Working title
How do video games such as 'call of duty' and 'grand theft auto' push the boundaries of on-screen violence and what is the impact of this on audiences?
Angle
What effect do these types of games have on an individual in society?
Hypothesis
On-screen violence may cause individuals to behave differently to the norm that is expected
Linked production piece
Either a video game trailer such as call of duty, showing on-screen violence or a music video similar to the sour patch kids rapping about the game
M (media language) –On a visual level, Modern Warfare 2 has one of the best graphics for an fps in this generation Key It's visually stunning and looks incredible in high-definition. The weapons look pretty slick, as you'd expect in a war-based shooter. Certain camera angles were shown to convey soldier’s emotions; angles such as close-ups were shown to focus on the soldier’s facial expressions. Music by Hans Zimmer -> very well known composer, major work for big time movies such as inception and the dark knight. The soldier’s uniform within the game plays a big role; shemagh scarf’s were worn by the enemies and the traditional desert uniforms were worn by the American armed forces, this uniform, this gave them an identity, from the good to the bad. There was a mix between low key lighting and high, between scenes as low key was used to create the suspense, and high key was used to show the action which took place. Although the characters were computerised, they played a convincing role in making audiences believe they were real from their movement’s right down to their dialogue. Camouflaged make up was used on those soldiers with snipers so that they could blend in with their surroundings, guerrilla warfare tactics.
I (Institution) not only did infinity ward and activation enhance the graphics, weapons and game modes but added a unique touch by distributing the game in packages such as standard, hardened, veteran and prestige, this enhanced sales as each package came with the game and an add on. Infinity ward and Activision may have played a big role in the release of the game, as it was released around early November, purposely targeting those buyers around the Christmas time as the game could be seen as a present to give to someone, therefore targeting both genders as an audience.
G (Genre) - Call Of Duty falls under the category of an FPS shooter as you play one of the characters from the game, this gives audiences a sense of diversion as they distracted from the events surround their life and put into the shoes of this character which they control which offers users and audiences pleasure.
Conventions -> younger target audience, convergence and
synergy, cgi and fx’s, Hypereality, Positive narrative outcomes (good guy
always wins), narrations, Binary Opposition
R (Representation) - Some elements of the game are a fair and accurate representation as it shows what a war would be like through the deaths and killings, weapons and vehicles. However it can be argued that the game isn’t a fair and accurate representation as there are women soldiers which isn’t shown within any of the trailers seen, also doesn’t depict the soldiers feelings, just shows a patriotic one. Also inaccurate as the game allows players to have as many lives as they want as they respawn after they die, this is an inaccurate representation of war in real life.
A (Audience) - Although the game is rated at an audience of 18, This type of game appeals to a much younger audience around the age of 14-18, groups E, D, C (unemployed/students), main reason for this is because it allows social interaction between teens as they can play competitively against each other online or offline
I (Ideologies) – Although being a very violent game, modern warfare 2 does portray some positive values as it promotes/encourages some teens/adults to become soldiers and fight for their country as the game shows this through the launch trailer, where American flags were shown when soldiers were at war. However the game may portray negative values as it encourages violence, which has been a major issue regarding problems within society, such as the Norway shootings as Anders Behring Breivik claims in his manifesto that he used this video game to perpetrate the 2011 Norway attacks.
N (Narrative) - The audience are positioned it the POV of the character, Sound played a major role within the narrative as it helped audiences get a better/clear understanding of what was happening in each of the different missions, for example in the first mission the sound of screaming civilians were played to help identify that they were in danger. Close up shots were used to identify each of the characters as small titles were shown when looking at the character
S (Social) –
Some people may argue that video games such as call of duty are bad for society
as many of its member may not be socialised properly which may cause problems
for them later in life, also it can be argued that video games such as call of
duty are the reason why teens of today’s day and age are obese, however it can
be argued that video games improve hand eye co-ordination, and interpersonal
skills as they communicate with people across the world.
H
(Historical) - The Call of Duty franchise has been
about for 6 years, the first game within the sequence was realised on November 7, 2006, ever
since the game has a wide fan base due to globalisation and UGC content which
has been upload on social media such as ‘YouTube’. Anders Behring Breivik
claims in his manifesto that he used this video game to perpetrate the 2011
Norway attacks.
E
(Economical) – The Call of Duty franchise has sold over 100 million copies,
with Modern warfare 2 selling over 14 Million which brought
the company almost £665m in revenue.
P
(Political) – Within the game there is political conflict between two rival countries,
America and Russia, which Is shown within the game. Coop Norway, a chain of retail stores in Norway, removed
this video game from its shelves as a result of the Norway attacks.
Issues and debates
Media technology and the digital revolution – media technology and the digital revolution has allowed consoles such PlayStation and Xbox to come about, however there is an issue to as whether these consoles are hindering the youth of today’s society.
The effect of globalisation on the media –
Globalisation has allowed games such as Grand theft auto and Call of duty to
spread worldwide, not just on consoles but as User generated content as well.
Regulation and censorship
–‘The British Board of
Film Classification (BBFC) have classified this game as suitable for people
aged 18 or over. The government now wants to tighten up the regulation,
classification and censorship of videogames.
Baudrillard’s concept of hyperrealism - time spent in our
hyperreal states means we are ignoring the loss of the ‘real’ and the world’s
shift into simulation.
Theories/Theorists
Blumler & Katz’s uses and gratifications theory- offers
escapism for audiences, transporting
them to a different emotional place and diverting them from problems within
their life.
Hypodermic theory: the idea that audiences consume media
passively, and are ‘injected’ with information or ideas
Baudrillard’s concept
of hyperrealism - The hyperrealism of Call of Duty allows us to become someone
different
Contempary Media Landscape -> My topic
fits into the contempary media landscape as it’s a current event that can be
related to teenagers in today’s society, i.e. me
Main Texts
Grand Theft
Auto
Call of Duty
Other Texts
Battlefield
Tekken/
Mortal Kombat
TV Documentaries
BBC One - Panorama, Addicted to Games? http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00wlmj0
Virtual Reality – A documentary on Violent Video Games - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DglEODhZknY&noredirect=1
GAME OVER- Gender, Race & Violence in Video Games http://www.mediaed.org/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=205
Academic
Texts
How Fantasy Becomes Reality: Seeing Through
Media Influence – by Karen E. Dill
Violent Video Game Effects on
Children and Adolescents: Theory, Research, and Public Policy
- by Craig A. Anderson, Douglas A. Gentile, Katherine E.
Buckle
Grand Theft Childhood: The Surprising Truth
About Violent Video Games and What Parents Can Do - By
Lawrence Kutner, Cheryl Olson
The Link between Video Games and Violence
By Rahul Massey
The Effects of
Video Games on Children: The Myth Unmasked - By Professor Barrie Gunter
Trait Aggression and
Style of Video Game Play: The Effects of Violent Video Game Play on Aggressive
Thoughts by Angela Paradise
Internet
Links
