Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Isn’t a Political Game, Says Director
Speaking in a recent interview with Game Informer, two of the directors of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare have contested assertions that the game is a political game. Campaign Gameplay Director Jacob Minkoff and Studio Narrative Director Taylor Kurosaki explain that the issue lies with defining the term ‘political’; that the themes in the game could apply to almost any setting. For Modern Warfare, they aren’t necessarily referring explicitly to current affairs.
Is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare a Political Game?
Responding to the question of whether they consider the game a political game, Jacob Minkoff states no, but clarifies; “That doesn’t mean anything, right? The question ‘is this a political game?’ doesn’t actually mean anything, because its- what does the word ‘political’ mean to you? Do we touch topics that bear a resemblance to the geopolitics of the world we live in today? Hell yeah, because that is the subject matter of Modern Warfare. Are we telling a story that has anything to do with the specific governments of any countries that we are portraying? No.”
Minkoff goes on to explain that although the game may seem to address certainly “political” topics, those topics aren’t necessarily a reflection of specific current events or countries. Rather, they’re political elements which have been common throughout history, used as a method to tell a story. Kurosaki even points out that the same themes could apply to a game set in colonial India. Indeed, people are inclined to make connections to what they know. When current affairs are firmly in the public zeitgeist, that will be what people connect things to. As Minkoff points out, such connections are not always the creators’ intention.
Of course, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is likely to touch on many difficult topics. It’s already known that the game will portray the horrors of combat in a far grittier and more realistic way than previous entries in the franchise. This year’s title will include chemical weapons, child soldiers, and no doubt plenty more. However, the inclusion of these elements isn’t necessarily a commentary on current events. “What we want you to come away with at the end,” explains Minkoff; “is an understanding of why all these different groups fight, or groups like them, and to have empathy for, I think, all of them and what puts them in this situation that they then have to engage in war.’