Modern Warfare 2 First Mission

[Radi]

Alright, so I'm going to assume that most of us will become pretty accustomed to this very soon if you pay attention to the media:

WARNING: THIS VIDEO FEATURES CONTENT THAT WILL PROBABLY BE (MORALLY OR OTHERWISE) DISTURBING.

http://kotaku.com/5391523/watch-the-opening-of-modern-warfare-2
2nd link: http://modernwarfare2forums.net/viewtop ... f=5&p=8530
Direct: http://www.viddler.com/simple_on_site/c2d379ef

Holy shit, IW and Activision are totally owning the internet with their zealous C&Ds. The internet will not be stopped!

3rd link: http://news.spong.com/article/19606/Act ... -Warfare-2 (click on Skip advert)

While I knew about this from Gamefaqs days ago this is the first time it will be very widely diseminnated especially since there's a stable video at liveleak that wont go down.

===

My first reaction was one of horror. There's a difference between always fighting on the Western side in a war (just about every FPS game out there) with OTHER SOLDIERS, than what is portrayed in the level.

IW has crossed this boundary, and there are no penalties for doing so. Populous gaming will now cross another threshold that will paint the whole entertainment platform as one of controversy.

The ramifications are high, but how do I personally feel about it? Well, I feel it's an expression of what our world is fearful of, and what our world can very well possibly be like. To read about something like this in a book, and to be right up close to it visually and interactively is a massive jump. Yet, I somewhat feel like it's just the evolution of media and our immersement. From books to movies to TV, violence of this nature has become increasingly accessible.

I sincerely believe the controls of our behaviour when viewing this kind of media should be the same no matter what platform it is on. Us as adults should view this as one of a simulation of events, just like in television unless it's a non-fictional account. Instead of focusing on how we feel angry about exposure to this world, this violence, we should reflect on how we form or have formed our principles around it. We are all citizens of the world and in my opinion have an obligation to consider the circumstances of the people on this planet. Burying our head into the sand will not make it go away. If it is us getting an account of a soldier in Afghanistan who has seen a kid lose his father to crossfire OR a fictional account of a terrorist in a video game of whom we control the fate of others through our virtual triggers, both can be valid of a perspective we may never know of, but should come to terms with.

Children are different. They will need more that strict parental guidance for this mission. It can be a truly exceptional learning experience for some, giving the first brutal reality of an alternate world that's based on this one. But I'd feel this would be perhaps 5% of the population, and the others will be disillusioned, desensitized or worse impressioned. This game will need full parental supervision, especially that particular mission. It's not enough to say that it's good gameplay this time around. There's a particular slant that cannot be ignored.

Now, some have said what is the difference between this and the GTA series, where you can also kill indiscriminately on civilians? Some may just be blowing up this mission because it plays on so many of our conceived fears. To be honest, I don't differentiate the two. One cannot be "worse" than the other, it just packages it up differently. GTA has pedestrian and innocent death that doesn't directly reward you for it (well, not anymore at least), the mission has civilians who can be mowed over with no reward (but interestingly no penalty until you get to the predetermined end, but apparently that is for different reasons too). If you can come to terms with GTA, the mission should not come too much of a shock. It's just playing towards modern civilization fears, but the concept is the same: spread panic and terror for a cause (money or ideology).

This game will get a media shitstorm, and perhaps rightly so. However, if it starts a dialogue on the conditions of life in worlds unknown, I think we can benefit more than just listening to the shrills of "Think of the Children!"

(This would also make for a great discussion for us as a club, not just in a forum but as an academic dissection. Depending on how things go, bringing out COD:MW2 may be more interesting than before...)

[Nagare]

Video's been taken down.

[Radi]

Updated, perhaps with a more sturdy link. I don't ever recall Liveleak taking down stuff before too

Also, see the following: http://www.vg247.com/2009/10/28/confirm ... eckpoints/

They've allowed the player to skip through an extra warning about content.

[XScorpion]

This seriously isn't any different than the GTA issue. That's all there is to it.

[Singh]

Well it seems like what's been leaked is not the entire story.

According to IGN, the game does warn you about the situation beforehand, also does let you opt-out of the situation entirely, however Activison did not say how.

I think all of this is comes down to a moral choice within the game, and I think it's good. It shows the the industry is growing and engaging the player, allowing them to make moral choices, and in many cases, showing how their choices affect others in the long run. I think while this will result in OMGWTFVIDEOGAMESCORRUPTCHILDREN sensationalism that prevails in today's media, overall it's good for the industry as it evolves just like how music and movies have evolved in order to express moral choices and beliefs.

[Nagare]

Basically, when people will look at video games as an art form like all the movies out there...

[RoXoR]

im pretty sure having the option to avoid the scene is not enough, and yet the storm has calmed

we'll see how people react when they make a game where you can fly a plane into a tall building......