Border residents were among the first to buy the new video game “Call of Juarez: the Cartel” when it was released nationwide Tuesday.
The Entertainmart store in El Paso, which borders Juarez, expected sales to be brisk.
“It’s more of a modern day Call of Juarez, which is why there’s as much hype as there is, especially in this area since it’s right across the street, “ said manager Jacob Dillon.
On the website for “Call of Juarez: the Cartel” the company Ubisoft, which developed the game, invites players to, “experience the lawlessness of today’s wild west as you hunt down the cartel before the violence escalates north of the border.” The previous Call to Juarez game was set in the Old West.
Video in the new game includes graphic shootouts, car chases, and explosions. In the real Juarez some residents balked at the graphic bloodshed.
“It mocks those of us living here,” said Jeremy Gonzales, who was reading a newspaper with stories about the latest killings in a Juarez, which is known as Mexico’s murder capital.
Police officers in the Mexican border city did not want to give their names but did comment. One said it would encourage more violence among youth. Another officer said it merely reflected reality.
Lawmakers in Mexico banned “Call of Juarez: the Cartel” not just in the border city but the entire state of Chihuahua.
The ban may have helped bump up sales in nearby El Paso where avid gamer Luis Silva, 20, reserved a copy before the release.
“It definitely intrigued me when I saw it got banned,” said Silva. The El Paso student said he’d reserve judgment until he played the game, but he did not have a problem with the idea of using the drug war as a backdrop.
The game is rated mature content for players 17 and older because of graphic language and video.
Some players think the game will help educate players about the real drug war in Juarez.
“People are dying over there, they need help,” said 17-year-old El Paso resident Jason Mahar. “And that game can raise awareness and show you what’s going on over there.”
