Controversies surrounding Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Encyclopedia
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
is a first-person shooter
video game released for the Xbox 360
, PlayStation 3
, and Microsoft Windows
on November 10, 2009. In addition to being a critically acclaimed best-seller, the game has garnered much controversy.
agent and former Army Ranger
named Joseph Allen, joining a group of Russian ultranationalist terrorists enacting an airport massacre. The name comes from a briefing from the terrorist leader, Vladimir Makarov, who tells the player's character and the other gunmen not to speak any Russian throughout the scene. Although the player is technically allied with the terrorists, they are not forced to kill any of the civilians themselves to fulfill the mission's objectives. Civilians scream and run in terror, the injured crawl away leaving a trail of blood
, and some try to drag others to safety, only to be shot with bloody results. The player also cannot kill the terrorists themselves which would result in failure of the mission. The player is warned prior to starting the single player campaign of the mission's "disturbing content", and can choose to skip the mission at no penalty. If the player chooses not to skip the mission in advance, they are still given the option to skip the level at any point. The player receives no penalty for skipping the level and there is no "score" calculated for killing the civilians or airport security officers; also, the game does not force the players to shoot at the civilians at any point and there are also no specific achievements or trophies earned during the mission. They must, however, fight off FSB troopers on the tarmac. At the end of the level, Makarov reveals his knowledge of Allen's true identity and kills him before escaping. The presence of the body of an American agent at the massacre tricks the Russian government into believing that the United States is responsible, leading to a Russian invasion of the United States.
.
The Japanese version of Modern Warfare 2 also included a major mistranslation in which the line "Remember, No Russian" was incorrectly replaced with . This has created confusion with the storyline as much of the plot hinges on what occurs at the airport and the motivations behind it. Many players are opting to import a US version of the game rather than the localized version with the mistranslation. Square Enix
has mentioned that no errors from the translation will be fixed in the game due to "technological limitations", pointing out the game was made for one language only.
, a long time opponent of violence in video games, with fellow Labour politician Tom Watson
arguing that the level was "no worse than [scenes] in many films and books" and criticising Vaz for "collaborating with the Daily Mail
to create moral panic
over the use of video games". Modern Warfare 2 also received significant criticism from UK religious leaders on BBC One
during a segment which discussed whether violent video games were dangerous to society. Fazan Mohammed of the British Muslim Forum
compared the game to the works of Joseph Goebbels
, commenting that while people called it merely entertainment, Goebbels himself said that Adolf Hitler
's films did more to psyche the German people up for war than his speeches did and as a result, calling it entertainment was not enough justification.
However, Staffordshire University
game design expert Dr. Bobbie Fletcher and Future Publishing
's James Binns disagreed with this, defending Modern Warfare 2 from the criticisms. Binns commented that video games should be held to the same standard as film, television, and books, that all of these media provide something for children and something for adults. He added that instead of making video games only for children, that children should be protected from adult video games.
Chief executive of the London Jewish Forum
Alex Goldberg criticized the scene, stating that "Surely this puts the gamer in the position of being a terrorist", commenting that it "forces" the players into a scene where they are allied with terrorists killing innocent civilians. Right Reverend
Stephen Lowe
, retired Bishop of Hulme
, stated that the BBFC should have cut the scene, stating that he finds it sick if any players enjoyed playing a terrorist killing other people. "TV agony aunt" Jennifer Trent-Hughes stated that the scene made her cry, stating that she was "sick to her stomach" and was frightened. She added that the people screaming and blood splattering on the screen was awful, and her 15 year old son had to cover his eyes.
This particular mission led to the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 being the first game in the series to receive an 18 rating from the BBFC.
editor Vince Horiuchi called Modern Warfare 2 the most controversial video game of the year, citing the "No Russian" scene. He commented that the imagery and interactivity was too much for people right after the Fort Hood shooting
. He found the scene to be in poor taste, comparing his stance on it to that of film critics' opinions of slasher films such as Friday the 13th
, questioning whether Infinity Ward could have made it a cutscene or allowed players to be a horrified onlooker or to intervene, stating that the game does not allow players to retaliate against the terrorists and forces the players to kill FSB, the Russian security service. In a CNET
.com article, Chris Matyszczyk criticized the banning of Modern Warfare 2 for consoles and editing the PC version to remove the offending content. He stated that while Infinity Ward
likely knew controversy would result, that the Russian government was overreacting, adding that if Salman Rushdie had written such a scenario in a book, the government would probably not ban it. GamesRadar
named it one of the 10 most shocking game moments of the decade, commenting that it will either result in more hard-hitting scenes in video games or stricter gaming legislation.
