Modern Warfare 2 Opening Is Real, Aussies Flip Out

[karmapolizei]

Your playing a terrorist gunning down civilians?

No offense, but are they trying to make censorship boards ban there game?

This sort of mission feels entirely unnecessary, and it won't add enough to the game for it to we both the bad name it will undoubtedly give gamers.

I think you've got a point there. But still, I think it's a great idea to do that sequence, they're testing what video games as a medium may be able to do, and if they succeed, this might be much further down the road towards an educative function than any serious game could probably ever hope to accomplish. I'm definitely thrilled to see what we might be seeing.

Then again, I can still imagine a much better way for Infinity Ward to get their message out AND not step on toes they might not EXACTLY want to step on. How about, in that exact sequence, you were playing as one of the civilians slaughtered, frantically trying to escape withouth succeeding? Think the opening sequence of CoD 4 (the assasination of Unspecifiastan's president), but playable and much, much, MUCH more terrifying? I would just love to see that!

On a slightly different note, I tip my hat to the German USK, which rated the uncut version 18+.

 

[sheic99]

I feel that this scene is unnecessary. Nothing that couldn't be handled by a cutscene. Point proven further by the fact that it can be skipped, just like a cutscene. I hope that this ISN'T the extent of what Modern Warfare 2 has to offer, that is, military drama replacing gameplay. And seriously, how much more negative publicity do games need? (Oh wait, there can never be enough)

I highlighted the most important word in your post. The sole point of this kind of scene in all forms of media is meant to build drama. This is the game industry trying mature the medium a bit. The only way for the story telling to advance to a serious level is by ruffling a few feathers. I hope that IW doesn't pull this scene from the game.

 

[twistedmic]

How is the airport scene in MW2 that much different than GTA, Saint's Row or even Prototype? Combining the GTA games I've played (III, Vice City, San Andreas, IV and parts of both Liberty City and Vice City stories) I've probably killed over ten's of thousands 'civilians'. In the two Saint's Row games I probably killed a couple thousand civilians. In prototype combining infected and normal civilians the body count comes close to fifty thousand.
And that body count does not include police, Feds and Swat (GTA and Saint's Row) or military personnel. If you throw in kills from all shooting games I've ever played, going all the way back to Duke Nuke 'em/ Wolfenstein and Doom I on comptuers, I've killed well over a million people half to a third most likely being civilians or at the very least non-combatants.

 

[sheic99]

Your playing a terrorist gunning down civilians?

No offense, but are they trying to make censorship boards ban there game?

This sort of mission feels entirely unnecessary, and it won't add enough to the game for it to we both the bad name it will undoubtedly give gamers.

It's a war game about, oh let's see, WAR. Fuck, are you stupid? Terrorism is another form of war, it's not especially evil, it's actually effective in many circumstances. Having some guys shoot a bunch of civilians in an airport is no different from playing an American soldier and shooting a bunch of people trying to protect their country. "Oh deary me, playing someone from another country killing people from this country is horrible!!!! But playing someone from this country killing people from other countries is fine."

As far as I'm concerned there should be no censorship in games, movies, music, books, anything. At most there should be warnings for those who don't want to see certain things, but for those who are mature enough to view REAL LIFE in its entirety, they shouldn't be prohibited from experiencing it.

Hardcore_gamer, your views are cowardly and pathetic, as well as woefully hypocritical. You are not a hardcore gamer.

Sisyphus, you have no idea what you're talking about and your morals are just about on-par with Bin-Ladins. Congratulations.

Why is bombing no longer horrendous when it comes from US planes?

 

[Flos]

Except....they aren't innocent civilians...They aren't even live people. Get the hell over yourselves.

Or better yet, don't play CoD at all

Oh, they won't.

And neither will the Australians.

 

[Ancientgamer]

as a leisure time activity, actually promoting what most world leaders speak out publicly against

What?

And are movies not also liesure time activities?

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.

Correct, good thing that's not what it is! , I suppose Schindler's list is a recruitment video for Nazis.

 

[Ancientgamer]

Your playing a terrorist gunning down civilians?

No offense, but are they trying to make censorship boards ban there game?

This sort of mission feels entirely unnecessary, and it won't add enough to the game for it to we both the bad name it will undoubtedly give gamers.

It's a war game about, oh let's see, WAR. Fuck, are you stupid? Terrorism is another form of war, it's not especially evil, it's actually effective in many circumstances. Having some guys shoot a bunch of civilians in an airport is no different from playing an American soldier and shooting a bunch of people trying to protect their country. "Oh deary me, playing someone from another country killing people from this country is horrible!!!! But playing someone from this country killing people from other countries is fine."

