A TOP U-S GUNMAKER TARGETED A YOUNGER GENERATION OF GUN ENTHUSIASTS IN A PREVIOUSLY UNDISCLOSED DEAL TO GET ONE OF ITS RIFLES IN A POPULAR VIDEO GAME. NEWLY RELEASED DOCUMENTS REVEAL THE DETAILS OF THE DEAL BETWEEN THE POPULAR FIRST-PERSON SHOOTER GAME CALL OF DUTY AND REMINGTON ARMS TO INCLUDE ONE OF ITS ASSAULT RIFLES IN THE GAME.
COURT DOCUMENTS FROM A LAWSUIT FILED BY PARENTS OF SANDY HOOK VICTIMS AGAINST, THE FIREARM MANUFACTURER THAT MADE THE AR-15 USED IN THE MASS KILLING, DETAIL AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GUN MAKER AND CALL OF DUTY’S PARENT ACTIVISION BLIZZARD, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL REPORTED.
THE COURT DOCUMENTS ARE NOW BEING RELEASED FOLLOWING A SETTLEMENT IN WHICH REMINGTON ARMS AGREED TO PAY FAMILIES OF CHILDREN KILLED IN THE 2012 SANDY HOOK MASSACRE 73-MILLION DOLLARS.
THE DOCUMENTS, WHICH INCLUDE INTERNAL EMAILS AND RECORDS BETWEEN THE YEAR 2000 AND THE EARLY 20-TENS SHOW A MARKETING STRATEGY BY THE GUN MAKER TO TARGET A YOUNGER GENERATION OF GUN ENTHUSIASTS TO BOOST SALES BY PARTNERING WITH ACTIVATION BLIZZARD TO GET ONE OF ITS COMBAT RIFLES INTO CALL OF DUTY MODERN WARFARE TWO.
CALL OF DUTY IS ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL VIDEO GAME FRANCHISES IN THE WORLD WITH ANNUAL SEQUELS AND MILLIONS OF PLAYERS WORLDWIDE… THE GAME OPENLY RELIES ON ITS RELATIONSHIPS THE U.S. MILITARY AND GUN MANUFACTURERS TO MAKE IT AS AUTHENTIC AS POSSIBLE.
BUT THE NEWLY RELEASED DOCUMENTS GIVE A RARE LOOK AT THE DETAILS OF SUCH RELATIONSHIPS.. AFTER GETTING ITS ADAPTIVE COMBAT RIFLE INTO THE 2009 CALL OF DUTY MODERN WARFARE TWO THE DOCUMENTS REVEALED REMINGTON SOLD 22 MILLION UNITS. BUT ACCORDING TO THE JOURNAL THAT SUCCESS WAS SHORT LIVED AS SALES STALLED, AND REMINGTON DISCONTINUED THE RIFLE CITING A DESIGN FLAW. ACCORDING TO THE JOURNALS REPORTING NO MONEY WAS EXCHANGED IN THE DEAL BETWEEN THE TWO PARTIES.
STILL AMONG CALL OF DUTY PLAYERS THE RIFLE IS REMEMBERED AS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR WEAPONS IN THE GAME AND IS EXPECTED TO RETURN IN THE SOON TO BE RELEASED CALL OF DUTY MODERN WARFARE THREE.
THE DEAL’S REVELATION IS ALSO THE LATEST HAPPENING IN THE LONG STANDING DEBATE ABOUT VIDEO GAMES PROMOTING VIOLENCE AMONG YOUTH.. IN 2019, FOLLOWING THE TWO MASS SHOOTINGS IN THE U-S THEN PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP CALLED OUT MAKERS OF VIOLENT GAMES.
“We must stop the glorification of violence in our society. This includes the gruesome and grisly video games that are now commonplace. It is too easy today for troubled youth to surround themselves with a culture that celebrates violence.”
WHILE REMINGTON AND OTHER GUN MAKERS LIKE COLT AND BARRETT HAVE WORKED WITH CALL OF DUTY TO GET THEIR WEAPONS INCLUDED IN ITS GAMES… FOLLOWING THE SANDY HOOK MASSACRE, NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION VICE PRESIDENT WAYNE LAPIERRE BLAMED IN PART VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES AND MOVIES FOR MASS SHOOTINGS AND GUN VIOLENCE IN AMERICA.