X-Play
described the level's presence as an important catalyst to the overall plot of the game rather than a scene inserted for shock value. In a review for Game Informer
, Adam Biessener wrote that while the level "makes the player a part of truly heinous acts", he also notes that the "mission draws the morality of war and espionage into sharp focus in a way that simply shooting the bad guys cannot." Biessener concludes that it is one of the more emotional moments in the game, is "proud that our medium can address such weighty issues without resorting to adolescent black-and-white absolutes". In their review, Atomic Gamer editor Steve Haske dedicated a portion of the review to analyzing the stage, describing it as a "good first attempt at providing some commentary of the nation's current political climate, if a botched one." He added that taking such a risk legitimizes the video game industry, but also that its execution failed to give players a motivation by introducing the characters involved in earlier missions. The Escapist
editor Andy Chalk called the controversy nonsense, stating that a handful of Russian terrorists should not be a reflection of the entire Russian state. Mercury News editor Gieson Cacho called the chapter the most controversial of the levels in Modern Warfare 2, stating that most people would become sick to their stomach after playing this sequence. However, he adds that the impact fuels the rest of the game's plot as well as making a comparison between it and the Omaha Beach
scene in the film Saving Private Ryan
.
, editor Stuart Kennedy found the game to be of quality, but gave criticism to the scene. He stated that it added nothing to the plot and didn't help players progress, and that the "cynic in him" found it to be a marketing ploy. He felt that the scene was included due to not much being added from the original Modern Warfare. Stuff.co.nz
editor Gerard Campbell stated that while he was unable to shoot the civilians, his friends were willing to do so, one of them choosing to "blast through the airport". He added that not only did it seem out of place from the plot, but it also seemed like a last-minute addition to generate controversy. Leonard Lai of the Spartan Daily stated that while he watched the scene, he could only wonder why it was included and what Infinity Ward was trying to tell people with it. He questioned whether it was necessary to have it even though it was skippable, and why it couldn't have been presented in any other way.
When the scene became widespread before the game's release, the Australian Classification Board
were pressured to reconsider the rating of MA15+ for people 15 or older to R18+ for people 18 or older, the latter rating making it illegal to sell in Australia. In the end the classification board said they had no control over changing the rating unless an appeal was lodged to the Australian Classification Review Board
. Jane Roberts of the morals campaign organisation Australian Council on Children and the Media was one of the various individuals to call for the banning. South Australian attorney general Michael Atkinson
called for changes in Modern Warfare 2's rating from its current MA15+ rating to R18+, which would essentially ban it, due to the presence of the "No Russian" mission, saying the game "allows players to be virtual terrorists and gain points by massacring civilians." However, this statement is incorrect; no "points" are earned for killing civilians, and outside of the airport massacre sequence, shooting civilians or friendly NPCs result in the player being reprimanded and forced to restart from a previous checkpoint. Despite Atkinson saying he would submit his appeal, there was no record of one ever being submitted.
-only IWNET, lack of console commands, lack of support for matches larger than 18 players, and inability to vote towards kicking or banning cheating players immediately. When asked about the removal of console menu commands, Infinity Ward responded with, "We would like you to play the game the way we designed and balanced it."
Defending their decision towards the lack of dedicated servers, Infinity Ward maintains that IWNET will "put you in the game that will give you the smoothest gameplay possible without you having to manually find a server with the best ping." In addition, it is stated that the utilization of Valve's Anti-Cheat system
will eliminate the need to worry about "joining a server full of aim-bots, wallhacks, or cheaters. Or relying on the server administrator to constantly be monitoring, banning, and policing it." However, Valve's anti-cheat system was designed to punish cheating, not to prevent it, by banning cheaters after a random delay. Taking a different view, Ars Technica writer Ben Kuchera wrote, "At launch, this will be one of the most locked-down, inflexible, and gamer-unfriendly [games] ever created."
