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Gaming Controversies
The hobby of video games is not free from controversy. Far from it. There have been a large number of scandals and controversies in the world of gaming. Sometimes these are more focused on the companies creating the game. Recently we saw Blizzard come under fire for issues of sexual harassment in the workplace.
Other times the issue is with the content within a game itself. No Man’s Sky was a prime example of this. The developers promised so much and then, when the game was released, players discovered most of these promises were lies. It almost ruined the company.
Occasionally the controversy is related to issues caused by gaming. One of the most infamous cases of this was the ‘Manhunt’ scandal in 2004. The game was linked to the murder of a young girl in England. The court case established that the offenders were inspired by the game which was one of the most violent games ever made.
Iconic Gaming Moments
On the flipside there are moments in the world of gaming that are iconic. Moments that echo through the history of gaming. These moments often fill us with joy. The announcement of Elden Ring is a great example of this. Or the moment in Bioshock where it is revealed you were being controlled by the phrase ‘Would you kindly.’
And the Call of Duty series is no stranger to both iconic moments and controversies. And each new title brings with it a healthy selection of both of these. So today we are going to examine the story behind the new Modern Warfare 2’s iconic and controversial moments.
The Hype Of The Release
Perhaps the most iconic moment in the history of Modern Warfare 2 was the announcement of the game itself. Modern Warfare 2, the original one, was one of the most popular titles in the franchise history, second only to its predecessor.
So when in February of this year Activision announced the release of both a new Warzone and a new Modern Warfare 2, the gaming community naturally went berserk. The whole rest of the year was filled with hype beyond control. And all the hype was justified when the game was released to rave reviews. But, of course, it wasn’t exactly free from controversy.
The Cheating Debate
One of the main controversies surrounding the new Modern Warfare 2 is the debate about the validity of using cheats. This debate rises up with every new CoD release, but this time it has been extra prevalent as the developers have made it easier to use cheats in private matches.
The debate around the use of MW2 cheats mainly comes from the issue of people using them in competitive ranked play. And this is a huge issue facing the gaming community. A lot of people put a lot of time and effort into moving up the ranks. It is how some people turn into gaming pros. So people using cheats to get ahead flies in the face of these people.
But on the other hand there is the debate around the validity of using cheats for practice and them being used by disabled gamers. A lot of disabled gamers are already at a disadvantage when gaming. Cheats can help them level the playing field. Which is why more developers are making it easier for people to use cheats within their games.
Borderline
Modern Warfare 2 could have been perfect. The campaign, for the most part, was a thrilling action story that balanced high stakes emotion against intense action scenes. But one mission has caused a huge stir up in the gaming community and beyond. And that mission is called ‘Borderline.’
The mission has players taking on the role of a Mexican special forces agent guarding the border wall between Mexico and the USA. The premise of the mission is to stop cartel members climbing the border. You literally have to gun them down as they try to scale across.
And people are naturally very upset at this imagery. The current political climate, concerning immigration, is tense. There has been a whole host of riots and protests surrounding the issue of the Mexican border. And the former US president Trump was infamous for his proposed border wall and racist comments surrounding Mexican Immigrants.
But the issues don’t stop there. The mission also shows you facing off against civilian protests. The game asks you to try and de-escalate these protests and the correct way to do that is apparently by pointing your weapon at them and eventually shooting them. But this is only after they draw weapons and attempt to fire at you.
We can see why people might be offended by this section. Over the last few years we saw the BLM protests being stopped with vigorous force by the national guard or the police. People have seen this as an attack on the fundamental right to protest.
Was Borderline That Bad?
Now the imagery used in Borderline is definitely evocative. But a lot of people’s reactions have been just that. Reactionary. They didn’t stop to think about why it was included. The argument could be made that, yes these sorts of travesties do happen. But pretending they don’t will help no one.
The level could be viewed as calling attention to a pressing issue currently being faced by US immigration and those that serve. That maybe these issues aren’t as black and white as Twitter users like to think.
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