Let's be honest for a moment here: pretty much everyone around the world has at the very least thought about calling in "sick" to work or school while their health was perfectly fine, for one reason or another. For some folks, it's a beach day; for others, just a chance to sleep for an extra few hours. And then, of course, there are the gamers.
It's a classic running joke that a Call of Duty launch day means players will stay home "sick" to glue themselves to the TV and shoot virtual weapons all day. And it's a joke that seems well-grounded in truth.
USA Today has a report on the uptick in unscheduled absences and sudden illnesses that take place on a Call of Duty launch day. CNET also chimes in, pointing to poll data gathered by IGN, which found that one in four respondents planned to call in "sick" today to get more Black Ops II time in.
Of course, as much as many of us would like to take a day off just to play a new game, reality often intervenes and we can't always follow through. But plenty of folks, it seems, are. From the schoolkid cutting class to the savvy boss who knows exactly where his employees really are, Twitter is full of the stories of the Call of Duty twenty-four hour flu:
Question: is it reasonable to suspect an employee, known gamer, called in sick today just to play the new Call of Duty?
— Win Tumor (@CounterfeitGent) November 13, 2012
My mom is SO mad that im staying home just to play Call Of Duty. Im just way too lazy to fake sick.
— Your name here ____ (@MaLc0Lm_XXX) November 13, 2012
Just want to call in sick ad play call of duty all day
— Eric Coombs (@ecoombs14) November 13, 2012
Son home sick today. Just came out of his room: "I had a dream we went to pick up 'Call of Duty.'" ..aaaaand there it is.
— moooooog35 (@moooooog35) November 13, 2012
Great people gonna think i didnt come to school so i could play the new call of duty, but im actually sick
— Johanna Youngblood (@BlondeBabe_14) November 13, 2012
My brother called in sick to work jus to play Call of Duty #BlackOps2all night long.
— Nay Baby(: (@msexotic408) November 13, 2012
My brother faked sick to stay at home just to keep playin Call of duty Black Ops 2..... smh
— Chanel M. ♡ (@IXOXO_CHANEL) November 13, 2012
Emory is not at school today because he's "sick". That's code for "I stayed up all night playing Call of Duty: Black Ops 2"....
— Bailey (@SillyBaileyGirl) November 13, 2012
I was wondering why we had so many call in sick today then I saw an article about call of duty 2 being released and it all made sense
— joe (@josephmvazquez) November 13, 2012
Idk if I should fake sick for call of duty like I have for the last 3 years.
— Caleb (@Calebcit2013) November 13, 2012
I know people callin in sick just to stay at home and play call of duty black ops 2 lol
— DV DaRealest(@DVGeTTRipPy) November 13, 2012