Call of Duty: Black Ops upsets Cuba with Castro Mission
Cuban government says segment of game in which players try to kill former leader glorifies real assassination attempts by US. A video game developed in the US that challenges players to assassinate former Cuban president Fidel Castro has provoked an angry response from Cuba.
Call of Duty: Black Ops, which went on sale in the UK this week, is set during the cold war, with gamers taking on the role of a special operative as he saves the US from a communist plot, travelling between Cuba, Vietnam and Russia.
However, a mission in which players try to kill a young Castro has sparked a fierce response from the Cuban government.
"What the United States government did not achieve in more than 50 years, it now tries to do virtually," said a story on the government-run cubadebate website .
It said the game glorified real US attempts to kill Castro – there have been 638 attempts on the former leader's life, according to one of his bodyguards.
In 2006 Fabian Escalante, the former head of Cuban intelligence services, revealed how plots ranged from an exploding cigar that was intended to blow up in Castro's face to a fungus-contaminated wetsuit that would infect him with a chronic skin disease.
Perhaps the most fanciful plot involved planting explosives inside a mollusc shell painted in bright colours in the hope that Castro might be drawn towards it while scuba diving in the Caribbean.
In a section of Call of Duty: Black Ops set in Havana, players gun down enemy combatants while pursuing Castro, who was president of Cuba for 49 years before resigning in 2008.
"This new video game is doubly perverse," the article on cubadebate said. "On the one hand, it glorifies the illegal assassination attempts the United States government planned against the Cuban leader … and on the other, it stimulates sociopathic attitudes in North American children and adolescents."
It is not the first military-style shooter game to generate controversy this year. Medal of Honor was banned from US military bases before it went on sale last month because it let players take on the role of Taliban fighters battling US and Nato troops in Afghanistan. Developer Electronic Arts later changed the name of the combatants from Taliban to Opposing Force.
Reviewers of Call of Duty: Black Ops, which retails at around £50 in the UK, have been unfazed by the challenge of gunning down one of the primary leaders of the Cuban revolution. The game was given five stars by the Guardian.
Sunday, 14 November 2010
Thursday, 11 November 2010
Research November 11th
Activision Infinity Ward Court Case
The split between Activision and Infinity Ward means that some audiences may not appreciate the production of Call of Duty anymore due to the fact that different audiences may have favoured the other publishers. By Infinity Ward splitting up with Activion means that Activision and Trey Arch (also owned by Activision) are the main producers and publishers of Call of Duty which may upset some of the target market.
Infinity Ward employee group sues Activision
Through their attorneys, the so-called "Infinity Ward Employee Group" has claimed that the publisher withheld royalties in order to ensure development staff stayed on to complete Modern Warfare 3. Last month, studio heads Jason West and Vince Zampella were sacked for "insubordination" and later set up their own studio, Respawn Entertainment. The duo has filed its own $36m lawsuit against Activision. Since then, a reported 26 staff have left Infinity Ward, some of whom have gone on to join Respawn.
How Call of Duty has an impact on young boys
Call of Duty: 5 years of graphics effects
The split between Activision and Infinity Ward means that some audiences may not appreciate the production of Call of Duty anymore due to the fact that different audiences may have favoured the other publishers. By Infinity Ward splitting up with Activion means that Activision and Trey Arch (also owned by Activision) are the main producers and publishers of Call of Duty which may upset some of the target market.
Infinity Ward employee group sues Activision
Through their attorneys, the so-called "Infinity Ward Employee Group" has claimed that the publisher withheld royalties in order to ensure development staff stayed on to complete Modern Warfare 3. Last month, studio heads Jason West and Vince Zampella were sacked for "insubordination" and later set up their own studio, Respawn Entertainment. The duo has filed its own $36m lawsuit against Activision. Since then, a reported 26 staff have left Infinity Ward, some of whom have gone on to join Respawn.
How Call of Duty has an impact on young boys
Call of Duty: 5 years of graphics effects
Monday, 8 November 2010
Issues & Debates // Theories
Representations & Stereotyping
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.
Moral Panics
Media Effects
Media effects is how the text affects it's target market. Call of Duty is a great example where I can look into media effects, as a lot of audiences percieve the text in different ways and the media has a different effect on them. For example the graphic violence in Call of Duty can be passively acknowledged and then act upon it, whereas the violence within the game can be ignored and morally safer.
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.
Sunday, 7 November 2010
Research on Viral Campaigns
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/viral-campaign-resident-evil/43486
This is a viral campaign promotion Resident Evil 5.
Gorilla Advert
Another recent example of how an amazing advert can get millions more views thanks to the web comes in the form of a gorilla playing the drums for Cadbury’s.
