Petraeus Guest Stars in ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops 2′

By Matthew Lynley

Activision Blizzard's highly anticipated game “Call of Duty: Black Ops 2″ hit the market midnight Tuesday amid fanfare from critics and fans across the Web.

But the military shooter game is also receiving attention for an awkward reason: One of the characters has the likeness and name of David Petraeus, who stepped down last week as the chief of the Central Intelligence Agency chief amid his extramarital affair.

The “Call of Duty” franchise includes highly stylized depictions of specialized soldiers, usually partaking in some kind of global conflict — and are often inspired by real-life people and events.

In “Black Ops 2,” a character is based on the former general. Not only does he look like Petraeus, but in a short clip he is referred to as “Secretary Petraeus.” Actor Jim Meskimen voices the Petraeus character.

Activision Blizzard crafted the storyline many months ago so the timing of the launch and scandal is coincidental. Here is the statement from the company:

General Petraeus was not paid, was not involved in the creation of the game, and has not been asked to endorse the game. Call of Duty: Black Ops II and its fictional storylines are aimed at providing fun and enjoyment. It is clear to game players that his character and others that are based on real-life figures are fantasy.

Including Gen. Petraeus and other real-life figures was strictly a creative decision made many months ago when the storyline was drafted.  We are not commenting further on the latest news or Gen. Petraeus.  His service to his country and career accomplishments are a matter of public record.

The “Call of Duty” franchise launches are some of the biggest in the game industry every year, with recent installment “Modern Warfare 3″ breaking sales records and raking in $400 million in 24 hours in North America and the U.K. In comparison, Microsoft said sales of “Halo 4,” the latest in its sci-fi alien shooting-game series, topped $220 million in global sales during its first 24 hours of availability.

Here is the clip showcasing Petraeus:

WSJ reporter Ian Sherr contributed reporting to this post.

Janice Renney Jacqueline McKenzie