Modern Warfare 2: the moral dilema

I didn’t' buy into the hype building behind MW2.  I knew it wouldn't disappoint.  I knew it would be a tight FPS with an excellent compact single player story and an expansive Multi-Player experience.  I didn't scout out for stores that broke the street date and I passed on the midnight release. But picking this game up after work, I had to wait in line at Gamestop at 5:45 pm.   As I make why way into the first Gamestop, it’s easy to see that there is a line almost forming out the door.  There is a greeter at the door informing everyone picking up games (specifically MW2) must get in line.  Now Gamestops aren't big stores so to set the scene there is about 30 people in the store and about 25 or so in line.  All walks of life are in the store; kids with parents, young teenagers, older adults and even some guy probably pushing 55.  All to pick up MW2. The counter was absolutely loaded with all three packaging versions as well as both console versions.  As I wait in line, I take notice of some of the people picking the game up.  Especially the kids with parents.  I'm not trying to start a debate with anybody, but seeing this stuff go down started to make me think of my own moral vs others.  Personally, if anyone from 2old2play goes out and buys and lets their son or daughter play M rates games, good on you; I know you all are knowledgeable about what you have you kids play.  More often than not, you are playing the games with them.  Kids playing M rated games are not what I'm talking about.  Parents of the kids buying the M rated games are what led me to vent.  Some of the dimwits that were at Gamestop had no fucking clue what MW was are by any means what a video game is.  It was quite obvious that buying this game or any game was a new experience for them.  Basically what I saw was an older gentlemen, probably late 40's (because who else would rock a Magnum PI mustache at this point in life.).  His son couldn't have been any older than 9 or 10.  Scrawny and Pale and barley 4 1/2 feet tall, and literally bouncing around the waiting line as he was probably coming down off of his PRN Ritalin high.  Some how Tom Selleck was duped into by this game for his hyperactive Timmy of a child.  The cashier spent a little extra love and care to explain the store's policy on game returns and exchanges figuring that the game would be making its way back to the store after a glimpse of the infamous Russian Airport sequence.  You would swear that this guy was operating on a 2nd grade level the way the cashier presented him with all the vital information.  I saw and parent come into the store.  A mother with her son. She became so disgusted with the fact of waiting in line.  She really didn't want to waste her time at the store, let alone time with her son for that matter.  Her son was having a whining fit about the whole thing and she finally said that they would come back some other day to pick up MW2 just to shut him up for the moment (surely not the sign of a someone picking up a reserved game).  A good majority of the older population just stood in awe as these clueless parents whipped out their credit cards to pay for their child's silence (not happiness).  You could tell that some of the employees actually were visibly upset for just making a sale to the uniformed, but what could they do.  It’s like selling a bottle of whiskey to a recovering alcoholic.  It’s not illegal, but you know there are some moral consequences you have to face for your choice to follow through with the sale.  As I made my way through the line, I wasn't upset about waiting; I was more disturbed at getting a little more insight on the parenting behind a Timmy. 

 

Off to the next Gamestop to pick up my ps3 version of the game.  This store is 5 miles in the other direction, but luckily this one pointed me in the direction of driving home.  Different story all together.  The store wasn't crowded or even populated at that point, but it comes with its own J and Silent Bob outside and on the inside usually is about 2 nerds inside having a heated discussion with the manager about the impact and ramifications of any or all of the James Cameron or Sam Rami movies within the nerd community.  There are usually some other segway phrases throw in the conversation, like Megan Fox is hot which spawns controversy of her rumored movie roles as video game or comic icons.  I think this is done to catch the ear of a passerby so that isn't a misconception that these nerds don't know about women.  Again, no line at the store, but a very different atmosphere, still takes me 5 minutes to be rung up by the brainless and unaware store clerk who could double for Shaggy if he was wearing a green shirt with brown bell bottomed pants and had a Great Dane sitting next to him.  (I could have sworn I saw Scooby Snacks on the counter top or maybe it was the black residue under his fingernails after piss poor job cleaning his bong screen.)  Suddenly I had a flash back of an article I read in USA Today regarding that "75 percent of young Americans are unable to serve their country because they have either failed to graduate high school, engaged in criminal activity, or are physically or mentally unfit.”  Now playing video game is not mentioned or implied in the article, but the article does revolve around the notion that the country must improve on its education and parenting.  The timing of me remembering that article is just one of those times were something just randomly pops in my head.  Needless to say, when I walked out of the 2nd store and thought about the last 30 minutes of my life I couldn't help to think that the state of America is kind of grim.  As a parent of a 2 1/2 year old girl, I worry every day about how things will be for her in life when she's grown.  My wife talks about trying for a 2nd child soon.  I guess I can look forward to the development of stomach ulcers.

 

Man am I all over the show, but just had to get it out.