I wanted to give my take on the whole airport scene controversy – a certain level in Modern Warfare 2. Now I'll start off by saying that I support it, and I'm not going to give you some lame reason like "It's just a game", it's statements like that which simply demean this medium and the messages it could offer. I also wont' downplay just how serious a scene like that is, its terrorism displayed in one of the most realistic ways imagined and it's interactive to boot. To put it simply, I've been waiting for a developer to make a bold move like this for a while - a game that tackles a highly controversial topic in a way that only a videogame can. It's clear that the minds behind Infinity Ward wanted to create a scene that would portray terrorism in a way that we don't often see to an almost emotional degree. As viewers or individuals we are largely used to the aftermath of most tragedies – almost completely desensitized by them.
We hear about people getting killed but rarely ever witness it as it happens. It's one of the reasons why 911 was such a powerful event; many of us were given the unfortunate opportunity of witnessing the horrors as they happened. I've read arguments from all sides, many saying that this scene could have been handled differently. I'll simply support my argument by stating how I felt when I first watched it. Disturbing summed it up pretty nicely, and the fact that you had little control over the outcome, the subtle use of music in the background along with the screams and realistic scenes/movements of people crawling for help as these guys casually mowed down civilians with bullets helped illustrate this. I have my doubts that I would have felt the same way if this were simply a scene from a movie. This is a perspective we rarely get to witness and it's why I found it so disturbing.
Now the question brought forth is, whether or not it was necessary to give the player the choice to participate. I think it would have lessened the impact if it were a passive role (flashback) and it would have removed the unique ways in which videogames can separate themselves from a film that would try to portray the same experience. Gamers for this scene or neutral to it have compared it to the likes of GTA, but this is a ridiculous comparison to begin with because the two have completely different tones. One is going for realism and another is going for humor - different mindsets all together.
The main negative that'll come from this one scene is all the attention this game will attract from the people ignorant of the rising maturity of videogames and the parents who'll choose to blame a game before their own parenting. The fact is that difficult scenes like this (with an actual purpose) must and should be present in gaming, it's the only way this industry can truly mature. Quite frankly I'm an adult gamer and I won't have my videogames dumbed down for the kid that isn't old enough to play this title or take in the subject matter.
For a great opposing argument check out Brad Rice's post on Destructoid. I'd love to hear your opinions about this if you've seen the scene, whether you're for it or against it.