Black Ops 2 was released today (or, if you're hardcore, late last night at a midnight opening), and though the game is what Kotaku affectionately calls "ultra-serious," there's one cameo from a real life public figure that wound up being ironically, awkwardly hilarious.
Former general David Petraeus, who recently resigned when his affair with his biographer came to light, is portrayed in the latest Call of Duty game as the future Secretary of Defense. It's the year 2025, and granted, a lot can happen in 12 years. But this definitely would have seemed a lot more plausible before the whole incident.
Hopefully it doesn't detract from the plot too much, but either way, it sort of highlights the dangers of injecting too much of the real world into fictional games. It reminds us of the post-9/11 removal of references to and portrayals of the World Trade Center from games like Spider-Man 2 and Metal Gear Solid 2. Some games were even delayed to make those changes.
Apparently in Black Ops 2, Petraeus is seen on board an aircraft carrier called the USS Barack Obama. It's odd, considering how far removed from reality the Modern Warfare series is. Now we're wondering what other real-life references Treyarch and Activision squeezed in there. If you spot any, let us know.
[via Kotaku]
