Maybe it is just a video game, but critics say the theme – drug cartel violence – is way too dangerous in this climate of drug wars and border shootouts.
The video game company Ubisoft announced this week the summer release of a game called “Call of Juarez: The Cartel.” Details were not available, but the company describes the game as being set in the present day and bringing elements of the Wild West into a modern setting.
Ubisoft previously released two other games called “Call of Juarez,” but they were set in the Wild West of yesteryear. The new game is designed as a first-person shooter with a “mature” story claiming to take the player on a journey like no other.
Screen-captures of the game show a cigar-smoking, shotgun-carrying character with a black cowboy hat and a bulletproof vest walking down the street.
While not familiar with the game, top law enforcement officials in the area reacted with disapproval merely to the idea that a video game would reflect cartel violence.
“Unfortunately there are companies that are looking to capitalize on the violent situation in Mexico which has had a very negative impact on the country,” said Brownsville Police Chief Carlos Garcia. “There have been spillover cases in certain areas of our country with cases of kidnappings and murders. This is a serious topic and this is just another violent video game.”
While the game is supposed to be set in Ciudad Juarez, Garcia said that any game dealing with organized crime sets a bad example for teenagers.
“It doesn’t matter if it deals with the cartel in Juarez, the Gulf Cartel or the Sinaloa Cartel. It is simply not something that is appropriate for our youth,” the chief said. “This leaves lasting images and ideas in teenagers who get caught up in the game and may try to make it a reality and live the violent lifestyle they see in these games.”
Cameron County Sheriff Omar Lucio said he isn’t familiar with the game but agrees with Garcia that any type of media that makes a criminal lifestyle seem glamorous should be discouraged.
“The title itself leads one to believe that the game deals with narcotic trafficking organizations,” Lucio said. “Games like these create a false idea in the minds of teenagers who are still developing and may grow up and want to imitate these characters. Sadly enough these kind of games are protected by freedom of speech, but the violence that comes from cartels is not a game and it affects us all.”
Mario Herrera, 15, hasn’t played the game but as an avid player of first-person shooter games, he plans to purchase the game when it comes out.
“These games are fun,” he said. “When you get online you can play with your friends and work as a team or kill each other."
