Earlier today, a 90-second clip of yelling by people who totally deserve each other was removed from YouTube on grounds it was a "depiction of harmful activities." That would be a 17-year-old getting into it with an irate mom, evidently after he had a dispute with her minor son during a match in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

We've been contacted by the young man involved, who promises a 12-minute full context version of this is coming, provided you really want to hear all of that. Meantime, this is what he has to say for himself.

First off, I used the word "Faggot" just to insult the kid, I don't have any problems with homosexuals or anything. I have a few gay friends, and if people are that upset about the usage of the word I apologize.
Secondly, I'm usually not disrespectful towards adults, I'm almost 18 and I've never had an argument like that before. It started out as a kid joining our lobby pretty much talking trash to me and other people right from the get go. Then we started calling him names and he got his mom on the mic. I was like "Yeah your son" and then she cut me off saying "What do you fucking want, douchebag?". From there she was attacked by almost everyone in the lobby.

So, there you have it. We've reached out to both sides to mediate this dispute, Maury Povich-style. Stay tuned.

There must be a reason why I don't talk to random people on Xbox Live. Oh, right. This is it. [Update]: We've gotten another copy of this video (above), which was pulled by YouTube shortly after our story aired.

Internet person Cody is having an argument with some kid's mother. There's apparently a 12 minute version of this forthcoming. Twelve minutes! Life's too short, and that's way too long.

Thanks, Steven for the tip!

Infinity Ward, the studio behind Call of Duty and Modern Warfare, is leaving its previously used game engine technology behind for Modern Warfare 3. Will that put an end to cracks about the developer using Quake III Arena-era tech?

While those digs against Infinity Ward may have been unfair and inaccurate—its in-house IW Engine has been regularly updated and refined over the years—the next Call of Duty game appears to leave its id Tech 3 legacy behind.

"We haven't gone into detail on the engine yet but we've moved beyond the [Modern Warfare 2] engine and added a lot of cool stuff for [Modern Warfare 3]," writes Infinity Ward creative strategist Robert Bowling on Twitter.

We'll see what that looks like tonight, when Activision and Infinity Ward release Modern Warfare 3's first gameplay trailer.

"Don't worry about it. It's impossible for you guys to get fired," Activision boss Bobby Kotick told Infinity Ward founders Jason West and Vince Zampella in 2008, according to a new cross-complaint filed today in a Los Angeles court.

Two years and one Call of Duty game later, the creators of the billion dollar war game franchise would find themselves out of a job, out of the studio they'd started.

A new legal filing submitted by West and Zampella's legal team today in the ongoing legal feud between the original makers of Call of Duty and their publisher—a filing in response to Activision's previous complaint in which it implicated rival publisher Electronic Arts in a $400 million lawsuit—alleges that while West and Zampella were "still hard at work developing Modern Warfare 2, Activision began preparing to terminate them once the game was delivered."

The filing also alleges that Activision "began secret development of Modern Warfare and Call of Duty games and related products" behind the backs of its creators, a violation of West and Zampella's contract with the publisher dubbed the "Memorandum of Understanding."

West and Zampella's complaint says that Activision offered "unprecedented creative authority over the Modern Warfare and Call of Duty brands" in that contract. It "promised that no game associated with the Modern Warfare brand could be released without West and Zampella's written consent" according to the filing. The complaint argues the publisher extended that control both to lock down a sequel to the original Modern Warfare and to make Activision "as attractive a merger partner as possible to Vivendi Games, with whom it was in the process of merging" to become Activision-Blizzard.

That control, however, was dependent upon the pair's "continued employment" at Infinity Ward, a stipulation that concerned West and Zampella during contract negotiations, according to the complaint.

Now, West and Zampella say they were lied to by Activision, that they were fraudulently induced into signing that contract. The former Infinity Ward heads say Activision boss Bobby Kotick assured them it was "impossible for you guys to get fired," allegedly saying "You're in the big leagues now."

