RUSSIAN CONTROVERSY

Not only is “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” set to break all video game sales records this year, but it might go down as the most controversial game in 2009 after Russia banned the video game and recalled every single copy from stores last week.

MW2 sold 4.7 million units in its opening day release in America and the UK, decimating the previous record set by “Grand Theft Auto IV” of 3.6 million in May 2008.

But now it is shrouded in controversy over its ban in Russia.

The story of MW2 involves the Russian Mafia, possibly one reason for the ban. However, it is most likely due to the mafia’s mission. Barely one hour into the game, the player goes undercover with the Russian baddies and massacre an entire airport with light machine guns, leaving the place a bloody, twisted mess. As an undercover agent, the player is even encouraged to join in the disgusting event of hunting civilians.

The interesting thing about MW2 is that it allows the player to cut out the more grisly missions before starting the campaign by asking the player if they wish to skip those parts. Now, Infinity Ward, the developer of the “Modern Warfare” series, will be re-releasing a version of the game with certain missions and dialogue taken out to be evaluated by the Russian Government.

“Manhunt 2,” developed by Rockstar, is the only game that has been banned in America. The game was later released with dumbed-down violence. It is tough to ban a game in America because of First Amendment rights.

However, controversial games in America still get much attention from our government and worrisome parents. “Grand Theft Auto” games have been repeatedly hailed as the reason for young adult crimes or killings. Usually, the ESRB rating system gives “adults only” scores to video games that are too intense for the video game market, which means the game will never see a store shelf. Retailers and publishers don’t want to waste their time on a game that won’t sell.

The ban of MW2 marks the first ban of a video game in the history of Russia. Australia tops the list as the country with the most bans with a total of 34. The list includes such hits as “Fallout 3,” “God of War III” and even the brand new “Left 4 Dead 2.”

Thankfully, we Yankees needn’t worry about losing such wonderful games to the ether of banned materials.