Modern Warfare 2 has become the game to get this upcoming November. Pre-orders alone have topped 2.2 million and continue to grow by the day. The anticipation for a game hasn’t been this strong in a long time, yet this excitement is coming to a cost for gamers and companies alike. The MW2 monolith has diverted so much attention from other great games, and has had developers choose to push back much anticipated titles into next year.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, set to be released November 10, will, as one Gamestop employee put it, “crush everything around it.” The staggering amount of pre-sales alone demonstrates how the game is has more reserved copies then even Halo 3: ODST even ended up selling its first day. The clear size of a fan base shines in Infinity Ward’s latest installment, and fans are getting itchy. The issue, however, lies in the impact this game holds on the other games that have come out or will be released shortly afterward. As gamers hunt down their gold crosses yet again, other excellent titles will suffer in the wake of MW2. Recent games such as Brutal Legend and Borderlands, as well as smaller titles like Saw and Demon’s Souls, have fallen wayside in this writer’s opinion.

Even the major titles that will be released in the near future, including Left 4 Dead 2 and Assassin’s Creed 2, will be ignored in the MW2 boom. Both L4D2 and AC2 are anticipated titles, yet those busy with MW2 will let these games fall to the side, leaving amazing games untouched. This same phenomenon occurred when Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare emerged. Friends of mine who play COD4, when asked about games such as Mass Effect and Bioshock, have responded in confusion to the titles, many having never heard of them. No one could simply say these people aren’t diverse gamers, but in a true gaming community, diversity makes us strong. Personally, playing different genres and games has made my love of video games grow exponentially with every new title I play, regardless of how good or bad it was (mainly the reason I’m only still a 2nd Prestige in Call of Duty 4 haha). It’s why the gaming industry thrives. Yet when a game this massive hits the shelves, or even just is mentioned, other games, especially small titles, disappear. One of the biggest surprises inadvertently caused by MW2 were the delays of Mass Effect 2, Bioshock 2, Dante’s Inferno, and Heavy Rain. Titles such as these, whether admitted or not by publishers, were affected by MW2 release date and would have resulted in a lack of sales.

In a tough economic situation, gamers are forced to choose more often between titles rather than being able to experience multiple titles. From my personal experience, the only way I could get some of the games I wanted was to trade in titles at Gamestop (their 25% trade in credit plus 10% credit for Edge cards helps dramatically) towards Halo 3: ODST, MW2, and L4D2. That leaves me still wanting other games such as Borderlands and Assassin’s Creed 2, but not having the funds to do so (college life is tough on budget). I don’t want to find myself waiting several months just to get my hands on such titles. For example, I just finally purchased Dead Space after it’s release over a year ago. I’ve always wanted to play Dead Space, but waves of new games push back my ability to experience all the games I would like.

I realize my article appears to be a rip on Modern Warfare 2, but I intend it not to be. I am among the 2.2 million pre-orders awaiting what will undoubtedly be the game of the year. I know Infinity Ward has put endless man hours into the follow-up of one of the best shooters since Goldeneye and the respect towards their fan-base is admiral. The story-telling in the campaign has resulted in some of the most memorable scenes I’ve ever experienced. From the F.N.G. training, to the death of your American troop, the final blow at the end, every moment was filled with intensity. COD4’s multiplayer is still being played to this very minute by thousands of gamers, and Infinity Ward has taken great focus this next time around. All the care taken into detailing every gun, the new graphics, new perks and kill-streaks, and making sure all of this is balanced is quite the feat. Infinity Ward will do justice to this new title and the fans will be pleased. However, gamers should remember there are other arguably more original games out there that will deliver amazing game experiences. Companies like Gamestop are doing their part to ease the cost with pre-order incentives and trade-in credit but the economy’s crunch can be felt with each consideration towards a game. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will be a beast of game that will be played for years, but I urge gamers to remember the other titles too.

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