From left, Zach Stewert, Travis Holtz, Tawny Ambriz, Juan Ayala, Jamel LeBranch and Chris Kuhn show off their killer poses.

Having to choose between participating in what may have been an occult ritual, and getting out of line to be the first to have a copy of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Max Sexson, 21, Andrew Bleich, 17, Spencer Sexson, 19 and Charles Vitols, 22, chose to stay in line.

They arrived with lawn chairs in tow to the GameStop at 168^th and Dodge streets at 6:00 p.m. Monday evening. Prepped with snacks, they were ready to wait six hours for the privilege of being among the first to get their hands on Infinity Ward’s sequel to its 2007 hit, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.

Then this wild-haired woman approached them, Vitols said. She said she needed a group for a ritual to channel her dead husband, he said. She lit a candle and begun conjuring the spirits of the dead.

Nevertheless, as weird as it was, the foursome was not about to exit line for anything, even though they were the only people there at the time. They just silently watched as she poured her heart out and went on her way. What kind of game demands this sort of dedication?

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is one of the most anticipated games in history, and may be one of the largest entertainment launches as well. Michael Pachter, who analyzes the electronic entertainment industry for Wedbush Morgan Securities, predicted sales would reach $500 million this week.

That’s half a billion dollars! The Dark Knight made less than $240 million its first week in the box office. Make no jokes about it; video games are big business.

Attention to detail and multiplayer action are what separate the Call of Duty franchise from other first person shooters, Max Sexson said.

“Multiplayer just grabs a hold of you and keeps dragging you back in,” Sexson said. “You’ll throw your controller at the wall one day, and the next day you’ll pick it back up and hope it’s not broken.”

By midnight, the line at one of the two GameStops at 72^nd and Dodge streets had grown to at least 200 people.

Among those was Brad Smith, 23, said Modern Warfare has some of the best multiplayer gaming he has ever seen. He had been waiting in line since 9:00.

“Plus it’s kind of fun to make 13-year-olds feel bad about themselves,” Smith said.

Smith took the bus from his Dundee home to 72^nd and Dodge, knowing he would be left hanging for a ride home.

“There’s not a lot of things that’ll make me walk 24 blocks at midnight,” he said.

Tony Stover, 29, was

Like many popular video games, controversy has surrounded this franchise. The first game had scenes where the player assumed the point of view of a leader being executed in a coup. Another powerful moment was when the player saw through the eyes of a soldier slowly dying after being unable to escape a nuclear blast.

A leaked video of Modern Warfare 2 caused some minor outrage because it showed civilians being gunned down in an airport from a first person point of view.

Micah Conner, 21, defended the game he was waiting for, saying the sequence was designed to show the atrocities of terrorists, and it was taken out of context. Besides, the entire section can be skipped with no penalties, he said.

Citing research from the book “Grand Theft Childhood,” Conner said there is not a positive correlation between violence in real life and violence in video games.

“The game is rated Mature for a reason, don’t let your kid play it,” Conner said.

Chris Kuhn, 25, and Jamel LeBranch, 20, agreed.

“These games are actually made for adults,” Kuhn said. “I wouldn’t even want my kid in the same room while I’m playing.”

You cannot say that games are just for kids anymore, because there are plenty of games that kids cannot even buy, Kuhn said. It might even be right to call social services if you see a young kid playing a violent game like Modern Warfare 2, he said.

Juan Ayala, 25, said age does not matter; video games are for everyone.

“Me, I will not give up my controller for anything,” Ayala said.

Kuhn and LeBranch were looking forward to an extended night of playing “killing” each other in multiplayer.

“There’s nothing better than playing with friends and family,” LeBranch said.

The buzz about the game has been tremendous, Kuhn said. Waiting in line with dozens of equally psyched fans puts a face to potential online opponents. While waiting in line, he received several text messages from friends on the East Coast about how badass the game is, making the wait seem all the more worthwhile, he Kuhn said.

Kuhn was one of the few in the line who was not planning to skip work Wednesday, although he admitted he might take an extended lunch.

From left, Shaun Bergmann, Corey Conz and Nate Williams.

Video games as a medium is in its infancy and are just starting to infiltrate the mainstream, said Nick Jones, 27. Comparable to silent movies in the late 20^th Century. He predicted that by 2010s and 2020s video games would be just as big in the cultural conscious as movies are now.

“It took a while to take off, games are just now starting to infiltrate the mainstream,” Jones said.

A large majority of those in line for the game had already arranged to shed their responsibilities Tuesday. Tony Stover, 29, said he took the day off from his job as a financial assistant. Vitols said he had the next four days off from work, and Bleich said he was skipping school.

“I’ve got wrestling practice, but I might not even go to that,” Bleich said.

Here’s hoping his coach is not reading this.

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