The pair signed that contract, they say believing they would "operate more akin to an independent studio, like Blizzard."

Those new claims add a new layer of damages exposure, according to West and Zampella's lawyer, Robert Schwartz, which could result in Activision paying compensatory damages (aka writing out a big check) or rescission of their contract—which could also mean that West and Zampella might find themselves co-owners of the Modern Warfare and Call of Duty brands with Activision.

Kotaku has contacted Activision seeking response to West and Zampella's allegations. We'll update when we hear back.

Here are some relevant selections from the newly filed cross-complaint.

On the agreement to make Modern Warfare 2 and the supposed double standard of employment:

Activision made promises to West and Zampella to induce them to stay at Activision, to spend time creating Modern Warfare 2, and to confer valuable intellectual property assets in connection with that game. In the MOU, Activision promised that it would grant West and Zampella creative authority over the development of any games to be published under the Modern Warfare brand and any Call of Duty title set in the post-Vietnam era, the near future, or the distant future. In the MOU, Activision promised to pay West, Zampella, and the Infinity Ward employees significant performance bonuses associated with Modern Warfare 2. The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Activision Inc., Bobby Kotick, said that their "continued employment" under the MOU would be subject to the same standards applicable to Kotick and Activision's other senior executives.

[...] Kotick said to West and Zampella during a meeting in or around March 2008, in words or effect, "Don't worry about it. It's impossible for you guys to get fired." Kotick assured them with regard to the meaning of the contract by telling them, in words or effect, that "You're in the big leagues now," while gesturing to himself, from which, given the context in which Kotick said that, they understood him to be saying that their "continued employment" under the MOU would be subject to the same standards and protections applicable to Kotick and Activision's other senior executives.

On Activision allegedly making Call of Duty games without West and Zampella's approval:

Activision strung West and Zampella along with superficial compliance only until they completed and delivered Modern Warfare 2. For example, when Activision employees did raise concerns that they should or needed to involve West or Zampella in decision-making, Activision's management either disputed such claims or told its employees not to worry about them and/or not to act on them. While paying lip-service to West's and Zampella's creative authority, in 2008 and thereafter, Activision began secret development of Modern Warfare and Call of Duty games and related products, and undertook other conduct in relation to these two videogame franchises that, under the MOU, required prior approval from West and Zampella. Activision did not inform West or Zampella of such plans or seek their input or approval for them. Indeed, while breaching the creative authority provisions of the MOU, Activision continued to pay lip-service to them, in an attempt to mask its secret development efforts. While West and Zampella were still hard at work developing Modern Warfare 2, Activision began preparing to terminate them once the game was delivered.

For a recap of the latest events in the imbroglio involving Activision, Infinity Ward, West, Zampella and now EA, check out Kotaku's ongoing Call of Duty Legal Warfare coverage.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 may have influenced the deadly attack on Russia's busiest airport earlier this week, state run news network Russia Today suggests.

RT points out what they say are similarities between the bloody scenes depicted in the No Russian level of 2009's game with the gruesome reality of yesterday's attack at Domodedovo International Airport. Thirty-five people were killed and more than 180 injured in the terrorist attack that Russian officials say was a suicide bombing.

In the report, RT points out that the American made video game has earned more than $1 billion in sales worldwide and than you don't have to own the game to see the No Russian mission, you can also watch it on YouTube.

Walid Phares, Director of Future Terrorism Project at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, tells the news channel that terrorists may even use the game for training.

"Indeed it is a trouble to look at the game and reality," he said. "The issue is we need to know if terrorists or extremists are using these videos or DVDs or games to basically apply the model.

"I think those who have been radicalized already – that is supposed in this case jihadists, Al-Qaeda or other kind – they look at the games and say these games will serve them to train,"

Media critic Danny Schechter adds that some video games can influence people.

