The Utter Unlikeliness of Call of Duty: Singapore [?!]

Call of Duty: Singapore is a really dumb idea. I look forward to Call of Duty: Kirby's Apartment.

If you were going to set a fictional video game franchise concerning a terrorist attack somewhere, the very last place yours truly would think of is Singapore. It is a highly antiseptic society that has banned chewing gum. More seriously, Singapore is a country that, to its credit, I can honestly say has truly tried to be accommodating of all races and faiths. Yes, migrants are sometimes discriminated against...but by Singaporeans of all races and faiths who've had the privilege of getting there first instead of being of certain colors or creeds. Terrorism isn't usually spawned by such grievances.

So it was of some surprise to me that the latest installment of the Call of Duty franchise--concerning a terrorist attack--was set it Singapore 2065. Even more puzzling, they've used live blogging to promote the game, leading some impressionable netizens to believe the "attack" was real:

A "terror attack" has taken place in Singapore - all part of a controversial web campaign to launch the newest title from the popular Call of Duty video game franchise. Set in Singapore during the year 2065, Call of Duty: Black Ops III begins with a mission where players must investigate the "mysterious disappearance" of a CIA station.

Ahead of its worldwide release on 6 November, US-based games maker Activision launched a series of tweets, setting up the opening scene for a fictional attack in Singapore. While the tweets aimed to tease fans and also introduced new characters to the game, many social media users were unimpressed at the way things were playing out on Twitter, saying the scenario was in bad taste. 

Local media (read: government-friendly) are, unsurprisingly, blasting the PR stunt. See the Straits Times and Today Online. My complaint is not that the tweets were in bad taste. Rather, the scenario is rather implausible.

What's next, Call of Duty: Zurich?