Update: Activision Confirms Civilian Slaughter Scene in Modern Warfare 2

It is skippable

Posted by Staff
Update: Activision Confirms Civilian Slaughter Scene in Modern Warfare 2
Activision Blizzard has issued a statement regarding the in-game airport slaughter of civilians (see the video below) that crops up in Modern Warfare 2.

Responding to whether the scene is actually in the game, the statement (via VG247) says, "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."

There has been some uproar around the Internet about just how acceptable a scene that shows innocent bystanders being killed is within a video game. Apparently we want our games to be realistic, just not so realistic as to prick the conscience of the player. Opinions in the Forum please.

We have removed the video of this scene following a request from Activision's lawyers regarding copyright infringement.

That said, it appears that News International via its News.com.au site hasn't had the message.
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Comments

Showing the 20 most recent comments. Read all 111.
Mkloppel 29 Oct 2009 11:22
92/111
I am an atheist, an objectivist and I absolutely care about morals. And this is far from immoral. Its allowing players to see both sides...its fine when your clearly blowing the heads off of clearly evil people but when you need to make a decision (a moral choice) it doesn't turn the activity bad.

Second of all and this is probably more important than any of this stupidity.

ITS A F**KING GAME YOU RETARDS! If you don't like, dont f**king play it. In fact go play "Hello Kitty Island Adventure: Gay little girl" version so I never have to play against you in multiplayer you damn pathetic morons.
Ian 29 Oct 2009 14:04
93/111
If you aren't going to have the balls to keep the video up, delete the article. This does me no good.
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Capn 29 Oct 2009 14:49
94/111
"We have removed the video of this scene following a request from Activision's lawyers regarding copyright infringement."


LOL? They asked that an ADVERTISEMENT be removed?!!? Are they that dumb!? Its FREE ADVERTISING. FREE PROMOTION OF YOUR PRODUCT AND YOU WANT IT TAKEN DOWN?!
TimSpong 29 Oct 2009 14:59
95/111
Ian wrote:
If you aren't going to have the balls to keep the video up, delete the article. This does me no good.


Hi Ian,
If only it was a matter of testicles. Sadly it's not, it's also a matter of legal realities. As soon as the footage becomes available in such as way as to not actually infringe on copyright - e.g. the day the game goes on sale - we'll run our own film. Until then, a lengthy legal battle with Activision which we would lose because the footage was shot before the content became anything other than the private property of the company, would result in no more news or anything else coming from this site.

Now, while I'm sure this will be met with responses such as, "No loss there" from your good self, I'd like to think that more news sources getting more news out there - albeit for a short time - is a good not bad thing.

The footage is real; the content is in-game; it will remain in-game I'd imagine on release on November 10th. The controversy and debate will also be there. I'd very much like us to be there to cover it as well.

My personal opinion on this is that it's about time that the fact that in conflicts, hideous things do happen to innocent people was made plain in video games. The sanitisation of actual civilian slaughter that enables publishers, developers, and gamers to put up a 1950s Hollywood pretence that war is honourable rather than disgusting needed exposing. It's a shame, however, that Infinity Ward and Activision couldn't say that out loud.

Finally Ian, I'm sorry if you feel let down, but I there's no point in putting your balls on the table, then presenting the psychotic giant ball eater with the knife and saying 'Please chop here' if you have no defence against the blade.

Cheers

Tim
DesertFury 29 Oct 2009 18:57
96/111
Never played GTA and Saints Row? Anyone? Its just the same cept that your a terrorist... :O!!
blank 30 Oct 2009 02:23
97/111
if you would complain about this, why don't you comlain abouit gta or fallout 3. I mean, even though i love gta, isn't killing people and doing random crap, which is fun, kinda what gta is based on? Yes mass murdering civilians is bad, but you can skip it , and you're undercover, and a few other things. I also was like holy crap when i saw this, but then i told my self it's a video game and to get over it. If you don't want to see it, just skip it, and don't keep complaining about it, IW just trying to thickin the story line, which gives you the urgency to do the game faster! and shoot that ****** in the face! (Makarov) (P.S. I'm not sure that u get to shoot him)
Mike 31 Oct 2009 07:17
98/111
Pre-orders are apparently turning up early -- I received my copy last Friday. I posted a high quality version of the Airport mission on my YouTube account yesterday. Woke up this morning and the video's been taken down by a Copyright Infringement notice. Activision move fast.

The game itself is great, regardless of the fact that it's basically a carbon copy of previous COD formulas with zero innovation (I especially dislike the way allied soldiers STILL wait for you to move over invisible scripting triggers before they advance, but I guess it helps keep the pacing in a game such as this). The atmosphere, plot, improved graphics and excellent mission are all praise worthy. I likes. I doubt it will get anything less than a 9/10 on most review sites and magazines.
Mike 31 Oct 2009 07:35
99/111
Anonymous wrote:
This is unnecessary for a violent video game to be this disgustingly violent. Anyone that thinks this is OK needs to seriously stop and think about their life and do some hardcore church-going.


