippable scene of atrocities" intended to convey the evil and cruelty of the game's antagonist. According to Activision, a warning is displayed before the scene, so that hopefully nobody that doesn't want to see it will, but that probably won't due much for the inevitable response from the same people who get up in arms about GTA and other games. In response to this scene, two things come to mind: is it going too far, and what sort of response will this scene elicit. Because of the fact that it is skippable, I would say that it isn't going too far, but I worry about the fact that people are going to buy this game for their kids. This is one of the few "M" ratings that I think absolutely should not be given to children, given the possible emotional trauma that the scene could cause. Teenagers can handle it just fine, but unfortunately idiot parents will purchase the game for their young kids. Having seen the level, I know what to expect, but I know that I will still be affected by its contents. I know for a fact that as a device to create hatred for the antagonist it will work, and then some. Still, it will be something that will make you feel wrong for doing. Once in a while that happens in a game, and in the first Modern Warfare while you never felt 'wrong', emotional response were certainly produced. Playing the dying Sgt. Paul Jackson was surreal, and the final sequence was so anticlimactic. You survived, while Gaz, Griggs, and Cpt Price (who was voiced by Bill Murray!) are all killed. Those three were such a big part of the story, and being unable to save them was awful. What I'm saying is that Infinity Ward some how managed to get a very real response with only a few deaths, given the nature of this particular scene, I can honestly say that it may have a major effect on some people. Anyway, expect a lot of coverage of the game on both the blog and podcast in the coming weeks, I guarantee you we'll talk about the emotional responses games can produce on a coming show, it should be quite a discussion.