Labour MPs split over the level of violence in war game

Published on 09/11/2009 23:35

A POLITICAL row has broken out over a violent video game as fans eagerly await its release.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is expected to break sales records after going on sale at midnight.

Featuring "gripping and heart-racing action as players face off against a new threat dedicated to bringing the world to the brink of collapse", the game reportedly lets players plot terrorist attacks against civilians.

Modern Warfare 2, developed by US company Infinity Ward and published by Activision, is rated as mature, for its "blood, drug reference, intense violence and language".

Labour MP Keith Vaz called for action to ensure that children cannot buy the 18-certificate game, while fellow Labour former digital minister Tom Watson said it would be better to support the UK's video gaming industry.

Mr Vaz, the home affairs select committee chairman, told MPs during Commons question time: "It contains scenes of brutality that even the manufacturers have put warnings on within the game, telling people how they can skip particular scenes."

Mr Watson said that although the game "wasn't pleasant",

it was better for MPs "to support the many thousands of games designers and coders and the many millions of games users, rather than collaborating with the Daily Mail to create moral panic over video games."