An online petition was launched immediately after the announcement of the changes to the game's multiplayer aspect, urging Infinity Ward to reconsider its stance, with over 200,000 signatures. When asked for a comment on the petition, Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling stated that it “definitely made a big wave, and the response will not be ignored. I’ll ensure everyone at IW sees the petitions and responds to it.” The game went on to beat its predecessor's first week sales without yielding to any of the demands but had dropped down to 39th place on the PC after three weeks, a decline not shared by the console versions. Shortly after release a screenshot was circulated on the internet showing a number of members in one of the boycott groups on Steam playing Modern Warfare 2. By May 2010, coders unlocked the developer console and managed to recreate the effect of dedicated servers, a modification known as alterIWNet has been released since May 2010 and as of late August 2010 supports dedicated servers and has a player base of about 300,000.
can be found in which a trooper asks the player if he "has ever seen a grown man naked", followed by asking if he is "still gay?". After a few laughs the trooper says he's kidding and adds "don't ask, don't tell" referring to the US military's don't ask, don't tell
policy which allowed homosexuals
to serve in the military as long as their sexual orientation remained secret (The DADT policy was abolished on 20th September 2011). The first half of this easter egg, however, is a reference to the movie Airplane!
and are direct quotes from the HBO miniseries Generation Kill
. Infinity Ward has been accused of being homophobic before (including the F.A.G.S. video). Infinity Ward has not made an official statement concerning the accusations.
glitch caused online opponents to explode upon death, killing anyone within 15 feet (and even further with the “Danger Close” perk). In response to its growing misuse, Infinity Ward issued a statement that a required update was in the works, and collaborated with Microsoft to issue Xbox Live
suspensions for anyone exploiting the glitch. Ars Technica
editor Ben Kuchera criticized the suspensions, stating that Microsoft should not be banning people from the service, because taking advantage of something found in the game's code is not cheating. By definition, it is exploiting, another practice frowned upon by players, along with glitching and hacking. He further stated that any permanent bans prevent the console from ever being playable online, making them "basically dead." He added that people would often sell such consoles to GameStop
and online sites such as eBay
and Craigslist
. Despite the Xbox Live bannings, Sony
stated that they would not ban anyone on the PlayStation Network for exploiting the Javelin glitch. Tyler Barber of GameSpy
commented that Sony likely carried out no bans due to the service being free and as such gave them less incentive to track down offenders. He added that he does not feel bad for anyone banned, saying that people who took advantage of exploits made games unfair. According to Infinity Ward's Community Manager Robert Bowling this exploit has since been corrected as of version 1.06 released on December 11, 2009.
pitcher Cole Hamels
delivering a fake public service announcement decrying the use of grenade spam, calling it "for pussies", before being blown up by many semtex being thrown at him. This quickly created controversy, with writers such as Denis Farr saying it shows an acceptance of homophobic insults on Xbox Live
. Brainy Gamer editor Michael Abbott stated that as both a father and a teacher, people need to teach to kids that this is not okay. Game Critics editor Matthew Kaplan stated that the current marketing attitude comes from the present day culture of cynicism and self-centeredness. Game Informer
editor Philip Kollar and freelance writer Mitchell Dyer criticized the video's language and tone as well as the acronym used. Kollar, in response to a reader saying he was overreacting, disagreed, stating that he was not doing anything to boycott the game or suggest others to do so, and was merely criticizing Infinity Ward for making a video that promotes an aspect of Xbox Live that they should be shunning. Infinity Ward employee Robert Bowling responded to this, stating that he felt it was more a social commentary joke than it was promoting the act. Dyer responded to this by saying that due to its poor execution, it appears to be promoting such "assholer-y". Ultimately, Bowling commented that while he could appreciate concerns over the video, he found the gag to be great and removed the video. Kotaku editor Owen Good agreed with one of the site's readers who stated that the controversy could have been avoided if the marketing department had called it "Fight Relentlessly Against Grenade Spam" or "F.R.A.G.S." (Referring to the frag grenade) Good denotes the video as pointlessly provocative and criticized certain readers and commentators for what he describes as attacking anyone who takes offense as being politically motivated. As a response to the original video, EA
released a spoof
of it, entitled "Friends Really Against Grenade Spam" or "F.R.A.G.S.", as a part of a series of videos to promote the release of Battlefield: Bad Company 2
. Featuring its own baseball pitcher delivering the message, New York Yankees
' CC Sabathia, he stated in the video that "In Battlefield: Bad Company 2 grenade spam isn’t going to prove quite as effective as one might find in competing games of this particular genre, not with destructible buildings, adrenaline pumping weapons and more vehicles than you can count."
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 video game consoles and the Microsoft Windows operating system. Officially announced on February 11, 2009, the game was released worldwide on...
is a first-person shooter
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
video game released for the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, and Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
on November 10, 2009. In addition to being a critically acclaimed best-seller, the game has garnered much controversy.
