Infinity Ward startled by similar occurrancies between MDW2 and the real world

Infinity Ward is back in the news with Modern Warfare 2. As many of you know a shocking transgression takes place at the beginning of the game. Jesse Stern, a story writer with Infinity Ward, in a recent interview, spoke about this controversy, and why at times they wanted to halt development of the game:

"We would have a conversation about what would be terrifying in today's political landscape, if for reasons of oil, the Russians decided to roll tanks into a former Soviet republic. And then the following week that happened in the republic of Georgia for very similar reasons we had been debating," Explained Mr Stern.

"So we were like, we don't want to do that, we don't want to do ripped-from-the-headlines stories. Then we started having conversations about terrorism and how scary it is the idea of what they call 'soft targets', people just getting killed in a shopping mall or a public area and about then a week after that the attacks took place in Mumbai (India). After that we stopped talking. We sent an email saying, 'Does anybody want to take a break from this for awhile?' Because it was frightening."

In my opinion video games just like movies mimic the real world. These are the types of things happening in our society. You don't have to play the game just like you don't have to watch certain movies.

All aside, the game will be pure awesomeness. It's out next Tuesday for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

Get the full thing here.

11/03/09 Phillip Crowe

Australian lobbyist group wants the government to re-rate Modern Warfare 2

Ever since the illegal footage of Modern Warfare to was leaked, controversy has arisen over a scene in the game that allows you to play as a terrorist. As the terrorist, you can shoot innocent civilians and also children. However, according to Activision, the scene is misrepresented and players can skip through it if desired.

Misrepresented or not, Australian lobbyist group Australian Council on Children and the Media, is moving ahead with a petition demanding the government re-visit the rating of MDW2.

"The consequences of terrorism are just abhorrent in our community and yet here we are with a product that's meant to be passed off as leisure activity, actually promoting what most world leaders speak out publicly against," council president Jane Roberts told the Sydney Morning Herald.

"If that material was on the internet about how to become a terrorist, how to join a group and how to wipe out people - that would be removed because it would not be acceptable."

The group wants MDW2 removed from the MA+15 rating to Uncensored. In other words, they want the game to get banned in Australia.

We're leaving the room now.

10/30/09 Ernice Gilbert