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One could argue that it began in Europe, with the armed theft of over 6,000 copies of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 . Regardless of where and when it started, however, two recent incidents have brought Modern Warfare 3 into the most unflattering of media limelights: Incident number one occurred in Kansas City. David Morales, having apparently decided that the line at the GameStop was too long for him to bother waiting through, had the flash of inspiration to simply take the game from someone who had already purchased it, both avoiding the queue and obtaining the title free of charge. He followed Adam Freeman home and accosted him in his apartment’s parking lot, “racking a round” into a gun. Freeman told him off, at which point he “racked another round” in his gun, ejecting the first. It was at this point that Freeman grabbed the gun by the barrel and struggled with Morales, who was spooked and returned to his vehicle, driving back to the GameStop. He was soon arrested, admitting to his actions. Freeman is as surprised as anyone at his own response, stating that, while Call of Duty is an excellent series, it isn’t worth dying over. 
It bears mention that, though these stories demonstrate the worst of the gaming community, that community is, itself, a microcosm of the cultures in which it exists. Violence and entitlement do not begin or end with video games, but are generally reflections of deeper, societal issues. By Shelby Reiches |