The Hokies might administer devastating pancake blocks and cerebellum-jarring hits on Worsham Field, but that is relatively tame compared to the postgame carnage that ensues.
You see, for many Virginia Tech football players, there’s still one thing more gratifying than de-cleating Atlantic Coast Conference foes on the gridiron: Claiming their dog tags in a heated game of Call of Duty.
Since its inception in 2003, the first-person shooter video game franchise has been captivating audiences from prepubescent boys to 45-year-old men living in their mothers’ basements. As each of the game’s seven sequels emerged, Tech players’ zest for Call of Duty always seemed to respawn.
After practice on Nov. 7, our players undressed, hopefully bathed and hustled to either Best Buy or GameStop to wait in line for the midnight release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 — the eighth chapter in the COD saga.
When you get your hands on a video game that boasts elaborate single-player missions, feverish online multi-player contests, authentic gameplay and eerily lifelike graphics, sleep becomes trivial.
A few COD zealots hopped on the sticks (played the video game) for the next seven consecutive hours, only to be interrupted by an 8 a.m. weight-lifting session the next morning. The enthusiasts will remain anonymous for the purposes of protecting their identities and scholarships.
The newest version has impressed even the most sophisticated COD connoisseurs.
“This is a new experience in the Call of Duty world,” said offensive lineman Michael Via. “It’s very similar to Modern Warfare 2 — they just improved a few tweaks here and there. It’s probably the best Call of Duty so far. The gameplay and graphics are unparalleled.”
Early sales figures reflect Via’s expert analysis. In its first 24 hours on store shelves, upwards of 6.5 million copies of Modern Warfare 3 were sold — grossing $400 million in the US and UK alone, and christening MW3 the most illustrious entertainment launch in history.
For three straight years, a COD game has eclipsed that same landmark. In 2010, COD: Black Ops grossed $360 million on day one. The year before that, COD: MW2 garnered $310 million.
The unmatched success proves correct the diagnosis that the world has caught COD fever, and Blacksburg is not immune. While COD has long held a special place in our players’ hearts, migrating to the New River Valley launched their obsession to new heights.
“I’ve been an avid Call of Duty player since I was a young buck,” said right tackle Blake DeChristopher. “But it really turned on when I came (to Tech). Everyone here played it and it was a great way to get that team camaraderie.”
What better way to stimulate cohesion than forming an online coalition of Hokie COD legends, with the sole mission of maiming every red dot on their radar maps?
As Tech football players graduate and are forced to move on with their lives, COD is one vestige of the glory days to which they can cling — making the game a great way for current players to stay in touch with former Hokie greats.
“I don’t think I’ve talked to them on the phone,” said guard Greg Nosal. “I’ve only talked to them on Xbox Live.”
A version of this article appeared in the Nov 17 issue of the Collegiate Times.
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MW2.5 is a big slap in the face to COD fans.
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