"No Russian"
An optional level early in the game entitled "No Russian" has the player assume control of a deep-cover CIACentral Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
agent and former Army Ranger
United States Army Rangers
United States Army Rangers are elite members of the United States Army. Rangers have served in recognized U.S. Army Ranger units or have graduated from the U.S. Army's Ranger School...
named Joseph Allen, joining a group of Russian ultranationalist terrorists enacting an airport massacre. The name comes from a briefing from the terrorist leader, Vladimir Makarov, who tells the player's character and the other gunmen not to speak any Russian throughout the scene. Although the player is technically allied with the terrorists, they are not forced to kill any of the civilians themselves to fulfill the mission's objectives. Civilians scream and run in terror, the injured crawl away leaving a trail of blood
Blood
Blood is a specialized bodily fluid in animals that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells....
, and some try to drag others to safety, only to be shot with bloody results. The player also cannot kill the terrorists themselves which would result in failure of the mission. The player is warned prior to starting the single player campaign of the mission's "disturbing content", and can choose to skip the mission at no penalty. If the player chooses not to skip the mission in advance, they are still given the option to skip the level at any point. The player receives no penalty for skipping the level and there is no "score" calculated for killing the civilians or airport security officers; also, the game does not force the players to shoot at the civilians at any point and there are also no specific achievements or trophies earned during the mission. They must, however, fight off FSB troopers on the tarmac. At the end of the level, Makarov reveals his knowledge of Allen's true identity and kills him before escaping. The presence of the body of an American agent at the massacre tricks the Russian government into believing that the United States is responsible, leading to a Russian invasion of the United States.
Reactions
Russia
This controversial mission was removed from the Russian PC version of the game. It was originally reported that sales of the console editions of Modern Warfare 2 were delayed in Russia due to an ordered recall, but Activision has called this report erroneous. Activision stated that they made the decision to remove the "No Russian" mission from the game prior to the game's release as they did with the Russian PC version which was released before the console versions. The decision to remove the mission was made after consulting with local counsel since Russia has no formal ratings board. The only other body who have the authority to pass ratings on video games in the Russian Federation is the Television and Film Classification Board (CRRS), who refused to comment on the controversy.Japan and Germany
The Japanese version of Modern Warfare 2 was modified to give players a "game over" if they kill civilians. This modification was also done in GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
The Japanese version of Modern Warfare 2 also included a major mistranslation in which the line "Remember, No Russian" was incorrectly replaced with . This has created confusion with the storyline as much of the plot hinges on what occurs at the airport and the motivations behind it. Many players are opting to import a US version of the game rather than the localized version with the mistranslation. Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
has mentioned that no errors from the translation will be fixed in the game due to "technological limitations", pointing out the game was made for one language only.
United Kingdom
The game was discussed briefly in the House of Commons after the issue was brought to the attention of MP Keith VazKeith Vaz
Nigel Keith Anthony Standish Vaz, known as Keith Vaz, was born 26 November 1956 in Aden, Yemen.Keith Vaz is a British Labour Party politician and a Member of Parliament for Leicester East, He is the longest serving Asian MP and has been the Chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee since July...
, a long time opponent of violence in video games, with fellow Labour politician Tom Watson
Tom Watson (politician)
Thomas Anthony Watson is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for West Bromwich East since 2001. Watson was a Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office from 2008 to 2009...
arguing that the level was "no worse than [scenes] in many films and books" and criticising Vaz for "collaborating with the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
to create moral panic
Moral panic
A moral panic is the intensity of feeling expressed in a population about an issue that appears to threaten the social order. According to Stanley Cohen, author of Folk Devils and Moral Panics and credited creator of the term, a moral panic occurs when "[a] condition, episode, person or group of...
over the use of video games". Modern Warfare 2 also received significant criticism from UK religious leaders on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
during a segment which discussed whether violent video games were dangerous to society. Fazan Mohammed of the British Muslim Forum
British Muslim Forum
British Muslim Forum is an organisation of Sunni Muslims which has emerged as the representative body for 500 Mosques across the UK. The BMF was relaunched after the "42-day detention" debate caused a split in the existing BMF leadership and led to two years of reform...
compared the game to the works of Joseph Goebbels
Joseph Goebbels
Paul Joseph Goebbels was a German politician and Reich Minister of Propaganda in Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. As one of Adolf Hitler's closest associates and most devout followers, he was known for his zealous oratory and anti-Semitism...
, commenting that while people called it merely entertainment, Goebbels himself said that Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
's films did more to psyche the German people up for war than his speeches did and as a result, calling it entertainment was not enough justification.
However, Staffordshire University
Staffordshire University
Staffordshire University is a university with its main campus based in the city of Stoke-on-Trent, and with other campuses in Stafford, Lichfield and Shrewsbury.- History :...
game design expert Dr. Bobbie Fletcher and Future Publishing
Future Publishing
Future plc is a media company; in 2006, it was the sixth-largest in the United Kingdom. It publishes more than 150 magazines in fields such as video games, technology, automotive, cycling, films and photography. Future is the official magazine company of all three major games console manufacturers...