In the No Russian level, players take on the role of Joseph Allen, who has infiltrated a terrorist group as Alexei Borodin. Borodin and the terrorist group he has infiltrated enter the Zakhaev International Airport and begin to gun down civilians.

Moscow airport terror mirrors video game [RT, via The New York Times, thanks Andy]

The situation for Modern Warfare fans on the PS3 was looking grim, but developer Infinity Ward says they're still focused on getting their security in order. "Nothing is being left unattended," writes IW creative strategist Robert Bowling.

That Call of Duty games are routinely exploited by cheaters and hackers, regardless of platform, is nothing new. But players of the PS3 version of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 say the situation is worse than it's ever been.

"This issue is really out of hand," writes one member of the Infinity Ward forums, complaining to the developer of Modern Warfare 2 that hacks on the PlayStation 3 are more prevalent than ever, leading to players losing rank and being subjected to vulgar messages from others. Others say that its harder than ever to find a game that's not being subjected to hacking.

Infinity Ward's creative strategist Robert Bowling took to the game's official forums to address user concerns, saying that the issue is partially due to a recent compromise of the PlayStation 3's security.

"Sony has recently acknowledged a breach in security on the PS3 which resulted in games to become exposed to exploits and hacks," Bowling writes. "Modern Warfare 2 is no exception to this security exploit and we understand that some of you have experienced problems with stats and other issues associated with this."

Infinity Ward says that due to the security measures taken in Call of Duty 4 and Modern Warfare 2, or lack thereof, "updates to the game through patches will not resolve this problem, unless the security exploit itself is resolved on the platform."

Bowling says that due to Call of Duty's popularity, hackers and cheaters are targeting it more heavily than its peers and that Infinity Ward has its hands tied in trying to deal with exploits.

"Let me assure you, while we are very reliant on Sony updating their firmware and security to address the core problem of this issue," Bowling writes. "We are looking at EVERY option available to us to help any user affected." Sony believes it can address exploits on the PS3 through network updates.

"In the future we plan to adjust our approach to not rely solely on platform security and reduce the ability for this to happen in our games," Bowling says, "as has already been displayed by the work Treyarch has done on Call of Duty: Black Ops to prevent similar measures."

What's your experience been like, PS3 owners?

Hacking on PlayStation 3 [Infinity Ward Forums via VG247]

Was Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 a "silent rebellion" on the part of Infinity Ward, an early shot in the big Activision legal battle? Kotaku commenter Shibuya ESPer explores the possibility in today's Speak-Up on Kotaku.

Has anyone ever considered the ridiculous possibility that (Modern Warfare 2) was actually a premeditated "silent rebellion" type of thing by Infinity Ward since the very beginning?

Anyone who's played MW2 can agree, there's a shit-ton of imbalance in it. Tactical insertions and boosting, grenade launchers being too strong, certain kill streaks, and the fact kill streaks can chain into each other... It's just too much. Did IW really give that much attention to the balance of these weapons? Oh, did I mention how outclassed handguns are in comparison to other secondaries?

There's also all the weirdness going on with MW2's storyline. So many plot holes and questions come up when you actually sit down for a few minutes and examine the plotline. Price survived? How did he get captured? What the fuck is up with Shepherd? He was in cahoots with Makarov, then he backstabbed Makarov? How did he manage all that without being caught?

There's so many things that have been clouded by oversight to just dismiss it as simple mistakes. Did IW really care as much as they did for this game? Or were they fed up with Kotick and Activision that they decided to put less work into MW2 than they should have?

About Speak-Up on Kotaku: Our readers have a lot to say, and sometimes what they have to say has nothing to do with the stories we run. That's why we have that little box on the front page of Kotaku. You know, the one with "Got something to say?" written in it? That's the place to post anecdotes, photos, game tips and hints, and anything you want to share with Kotaku at large. Just make sure to include #speakup in your comment so we can find it. Every weekday we'll pull one of the best #speakup posts we can find and highlight it here.

