I did it.I am very proud of myself right now for pulling this off.What is my great achievement you ask?I put down the controller and stopped playing Infinity Ward’s highly anticipated shooter, “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2″ long enough to write this column.Those close to me know I have been looking forward to this title for quite some time, and they probably haven’t been seeing me as much as they’d like.”Modern Warfare 2” sold nearly 5 million copies in the first 24 hours of its launch last Tuesday. The first-person shooter seemed to make a lot of people happy, but anything with this much hype can’t please everybody.With all of the anticipation leading up to this game, there was a big storm of controversy brewing as well.The first red flag flew after a commercial during the Oct. 4 Sunday night football game, in which scenes of a war-torn Washington D.C. were depicted in the game. Groups such as the Christian Science Monitor felt it was too soon after the 9/11 terrorist attacks to show such horrendous acts of terror on American soil, even in a video game.I can understand the concern, but many people seem to forget this is all just fantasy, in the same vein as movies or comic books. But while it does seem unbelievable to see the nation’s capital in such a way, terrorist attacks have happened, and people should always remain alert.Yet another level in the game caught more spotlight than the war-ravaged Washington D.C.A video leaked a week before the launch of the game showed what appeared to be a player in a terrorist group massacring civilians in an airport.This sent the media into an uproar — though they had no idea what was going on.How can a video game “meant for kids” allow the player to be a terrorist?Well, that’s an easy answer — it doesn’t.The media loves to associate all types of video game with young children, when they clearly miss the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) rating on the front of the game.The “Modern Warfare 2” box clearly shows the game is rated M for Mature (meaning people ages 17 and up).Also, without giving too many spoilers for those yet to play the game’s campaign, you don’t step into the shoes of a terrorist. You play as a CIA undercover agent trying to infiltrate a terrorist organization attempting to bring down a criminal mastermind who wants to watch the world burn.It’s easy to see how this “terrorist” aspect of the game can be taken out of context. The level is a very powerful, emotional scene which is a little tough to swallow. But it’s the main catalyst that gets the events of the story going.It also does a great job showing the evils of terrorism and what it is we are trying to stop today in the real world.The creators of “Modern Warfare 2” aren’t trying to turn the youth of America into terrorists by making them play this — they are trying to prove a point. The big picture shown in “Modern Warfare 2” shows how “absolute power corrupts absolutely” and how people will make the wrong decision for what they believe is right.The developers do provide a disclaimer before the game begins informing the player of scenes in the game that may be offensive — and players have the option to skip these scenes, if desired.While there may be political undertones about terrorism and war within the story of “Modern Warfare 2,” I’m glad Infinity Ward exercised its right to free speech to keep these controversial levels in the game amid all of the scrutiny.The scenes may be graphic, but they are necessary to show America isn’t invincible, and we always must be ready for what may head our way.
Now if you’ll excuse me, my team is missing me. I’m going to get back to my game.Adam Arinder is a 20-year-old electrical engineering junior from Baton Rouge. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_aarinder.—-Contact Adam Arinder at [email protected]