's James Binns disagreed with this, defending Modern Warfare 2 from the criticisms. Binns commented that video games should be held to the same standard as film, television, and books, that all of these media provide something for children and something for adults. He added that instead of making video games only for children, that children should be protected from adult video games.
Chief executive of the London Jewish Forum
London Jewish Forum
The London Jewish Forum is dedicated to the promotion of Jewish life in London. The Forum provides a platform for engagement between London Jewry and the Greater London Authority, Mayor's Office, London Boroughs and MPs / MEPs. It works to promote the full and active engagement of the Jewish...
Alex Goldberg criticized the scene, stating that "Surely this puts the gamer in the position of being a terrorist", commenting that it "forces" the players into a scene where they are allied with terrorists killing innocent civilians. Right Reverend
Right Reverend
The Right Reverend is a style applied to certain religious figures.*In the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church in Great Britain it applies to bishops except that The Most Reverend is used for archbishops .*In some churches with a...
Stephen Lowe
Stephen Lowe
Stephen Lowe is an English playwright and director.Lowe's plays have dealt with subjects ranging from the takeover of Tibet by the Chinese People's Liberation Army in 1959 to a dying DH Lawrence trying find a publisher for Lady Chatterley ; from Donald McGill postcards to Dr John Dee...
, retired Bishop of Hulme
Bishop of Hulme
The Bishop of Hulme was an episcopal title used by a suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Manchester, in the Province of York, England...
, stated that the BBFC should have cut the scene, stating that he finds it sick if any players enjoyed playing a terrorist killing other people. "TV agony aunt" Jennifer Trent-Hughes stated that the scene made her cry, stating that she was "sick to her stomach" and was frightened. She added that the people screaming and blood splattering on the screen was awful, and her 15 year old son had to cover his eyes.
This particular mission led to the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 being the first game in the series to receive an 18 rating from the BBFC.
United States
The Salt Lake TribuneThe Salt Lake Tribune
The Salt Lake Tribune is the largest-circulated daily newspaper in the U.S. city of Salt Lake City. It is distributed by Newspaper Agency Corporation, which also distributes the Deseret News. The Tribune — or "Trib," as it is locally known — is currently owned by the Denver-based MediaNews Group....
editor Vince Horiuchi called Modern Warfare 2 the most controversial video game of the year, citing the "No Russian" scene. He commented that the imagery and interactivity was too much for people right after the Fort Hood shooting
Fort Hood shooting
The Fort Hood shooting was a mass shooting that took place on November 5, 2009, at Fort Hood, the most populous U.S. military installation in the world, located just outside Killeen, Texas. In the course of the shooting, a single gunman killed 13 people and wounded 29 others...
. He found the scene to be in poor taste, comparing his stance on it to that of film critics' opinions of slasher films such as Friday the 13th
Friday the 13th
Friday the 13th occurs when the thirteenth day of a month falls on a Friday, which superstition holds to be a day of bad luck. In the Gregorian calendar, this day occurs at least once, but at most three times a year...
, questioning whether Infinity Ward could have made it a cutscene or allowed players to be a horrified onlooker or to intervene, stating that the game does not allow players to retaliate against the terrorists and forces the players to kill FSB, the Russian security service. In a CNET
CNET
CNET is a tech media website that publishes news articles, blogs, and podcasts on technology and consumer electronics. Originally founded in 1994 by Halsey Minor and Shelby Bonnie, it was the flagship brand of CNET Networks and became a brand of CBS Interactive through CNET Networks' acquisition...
.com article, Chris Matyszczyk criticized the banning of Modern Warfare 2 for consoles and editing the PC version to remove the offending content. He stated that while Infinity Ward
Infinity Ward
Infinity Ward is an American video game developer. Infinity Ward is responsible for the development of the video game Call of Duty and four other installments in the Call of Duty franchise....
likely knew controversy would result, that the Russian government was overreacting, adding that if Salman Rushdie had written such a scenario in a book, the government would probably not ban it. GamesRadar
GamesRadar
GamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing...
named it one of the 10 most shocking game moments of the decade, commenting that it will either result in more hard-hitting scenes in video games or stricter gaming legislation.
X-Play
X-Play
X-Play is a TV program about video games, known for its reviews and comedy skits...
described the level's presence as an important catalyst to the overall plot of the game rather than a scene inserted for shock value. In a review for Game Informer
Game Informer
Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...