Your first statement is contradictory. As for the second, try and keep in mind that the various religions that pepper our world are collectively responsible for an oceans worth of pain, suffering, murder and persecution, and that includes Catholicism and Christianity.
The thing's that have been done in the name of your God (such as a little thing called the Inquisition) are terrible when viewed as a whole. Also, the Bible makes it clear that God is a jealous, flawed being who advocates slavery, rape and murder on a whim, but people tend to pick and choose what parts of the Bible they wish to advocate. In closing, I would say that a person who dedicates their life to worshiping such a being, regardless of it's disputed existence, is more in need of help than a person who merely enjoys playing violent video games. Just my two cents.
Judaspinn 1 Nov 2009 20:41
100/111
Civilians being killed in a game? OH NO!

Is there really that much moral ambiguity surrounding the death of innocent pixels? A game is still just that, a game. Nobody bitched, cried, and moaned when Hotel Rwanda was in the cinema. Nobody bitched, cried, and moaned when books like Mein Kampf were put on Sociology reading lists. Why is it so odd or outlandish to assume that New Media like video games can't touch on really hard subject matter. If somebody put this much negativity in games to more influencial factors in human psychological development (Such as how one should read to their child at least 4 times a week to improve comfortable interaction and creativity of the child's psyché.) then we'd have a generation of more level headed kids.

Lashing out at 'vidya games' is just the Desperate Housewives approach to looking out for your children. You're doing the minimum amount of work to try and keep the bad things from leaking into the Kiddo's noggin.
rs 3 Nov 2009 18:17
101/111
@bender

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.
Joji 3 Nov 2009 20:13
102/111
I have no problem with these scenes. Games have to continue evolving and pushing the bounadries of what's expected of them. If they don't, we'll all end up playing crowd pleasing Nintendo games forever.

Hey, us people in the U.K, N.I and Spain have been living with terrorism for years, the strange thing is that it seems to be a lot of american gamers, saying IW shouldn't have this in the game.

Truth is, for many years now, games have got away with not adding civilians into levels, due obviously to technical limits, and thus gamers don't understand or accomodate a concept of loss or tragedy while playing. In any conflict, there are casuaties we never see or hear of, because governments fear our backlash and censor our media. Any product that brings more awareness, that such actions do happen, should be applauded, nice one IW.

Still ,such a shame you and Activision, still loose points over the PC server debacle.

dude. 8 Nov 2009 19:08
103/111
@Pissed_Off you're an idiot. IW has the utmost respect for america, her military, and her government. when they did modern warfare and world at war betas, they allowed the military gamers to play it first, because they wanted their input. they're not mocking anything. they are in fact bringing to light that things like DO happen, and that in today's world, a plot like this could happen. so don't tell them do eff off when they're just educating an audience who for the most part probably doesnt watch the news.
dude. 8 Nov 2009 19:13
104/111
@Tim_Smith i agree with everything you said, except for the fact that war is honorable. no one deserves more respect than the armed forces of our country. no one.
Ian 9 Nov 2009 12:48
105/111
Christ, get a grip people, this isn't the first game to show brutality nor will it be the last. Anyone here remember Manhunt? Unfortunately Brutality sells and as long as it sells, these companies will keep making these games and we'll keep buying them. To be honest, Im more pissed off with the fact that there isn't dedicated servers!
xXxKinGxKeVxXx 10 Nov 2009 21:17
106/111
awesome level it was funner than i expected
U dont need 2 no 22 Dec 2009 21:01
107/111
iF u skip the terrorist scene in campaign, can u still play it in quick play?
Anonymous 27 Dec 2009 08:40
108/111
Why the civillian market wants to be the bad guys and kill other civillians is beyond me. The reason this level causes such an uproar is because your forced to shoot the innocent, unarmed, civilians, something the gaming community has never heard of, Modern Warfare 2 is a First Person Shooter(FPS) and people are(and should be) accustumed to playing these games and shooting in order to gain a specefic objective, Good guys kill bad guys to save more good guys. Or Good guys kill bad guys because there forced to because bad guys are bad, and will kill good guys. What this level does is question who the good guys and bad guys are, people are have usually allways taken the vantage point of the good guy/hero of the day. This game forces you to become your enemy, to become the bad guy in a game The fact that people want to become the bad guy and kill the good guys is totally out of the question.
Anonymous 27 Dec 2009 08:41
109/111
Why the civillian market wants to be the bad guys and kill other civillians is beyond me. The reason this level causes such an uproar is because your forced to shoot the innocent, unarmed, civilians, something the gaming community has never heard of, Modern Warfare 2 is a First Person Shooter(FPS) and people are(and should be) accustumed to playing these games and shooting in order to gain a specefic objective, Good guys kill bad guys to save more good guys. Or Good guys kill bad guys because there forced to because bad guys are bad, and will kill good guys. What this level does is question who the good guys and bad guys are, people are have usually allways taken the vantage point of the good guy/hero of the day. This game forces you to become your enemy, to become the bad guy in a game The fact that people want to become the bad guy and kill the good guys is totally out of the question.
volimtenoca 30 Dec 2009 05:49
110/111

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Mick 18 Jul 2010 03:28
111/111
The problem is not that you have to witness it, the problem is that the developers want us to believe the preposterous idea that you have to HELP them slaughter the innocents. YOUR UNDERCOVER IS IMPORTANT SPECIFICALLY SO YOU CAN STOP THE BAD GUYS FROM DOING SPECIFICALLY WHAT YOU HELP THEM DO! Ifs F**ing retarted! The game is ruined because that is completely unrealistic. You infiltrated a terrorist unit to stop them from killing hundreds of innocents, heres a gun good, now help them kill hundreds of innocents.

Yeah, that makes sense.
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