Activision has come under fire due to the inclusion of real-world footage of the tragic Itaewon Disaster in Modern Warfare 4. The bereaved families association and the Citizens Countermeasure Meeting are asking for the footage to be removed.
In its opening moments, short clips are used to represent a news report of fictional civilian casualties during a North Korean invasion of South Korea. These include archived news clips of a person being carried away on a stretcher, someone performing CPR on a victim, and multiple bodies laying on a road.
"Using such an incident as material for a game intended for entertainment purposes is itself highly inappropriate and a senseless act," the groups said in a joint statement (thanks SBS news).
"The Itaewon tragedy was a tragic disaster that produced hundreds of casualties, and citizens who participated in the rescue efforts or witnessed the event at the time continue to suffer from trauma. If the game developer has even a minimum level of courtesy and empathy toward the victims, they should promptly take corrective measures."
This statement was joined by another by The Korean Game Consumers Association, who wrote: "There must be a clear explanation of the circumstances and an apology regarding the fact that footage of a tragic disaster unrelated to the context of gameplay was utilized, causing harm to the bereaved families and others." It called for the footage to be replaced in an update, while also emphasising the controversy should not grow into a demand for censorship of the game.
Eurogamer contacted Activision for comment, and was provided the following statement: "In developing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, we approached the subject matter with care and respect. The game’s opening cinematic utilizes some real world news coverage to establish the game’s fictional narrative. It is not intended to reference or trivialize the Itaewon disaster or any other real-world tragedy in any way, shape or form."
Today is the four year anniversary of the Itaewon crowd crush tragedy, in which 160 people died and a further 196 were injured. It is South Korea's most severe mass casualty event since the Sampoong Department Store collapse in 1995.
سەرچاوەی فەرمی بە زمانی ئینگلیزی: https://www.eurogamer.net/modern-warfare-4-south-korean-crowd-crush-footage