Although it isn't a viral campaign for games, its an example of a advertisement that spread vastly and become popular amongst everyone.
This talks about how to make a successful viral campaign which will be very helpful to me. As I am planning on making one it talks about the content which needs to be involved, how to make the campaign more engaging and social for people, the information which is essential to be gathered, the planning needed to make the campaign etc.
I also looked at the PC gamer magazine website promoting the new Call of Duty Black Ops. Also I found an example of a viral campaign which was on both sides of the magazine article promoting the new Football Manager 2011. It was a very clever campaign as if you clicked on the side randomly it would automatically take you to another page reflecting Football Manager. In my opinion it was a very clever idea in the way it would attract a mainstream market.
This is the front cover of the Official Playstation Magazine. I intend on buying one in order to study the codes and conventions used inside to attract the audience of Call of Duty.
A teaser site has appeared for the long, long rumoured Call of Duty: Black Ops Zombie Mode.
Black Ops viral website, GKNOVA 6 has been updated to show tons of footage of ravaging CoD zombies, including scientist zombies, office worker zombies and 28 Days Later-style fast zombies. We can't wait.
Black Ops viral website, GKNOVA 6 has been updated to show tons of footage of ravaging CoD zombies, including scientist zombies, office worker zombies and 28 Days Later-style fast zombies. We can't wait.
Sunday, 31 October 2010
Conference
David Buckingham
Why do people talk rubbish about Media Studies
Some used the excuse of Homer Simpson in order to stop schools from teaching and showing the Simpson's. Simpson's replaced the idea of teaching Shakespeare and the claimed that the school followed the national curriculum and by studying Simpson's enabled students to become critical and analytic of moving images and gain a better understanding of audiences and narrative. "studying the opening of Dickens Great Expectations is just as challenging as studying the opening of The Simpson's".
Young Children are stupefied by the mass media and media is considered a Mickey Mouse subject. It won't get you a job because it is vocational, and vocational subjects are considered to be downgraded.
Class --> vote - threat to civilisation and the new democracy would lead to anarchy.
Frank Leavis --> lecturer at Cambridge claimed Civilisation was going down and studied literature. By doing so he was seen as radical and faced criticism. Tried to get English as an academic subject.
Media literacy --> violence, tobacco, alcohol, sex & obesity.
Media Studies --> "Guarantee high grades" > soft subject
Can Media Studies get you a job?
"High percentage get jobs in media after leaving uni compared to other subjects" Media studies come out with many social skills such as presentation skills, talking skills, problem solving skills etc. "People are stupid and ignorant and therefore feel hostile about media studies".
Julian McDoodle
Online Media, Cleggmania and the Cowell Factor
The fact that we are considered the media makes society more democratic. The media world is more converged which makes it more interactive.
Media industry + politics expect media to be more interactive to make it more democratic. Web 1.0 + Web. 2.0 = Media 1.0 + Media 2.0. The point which was being made across was the fact that new copies of books would die out in eventually 10 to 15 years and the world would become more interactive and converged.
David Gauntlett, media was like the gods who sent down all the information but now we are in control of media use.
Dan Gilmor --> we are the media, grassroots journalism by the people, for the people.
David Gauntlett
Sonia Livingstone
David Buckingham
Annette Hill
Michael Wesch
Dan Gilmor
Henry Jenkins
Graeme Turner
^^ read different ideas
pick examples
apply reading to examples
weigh up debates
develop, informed, academic view
RESEARCH
really look at real examples looking at everything about them
keep evidence of all research
research every angle
conventions, audiences, institutions
PLANNING
what could possibly go wrong. plan for all eventualities
record all planning
show the process of your projects journey
EVIDENCE
storyboards,animations
IDEAS
keep ideas simple
have a workable concept with realistic plans
try the '25 word pitch'
GET FEEDBACK
at all stages from peers, teachers and others
keep records of the feedback
keep records + respond to it
LOGISTICS
people, places ,props, costumes
get it done early
rehearse + prepare
share contact details for all involved
PRODUCTION
always shoot extra coverage
organise material before editing
start with big picture
Critical Investigation & Linked Production
Initial Ideas
- How has film represented the changes in stereotypes of Muslims Post 9/11
- Are the representations of Arabs in video games an accurate representation of them in real life?
- How does the genre of violence in video games attract a teenage demographic within print advertising?
Production
- Opening scene of a film, parodying the traditional stereotypes of Muslims
- Documentary based on the comparisons of representations in video games and real life
- Magazine article promoting a new and upcoming video game, and maybe a viral campaign/web advertisement
Texts to Study
- Four Lions & The Infidel
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Medal of Honour
- Edge Magazine, GamerZines, Call of Duty, Medal of Honour, Hitman
BEST IDEA
How does graphic violence within video games attract a teenage demographic within print advertising?
