Modern Warfare 2 garnered an absurd amount of attention from not just this site, but seemingly everyone with its buzz-building release. So the game's over the top $150 night vision-goggle-including Prestige Edition seemed fitting when it was announced.
But is the game's ultimate collector's edition worth the extra $90? And what about those goggles, why do they look so familiar?
Here's what you get for the extra cash:
A fancy metal case to hold your copy of the game.
A game case-sized 34-page art book.
A code to download the original Call of Duty to your console.
A numbered plastic head-shaped stand for holding your night vision goggles.
A wearable pair of night vision goggles made by toy maker Jakks Pacific with Modern Warfare 2 branding.
That's right, those night vision goggles are made by Jakks Pacific, the same company that produces the EyeClops Night Vision goggles sold at toy stores.
Originally released for $90, you can now pick up a set of the EyeClops Night Vision Infrared Stealth Goggles for $50 at Toys R Us.
The two sets of night vision goggles seem to be of the same quality, with both supporting both short range and long range vision modes. Both sets say you can view objects in the dark up to 50 feet away. The biggest difference is in how the two look.
The Eyeclops have a rounder, more bug-like appearance, making it look more like something from a sci-fi show than for military use.
The Modern Warfare 2 goggles have been redesigned to look like something closer to the real thing. They also have a switch that lets you flip between black and white and green views.
Despite the design change, the Eyeclops and Modern Warfare 2 night goggles feel pretty much the same when you're wearing them. They both look about the same as well, though the redesign does slightly mess with your depth of view.
While the goggles work as advertised, I don't see anyone using these to stalk people or animals or sneak around in the dark. They're a toy. A fun toy, but still a toy.
The main draw for getting these should be the way they look on your desk. Mounted on the head, the goggles look pretty neat, though not real.
Perhaps it would have been better for Activision to go with non-functioning goggles that look authentic, rather than one that function on a toy level, but don't really look that real.