David Petraeus is the secretary of defense in the new Call of Duty game (Activision)Former CIA Director David Petraeus is still reeling from a recently revealed extramarital affair that may have national security repercussions, but in the video game world things are going much better for the retired four-star general.
In the new "Call of Duty: Black Ops II" game released on Tuesday, Petraeus is the newly appointed secretary of defense in the year 2025.
And that's not the only unusual bit of predicted future developments in the game from creators Activision and Treyarch. When we first meet Petraeus, he's aboard the USS Barack Obama.
Several high-profile actors have lent their talents to previous "Call of Duty" video game installments. As Kotaku reports, Petraeus in the game is voiced by actor Jim Meskimen.
Petraeus also reportedly displays some phoenix-worthy resurrection skills in the game. Early on, he is aboard Marine One with the fictional President Bosworth, a dead ringer for Hillary Clinton, when terrorists shoot down the aircraft. However, both the president and Petraeus survive the attack.
Video game developers are known to retroactively make substantial changes to their characters and plots, even after titles are released to the public. So, it will be interesting to see if Petraeus remains in the game, or is scrubbed through a software update as his real-life personal scandal continues to dominate the news headlines.
Video game analyst Michael Pachter argues that the development is actually good for game developers, telling the Hollywood Reporter that, "All incremental publicity is good." He predicts that 20 million copies of the game will be sold before the end of 2012.
Then again, this latest installment of the "Call of Duty" franchise offers a platform for another former real-life military figure whose stature was diminished in the face of scandal. Former Lt. Col. Oliver North served as an adviser on the game and even makes an appearance in a flashback cinematic sequence, where he does his own voice work.
Oliver North does his own voice work in the new Call of Duty game (Activision)