, Adam Biessener wrote that while the level "makes the player a part of truly heinous acts", he also notes that the "mission draws the morality of war and espionage into sharp focus in a way that simply shooting the bad guys cannot." Biessener concludes that it is one of the more emotional moments in the game, is "proud that our medium can address such weighty issues without resorting to adolescent black-and-white absolutes". In their review, Atomic Gamer editor Steve Haske dedicated a portion of the review to analyzing the stage, describing it as a "good first attempt at providing some commentary of the nation's current political climate, if a botched one." He added that taking such a risk legitimizes the video game industry, but also that its execution failed to give players a motivation by introducing the characters involved in earlier missions. The Escapist
The Escapist (magazine)
The Escapist is an online magazine covering video games, gamers, the gaming industry, and gaming culture. Published by the Themis Group, it was edited by Julianne Greer up to June 30, 2009, then by Russ Pitts through September 2011, and is currently edited by Steve Butts. The Escapist was first...
editor Andy Chalk called the controversy nonsense, stating that a handful of Russian terrorists should not be a reflection of the entire Russian state. Mercury News editor Gieson Cacho called the chapter the most controversial of the levels in Modern Warfare 2, stating that most people would become sick to their stomach after playing this sequence. However, he adds that the impact fuels the rest of the game's plot as well as making a comparison between it and the Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach is the code name for one of the five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II...
scene in the film Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan is a 1998 American war film set during the invasion of Normandy in World War II. It was directed by Steven Spielberg, with a screenplay by Robert Rodat. The film is notable for the intensity of its opening 27 minutes, which depicts the Omaha Beach assault of June 6, 1944....
.
Australia and New Zealand
In an article by The AustralianThe Australian
The Australian is a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 14 July 1964. The editor in chief is Chris Mitchell, the editor is Clive Mathieson and the 'editor-at-large' is Paul Kelly....
, editor Stuart Kennedy found the game to be of quality, but gave criticism to the scene. He stated that it added nothing to the plot and didn't help players progress, and that the "cynic in him" found it to be a marketing ploy. He felt that the scene was included due to not much being added from the original Modern Warfare. Stuff.co.nz
Stuff.co.nz
Stuff.co.nz is a New Zealand news website owned and operated by Fairfax New Zealand, a subsidiary of the Australian company Fairfax Media. Stuff hosts the websites for Fairfax's New Zealand newspapers, including the country's second and third highest circulation daily newspapers The Dominion Post...
editor Gerard Campbell stated that while he was unable to shoot the civilians, his friends were willing to do so, one of them choosing to "blast through the airport". He added that not only did it seem out of place from the plot, but it also seemed like a last-minute addition to generate controversy. Leonard Lai of the Spartan Daily stated that while he watched the scene, he could only wonder why it was included and what Infinity Ward was trying to tell people with it. He questioned whether it was necessary to have it even though it was skippable, and why it couldn't have been presented in any other way.
When the scene became widespread before the game's release, the Australian Classification Board
Australian Classification Board
The Australian Classification Board is a statutory classification body formed by the Australian Government which classifies films, video games and publications for exhibition, sale or hire in Australia since its establishment in 1970. The Australian Classification Board was originally incorporated...
were pressured to reconsider the rating of MA15+ for people 15 or older to R18+ for people 18 or older, the latter rating making it illegal to sell in Australia. In the end the classification board said they had no control over changing the rating unless an appeal was lodged to the Australian Classification Review Board
Australian Classification Review Board
The Australian Classification Review Board is a statutory censorship and classification body overseen by the Australian Government which can review classification decisions made by the Australian Classification Board concerning films, video games and publications for exhibition, sale or hire in...
. Jane Roberts of the morals campaign organisation Australian Council on Children and the Media was one of the various individuals to call for the banning. South Australian attorney general Michael Atkinson
Michael Atkinson
Michael John Atkinson , an Australian politician, was the South Australian Attorney-General, Minister for Justice, Minister for Veterans' Affairs, and Minister for Multicultural Affairs in the Rann Labor Government. A day after the 2010 election, he stepped down as Attorney-General and resigned...
called for changes in Modern Warfare 2's rating from its current MA15+ rating to R18+, which would essentially ban it, due to the presence of the "No Russian" mission, saying the game "allows players to be virtual terrorists and gain points by massacring civilians." However, this statement is incorrect; no "points" are earned for killing civilians, and outside of the airport massacre sequence, shooting civilians or friendly NPCs result in the player being reprimanded and forced to restart from a previous checkpoint. Despite Atkinson saying he would submit his appeal, there was no record of one ever being submitted.
