If you were one of the lucky few who picked up a copy of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 "Prestige Edition" -- you know, the one with the night vision goggles -- you already know this. But heads up to anyone who hasn't gotten theirs yet -- don't forget to buy batteries. 

The bundle arrived in our Baltimore offices today, and after being "wowed" by what a slick package it was, I spent the next 15 minutes trying to pry the thing open. The game itself appears to be the metal "Hardened Edition" tin, which you could have bought as a standalone thing, if night vision goggles aren't up your alley. With that comes the game, an art book, and a token to download Call of Duty: Classic. That was easy to open; I tore the shrink wrap off like a wild beast.

The night vision equipment, on the other hand, is a different story. One paper cut, a meat cleaver, and piles of tape and trash later, I removed the goggles from its former home. After putting together the weird, tiny plastic dude's face (it acts as a stand for when you're not prying around your neighbor's backyard in the dark), I was ready to find a dark corner of my house and give the goggles a try. 

But that didn't happen today. You see, the goggles require five (yes, five!) AA batteries be inserted into the slot that's protected by a Phillips screw. Those batteries, unfortunately, are not included. A few ideas came to mind, including pulling the batteries out of my other Activision peripherals (drums, guitars, a turntable), but then it dawned on me -- I'm simply too lazy for all that mess.

That, of course, is why I'll be playing Modern Warfare 2 on my couch instead of actually joining the military.