A U.K. teen using a tool called "Phenom Booter" to kick players off Call of Duty servers back in September is now enjoying a stay in jail following an investigation by the Manchester police department.

Phenom Booter, which triggers a denial-of-service attack that can clear a server of specific users, or all of them, is a hack that had been shopped around forums earlier in this year. Type it into YouTube and you'll see a number of demonstrations. The e-cops were able to trace the attack to the Greater Manchester area and, ultimately, to the unidentified 17-year-old in question. He faces charge of violating the U.K.'s Computer Misuse Act of 1990.

"Programs marketed in order to disrupt the online infrastructure not only affect individual players but have commercial and reputational consequences for the companies concerned," Detective Inspector Paul Hoare told the BBC. "These games attract both children and young people to the online environment and this type of crime can often be the precursor to further offending in more traditional areas of online crime."

British Youth Arrested For Call Of Duty Server Attack [Gamasutra]

The Japanese game industry is dead. This week has been a flashback of last year's Tokyo Game Show — complete with gloom and doom from Capcom's Keiji Inafune.

"I think Japanese gaming is dead," Inafune told the New York Times. "When I say these things, I'm called a traitor. But I love Japan. I want to save it."

But what is Japanese gaming and does it even need Keiji Inafune to save it?

Nintendo is very much a Japanese company. It still puts great importance on the needs of Japanese market. The company typically releases the same games it makes in Japan in the West. It focuses on the needs of local players, but those needs, it seems, are universal.

Nintendo rolled the dice and took a big chance. The company decided to focus on providing a unique experience when its rivals were talking HD. It has paid off for the company, which is now not only one of the most successful in Japan, but in the world.

Yet, Japanese gaming is dead. Apparently, Nintendo doesn't count as a Japanese company, anymore! When did this happen?

This year's Tokyo Game Show was not attended by Nintendo. The company typically sits it out, leaving Sony and Microsoft to battle each other. Nintendo, instead, decides to focus its energy on international events like E3.

At this year's E3, Nintendo revealed the Nintendo 3DS, a glasses-free portable gaming device. Japanese developers like Konami and Tecmo Koei have signed on to make games for it. That's right, a new and exciting piece of hardware with third-party Japanese developers ready to make games for it.

Nintendo's decision to focus on international events does help give the company an international image. Internally, the company's Kyoto-headquarters is certainly not as international as Capcom's. (According to rumors, Nintendo Co., Ltd. employees must ask permission from their supervisor before going to the restroom!) It has been said that Nintendo isn't just a very Japanese company — it is a very Kyoto company.

Yet, Nintendo and its games are part of American pop culture. No, they are bigger than that, they are bigger than us all. Who looks at Mario and thinks it's a Japanese character? You look at Mario and you think of Mario. And you think of video games.

This is the same reason why people in Japan don't look at McDonalds and think "America". It's far beyond that.

Nintendo has created so much of basic video game grammar and has been so incredibly influential that it feels somewhat limiting to simply label it a Japanese company. It is global, sure, but it does have a strong local flavor.

Capcom's Inafune told the New York Times that he is "so shocked" when he sees global sales rankings. "I think: Wow, Capcom's ranked so low. However you approach it, we're dead," he said. "Resident Evil sold 5 million copies. That's still no good."

Five million copies for Resident Evil 5 seems about right. Halo 3 sold over 8 million copies, which was a whole bunch until Grand Theft Auto IV came along and sold over 17 million copies and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 sold over 20 million copies.

But, the biggest selling games (Wii Play, Nintendogs, Wii Fit, Mario Kart Wii and New Super Mario Bros.) are designed by Japanese people. And this month sees the release of Pokemon: Black and White in Japan — a game that will hit the West next spring. And November brings Gran Turismo 5, another big title internationally.

Japanese gaming isn't dead. It's just no longer completely dominant like it has been in the past. There's a difference.

[Pic]