Xbox 360 version
Many players have expressed concern about Infinity Ward's decision to remove the ability to use party chat while playing in certain multiplayer playlists. Although this decision was intended to create more collaboration within teams, instead it caused players to hear excessive quantities of racial, homophobic and sectarian slurs, violent arguments between other players, vulgarities and obscenities, and other inappropriate conversations, having been forced into the game chat. Players still have the option to alter their privacy settings, restricting it to allow communication only between Xbox Live friends, or to use "private chat" which allows communication to one other Xbox Live subscriber. This was partially fixed with the inclusion of a Barebones Pro playlist that allowed party chat in Xbox Live.PC version
Criticism has arisen of changes made to the PC version of Modern Warfare 2 including the lack of dedicated servers, latency issues of the listen serverGame server
A game server is a remotely or locally run server used by game clients to play multiplayer video games. Most video games played over the Internet operate via a connection to a game server...
-only IWNET, lack of console commands, lack of support for matches larger than 18 players, and inability to vote towards kicking or banning cheating players immediately. When asked about the removal of console menu commands, Infinity Ward responded with, "We would like you to play the game the way we designed and balanced it."
Defending their decision towards the lack of dedicated servers, Infinity Ward maintains that IWNET will "put you in the game that will give you the smoothest gameplay possible without you having to manually find a server with the best ping." In addition, it is stated that the utilization of Valve's Anti-Cheat system
Valve Anti-Cheat
Valve Anti-Cheat, abbreviated to VAC, is an anti-cheat solution developed by Valve Corporation as a component of the Steam game development platform.-History:...
will eliminate the need to worry about "joining a server full of aim-bots, wallhacks, or cheaters. Or relying on the server administrator to constantly be monitoring, banning, and policing it." However, Valve's anti-cheat system was designed to punish cheating, not to prevent it, by banning cheaters after a random delay. Taking a different view, Ars Technica writer Ben Kuchera wrote, "At launch, this will be one of the most locked-down, inflexible, and gamer-unfriendly [games] ever created."
An online petition was launched immediately after the announcement of the changes to the game's multiplayer aspect, urging Infinity Ward to reconsider its stance, with over 200,000 signatures. When asked for a comment on the petition, Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling stated that it “definitely made a big wave, and the response will not be ignored. I’ll ensure everyone at IW sees the petitions and responds to it.” The game went on to beat its predecessor's first week sales without yielding to any of the demands but had dropped down to 39th place on the PC after three weeks, a decline not shared by the console versions. Shortly after release a screenshot was circulated on the internet showing a number of members in one of the boycott groups on Steam playing Modern Warfare 2. By May 2010, coders unlocked the developer console and managed to recreate the effect of dedicated servers, a modification known as alterIWNet has been released since May 2010 and as of late August 2010 supports dedicated servers and has a player base of about 300,000.
"Don't ask, don't tell" Easter egg
After the weapons tutorial at the beginning of the game, an Easter eggEaster egg (media)
Image:Carl Oswald Rostosky - Zwei Kaninchen und ein Igel 1861.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Example of Easter egg hidden within imagerect 467 383 539 434 desc none...
can be found in which a trooper asks the player if he "has ever seen a grown man naked", followed by asking if he is "still gay?". After a few laughs the trooper says he's kidding and adds "don't ask, don't tell" referring to the US military's don't ask, don't tell
Don't ask, don't tell
"Don't ask, don't tell" was the official United States policy on homosexuals serving in the military from December 21, 1993 to September 20, 2011. The policy prohibited military personnel from discriminating against or harassing closeted homosexual or bisexual service members or applicants, while...
policy which allowed homosexuals
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
to serve in the military as long as their sexual orientation remained secret (The DADT policy was abolished on 20th September 2011). The first half of this easter egg, however, is a reference to the movie Airplane!
Airplane!
Airplane! is a 1980 American satirical comedy film directed and written by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker and released by Paramount Pictures...
and are direct quotes from the HBO miniseries Generation Kill
Generation Kill (TV series)
Generation Kill is a 2008 HBO television miniseries based on the book of the same name by Evan Wright about his experience as an embedded reporter with the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion of the United States Marine Corps during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. It was adapted for television by David Simon,...
. Infinity Ward has been accused of being homophobic before (including the F.A.G.S. video). Infinity Ward has not made an official statement concerning the accusations.
