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Infinity Ward's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is quickly gaining pre-release notoriety as a center of controversy. First, there was the "No dedicated servers for PC users" flap (although, truth be told, that's more of an inside-gamer thing, not likely to be of interest to the larger culture), then the leaked video that showed that, for at least one level, you inhabit the body of someone taking part in a terroristic bloodbath in an airport. Today, there's a "viral" style promo video for Modern Warfare 2 that is, at best, in questionable taste.
The video was posted on YouTube over the weekend and stars a digitized version of Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels delivering a mock-PSA about "grenade spam." The ad ends with the phrase "random grenades are for p*ssies." It is followed with a credit message saying the PSA was brought to you by "Fight Against Grenade Spam." You can figure out why the fake organization's name is offensive for yourself.
Infinity Ward pulled the video, and community Manager Robert Bowling tweeted that the ad was "more of a social commentary joke of that stereotype than it was a fist-bump of acceptance to it." Right. So Infinity Ward says it was just mocking the people who hold homophobic views as opposed to actually being homophobic... except I've seen the video, and there's nothing in it to indicate this is the case.
Usually, I leave the soapbox to Adam Sessler, but this time, I'm going to weigh in by pointing out that I spent the weekend playing The Ballad of Gay Tony and was pleased and surprised by the positive relationship between Luis Lopez and Gay Tony, and the respect shown to the homosexual community as a whole in that game, so this Modern Warfare 2 thing is doubly disappointing in contrast -- shouldn't we be past this kind of casual, backyard slur in the game community? If not from the players, at least from the professionals? Judging from the discourse on public channels of the last COD, Infinity Ward should are the last people who should be encouraging slurs against gay people; there's enough of it without the company's tacit approval. Besides, isn't that a violation of their own Terms of Service?
Sessler and I have much the same views on this kind of thing; check it out:
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Comments
Displaying 81–100 of 141
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ToastyTank
Word Adam. I'm 15 here, and getting disappointed by kids my age and younger filling my downtime with abusive spittle. I've given up playing games like Modern Warfare and Halo online, rather it's directed at me or someone else, it's just sad, it destroys the community and gives gamers a bad name, probably one of the reasons gaming hasn't been taken in by the media.
In either case, nothing wrong with a little Mass Effect or L4D in a private game. Can't control the parents of the children doing this crap.
Dynamo903
Lmao, offensive? What about that bill that Arnie Schwarneger veto'd that spelled fk with each beginning word in the paragraph? That's what this is, coincedence and a bunch of whiners getting mad.
Arnie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =90sf1L7fwKQ
Kaeglin
THANK YOU SO MUCH, ADAM!! I can't tell you how much more respect I have for you than I already did before this soapbox. I am a female gamer, and as many know the way certain demographics are treated online have steadily gotten worse and worse.
I give one small example. I am a FPS player (among other things), and unfortunately have had to tolerate ignorance of this sort...and for the most part when it happens now, I just mute the player, report them (even though it seems that the XBL staff do nothing about it) and go on. What I didn't expect was to get the same type of behavior while playing a game of UNO on XBL. My best friend (who also is a female) and I were playing a game with a new player we meet (and have since become friends with) during the match. All of a sudden, this totally rude and insulting player came into the room and starts a tirade of insulting comments about my best friend and me. They ranged from the usual homophobic slurs to insults more tailored towards each person in the room. It got so bad I had to mute him and add him to my ignore list, after having reported him for his vile behavior. It was really quite sad, because the demoralized mood the guy left the room in was quite different from the jovial one in which he found it, and frankly made me question why I play on XBL.
This type of behavior has got to stop. I agree with Adam that I don't want to be associated with people like this, and frankly and unfortunately nowadays gamers tend to be glopped into the same group, no matter what type of gamer (console, PC, FPS, MMO, RTS benevolent, malevolent) you are.
NickAnguiano
What Sessler was talking about in that old soapbox is why I canceled my XBL subscription. It got to the point that it wasn't even fun anymore to play games. Only time I will play now is when I am at a friends and we make a closed party with other friends we know and that's it.
This is also why I am getting MW2 for the PC. Maybe there are some immature chumps in the PC community, but it is nothing like XBL where you can basically count on every other person you run into in every single game being an immature 10-12 year old.
gear176
Im a 15 year old gamer and adam is right. The first time i ever played a match on xbox live (which was two years ago)i got into a match and this one kid was just cussing and going on and on, after that i didnt really want to play or i would just jump into a private chat with a friend. Ya i know im still a kid but i have never called someone racial slurs or cussed at someone like that. Yes and ill say it again i know im a kid but act like an adult dont cuss or call people names because you think it makes you sound tough.
nathanmako
"Fight Against Grenade Spam"
I think people are missing the point. When you played the past version of the game you always had those players who would spam noob tube or frags. I will call that one a hidden poke perhaps or a playful play on words. Even if you do look at the spelling of the phrase you have to remember, yes it is vulgar but also a common phrase used in the game when you are getting killed or spawn camped. There are many other words used which are far more offensive.
