Activision has just confirmed that a leaked Modern Warfare 2 video of civilians being gunned down in an airport is of real, content from the upcoming first-person shooter. The scenes are so powerful that despite already having a Mature rating, players can choose to skip playing through it. Details of the scene came to light after footage from the game was leaked on the Internet. Activision says that the footage comes from a game obtained illegally and "is not representative of the overall gameplay experience in Modern Warfare 2." We’ve just been given the following statement in response to a question as to whether or not the scene is actually from the game. Here’s the full thing:
“Yes it is. The scene establishes the depth of evil and the cold bloodedness of a rogue Russian villain and his unit. By establishing that evil, it adds to the urgency of the player’s mission to stop them.“Players have the option of skipping over the scene. At the beginning of the game, there are two ‘checkpoints’ where the player is advised that some people may find an upcoming segment disturbing. These checkpoints can’t be disabled.“Modern Warfare 2 is a fantasy action game designed for intense, realistic game play that mirrors real life conflicts, much like epic, action movies. It is appropriately rated 18 for violent scenes, which means it is intended for those who are 18 and older.”
So what are your thoughts on the subject (let us know in the comments section below)? Is this taking virtual entertainment too far or should it be considered just that, entertainment? For now the illegal video has been removed from the internet and to be honest spoiling the game's story is not something we will do. The one thing we will say on the subject is taking one scene out of the context of the whole story just doesn't work. We won't know the true public opinion on the airport sequence until the game comes out in a few weeks.
