I've recently been keeping up on the lawsuit going on between studio heads of Infinity Ward and Activision. To me it seem rather apparent that Activision fired the heads of Infinity Ward in an effort to get out of paying them their multi-million dollar bonuses. I mean, they were fired, literally days before they were set to get their bonuses. I really and truly hope that Infinity Ward wins the court case and gets the money that they deserve. They gave Activision, not only Modern Warfare 2, the most succesful selling video game of all time, but also many other Call of Duty titles that also did extremely well, not the least of which, Modern Warfare 2's predecessor. I really feel like Activision made a huge mistake in letting Infinity Ward go. The loyalty in that studio may have been more than Activision expected with 20 employee following the two studio heads, West and Zampella, to form a new company under Electronic Arts coined "Respawn Entertainment". It is apparent that Infinity Ward are true artists in the first person shooter genre. Not only did they make the Call of Duty franchise extremely lucrative and successful, but Treyarch, using the same engine and game model that Infinity Ward used to make numerous amazing games, never came close to the successes of Infinity Ward. I think that alone says something. A second developer, using a tried and true engine andgameplay setup, could not make a game thatcame close to whatInfinity Ward shaped. Ideally, I would love to see the series that Infinity Ward (originally the creators of the "Medal of Honor" series) birthed, crash and burn without them there anylonger. Although,not many consumers are developer loyal, nor do many even know what Activision did to the creators of Modern Warfare 2. Currently, it's looking like Activision will be getting a new developer, Sledgehammer Games, to continue the Modern Warfare saga, andthe most part of Infinity Ward, now Respawn Entertainment, will be workingon a new intellectual propertyunder the guidance of Electronic Arts and in association with Bungie.Like I said, I hope and pray that karma and justice is served. I hope the Call of Duty franchise dies out without it'screators, and thatex-Infinity Ward heads and team members receive an even bigger payday than they were entitled to through their contractualagreement with Activision. Although, even though I feel that Infinity Ward has a good chance of receiving their well deserved and earned bonuses, I doubt Call of Duty, especially the Modern Warfare rendition, will die out, even under the creative influence of second rate developers.

-DtriK-

I can't seem to wrap my head around all the press on this Modern Warfare 2 mission. I mean, Infinity Ward is getting a lot of publicity, so that can't be a bad thing right? Then again, a leak related to the storyline has to suck. None the less, we are here to talk about the "Airport Mission".

Some people are outraged at the idea that a game would include something of such a serious nature. I think some of them just want something to be angry about, to be honest. I saw a post that read, " September 11th was less than 10 years ago and my friend's second cousin died in that attack. So, this totally disgusts me." What?!? I mean that guy is grasping for straws. I don't know if you know these people, but I certainly do. The grief mongers that want nothing more than to find a way to join in on some good drama.Someone dies, and regardless of the fact the he or she did not know the deceased, they find a way to connect the dots in a way that allows them to be a part of the festivities. This griefmongering doesn't so much disgust me as it makes me feel bad for the participants. I mean they are that starved for attention that they manipulate deaths to get it. And it seems like some people, i.e. Mr. My friends second cousin, are doing this so they can scold Infinity Ward by posting hate mail on message boards.

I understand some people are truly upset by this and many may have good reasons, unfabricated ones. And to these people I say, " Please do not purchase the game." If it is so offensive to you, then I would think that one would not want to support such a product or the company that produced it. I think that the people that think that this game and others like it should be banned are high off their asses. The first ammendment is a huge issue related to television, movies, and print but, apparently, videogames can't seem to ride that wave like the others. The main issue, you are essentially a part of the carnage, you are participating in the madness. Now, I by no means endorse giving Grand Theft Auto to a child. Especially, onethat is extremely impressionable, and can't distinguish between fantasy and reality. Otherwise, adults should be able to buy such games and enjoy them, if they choose to. I mean, I truly believe that video games can be the next great story telling medium. First, we had books which later evolved into motion pictures. Motion pictures are great, without a doubt, but video games let you be a part of the action, excitement, and story. And if creators are left to their own devices to do what they see fit, I think that video games may make the shift. It is already happening. Games like Modern Warfare, Metal Gear Solid 4, and even Grand Theft Auto, all had a cinematic feel and quality. This transition will never occur if we continue to censor and ban video games, causing the creators to be boxed in.

When I initially watched the video, I was a bit shocked but, that's what it's meant to do. Modern Warfare strives for an extremely cinematic experience and, in many movies, villains are shown doing deplorable things in an effort to make you truly hate the antagonist. In the remake of Last House on the Left, there was a gratuitous, and extremely harsh rape and murder scene. This was hard to watch but made the later parts of the movie, where the villains were being dismembered and killed in various ways, that much more satisfying. Modern Warfare 2 is trying to do the exact same thing. I think that they came to the conclusion that a 30 second to 1 minute cutscene would not truly encompass the horror of a terrorist act, such as the one depicted. So, they made you a part of it. Funny thing is, they succeeded in doing exactly what they were trying to do. Every article, blog, and post proves this. People are disgusted and shocked by this footage but, if it were viewed in the right context,while playing the game,the response would be different. It would shock the player, disgust them, and most importantly, infuriate them.Therefor, every one of the evil bastards you kill in the following missions,will be that much more satisfying. The "Airport"missionalso immerses the player in the horrible, immoral, and violent world of terrorism and makes them truly view the ultranationalist as the enemy. Essentially,you're not just told, "Hey, that's the enemy." You KNOW they're evil and need to be stopped.

So, I think we should all wait to bad mouth the series and developer until you play through the mission in it's proper context. I'm willing to bet people will take something totally different away from that mission when played in the story arc. That said, I can't wait. Two more weeks.

-DtriK-