Media Language
Contrast of lighting to make the game give a greater impact and engage their audience, a lot of blood and gore is used to add to the graphicness of the violence. The use of non diegetic and diegetic sounds are used from songs in the background to suit the mood of the game and also sounds such as heavy breathing to make the game more tense, gun shots and voices are also used.
Institution
Activision - Call of Duty : Modern Warfare
Infinity Ward - Call of Duty : Modern Warfare 2
EA Games - Medal of Honour
Eidos Games - Hitman
Rockstar Games - Manhunt
Game Magazines
PC Gamer
PCZone
The Official Xbox Magazine
The Official Playstation Magazine
EDGE Magazine
GamerZines
Genre
Action - Most violent games consist of a lot of action, this genre is one of the most attractive genres and therefore game producers use this genre to their advantage when producing a very violent game.
Shooter - Other than just raw blood and gore, weapons are also essential to meet a target markets requirements and many weapons such as guns and knifes etc. are included in shooters. Psychological horror - A genre which influences a lot of young teenagers and encourages them to carry out things which they see in these types of video games. An example would be Manhunt which influenced a lot of young kids and therefore was banned.
Representation
Violence is being portrayed in a very negative light, no positives can't be attained from violent games apart from the fact that they are the most likeliest type of games to sell. The negativity of this violence causes for young teenagers to become influenced and adapt to the violence. Games like Call of Duty and Medal of Honour adapt to a lot of violence and make the idea of war a enjoyable experience. Arabs are portrayed negatively within Call of Duty and shown to be antagonists. The first ever hitman was banned due to the use of asian ethics being portrayed and a lot of racism was conveyed within it. Manhunt was also a very graphically violent game and caused a lot of controversy, a quote read, "Although it was generally well-received by critics, Manhunt created a controversy due to the graphic violence the player is encouraged to engage in. This resulted in the game being banned in several countries and implicated by media in a murder".
Audience
Very young audience - 13 - 25. Games such as Call of Duty, Hitman, and Manhunt are very influential around that specific age boundary. Teenagers at a young age have been encouraged by the graphics to percieve the violence positively, and act upon it. It's targeted specifically for males due to the high content of violence, however females are also known for playing games such Call of Duty, however they are far from influenced by the violence.
Ideologies
All the institutions are based in the USA, and therefore creates the idea of how american based video games come to the United Kingdom and influence teenagers more than the USA are affected. It also creates the idea that post 9/11 the amount of violent games have increased, ecspecially in Call of Duty where a lot of negative representations upon arabs have controversly affected the way we as an audience perceive them.
Narrative
Social
Socially accepted, a lot of moral panics are young teenagers are influenced and encouraged to take aboard the idea of graphic violence for their own enjoyment
Historical
The events of 9/11 have caused for an increase in violent gaems and also the idea that arabs are antagonists and therefore misrepresented. Violence is over-represented which adds to the moral panics.
Economical
A very big increase in violence games. Games such as Call of Duty are now seen to be a fashion item and a desireable game amongst young teenagers, it's a very debatable game socially amongst teenagers.
Political
Theories
Gender & Ethnicity - gender and ethnicity is misrepresented within games such as Call of Duty where arabs are shown to be villains. I think this has been done as a response to the actions of 9/11. In all of the games males are shown to be the main protagonists and makes it seem as if only males are violent. This can be shown to be controversial as females are also known to play such violent games.
Audience Theories - hypodermic theory, cultivation theory, effects theory, reception theory, uses and gratifications theory
The way that such violence in games has been shown in the media to be quite effective. Also how the audience itself that play it are encouraged to follow the actions of these graphic images, or just tend to play it for enjoyment and not act upon being influenced by it.
Issues & Debates
Representations & Stereotyping
Media effects
Post 9/11 and the media
Media technology and the digital revolution
The effect of globalisation on the media
This fits into the Contemporary Media Landscape as the use of violence in modern games is still debatable on whether this much graphic violence should be accepted and the effects socially. It also undermines the misrepresentations of race, gender, and ethnicity which at the moment is also another factor which is still controversial around the world.
- How has film represented the changes in stereotypes of Muslims Post 9/11
- Are the representations of Arabs in video games an accurate representation of them in real life?
- How does the genre of violence in video games attract a teenage demographic within print advertising?
Production
- Opening scene of a film, parodying the traditional stereotypes of Muslims
- Documentary based on the comparisons of representations in video games and real life
- Magazine article promoting a new and upcoming video game, and maybe a viral campaign/web advertisement
Texts to Study
- Four Lions & The Infidel
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Medal of Honour
- Edge Magazine, GamerZines, Call of Duty, Medal of Honour, Hitman
BEST IDEA
How does graphic violence within video games attract a teenage demographic within print advertising?
