Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, released by Activision, sold 4.7 million copies within the first 24 hours of its release on November 9th, 2009, earning $310 million in revenue and the title of being the biggest entertainment launch in history. Unfortunately that’s not the only media attention the game acquired. Suddenly headlines such as “Outrage as new video game lets players kill civilians in terror attacks” or “Modern Warfare 2 accused of promoting terrorism” began to appear all over entertainment media due to a mission in the campaign that allowed players to kill civilians. However, what wasn’t included in these rants was that the truth is that you play an undercover agent who has infiltrated the terrorist group in order to bring it down.
This is where a question arises: Is Modern Warfare 2 simply making entertainment out of terrorism? Or is it attempting to confront a major issue that is very real?
I personally agree with the author in that it could very well be all of the above, although I do believe that realism makes for better gaming and that the media has the power to blow up almost any issue with no effort at all.
As for those mothers and fathers who think that the game is “sick,” don’t be a bad parent and buy the titles with the 18+ stickers for your 12 year old at home. In my head that seems more unethical than Activision releasing the award-winning game in the first place.
Article Used: http://www.denofgeek.com/games/359360/the_call_of_duty_modern_warfare_2_controversy_a_reality_check.html