With the video game industry continuing to grow and take away even more time from the life of us gamers, the releases of some Triple-A games have turned into all-out events where people mark their calendars and line-up for midnight launches. We saw it this year with Batman: Arkham City and Gears of War 3, but no game series has stronger launches then Call of Duty and Activision pulled it off again Tuesday with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.

Not only did Modern Warfare 3 crush pre-order records and day one sales, but it had people lining up at video game retailers around the world at midnight to get their hands on the latest FPS shooter in the annual franchise as soon as possible. In fact, so many people lined up, that one dude couldn't handle the size of the line and tried to use a gun to score himself a copy early and for free. He failed.

There's always been controversy surrounding "violent" video games like the Grand Theft Auto series and shooter games like Call of Duty, Medal of Honor and Battlefield. Modern Warfare 2 featured the infamous "No Russian" level where players had to gun down innocents at an airport and PETA is using Battlefield 3 as an example of games causing kids to stab rats with knives or something (read: PR stunt).

But what we're thinking now is that it's not the act of using a controller, mouse and keyboard to digitally shoot digital avatars of other players that's causing violence, it's the pure anticipation of getting one's hands on the game that causes violence!

Case in point: 18 year-old David E. Morales.

Poor David went to a midnight opening for Modern Warfare 3 and there was a long line-up. Uh oh. So David, being an observant individual, notices a gamer named Adam Freeman leave the store with his pre-ordered copy. Using his logic, Mr. David E. Morales deduced that it would require less time to steal the game off Adam than wait in line. Makes sense, right?

So Morales follows Freeman to his apartment, parks his truck behind him to block him there, exits the vehicle (with his hood on) and approaches Freeman with a gun, asking for the game. Freeman really wanted to play his copy of Modern Warfare 3 so he responded with a big "F%$& you!" (that's literally what he said) and got into a physical struggle over the gun before Morales took off in his truck. Thankfully, no one was shot.

Morales, continuing his streak of sound logic, goes back to the game store and lines up. Can you believe this guy? He also really wants to play Modern Warfare 3. Freeman called the police from his apartment who then found Morales at GameStop.

Morales confessed to it all and didn't expect his target to fight back. Freeman on the other hand, reflects on his decision making, admitting it's not a good idea to risk your life over a game:

"I don’t remember thinking anything. He was there and he presented a threat. It was self-defense, I guess... If I had more time to think about it, I probably would have just given him the game. It’s a wonderful game, but it’s not worth dying over."

And this is all after armed gunmen in France robbed two delivery trucks for copies of MW3. So there you have it. It's the desire to play games that causes violence, not games themselves. What a world we live in.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is available now for the Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, DS, and PC. You don't need a gun to get it.

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Source: The Kansas City Star