Bare Knuckles: Night goggles with a game - invitation to mischief?
Someone help me out. I am kinda stuck between my love of video games (and all the freedoms that should be allowed in developing them) and my concern for something that could potentially lead to some unfortunate events.
Someone help me out. I am kinda stuck between my love of video games (and all the freedoms that should be allowed in developing them) and my concern for something that could potentially lead to some unfortunate events.
Look, I love Infinity Ward's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare game. It strikes the right balance of fun and fake realism (only in the video-game world is such an irony regarded so highly).
All of my friends play it and there is nothing more satisfying than accumulating enough kills to earn the chopper or air strike and watching the opposing team run for cover while you sit back and laugh.
That being said, the sequel to Modern Warfare (creatively called Modern Warfare 2) will be released Nov. 10. It is expected to hit store shelves with a special "Prestige Edition" that could cost $150 - possibly more. It includes all the doodads of a premium game - metal case, art book, unique downloadable content, and . . . um . . . night-vision goggles. Night-vision goggles that work.
This is a big promotional push for Infinity Ward. The company's community manager, Robert Bowling, uploaded a video to YouTube, www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMSS12iY1X0, showing off the various Modern Warfare 2 special editions and highlighting the "Prestige Edition" for Xbox 360.
Now I hate trippin' over games with a violent angle because I know there are many people out there who believe that these video games are the product of Satan or some such nonsense, but this is a bad idea.
I would say 99.9999 percent of gamers who buy the Prestige edition will have a blast with these new goggles, innocently playing around at night with them.
Yet, it is also like giving away a free race car with Gran Tourismo or Forza - someone is going to cause a highway wreck. In Modern Warfare 2's case, I shudder (just a bit) to think of someone, who may have a hard time with reality anyway, donning these goggles for real mischief or even worse.
Infinity Ward should know better. They are great at fake realism. One of the best. This maybe be crossing that line, however.