Philly Inquirer: MW2′s Night Vision An “Invitation To Mischief”?

The Inky’s video games blogger professes his love of “fake realism” but thinks the NVGs being offered with Modern Warfare 2′s “Prestige Edition” are akin to “giving away a free race car with Gran Turismo.”

Rob Watson, the “Bare Knuckles” blogger for the Inquirer, doesn’t want to come off as someone railing on the evil of violent video games. Still, he says “this is a bad idea.

“I would say 99.9999 percent of gamers who buy the Prestige edition will have a blast with these new goggles, innocently playing around at night with them. Yet, it is also like giving away a free race car with Gran Tourismo or Forza – someone is going to cause a highway wreck. In Modern Warfare 2′s case, I shudder (just a bit) to think of someone, who may have a hard time with reality anyway, donning these goggles for real mischief or even worse.”

I know, I know, I’m cringing at that kind of dot-connection, too. But before you go ripping off this guy’s head (well, virtually anyway), maybe his point could be rephrased. The night vision goggles are a novel promo; but think of the headlines we’re going to get should anyone use them in the commission of a crime, especially a violent one, whether or not Modern Warfare 2 is said to be an inspiration for it. Yeah, I’d consider that a plausible and obnoxious consequence of the Prestige Edition, but it’s still not enough to make it “a bad idea.”

In the end, I am sure Activision’s lawyer-mans looked at this and the risk of exposure. Someone blessed it, and they probably figured that it can’t be said – in a legal sense anyway – that functioning night vision goggles sold to adults are an enticement to commit the violent acts depicted in a game, any more than selling a combat helmet is.

Night Goggles With a Game – Invitation to Mischief? [Philadelphia Inquirer via GamePolitics]