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.