No matter where you are in the world, chances are you’ve been shocked by the ongoing riots in London and across the UK. Throughout the four days of violence – which so far has claimed one life and caused millions of pounds worth of damage – there have been numerous images that iconize the riots; a century-old family store ablaze in Croydon being one, a woman leaping from a burning flat another. But perhaps the most iconic image of them all is that of a double decker London bus engulfed in flames, a scene from the first night of violence in Tottenham.
So imagine my sense of disbelief when I learned that the first image Activision has chosen to use during its latest promotional trailer for Modern Warfare 3 – released amidst the ongoing violence in London earlier today – was that of the player shooting towards a no.748 double decker London bus during a shootout at a London location.
The sequence that follows takes the player inside a London rail station and outside various warehouses, with various forces engaging in combat. As a resident literally stuck in the middle of the Tottenham riots on Saturday night – and with the very real prospect of plastic bullets being used by police should further violence occur – the images seem far too close to home.
But not only are these scenes in extremely bad taste, in the grand scheme of the video, also completely irrelevant. After 10 seconds of short clips based around London, the trailer quickly transitions to an alternative desert map where it remains for the duration of the rest of the 2 minute trailer. It’s therefore easy to draw the conclusion that the scenes are there simply for controversy’s sake, and make for uncomfortable viewing. And if it has always been Activision’s intention for these scenes to be used, why not wait for the dust to settle first?
I wouldn’t usually be one to complain about the way publishers choose to promote their content – it is, after all, just a video game – but it’s the timing of these images that leaves an incredibly sour taste. I must ask; why did Activision and Infinity Ward choose to use this imagery during the height of the violence in London? Did the companies not learn from Modern Warfare 2′s Fight Against Grenade Spam campaign, a viral message condemned for its offensive slur?
The cynic in me would suggest that this latest footage is merely a cheap attempt to grab some attention in the mainstream press criticising it for its controversy. But whatever the reasons are for it being there, the fact is that it comes across as being irresponsible and extremely insensitive. And at a time when it’s reportedly been suggested by police that Grand Theft Auto IV played a role in influencing these riots, that’s the last thing the games industry needed.
Do you think Modern Warfare 3′s trailer is in poor taste? View the trailer here.
Tags: Modern Warfare 3
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