Update: Keith Vaz’s fellow Labour MP, Tom Watson, has now weighed in and he thinks Vaz is wrong!
Remember when we told you about the airport terror level which gives you the option to gun down civilians in Modern Warfare 2? Well, Keith Vaz MP, a man with a history of jumping on gaming controversies has now promised to condemn the game in Parliament. Read on to find out why steam’s coming out of his ears…
In a Daily Mail article headlined “Outrage as new video game lets players kill civilians in terror attacks”, Mr Vaz says: “I am absolutely shocked by the level of violence in this game and am particularly concerned about how realistic the game itself looks.”
We’re not sure how Mr Vaz knows what the game is like – is he moonlighting as a games reviewer? Modern Warfare 2 does not go on official sale until tomorrow, though people who have ordered their copies via Play.com should be receiving them imminently.
Mr Vaz’s attack on Modern Warfare 2 is not his first statement on a gaming controversy, in the past he has taken a strongly negative view on games like Manhunt 2 and Bully. Comments on the Daily Mail website have been broadly supportive of the game, calling for Mr Vaz to get a “reality check” and noting that every installment of the Call of Duty series has been very violent and played by thousands of gamers with no negative effects.
You can see the trailer for Modern Warfare 2 here and judge for yourself.
Out 10 November | From £44 | Infinity Ward (via The Daily Mail)
I REALLY LIKE GAMES LIKE CoD; I THINK ITS GREAT THAT WE GET TO SHOOT THE GUNS AT PEOPLE IN THE AIRPORT COS THEY DON”T SHOOT BACK WHICH MAKES THE GAME EASIER TO PLAY!
[...] the Xbox 360 N standard Wi-Fi router has been spotted on sale in ASDA already, while Modern Warfare 2 is causing outrage in Westminster, and we took a look at the ten worst gaming spin offs [...]
Trust the daily mail to run such a rubbish story and give a voice to the idiots in this world!
Never ceases to amaze me how politicians think they have a foot to stand on before launching into tirades like this. It’s not like it’s hard to go and play it, even for a few minutes, to at least give you some credibility (though not much in this case). What are MPs’ aides for if not procuring consoles for our elected?
The Daily Fail does negative fear mongering articles and hysterical headlines now?
Stop press!
[...] about picking up Modern Warfare 2 tomorrow? The eagerly awaited game caused controversy when its £55 RRP was revealed earlier in the [...]
[...] told you yesterday about MP Keith Vaz’s attack on Modern Warfare 2 but it seems that not all his colleagues agree. Now a spat has started between Mr Vaz and Tom [...]
[...] isn’t an accusation that relates purely to Modern Warfare 2 but there has been quite a lot said about the moral ambiguity of one level in particular. In a sense it was unfair for the media to extract the airport massacre level as it was fair to [...]
Kieth Vaz is an idiot that should look to making a difference about real issues like the corruption that is rife in parliament of which he is guilty of mas opposed to making pointless attacks on video games that will be long forgotten in a years time. What is worse in morally. Playing a computer game that allows you the option of killing civilians or claiming for expenses that you know you have no moral right to claim but doing it because you can.
Hi Andy,
I think you’re right that Vaz is guilty of attacking video games purely for the publicity? What’s stopping him playing them first before he gives his opinion?
M