Video games: call of duty (and effects debate)

 Video games: call of duty

aim: To apply knowledge of media products and audiences to gaming


Ownership

franchising

Marketing and distribution

audience

regulation - regulatory body

theory's (audiences)


Ownership

- published and owned by activision 

*image on phone*


Franchising


Activision also franchises the call of duty brand to a number of different companies

merchandise includes action figures, comic books and card games


examples of CoD products (merch)

- plan b toys 

- call of duty zombies - wild storm publications

- upper deck 

- mega blocks 

- Toys


Marketing and distribution 

  • CoD ww11 marketed on billboards because  
  • more traditional use of advertising
  • QR odes on billboards
  • CoD ww2 marketed on billboards because the first 3 were set in ww2 as well (first 3 were also marketted on billboards and did very well)
  • Idea is that the audiences feel more connected to the game when they see it on billboards (and part of that C0d community
  • Marketting strategy across a few days which incorperates digital and traditional advertising
  • A bit more of an event - bending (QR Code) on billboards - interactive and allowing audiences to be connected - links to themes of ww2 ('Code breakers')
  • trying to guess what the other side is doing (a ww2 theme that they're playing with for the marketing) - creates a sense of excitement and anticipation

Audience and regulation

- Regulatory body - pegi ( pan european grming insudtry)
 - VSC (video standards council) works on behalf of PEGI
- Regulation is all about ensuring that video games are classified appropriately for different audiences
- Have to make sure a product is suitable in terms of its content for different audiences
- Democracy - don't have censorship (eg. unlike china or north korea)

CoD- 18 PEGI rating
Minecraft - 7 
Pokemon Go - 3 
Assassins creed : liberation - 18 

Computer games and violence 
Theory: the effects debate - media products have the ability to crreate a negative response 

do video games make people violent?
summary of this arcticle:
- Key arguments by american psychologists
- Counter arguments - academics and british psychologist
- Conflict between media theories and osychologists - 'effect' - negative
- Few psychologists argue that there are limited negative effects 
- Leass to theories in media called the 'effects debarte'

look at jamie bulger case - medias response



The effects debate theory


PEGI ratings

  • Different categories eg. violence, discrimination sex, drug use etc...
  • Copycat aspects... imitate bad behaviour 
  • Leads to the debates regarding the influence of the media\

  • Examples of media texts causing debate include clockwork orange and reservoir dog's, the exorcist , child's play 3 and Rambo
  • Moral panic emerged in the 1980's - response to videos mostly - expose vunerable groups - blasphemous, violence 
  • Violence in film and on television blamed for violence in society
  • Video nasties' debate - 1980's with moralists like mary whitehouse cambaigning
  • 'Hungerford massacre' blamed on film rambo - when the theory is proved true!!!

  • Always makes the assumption that audiences are 'effected' negatively by their media consumptoin
  • Tries to make a direct link between violence and negative behaviour, and viewing violence in the media

  • Outdated until social media became controversial 
  • Uses and grtifications heory - audiences are active not passive 
  • we act on the media, not the other way round 
  • Uses and grats became popular again because it's the opposite to the effects debate - audiences are active not passive, and we know why we do it

 

Exam question

discuss the relevance of the concept of moral panics based on digital media products you have studied. Use contemporary examples and theoretical ideas to support your answer. [20 marks]

Intro
  • Define moral panics (fear and controversy around new media and its harmful/ negative effects)
  • Moral panic by regulatory body (PEGI in this case), public, parents, campaigners, researchers, psychologists etc...
  • Identify that you will base most of the response on this essay on COD (also maybe reference other media products, social media etc...)
  • Identify two theoretical ideas to apply (effects debate and uses and grats)

paragraph 1

  • Focus on COD - PEGI rating  (18)
  • Dangers of this game - not everyone who plays it is 18+
  • Identify issues in COD which might cause moral panics
  • Violence and killing
  • All of the killers are male - representation of men being violent
  • Younger players - seeing this behaviour and copycat it
  • Younger players will he highly influenced
  • Morality is at the centre of the debate because itv glorifies killing, war, murder and violence
  • Young kids are impressionable
  • under 18's can still access COD because it's still in the public domain
  • Focus on theoretical considerations - effects debate in more detail
  • This theory argues that violence and morally deprived behaviour in the media leads to violent behaviour which also corrupts morals in society - makes close links to COD - digital means easy to access product by vulnerable groups 
  • Vulnerable adults are also impressionable in all these cases
  • Digital game means easy access for young or vulnerable people to talk to older players ... an easy trap for cyber bullying of grooming
  • Belief that virtual reality is real

paragraph 2

  • above material

paragraph 3 

  • Counter argument
  • On the other hand, a different theoretical consideration enables us to examine the notion of 'moral panics' both for COD and other digital media products.
  • Parental controls on COD eg. turn chat function off
  • Some might argue that playing violent games can be a great way to release their anger into this fictional exciting worlds, preventing violence in 'real life'
  • sum up briefly uses and grats -
  • consumers escape and active users interacting with digital media
  • people see games and other interactive platforms as forms of entertainment 
  • consumers turn to the media for social interaction / sense of identity/ belonging eg. platforms for sharing, networking, sharing ideas, creativity - poritive spin on new media
  • uses and grats - more positive way of looking at audiences response to media and medias response to audience 

Paragraph 4

conclusion 



  • Digital media products - violence - moral panics - effects debate
  • Effects debate is the theoretical debate
  • The other side of the argument is the uses and gratifications theory (audiences use media in more active positive ways).
  • Campaigners, members of public, researchers, psychologists and regulatory bodies create the moral panic









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