If we make this too politically correct then what is the next step? Censoring all of Live and any games? Not allowed to make rated M games? People getting banned online? I honestly think they are playing with the gaming communities analogies we use.
For instance, world of warcraft - how many phrases and cultural trends has the game created?
We see some measure of harassment controlled in the game but the trends created by players actions or annoying moves in the game have become main stream phrases... ie. "Rogues do it from behind" and many others.
I honestly think people are over sensitive. The game is rated M. Deal!
The blood bothers me, the clothing is against my religion, women show too much skin... it would never end.
Just my opinion nothing more.
Jackal904
Watching this made me feel like my dad caught me listening to some song with lots of profanity in it, and he is lecturing to me on how bad and wrong it is lol.
But seriously, I agree with you Adam. I play online on xbox live all the time, and I've noticed that a majority of the people who engage in such profanity and offensive language are the younger crowd. While there are older players who use terrible language, I'd have to say most of this kind of behavior is from young kids.
It kills me everytime I here some kid swearing more than a sailor who just stubbed their toe. It makes me wonder what their parents are like when their kid acts that way. I honestly think kids under the age of 13 should not be able to buy M rate games, plain and simple. Clearly the parents can not make the correct judgement, seeing as there's so many curse word spouting 10 year olds online.
Octaviux
Just watched the video and it isn't that bad, probably wouldn't have even noticed it if i hadn't seen this article first. This is very much a case of hypersensitive people overreacting because of some self perceived injustice that isn't based in reality.
Zand3r
Adam Speaks the truth....i have found my self saying these things alot. I say them because there hurtful words, or have been made into something hurtful. And when your playing and someone says it it to me i throw it right back in there face. Iam just not witty or as educated as a lot of people so i cant turn a phrase...if i do its rare ...and i shouldn't talk like i do because of my kids.. yes i have two boys 4 and 1 year old. When my oldest boy repeated what i said one night playing GoW2 my first instinct was to punish him for being a potty mouth...and when he started crying and said daddy you was saying it....well i felt like the biggest jackass. I don't know where iam going with this but i try to do better so that my kids don't grow up being like the bad parts of there father.
mark82234
is this why nintindo does things the way they do ??? maybe xbox should change how they do things? if its that big of a deal.
nodice703
i agree with this i most often get into this battles while playing a game because i sound a certain way and obviously when i talk on the mic and get the N word blasted at me when these posers wouldnt never say any on this too someones face but there though behind a mic but thats why there is an option to rate a persons experince so i just avoid them and report them and keep it moving.
BloodySinz
Honestly I didn't see anything that is even remotely homophobic in that video.... maybe i just don't know what grenade spam means then?? Because other than the vulgarity I see nothing wrong with this video. I thought it was actually pretty funny .
collinE
I want to know if Adam said this to the kid or if he just waited till the soapbox?
Anth0ny5_MadG4m3
i think PSN trys to avoid this idk bout XBL but theres a age limit to be able to use a mic now cause on my old account i could of use this at my age but my new account same as the name u see i cant it disabled everything that envolves this voice text chat
Muscley_Arms
I agree with Adam. The things people say are getting racist and homophobic online, i personally never use game chat any more because of the way people act on there. it gives me the feeling that if it gets worse that everyone is going to stop playing online because of all the angry little kids and adults on there. and i think they only do it because they don't have to guts to talk to someone like that in real life because they know that the crap will get beat out of them.
firecloud42
I think us old gamers learned to never insult others mainly because we all started on single player games were there is no one else to insult. Then we went to lan parties were if we got upset at some one we knew where they where and if we insulted them (not jokingly) they could get up and beat your ass...or the fact that we are alittle bit more mature and try not to get sucked into the insult game. Now don't get me wrong I still every once in awhile will curse the player that just killed me but I try to turn my mic off first so that he does not hear me scream "No F'in way" or something like that, and i think that comes from frustration.
anyway I do wish the young ones would calm down a bit...and for the older gamers that chime in and provoke them or try to insult them back, its not helping so please stop.
now not all young (8-15) gamers are like this. So when you hear a high pitched voice, don't go and assume that there idiots who insult everyone.
The more you know
MayorAdamWest
i feel u adam and the sad unfornate thing is all comments on the web in general is alwalys homophobic, racist, stereotypical and very biased on any opinion said. serious anything can spark this which is crazy. on live and i sure on any social network they force u to seclude yurself with only people u kno isnt this way. it sucks in the end where games are suppose to humbly and friendly invite u to hav fun and good memories. but the gamers that play thes games turn it into to something so foul u dont want to be invole in anything no more
RRODisBack
I guess when school lets out some kid will answer Adam's question.
Freakhound Krew
Awesome Soapbox Adam i couldn't agree more on what your saying
BONERJAM
Another non-issue that is becoming an issue. People need to learn how to relax and not take everything so seriously.
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