The representations of Arabs within Call of Duty is quite negative and hence controversial towards the public. Other examples of representations in the game are Russians and Cubans which are also negative representations. All have been represented as quite vile, associated with terrorism and portrayed as the villain of the games. The general stereotype of "terrorist" has been conducted within the portrayal of Arabs in the game and also through the maps where such locations such as Afghanistan and Karachi have been used to depict the terrorist association.
Digital Arabs : Representations in Video games
Looking at the representations in my text will help me to distinguish what is being represented, how it being represented in a positive or negative light and why they are being represented as the following. A lot of Arabs have been represented within Call of Duty as quite violent terrorists and shown to be villains in a negative light. I intend to use this research in order to distinguish the reasons of these representations. I will also look at other representations within the game which have caused controversy such as Russians & Germans. This will be helpful in my linked production as perhaps I could use different representations in a similar way.
News Values
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 leaked footage set to ignite controversy
Call of Duty: Black Ops - multiplayer details revealed
Russia bans Modern Warfare 2 over “airport terror” level
Modern Warfare 'set for record'
So realistic it's scary
Call of Duty Black Ops Launch
Fastest Selling Game Ever
The big hype of Call of Duty's release has caused controversy all around the world and therefore connotes the flowing articles around the big debate about the features in the game. A lot of the news articles I have looked at are based around the controversy which is within the game and also the amount of graphic violence which is involved in the game and how it influences young kids. It also talks about the moral panics some levels have caused such as 'airport terror' etc. The sales have also been a big talking point and the fact that the sales of Black Ops have bettered Modern Warefare 2's sale records.
Post 9/11
The fact that the new Call of Duty Black Ops is to be released on the 9th of November can also be seen as very controversial. The fact that the date is seen as 9/11 can be debatable and perhaps this was purposely to be released on this day to cause chaos and also how Call of Duty is purely based around the convetions of war, violence and terrorism.
This is one of the key areas of my research. The fact that Call of Duty's games are all revolved around war and graphic violence is the influence of 9/11. I have decided to do research by comparing the difference between games that were released pre and post 9/11 to see how the intensity of the violence has dramtically changed and also how the representations have changed.
Censorship
Call of Duty: Black Ops Censored In Japan [Japanese Version Of Black Ops To Have Some Light Censorship, Blame Square Enix]
Germans Must Play Censored Call of Duty: Black Ops
Censorship and Regulation relates to my investigation, as my text has a lot of censorship within it due to the graphic violence and other features within it. A lot of versions of my text have been censored due to the controversy it has caused in many different countries such as Russia, Germany, Japan & Cuba. Also a lot of regulation has been placed upon it to ensure the media effects are not too dramatic upon the targeted audiences. That's why I feel it's important to explore the kinds of censorships and regulations that have been conducted on my text. Also it may help me with my linked production as it will give me a boundary to work within and include stuff which should be and regulate media that isn't.
Ownership & Control
Developers
Infinity Ward
Treyarch
Sledgehammer Games
Amaze Entertainment
Rebellion Developments
n-Space
Publishers
Activision
Aspyr Media
Call of Duty have a contract where each year Activion or Infinity Ward take the responsibility of producing the next Call of Duty. By doing this it ensures theres a healthy competition between both organisations and also attracts a very big mainstream audience
depending on the creators they favour the most.
Its important to look at ownership and control as I can identify the organisations who are responsible for catering to the production of Call of Duty. It also allows for me to do background research on the producers and publishers to see the games and other media they have produced and whether the level of impact is similar to the effect it has through Call of Duty. I can also look at similar genre games like Call of Duty, e.g. action, and shooter games.
Theories
Audience theory
Hypodermic Needle Theory
Audiences passively receive the information transmitted via a media text, without any attempt on their part to process or challenge the data.
Two Step Flow
information does not flow directly from the text into the minds of its audience unmediated but is filtered through "opinion leaders" who then communicate it to their less active associates, over whom they have influence. The audience then mediate the information received directly from the media with the ideas and thoughts expressed by the opinion leaders, thus being influenced not by a direct process, but by a two step flow. This diminished the power of the media in the eyes of researchers, and caused them to conclude that social factors were also important in the way in which audiences interpreted texts. This is sometimes referred to as the limited effects paradigm.
Uses & Gratifications
individuals might choose and use a text for the following purposes (ie uses and gratifications):
- Diversion - escape from everyday problems and routine.
- Personal Relationships - using the media for emotional and other interaction, eg) substituting soap operas for family life
- Personal Identity - finding yourself reflected in texts, learning behaviour and values from texts
- Surveillance - Information which could be useful for living eg) weather reports, financial news, holiday bargains
Reception Theory
the text is encoded by the producer, and decoded by the reader, and there may be major differences between two different readings of the same code. However, by using recognised codes and conventions, and by drawing upon audience expectations relating to aspects such as genre and use of stars, the producers can position the audience and thus create a certain amount of agreement on what the code means. This is known as a preferred reading.
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