Russian Media Suggests Modern Warfare 2 Trained Terrorists

[Hiphophippo]

this was inevitable. however one might question the use of explosives in the attack when mw2 clearly trained in firearm use.

Except that it didn't. I guarentee you that playing MW2 is useless training for actually firing an RPD. MW2 is point and click, with real firearms it takes skill just to aim a single shot weapon, and even more to control automatic recoil, not to mention taking care of the weapon so that it works properly and doesn't jam, and making sure you don't burn yourself on the barrel or spent brass. It takes a lot more to learn how to use a firearm that just playing MW2.

internet sarcasm, bro.

 

[Enigmers]

I find it kind of strange that when Hitler was responsible for the death of eleven million people, everyone acknowledged that he was a complete fucking nutcase, but now, every time anybody does anything violent, it's suddenly the fault of video games.

I'm waiting for the day kids aren't allowed to play tag in the schoolyard because it's "training them to chase and stab each-other to death."

 

[Jaime_Wolf]

This is only really interesting if we assume it to be a real Russian view of the incident. We're already used to this sort of thing in America and I don't think it would be particularly newsworthy to any Escapists to see something like this on, say, CNN.

But I don't see anything about this in the actual Russian part of the site (admittedly, I didn't dig too deeply, so it might be there somewhere), which is telling I think. This is a decidedly American, or at the very least western, view of the incident from anything I can find. I find it hard to even imagine something like this coming up or causing any sort of controversy in native Russian media, which tends to be slightly more sensible on issues like teaching people marksmanship with computer mice.

 

[RelexCryo]

this was inevitable. however one might question the use of explosives in the attack when mw2 clearly trained in firearm use.

^This. In No russian you shot people. The terrorist committed a suicide bombing. Connecting the two is idiotic.

 

[Jumplion]

Honestly, that "No Russian" scene was pretty stupid anyway. It's only purpose was to make controversy for the sake of controversy. It barely contributed anything to the story, evident by the fact that you can skip it and nobody mentions it again, and was there purely for shock value.

But, aside from my ranting on the stupid-as-hell-level-that-served-absolutely-no-purpose, video games do not equal military training as various people before me have stated. I can understand desensitization of violence or something, but if we're going that route the same thing can be said for most every other medium out there.

 

[The Long Road]

What? You mean the Russian government is trying to blame a game that shows their country as the unjustified aggressor? No wai!

ACTUALLY the game doesn't portray them that way at all, russia is basically setup by groups working to make war happen now so the old and useless generals and mercs have something to do. in the game american dressed and talking terrorists attack a russian airport thus pushing russia into attacking America.
so they are in no way portrayed as the unjustified agressor.

From the perspective of the player, who knows that the US did not perpetrate the attack on the airport, Russia becomes the bad guy because you immediately say "Hey! It was a bunch of Russians who made this mess! The only American involved was trying to KILL the bad guys!" So Russia is essentially duped into launching an invasion that has no real justification when all the facts come to light. Since the player knows all this, and his is the only perspective that carries over into "IRL", he's all that matters.

 

[Buccura]

Of course, just like Microsoft Flight Simulator trained the 9/11 Terrorists.

 

[DarkRyter]

Dammit, Russia. It's no one's fault that Infinity Ward happens to be psychic.

If anything they should have played the game and taken measure to prevent it from happening.

 

[Kesimir]

What? You mean the Russian government is trying to blame a game that shows their country as the unjustified aggressor? No wai!

ACTUALLY the game doesn't portray them that way at all, russia is basically setup by groups working to make war happen now so the old and useless generals and mercs have something to do. in the game american dressed and talking terrorists attack a russian airport thus pushing russia into attacking America.
so they are in no way portrayed as the unjustified agressor.

