The game, which has an "M" rating for mature audiences, comes out next month in what its publisher hopes may be the most lucrative launch in the history of entertainment - not just for games, but counting music and movies too.

In a statement, game publisher Activision Blizzard Inc. said Wednesday that the footage had been taken illegally and that it was not representative of the game's overall experience. The scene is designed to evoke the "atrocities of terrorism," Activision said in an e-mailed statement.

Players "face off against a terrorist threat dedicated to bringing the world to the brink of collapse," the Santa Monica, Calif., company said.

In an interview before the footage was leaked, Vince Zampella, head of the game's developer, Infinity Ward, said the studio intended for its game to startle players.

"We push the story," he said. "We want the player to be emotionally attached. We want them to be emotionally shocked."

Gamers are warned that the scene may be disturbing, and they can choose not to play through the part. Activision says the game is designed so the part can be skipped over without losing any of the story.

Infinity Ward hasn't shied away from disturbing imagery in the past. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare begins with a character being driven through an occupied city, dragged out of the car, tied to a pole, and then executed - all from the victim's point of view.

But what's different in the new game is that people can play from the perspective of someone inside a terrorist group, similar to how gamers can play a criminal in the Grand Theft Auto titles.

Modern Warfare 2 is "a very cinematic experience," Infinity Ward creative strategist Robert Bowling said in an interview. "You get to play from multiple perspectives and get a broader picture of what this conflict is, and see that it's much more than just winning a war with a bullet."