I personally believe that any medium (be it film, canvas painting, music, or games) can and should have an impact.

Your reaction (which was very much like my own) was exactly what Infinity Ward wanted to convey. The feeling of anger, rage, sadness, confusion, and the feeling of being totally powerless to stop the mindless carnage. Now, that is only a part of the story. We’re left asking ourselves why a mission of such controversy and violence was left in the final product. I think that Infinity Ward had every right to add it into their game but I also wonder what forces were at work to add it. It had a plot point but was it a plot point what a player had to participate in? What did shooting innocents convey to the player? I think that most people realize the horrendous actions that encompass terrorism but why did it involve the player? Could it have a news story such as the news stories that preceded it?

I think the mission and surrounding controversy create more questions than they answer.

Good article regardless of my mindless rambling.