From the perspective of the player, who knows that the US did not perpetrate the attack on the airport, Russia becomes the bad guy because you immediately say "Hey! It was a bunch of Russians who made this mess! The only American involved was trying to KILL the bad guys!" So Russia is essentially duped into launching an invasion that has no real justification when all the facts come to light. Since the player knows all this, and his is the only perspective that carries over into "IRL", he's all that matters.

I dunno, I always saw it as a crazy guy tricked both Russia and the US into attacking each other. The fact that said crazy guy WAS Russian was purely circumstantial. Don't want to spoiler anyone but in the end of the game it turns out to be a crazy American who plays the role of the true villain. So by your reasoning all of America is more to blame. Hell, it's a British SAS agent that inexplicably launches a thermonuclear warhead at America so maybe the Brits are the real antagonists for destroying the lives of many more civilians then either other side did in the game. I guess all I'm saying is be aware of your biases, your own personal point of view has a lot to do with who you think is the villain in that game. As usual the monsters we see says more about us than it does about the monsters.

 

[Burck]

Just pray that the terrorists don't train on an unpatched version of BF2. With that kind of dolphin diving, our soldiers will never be able to hit them! D:

On a more serious note: No. While this man may be an "expert" in his field, that doesn't mean he or one of his peers has a study to back this claim up: its a hypothesis at best.

This story will probably go nowhere.

 

[Justanothergamer300]

No it's a year old so it doesn't count. And I don't remember bombing myself in that part either

 

[Nibblitman]

If only more people played stuff like those Japanese dating sims, more people would get laid and everyone would probably be happier but alas its Call of Duty that everyone plays.

On a related note I played a ton of Oblivion and I can now fight with swords, ride horses, and even do magic.

 

[individual11]

If I facepalm any harder I will crack by forehead open.
I didn't realise the Russian Media was taking lessons from FOX.

 

[carletonman]

awww crap. Im a lazy journalism student, and even this is too shoddy for me to accept. Clearly being a CIA deep agent in a Russian (not Chechen, cause you know...) plot and strolling casually into an airport toting a FN Minimi (SAW for you US chaps), and shooting everything up is perfect training for suicide bombers...

 

[Easton Dark]

This just made me think about how fast a game where you played a suicide bomber would end.

*get motivation*

*smuggle in supplies*

*walk calmly into crowded area*

*Quick time event for detonation*

*Roll credits*

$60.

DLC released on the first day though. Play it from the bomb's perspective.


"IZ TRAENANG TERRAISTS"

 

[Hawk eye1466]

When i first read the title I immedietly thought
a bunch of dumasses attacked an airport and were immedietly gunned down by airport security because once half a clip has been emptied into your face you do not hide in a corner and immedietly get better

 

[M4A1Sopmod]

I never even thought the scene was that horrific. Grand Theft Auto 4 lets you do stuff like that constantly, but very few people seemed to complain about that. In comparison that is. You also don't see people pointing the finger at GTA every time someone is gunned down on the street, but when you see reports like this its hard not to wonder why the journalism industry isn't capitalizing on the stupid/paranoid demographic.

 

[Booze Zombie]

"Abdul, you are wounded! Take cover and your jam-vision will tell you when you're ready to fight again."

The only things games "train" you in is how to enjoy a good explosion and some story telling... you would need something purpose built for training someone to actually train them (in this reality).
CoD is only good for training in some backwards reality where being shot is a minor annoyance if it isn't done enough.

 

[Aphroditty]

There are not enough people in the universe to facepalm this. Can't they focus more on the tragic lose of life and how Russia will (hopefully) pull through this and tighten security instead of pinning the blame on a FICTIONAL level of a game.

While I am in total agreement that this tragedy has nothing to do with the video game, it hardly matters whether or not the game was fictional. Works of fiction influence real life events all the time, so that line of argument is insufficient. The suggestion that No Russian would somehow be able to train terrorists is laughable, but not because it is fictional--if there were actually such a thing as a training simulator for terrorist attacks on airports, then the hypothesized simulator would also be fictional, yet still regarded as playing a role in the final attack.