Javelin glitch
The JavelinFGM-148 Javelin
The FGM-148 Javelin is a United States-made man-portable third generation anti-tank missile fielded to replace the Dragon antitank missile.-Overview:Javelin is a fire-and-forget missile with lock-on before launch and automatic self-guidance...
glitch caused online opponents to explode upon death, killing anyone within 15 feet (and even further with the “Danger Close” perk). In response to its growing misuse, Infinity Ward issued a statement that a required update was in the works, and collaborated with Microsoft to issue Xbox Live
Xbox Live
Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002...
suspensions for anyone exploiting the glitch. Ars Technica
Ars Technica
Ars Technica is a technology news and information website created by Ken Fisher and Jon Stokes in 1998. It publishes news, reviews and guides on issues such as computer hardware and software, science, technology policy, and video games. Ars Technica is known for its features, long articles that go...
editor Ben Kuchera criticized the suspensions, stating that Microsoft should not be banning people from the service, because taking advantage of something found in the game's code is not cheating. By definition, it is exploiting, another practice frowned upon by players, along with glitching and hacking. He further stated that any permanent bans prevent the console from ever being playable online, making them "basically dead." He added that people would often sell such consoles to GameStop
GameStop
GameStop Corporation is an American video game and entertainment software retailer. The company, whose headquarters is in Grapevine, Texas, United States, operates 6,500 retail stores throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New...
and online sites such as eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
and Craigslist
Craigslist
Craigslist is a centralized network of online communities featuring free online classified advertisements, with sections devoted to jobs, housing, personals, for sale, services, community, gigs, résumés, and discussion forums....
. Despite the Xbox Live bannings, Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
stated that they would not ban anyone on the PlayStation Network for exploiting the Javelin glitch. Tyler Barber of GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
commented that Sony likely carried out no bans due to the service being free and as such gave them less incentive to track down offenders. He added that he does not feel bad for anyone banned, saying that people who took advantage of exploits made games unfair. According to Infinity Ward's Community Manager Robert Bowling this exploit has since been corrected as of version 1.06 released on December 11, 2009.
F.A.G.S. video
A viral video was released about an organization called "Fight Against Grenade Spam" or "F.A.G.S". The video depicts Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
pitcher Cole Hamels
Cole Hamels
Colbert Michael "Cole" Hamels is a left-handed starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. Hamels throws a four-seam fastball, a circle changeup, a curveball, and a cut fastball, which he added in 2010...
delivering a fake public service announcement decrying the use of grenade spam, calling it "for pussies", before being blown up by many semtex being thrown at him. This quickly created controversy, with writers such as Denis Farr saying it shows an acceptance of homophobic insults on Xbox Live
Xbox Live
Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002...
. Brainy Gamer editor Michael Abbott stated that as both a father and a teacher, people need to teach to kids that this is not okay. Game Critics editor Matthew Kaplan stated that the current marketing attitude comes from the present day culture of cynicism and self-centeredness. Game Informer
Game Informer
Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...
editor Philip Kollar and freelance writer Mitchell Dyer criticized the video's language and tone as well as the acronym used. Kollar, in response to a reader saying he was overreacting, disagreed, stating that he was not doing anything to boycott the game or suggest others to do so, and was merely criticizing Infinity Ward for making a video that promotes an aspect of Xbox Live that they should be shunning. Infinity Ward employee Robert Bowling responded to this, stating that he felt it was more a social commentary joke than it was promoting the act. Dyer responded to this by saying that due to its poor execution, it appears to be promoting such "assholer-y". Ultimately, Bowling commented that while he could appreciate concerns over the video, he found the gag to be great and removed the video. Kotaku editor Owen Good agreed with one of the site's readers who stated that the controversy could have been avoided if the marketing department had called it "Fight Relentlessly Against Grenade Spam" or "F.R.A.G.S." (Referring to the frag grenade) Good denotes the video as pointlessly provocative and criticized certain readers and commentators for what he describes as attacking anyone who takes offense as being politically motivated. As a response to the original video, EA
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
released a spoof
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of it, entitled "Friends Really Against Grenade Spam" or "F.R.A.G.S.", as a part of a series of videos to promote the release of Battlefield: Bad Company 2
Battlefield: Bad Company 2
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by the Swedish firm EA Digital Illusions CE and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, iOS and Mac OS X systems. It is a direct sequel to Battlefield: Bad Company and is part of the...
. Featuring its own baseball pitcher delivering the message, New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
' CC Sabathia, he stated in the video that "In Battlefield: Bad Company 2 grenade spam isn’t going to prove quite as effective as one might find in competing games of this particular genre, not with destructible buildings, adrenaline pumping weapons and more vehicles than you can count."