However, Treyarch Studio Head Mark Lamia said the bigger challenge for the game's developers was creating futuristic tech for 2025 that would be both recognizable and unpredictable.

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Mr. Anthony later noticed his boss Mark Lamia reacting to the idea with concern.

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The second is Al Dabbagh's wife, who is also the Syrian envoy to Cyprus, Lamia Al Harriri.

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Lamia also told him the designs had to work within the game's narrative.

CNN: The future world of 'Call of Duty: Black Ops II'

The list includes dim-witted, power-crazed princes of the realm and witches, chief among them Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer, here, as in "Hairspray, " wonderfully full of rage about her lost youth).

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"I think when people start to play with the drones, they feel pretty badass, " Lamia said.

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Lamia also confirmed that zombies are returning to the game.

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Lamia hopes gamers will be impressed with their vision of the future.

CNN: The future world of 'Call of Duty: Black Ops II'

Several brilliant Lebanese video artists, including Lamia Joreige and Akram Zaatari, interwove stories that captured the movement of people throughout the Arab world over the generations, not only as refugees but as active immigrants.

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"I was not aware of the significance of them and we all educated ourselves and became quasi-experts, " Lamia said.

CNN: The future world of 'Call of Duty: Black Ops II'

Mark Lamia, Treyarch studio head, said his developers did a lot of research to set the game in a plausible future.

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