Modern Warfare 3: Leaks and Auctions

Modern Warfare 3, the latest in the Call of Duty video game series, launches next week. Already, though, versions of the game are popping up on auction sites and clips are leaking onto the internet.

MW3 is considered one of the most anticipated games of the holiday season. It follows up the high successful Modern Warfare and Modern Warfare 2, as well as last years popular Call of Duty game, Black Ops.

For gamers who are unable to wait and buy the game early, Microsoft has some bad news: the early copies may negatively impact your Xbox account, USA Today reported.

According to Gamesbeat, Xbox live policy direct Stephen Toulouse tweeted that Playing early may impact your account.

MW3 will be available for Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Windows PC and sell for $60, according to USA Today.

The Modern Warfare series has been known in the past to court controversy. The second installment included an infamous level in which the player takes the roll of a person pretending to be a terrorist as they storm an airport. As part of the mission, it was possible to shoot innocent civilians assembled in the airport. Some critics said this pushed the boundaries of video games too far, while many gamers defended the level and pointed out players could also shoot above the heads of the masses.

One leaked clip--since removed by Activision, the game's publisher--featues another shocking moment, though this one is in a cut scene rather than an interactive part of the game.

Reports indicate that the tradition of setting the game in real cities decimated by wart will continue, with New York, London, Paris and Berlin all getting the post-apocalyptic treatment, accordinfg to PC World.