There is much speculation amongst the student body at Corona del Mar High School that attendance and grades, particularly for male students, will take a hit when the hotly anticipated video game Call of Duty 6 hits stores on November 10.

Call of Duty is a videogame franchise created by Infinity Ward. The games have earned a large following on campus with their blistering first-person shooter action and highly competitive online multiplayer mode.

Junior Will Havercroft, who says he has the the game “pre-ordered and ready to go” said “Let’s just say that if my computer breaks and I can’t do some homework assignments, you know what the reason is.”

Students have been known to dedicate hours to the  previous games, so it will be no surprise if, when the new game comes out, students slack on their studying in order to spend more time playing the game and gain a leg up in online play by unlocking more advanced weapons faster. “It’s absolutely necessary to get your hands on the noob tube quickly if you want to level up fast” said Havercroft, referring to the M203 Grenade Launcher, an unlockable weapon in the game.

Senior Michael Liao said “I’ll probably devote as much time to it as water polo. But really I’m more interested in the night-vision goggles that come with the game.” Senior Sean Lee tried to explain his anticipation by saying “I’m going to go Super Saiyan playing that game.”

Pictured: Will Havercroft calling in a helicopter

With students willing to spend hours playing the game it’s no surprise that their grades might suffer. But the ripple effect of CoD 6 doesn’t stop there. Many gamers jeopardize their health as well, due to the combination of junk food and little physical activity that gaming binges cause. Sophomore Cheyne Kelly claimed “When CoD 6 comes out I’m not leaving my house except to, you know, refill my cheese puff supplies.” In an even more severe case, freshman Colby Watson described his expected deterioration come  November 10: “Call of Duty 6 will keep me bed-bound and and I will gain about 37 pounds from not moving and indulging myself with gaming and food”.

Socially, the debut of CoD 6 will cause problems as well. Senior Karl Fletcher summed up the situation by saying “I would have way more friends if it weren’t for these games.”

Fortunately, the negative affects of this game’s premiere appear to be limited to the male half of the student body. Female students showed little interest in the game and did not appear to be worried that it would harm their grades or health in any way.

When asked about the game junior Margret Valdes responded “What’s Call of Duty?” This was similar to senior Caroline Van Dyke’s opinion of the game: “What’s CoD?”