Activision and Treyarch's recently released Call Of Duty: Black Ops II is a surefire hit and one of the most wanted video games of the holiday season. The game features a Cold War between China and the United States that erupts because of a ban on Chinese exports of rare earth minerals, but could the games premise become a reality in the near future?
In a recent opinion story in the Washington Times, writers Hal Quinn and Michael Silver suggest that although it is fictional story in a video game, the export of minerals is a "real and pressing issue that impacts U.S. manufacturing, economic growth and national security."
According to the article, China is currently responsible for 95 percent of the global supply and has a monopoly on production of rare earth minerals. The article states that these resources are essential to "the innovation and manufacturing of advanced-energy, consumer and defense technologies, including wind turbines, night-vision goggles and satellite positioning systems."
It should be noted that the two writers are heavily involved with the mineral industry. Hal Quinn is president of the National Mining Association and Michael Silver is president of American Elements, a manufacturer of engineered and advanced materials.
The writers of this article are not the only ones saying that Black Ops 2 features a plausible scenario. Retired United States Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel and military historian, Oliver North has also spoken on the possibilities of modern war and it mimicking the video game franchise.
North said in an supposedly "official investigative documentary" trailer for Black Ops II that the game's plot present some real-life possibility specifically the part of modern war technology falling into the hands of the enemy. He also cautions that the average person does not know how deadly war is going to become.
Call of Duty Black Ops II is now available for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U and Microsoft Windows PC. You can check out the Oliver North video below and check out our review round-up for the game here.
