Developer Shrugs Off Controversial Modern Warfare 3 Leak

[Shamanic Rhythm]

Oh look, so despite people constantly managing to steal Modern Warfare 3 for the past 2 months, the only gameplay footage that has reliably 'leaked' online is the part that will inevitably generate the most controversy online and in the reactionary press. And of course Infinity Ward come over all coy and beg people not to judge it.

Actually, this is the second time they've begged for there not to be a controversy over the game. The last one went something like "Please, please don't compare the New York levels of the game to 9/11. We couldn't possibly benefit from a massive controversy arising from that now, could we?"

The thought that keeps me going at night is the idea that in some parallel universe, an identical Modern Warfare 3 game is being released but news outlets are reporting: "This just in: a new game in the bestselling Modern Warfare series features the most absurdly retarded story ever written into any form of media. The government is being pressed by lobby groups to hold an inquiry into a lack of realism and the overuse of Cold War paranoia in interactive entertainment."

 

[Raven's Nest]

Im just a little bit over the point of complete apathy. Just enough to write this post in fact

 

[Veldel]

While I do hate MW games and shit I find this whole thing really dumb i mean so what there fucking pixels if children die so fucking what I love murdering children in games like Fallout and Deus Ex lets me get fully emersed or comment a complete Genecide of the game

Somtime I hate how overreacting people get about games and shit

 

[SpectralAnomaly]

The controvesy in MW2 wore off in about 10 seconds for me, after the same 5 cloned people die in beautifully scripted droves, regardless of whether you shot at them or not. I can see why they do it, to say THESE ARE THE BAD GUYS BTW => and to get the game talked about, raising the profile of one of the most famous games in existance even more.

 

[tendaji]

The Tank Commander getting executed in BF3 felt more controversial than this. But it's just Activision trying to get more publicity out there about their game. I mean Modern Warfare, the nuke seen was unexpected, as well as pretty awesome. "No Russian" made no sense, seeing how the undercover agent could have killed the terrorists and that would be the end of it. Now with this, they are just trying to get coverage to sell their game even more. There is no such thing as bad publicity.

 

[Ramoth Gilead]

I think as humans we should be appalled at the thought of a child being blown up by terrorists. The terrorists of the world believe so, and the governments that are moved to action because of this believe it as well. The game is depicting extreme circumstances that are moving military to action. It is our job as players to stop those who are inciting such terrorism, or am i missing the point of these games. Yes these are just games, but there are certain things that, as human beings, we should be appalled at, does this mean that the medium should not include it? Well surely that would be a massive step backwards for the industry that is trying to be taken seriously. CONTEXT PEOPLE!

 

[Baresark]

I hate this dramatic posturing. It's not controversial to depict realistic violence. Reporters have been doing that since Vietnam. Get over it. And if your so sensitive, I would advise you do your best to ignore the internet.

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

Are you apathetic?

About anything to do with this game? More than you can possibly imagine.

 

[jackanderson]

Gasp! CONTROVERSY!!!


But seriously, I kinda expect this now from Call Of Duty.

The nuke in Modern Warfare 1: genuinely surprising, completely horrifying, emotionally crippling, made me have to stop playing just to process exactly what the hell the game just did.

The opening of World At War: really, really fucking cheesy, cheap attempt to make the Japanese seem eeeeeeeeeeviilllll, blood does not automatically make you more mature.

No Russian in Modern Warfare 2: interesting experiment, made me feel a bit bad, lost its impact when it turned into an actual level, did feel like they were just trying to recapture the shock and awe of the nuke/presidential car ride/gorram everything of Modern Warfare 1.

Just about everything in Black Ops: Not in the least bit surprising (anyone who didn't see the Fight Club style twist coming needs to ingest some fucking pop culture), arrive every 5 minutes, no impact.

This scene in Modern Warfare 3: free publicity, "Jesus, those animations are horrible! And the fucking voice acting!"

Do you see what I'm getting at, Infinity Ward? You lose the shock value and you lose the appeal of big boundary pushing sequences like these when you do them every single fucking time! Uncharted 3's big set pieces (the bits that weren't given away in every single bit of publicity, anyway) stick out more because there's enough down time between them to recover from them, they have a reason for being there and they are playable!

But I'm not going to go on about this anymore. I'm talking about the game, and that's exactly what Activision wants. So I'll just leave you with this...

Call Of Duty makers:

 

[mr.mystery]

Personally im looking forward to MW3. I only wish that it came out in december so I wouldnt have to debate weather to play it or skyrim.

 

[redisforever]

And yet nobody makes a peep when this sort of thing happens in movies. Fun times.

Hell, I've seen worse on television. This is just, "Look! A child on vacation! Oh, shame, they died in an explosion, and you couldn't even see their death."
There was a BBC series called Occupation. The opening scene was more violent, scary, realistic, and emotionally involving, and the child involved didn't die then. If you want controversy, use a bit of restraint, guys.