As far as I'm concerned there should be no censorship in games, movies, music, books, anything. At most there should be warnings for those who don't want to see certain things, but for those who are mature enough to view REAL LIFE in its entirety, they shouldn't be prohibited from experiencing it.

Hardcore_gamer, your views are cowardly and pathetic, as well as woefully hypocritical. You are not a hardcore gamer.

Sisyphus, you have no idea what you're talking about and your morals are just about on-par with Bin-Ladins. Congratulations.

Why is bombing no longer horrendous when it comes from US planes?

Because military planes at least try to attack military targets?

 

[Tiamat666]

Eloquently constructed explanation, up until the point where you didn't bother explaining anything at all. If you can't even be bothered to elaborate on why you think something, why bother posting it at all?

It's normally not my job to activate your brains. You should manage that on your own. But I guess yours must be broken, so here goes.

Terrorism is another form of war, it's not especially evil, it's actually effective in many circumstances.

What a messed up thing to say. Terrorism being justified and effective is what terrorists like to think. My moral compass tell's me that killing innocent people, kids, babies... indiscriminately is a pretty fucked up thing to do and can't be justified by any cause at all. Therefore my argument, that Sysyphus' morals are on par with Bin-Ladins.

Having some guys shoot a bunch of civilians in an airport is no different from playing an American soldier and shooting a bunch of people trying to protect their country.

Again, what a messed up thing to say. War is a terrible thing and more often than not, alot of civilians die. That's why there are rules to war, in an attempt to keep the destruction and the innocent lives lost to a minimum. Terrorists don't follow any rules of engagement at all, that's why they are called "terrorists" and not "enemy soldiers". Having a soldier lawfully following orders engaging and killing enemy combatants is a very different thing to having a terrorist indiscriminately fire into a crowd of people possibly even killing kids who don't even understand what a war is.

"Oh deary me, playing someone from another country killing people from this country is horrible!!!! But playing someone from this country killing people from other countries is fine."

It's not about who's side your on. It's about following rules and laws of engagement and especially about morals. It's about playing a lawful soldier in a videogame vs. having people play as the freaking terrorist murdering helpless civilians. Therefore my argument, that Sysyphus has no idea what the hell he's talking about.

It seriously blows me away that I have to explain this to you.

 

[JeanLuc761]

Can't they just do that with a cinematic?
Yes, but it wouldn't be nearly as effective as playing the scene
Also, how many people do you think will actually feel "uncomfortable"?
I'd be willing to bet 90% of the people who buy the game will feel uncomfortable to one degree or another.

I bet most of the players (aka retarded 12-16 year olds) who play the game will probably be thinking things like "YEAAAAAA! DIE YA BITCHES!!!" or "lol! I just nailed a crotch shot on that guy in the wheelchair!" rather then "wow! That's disturbing".
While possible, I think the people who are actually disturbed will far outweigh those who don't take it seriously

My thoughts anyway *shrugs*

 

[T-Bone24]

I called it! You all saw it! It's not the Daily Mail though, so I was only half right.

 

[John Funk]

Your playing a terrorist gunning down civilians?

No offense, but are they trying to make censorship boards ban there game?

This sort of mission feels entirely unnecessary, and it won't add enough to the game for it to we both the bad name it will undoubtedly give gamers.

How is it unnecessary if the entire point is to make gamers feel uncomfortable, in order to make the enemies feel that much more evil?

Can't they just do that with a cinematic?

Also, how many people do you think will actually feel "uncomfortable"?

I bet most of the players (aka retarded 12-16 year olds) who play the game will probably be thinking things like "YEAAAAAA! DIE YA BITCHES!!!" or "Rofl! I just nailed a crotch shot on that guy in the wheelchair!" rather then "wow! That's disturbing".

Judging by the responses to the last thread about how many people felt vaguely uncomfortable with it? A good number of them. Do you really think the 12-16 year olds are going to be the primary audience for this game? Many (if not most) gamers are older than that, you know.

There's a difference between a cutscene and putting the players into the shoes of the attackers. By forcing the player to do something they find deeply unsettling and wrong, it creates a far more powerful emotional trigger with the events of the game. You could have chosen to not pull the trigger, but you did. You were the one who aimed and fired.

It's the same reason why Shadow of the Colossus works so well in making you feel guilty for being the one who slaughtered the mostly-innocent Colossi. That game wouldn't have worked nearly as well (or felt nearly as unsettling) if you watched Wander stab them instead of pushing the button themselves.

