Call of Duty. Ghosts. Black ops. Modern Warfare. Stroke Team. World at War.

The top of the teens Christmas wish-list was 'Call of Duty' (COD). He was talking about COD for Playstation in particular, irrelevant, but it's interesting to note that the dude that invented and developed the game, Ben Chichoski  has sold it over multi platforms and made over $120 million for his efforts. Back to my teen, and my conscience, as I am a conscience buyer; Hamish and I dropped into EB Games at Northland and found a shop clerk over 14 years of age, in fact he seemed an almost bonafide adult. I asked him, about the games for Playstation, and their appropriateness, or lack thereof for a 13 year old. He was quick to say, as an experienced gamer that COD was not for kids and was really an intense game, and that he wouldn't let his kids play. Done. We didn't get the game. Why then, I asked does Playstation and XBox make games either for young children or adults with a huge gap where the teen games should go? And he said the market demanded it, and as kids always wanted to be older and they consequently wanted the older games. The wanna be grown up becomes the games greatest marketing tool. And parents buy this message with ease. The consoles are sold as 'games', games are for kids, ergo, the games made for the games machine is for kids. But no.

I've heard rumours over the years that the COD series was made by the US military, but I can't substantiate that. However, I can substantiate that the US army jumped on board with COD by placing XBox machines in malls around America as a recruitment tool.

http://planetivy.com/gaming/4501/how-call-of-duty-became-a-recruitment-tool-for-the-armed-forces/

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/mar/18/video-games-propaganda-tools-military

'The Last Starfighter'? This concept has been explored before; however, I've got a feeling this doesn't translate to Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, and the many countries around the world in a state of war.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7NaxBxFWSo

The fairly spoilt teen was devastated not to receive COD in some manifestation on christmas morning, although he will survive. In the evening we hung out with some relatives who were fine with the COD for their 12 year old. Teen begged me to have a look at the game and play it, really assess it. And as I watched the POV of a solider, as me, slaughter people in the street, wander through towns and wipe them out indiscriminately, knowing that in some versions they represent arab people. An oppressed and hated people by many in the West, and it sickens me. 

Boxing Day, I find myself back at EB Games, this time with the teen in tow, well, he's towing me. And I ask a shop clerk again for their opinion. The very young fellow we speak to epitomises my fears when he says, 'COD is not as bad as Grand Theft Auto, as that's realistic, whereas COD is total fantasy'. I'm incensed and proceed to embarrass teen thoroughly, by saying 'are you serious'? COD is a tool that makes it more comfortable for the western people playing it to see and swallow the killing of Arabs, and this suits western governments on many levels'. 

And that's where I stand on COD. We don't have it. I don't want it. And I'm confused that it's so common, so acceptable and so OK in a world that's heading off to hell in a hand basket. 

This is what war looks like. It involves rape, murder, death, carnage, blood, mutilation, fear, terror, torture, and desperation. It is something we never want our privileged children to face or endure, not like the many children of the world who are actual child soldiers. Who play this game for real.

Would the people who let their children play this game and any of the COD series let me show their children these real images of war? 

 This is what war looks like. It's NOT a game.