 

[jetriot]

I am not a fan of MW3 and I have a little girl of my own, but I fail to see the controversy in this. In the second game they made you an active killer of innocents in an air port. I can see the controversy there. This is a cut scene where a family(a poorly voiced one) gets blown up by terrorists. I have seen worse during daytime television.

 

[brainslurper]

This is a big deal, but a movie about a guy's daughter who gets kidnapped so she can be sold into sexual slavery never has a peep made about it. AND it's considered a great movie. One day I'll understand people..



lol who am I kidding. No I won't.

Taken was a great movie.

 

[Frizzle]

It is, I agree. It's just stupid - to me - how people can start crap over a video game that doesn't have anything NEAR what hollywood has put out there. They just do it because it's a video game.

 

[Retal19]

I believe this is what the Australians now call 'In Context'. It shows a fake, pixelated Horror to give the player motivation to fight.

Besides, at the end of it, they're Polygons and Pixels, cardboard facisimiles, and it's not half as bad as some TV Shows and Novels.

 

[Saucycarpdog]

So where do they go from here for MW4? Terrorists nuking a summer camp for mentally handicapped, ethnic minorities with cancer on the day they brought their cute puppies along? Terrorists break in to a German art gallery and mop up all of the contemporary paint stains? Terrorists go on a strike over their pensions and get screwed over by Government cuts? Terrorists drive through the desert from Tucson to Las Vegas, needing to steer left every so often due to a mechanical fault with their bus? The fiends!

I also copyright all of those concepts (except the obvious one). You heard (read) me Kotick!

In the next game your in a hospital. You use a pregnant woman as a shield to get in. Than, you're goal is to find a scientist, whom terrorists have taken hostage. You find him, but he is starving and cannot speak. You chop pregnant woman's body in pieces to feed him. He tells you that everyone here is infected with a deadly virus. So you kill everyone in the hospital, your team, and than yourself. And it's all happening on Christmas.

 

[SelectivelyEvil13]

I think as humans we should be appalled at the thought of a child being blown up by terrorists. The terrorists of the world believe so, and the governments that are moved to action because of this believe it as well. The game is depicting extreme circumstances that are moving military to action. It is our job as players to stop those who are inciting such terrorism, or am i missing the point of these games. Yes these are just games, but there are certain things that, as human beings, we should be appalled at, does this mean that the medium should not include it? Well surely that would be a massive step backwards for the industry that is trying to be taken seriously. CONTEXT PEOPLE!

As long as it deals with video games, the media will do everything in it's power to make it look bad spite that it does contain realistic themes sometimes like terrorists willing to kill citizens if not kids to get what they want. The movies can get away with it, but video games can't. Mm. Wish they would interview the older media to just see for themselves that games do not cause the harm they predict that they do to people's minds and all.

Both of you make great points.

If we lived in a Utopian society where acts of terrorism aimed at innocents were not occurring, then I could understand some mild perception of controversy. However, the real life situation is a grim one and the depiction in Call of Duty should be accepted as just another interpretation like in any other medium. Since this is a cutscene that the player has no control over (like a movie), I cannot grasp how there really is anything controversial about the leak. Is it a controversial subject? Most certainly. But it is quite pathetic when the media is too afraid to even touch the heart of the issue that matters, aiming instead at the soft, doughy video game violence news blurp that will get millions of more hits.

After the first Modern Warfare, I didn't care for the story and many people discount the storyline in games like Call of Duty. While there is the sensationalist play that has been shown in the past by Activision, there is the other side of the coin. To be fair, it is a movement towards a mature take on terrorism and global conflict in relation to innocent lives being lost through the turmoil. After that, it is up to the game makers to treat the entire matter respectfully and intelligently.

Movies explore controversial themes, and when properly made they invoke a discussion. If, and I do emphasis if, games like Call of Duty can actually blend their claimed "life-like gameplay" and the "life-like consequences of war," they could help contribute to another medium that has potential to yield discussions as well, based on the game in question. Even just some emotional response is a good sign. If playing up to that point in the game and watching the cutscene all leads to something beyond a stifled "eh" on the player's behalf regarding the issue at hand, that's a good thing. Yes they are thankfully pixels, but it is a real concern, so how do you feel about it after playing the game? That is what I think is more important than any controversy to be sought after by mature subject matter in a mature video game.

 

[Sectan]

The Nuke and No Russian scenes carried so much weight because not a lot of games had gone that route. Now that people have seen the "shocking" scenes in two games the third one will look like IW is trying too hard to be edgy.

 

[Kimarous]

Bah. This kind of in-your-face "FEEL HORRIFIED AT THIS" scene doesn't evoke any kind of reaction from me. I felt more sympathetic during the leaked Skyrim footage...

Spoiler

With the kid who got pulled away by his dad before the execution started. I felt more horrified for his safety when the dragon attacked than I do for some random child death shoved my face just for shock value.

 

[synulia]

This is a big deal, but a movie about a guy's daughter who gets kidnapped so she can be sold into sexual slavery never has a peep made about it. AND it's considered a great movie. One day I'll understand people..



lol who am I kidding. No I won't.

Taken was so fucking good.