Again; no one would complain if this were a scene in a movie or a book from the villain's PoV. Why is it suddenly bad for a game to aspire to those same heights?

 

[Distorted Stu]

Really, what is up with the Aussie rating system, really needs to get checke dout. Also, i didnt know we were going to have the oppertuny to play as the baddies, me like!

 

[UsefulPlayer 1]

I hate the guy that posted the leaked video and myself as well.

I'm just saying, if I somehow got to play that part without any of it spoiled for me, it would blow my mind.

 

[robrob]

Your playing a terrorist gunning down civilians?

No offense, but are they trying to make censorship boards ban there game?

This sort of mission feels entirely unnecessary, and it won't add enough to the game for it to we both the bad name it will undoubtedly give gamers.

How is it unnecessary if the entire point is to make gamers feel uncomfortable, in order to make the enemies feel that much more evil?

Can't they just do that with a cinematic?

Also, how many people do you think will actually feel "uncomfortable"?

I bet most of the players (aka retarded 12-16 year olds) who play the game will probably be thinking things like "YEAAAAAA! DIE YA BITCHES!!!" or "Rofl! I just nailed a crotch shot on that guy in the wheelchair!" rather then "wow! That's disturbing".

A cinematic doesn't really change it for me. If you're the kind of person who gets their jollies from shooting a bunch of civilians in an airport, you're still going to enjoy watching it just as much. I don't see how there's an improvement there, if it makes you more uncomfortable, good, it's achieved it's goal. If it doesn't, then little is actually different in my mind.

Only a quarter of gamers are under 18 [http://www.theesa.com/facts/pdfs/ESA_EF_2009.pdf] and hopefully it's the parents of the ones under 16 who are buying the games, not the children themselves.

Games should be immersive, and that's what this game aims to do. The reactions of the handful of moronic children who get their hands on it really shouldn't come into the decision making of games in general. I remember watching people pee themselves and die in the Sims, simply because I could make it happen, crotch shots will happen in every game that has a crotch and a gun. If that's the worst thing about this game then we really don't have much to worry about at all.

 

[ElephantGuts]

Well of course the Australians were going to flip out. At this point I don't care what they think about games anymore. They'll jump to ban or censor anything, including the internet itself, at any chance they get.

And of course I'm talking about the Australian government doing the aforementioned flipping out, censoring, and banning, not Australian citizens themselves, so no one get offended please.

 

[duchaked]

honestly, Infinity Ward's ability to spin such intense scenarios in CoD4 were just plain out amazing, and it seems like they're upping it for MW2...tho yeah this will be all over the news =.=

 

[Cabisco]

Terrorism is another form of war, it's not especially evil, it's actually effective in many circumstances.

Terrorism has never been effective, ever. It always strengthens the resolve of the target and unifies the people against them. This is what West Wing has told me, and I consider West Wing better viewing than you.

On topic, though at first i thought that the scene was in bad taste i realised that i was missing the point. I was meant to think that it was bad and that i shouldnt like the idea of what i was doing. It's a fantastic way to motivate your audience if you remove them from their comfort zone and in this case it will likely make me want to put the suckers in their place alot more than just a cutscene

 

[Tiamat666]

Do you really think the 12-16 year olds are going to be the primary audience for this game? Many (if not most) gamers are older than that, you know.

I think it's a pretty safe bet that at least every third person to play this game will be <17.

By forcing the player to do something they find deeply unsettling and wrong, it creates a far more powerful emotional trigger with the events of the game. You could have chosen to not pull the trigger, but you did. You were the one who aimed and fired.

I think what disturbs me most about this is that it's too close to what is really happening right now, especially in the middle east, almost every week. In Fallout 3 you have the option to nuke a town and take out alot of people in the process, but it plays in a fictional world where the setting and the plot is very detached from reality.

But terrorists mercilessly gunning down people happens all the time in our real world. And here we are, wealthy western boys with our functional democracy, sitting infront of our PCs and consoles in our cozy living rooms, playing a game where we are the terrorists killing people... just to get some "emotional kick" out of a game. While around the world very real innocent people are suffering that fate on a regular basis.

I don't know. The contemporary nature of the event in conjunction with having the player act it out on the wrong side of morality, to me feels like violence porn. At best, it's extremely bad taste.

Again; no one would complain if this were a scene in a movie or a book from the villain's PoV. Why is it suddenly bad for a game to aspire to those same heights?

In books or films you're not usually put in the role of the one commiting atoricites.
edit: I misunderstood. I would feel no different about this issue if it where a book.
Also, I would not call it "heights", I would name it "lows".