New ‘Call Of Duty’ Video Game Angers Cuban Government

By Michael Lopez

They say the new Call Of Duty: Black Ops is one of the most realistic first-person shooters ever released and we may have to agree. This latest chapter in the super successful video game franchise lets you travel to Soviet Russia, the Vietnam War, and 1960’s Havana. The Cuban government actually thinks it’s “too” real and has spoken out against a level that lets your virtually assassinate Fidel Castro.

Image : Activision

Cuba’s state-run news site, Cubadebate, said in an article, "What the United States couldn't accomplish in more than 50 years, they are now trying to do virtually."

Call Of Duty is actually the brainchild of Activision (which produces Guitar Hero and Tony Hawk), not the United States government and they’ve taken on plenty of political scenarios in their day. World War II Germany in Call Of Duty 3, present-day Afghanistan in Modern Warfare, and now Cuba in Black Ops.

And just like all great video games, Black Ops comes with a twist. Yes the virtual setting is an exact replica of 1960’s Havana. But just when you think you’ve accomplished the mission of taking down the country’s leader (SPOILER ALERT), you find out it was a body double and get sent to a Cuban prison.

So ultimately Castro comes out ahead and never actually gets shot (which pretty much mirrors real life, as he’s survived over 600 assassination attempts). But it’s more the concept that has gotten the Cuban government so upset. In its article, Cubadebate went on to say,

"This new video game is doubly perverse. On the one hand, it glorifies the illegal assassination attempts the United States government planned against the Cuban leader ... and on the other, it stimulates sociopathic attitudes in North American children and adolescents."

Obviously the whole video game violence issue opens another big can of worms. But rather than delve into that, why not just lighten the mood and get Activision to put out a Guitar Hero: Buena Vista Social Club edition? Maybe that will cheer Cubadedate up.

Source: [Yahoo]

Do you think Call Of Duty went too far with its Castro storyline? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3!

Tags Activision, Call Of Duty, Call of Duty: Black Ops, Cuba, Fidel Castro, video games