While many of us are still trying to decide what to make of night vision goggles being included with the Modern Warfare 2 Prestige Edition, one man has already reached a firm conclusion -- this is going to go horribly wrong. The Philadelphia Inquirer's resident game correspondent, Rob Watson, has warned that he feels some will use Infinity Ward's gift for evil instead of good.
"I hate trippin' over games with a violent angle because I know there are many people out there who believe that these videogames are the product of Satan or some such nonsense, but [night vision goggles are] a bad idea," professes Watson. "I would say 99.9999% 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 Turismo 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.
"Infinity Ward should know better," he concludes. "They are great at fake realism. One of the best. This maybe be crossing that line, however."
Watson does actually bring up a rather salient point. While I disagree with the idea of forming rules based on the minority instead of the majority, I do think that if something does go wrong with these goggles, it'll be a PR disaster. Just imagine if some idiot kid trips on a traintrack while wearing these things -- you just know there'll be a media circus, and the "ban this sick filth" debate will start all over again.
On Infinity Ward's head be it, I suppose.
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
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Contest:
4:20 PM on 07.17.2009
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...How much were they again?
Probably...
The link? Pre-order stuff.
I want those NVG and if they don't like it, they can eat a Prey pewter figure.
I think these will be helpful, they'll help gamers stop tripping up over things in the night if the lights are off when playing horror games or MW2 until the early hours of the morning :]
While I respect his opinion, he says it's like "also like giving away a free race car with Gran Turismo or Forza". Actually, it's like packing in a crappy version of something people can buy in real life that provides almost none of the benefits of the real product other than the novelty. It would be more like packing in a really expensive Hot Wheels car with your Forza or GT. People will think it's cool for a week or so, run around in their house with the goggles on, accidentally hit their knee on the coffee table, finally go back to playing the game and never use their expensive toy again.
What's next? are we gonna ask kitchenware companies to stop making knives because someone stabbed some other guy? It's the people we should blame not the product.
BTW I've asked some friends that're interested in military tech more than me - and they say it's probably going to be very cool gadet, but not more. Considering the cuts they could get if they managed to bypass middlemen and got it straight from the source - it still is not enough for what army guys use now. Though it will probably be fully funcjonal, only with limited FOV and range.
THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO HELP YOU SEE IN THE DARK, GODDAMNIT.
NORTH TEXAN RAGE!
D=<!
On the other hand, I actually work for a company who manufacture the optical filters that go into nightvision googles, cockpit conversions and such and when I told the technically minded chaps of the googles, the price etc they literally burst out laughing. They'll probably be Gen 1, and therefore, shit. Work is actually pre-ordering a copy so we can have a play around with them.
while i doubt the goggles will be particularly high end, the video unboxing made a fairly big deal about how they would be "fully functioning" so if they end up being cheap fakes then people will not be happy. like class action lawsuit unhappy.
Maybe so, but the fact that there is a game tied into the deal means that no doubt various journalists will jump on the "HURR IT HAS VIDEOGAME INVOLVEMENT THEY ARE ALL EVIL" bandwagon as a result.
Seriously if I wanted garbage toys I'd buy them.
I understand when they have "Deluxe" editions that include stuff such as a miniature helmet or a figurine, even a shirt, shitty night vision goggles are just a waste of time and money.
Am I the only one still feeling jipped by the Halo 3 Legendary edition, especially now when compared to this. :\ You couldn't even put the damn helmet on and here we're getting working NVGs?
I'd probably be game to grab one of these things if the goggles were of decent quality. Too bad we'll never know (spoiler: they'll be comparable to $60 NVG toys at best) until the things are sold out. That or they'll be stacked a dozen high at every store and I'll wake up late the morning they go on clearance for 50 bucks, making me regret missing out for the rest of my life.
This is insane. If someone uses these for 'real mischief, or worse' then the only difference to their normal behavior will be that they might do it at night. Nothing is anyones fault, these days, its always something or someone else. Pathetic.
Also, his (ridiculous) analogy alone should be enough for any rational person to ignore him. If IW were giving out a free gun with MW 2, then maybe he'd have a point.
You can spend several thousand pounds on Night Vision Goggles and they'll still be shit.
A pair of Night Vision Googles that you get for around 70 dollars on top of the price of a Video Game are going to be pure garbage, and will not work in the slightest.
They have been selling real night vision in gun stores for many years now.
This is more like what you'd get at Toys R Us for night vision.
NOVELTY
(If guns kill people then pencils cause bad grammar!)
Maybe he should have tried them out first.
It's the people who don’t do the research but think they know everything that amuse me the most.