Modern Warfare 2 to offer night vision goggles

In the latest example of how war is awesome for those who don't actually have to face kill-or-be-killed situations, the Internets are abuzz with reports that gamers will be able to unpack working night vision goggles with the "Prestige Edition" of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

Here is but one example of the coverage.

Gamers will have to wait to see how functional these goggles really are. But this writer remembers that during Desert Storm, war correspondents highlighted the actual U.S. military's possession of night vision goggles as a major technological advantage against the Iraqi army.

I don't know if this promotion is a good thing, a bad thing, or just a thing, but it seems kind of weird that this kind of technology is now being given away to fake soldiers fighting a polygon war.

Regardless, the rules of marketing dictate that Modern Warfare 3 or another future combat-themed video game will have to raise the bar even higher. Short of creating a game that actually allows players to strike enemy terrorists from the comfort of their own homes, perhaps it could be possible to sell a SpecOps edition that gives players field-ready equipment.

This writer and fellow blogger Redmond Carolipio suggest that video game makers package a working firearm, a cell phone with contacts to human intelligence sources, fake passports and a phrase book that would enable players to participate in their own covert action. C'mon video game companies, America needs you.