Media Language
Contrast of lighting to make the game give a greater impact and engage their audience, a lot of blood and gore is used to add to the graphicness of the violence. The use of non diegetic and diegetic sounds are used from songs in the background to suit the mood of the game and also sounds such as heavy breathing to make the game more tense, gun shots and voices are also used.
Institution
Activision - Call of Duty : Modern Warfare
Infinity Ward - Call of Duty : Modern Warfare 2
EA Games - Medal of Honour
Eidos Games - Hitman
Rockstar Games - Manhunt
Game Magazines
PC Gamer
PCZone
The Official Xbox Magazine
The Official Playstation Magazine
EDGE Magazine
GamerZines
Genre
Action - Most violent games consist of a lot of action, this genre is one of the most attractive genres and therefore game producers use this genre to their advantage when producing a very violent game.
Shooter - Other than just raw blood and gore, weapons are also essential to meet a target markets requirements and many weapons such as guns and knifes etc. are included in shooters. Psychological horror - A genre which influences a lot of young teenagers and encourages them to carry out things which they see in these types of video games. An example would be Manhunt which influenced a lot of young kids and therefore was banned.
Representation
Violence is being portrayed in a very negative light, no positives can't be attained from violent games apart from the fact that they are the most likeliest type of games to sell. The negativity of this violence causes for young teenagers to become influenced and adapt to the violence. Games like Call of Duty and Medal of Honour adapt to a lot of violence and make the idea of war a enjoyable experience. Arabs are portrayed negatively within Call of Duty and shown to be antagonists. The first ever hitman was banned due to the use of asian ethics being portrayed and a lot of racism was conveyed within it. Manhunt was also a very graphically violent game and caused a lot of controversy, a quote read, "Although it was generally well-received by critics, Manhunt created a controversy due to the graphic violence the player is encouraged to engage in. This resulted in the game being banned in several countries and implicated by media in a murder".
Audience
Very young audience - 13 - 25. Games such as Call of Duty, Hitman, and Manhunt are very influential around that specific age boundary. Teenagers at a young age have been encouraged by the graphics to percieve the violence positively, and act upon it. It's targeted specifically for males due to the high content of violence, however females are also known for playing games such Call of Duty, however they are far from influenced by the violence.
Ideologies
All the institutions are based in the USA, and therefore creates the idea of how american based video games come to the United Kingdom and influence teenagers more than the USA are affected. It also creates the idea that post 9/11 the amount of violent games have increased, ecspecially in Call of Duty where a lot of negative representations upon arabs have controversly affected the way we as an audience perceive them.
Narrative
Social
Socially accepted, a lot of moral panics are young teenagers are influenced and encouraged to take aboard the idea of graphic violence for their own enjoyment
Historical
The events of 9/11 have caused for an increase in violent gaems and also the idea that arabs are antagonists and therefore misrepresented. Violence is over-represented which adds to the moral panics.
Economical
A very big increase in violence games. Games such as Call of Duty are now seen to be a fashion item and a desireable game amongst young teenagers, it's a very debatable game socially amongst teenagers.
Political
Theories
Gender & Ethnicity - gender and ethnicity is misrepresented within games such as Call of Duty where arabs are shown to be villains. I think this has been done as a response to the actions of 9/11. In all of the games males are shown to be the main protagonists and makes it seem as if only males are violent. This can be shown to be controversial as females are also known to play such violent games.
Audience Theories - hypodermic theory, cultivation theory, effects theory, reception theory, uses and gratifications theory
The way that such violence in games has been shown in the media to be quite effective. Also how the audience itself that play it are encouraged to follow the actions of these graphic images, or just tend to play it for enjoyment and not act upon being influenced by it.
Issues & Debates
Representations & Stereotyping
Media effects
Post 9/11 and the media
Media technology and the digital revolution
The effect of globalisation on the media
This fits into the Contemporary Media Landscape as the use of violence in modern games is still debatable on whether this much graphic violence should be accepted and the effects socially. It also undermines the misrepresentations of race, gender, and ethnicity which at the moment is also another factor which is still controversial around the world.
Wednesday, 6 October 2010
Marshall McLuhan
Marshall McLuhan
Quotes
"A point of view can be a dangerous luxury when substituted for insight and understanding."
"All media exist to invest our lives with artificial perceptions and arbitrary values."
"As technology advances, it reverses the characteristics of every situation again and again. The age of automation is going to be the age of 'do it yourself."
Quotes that interest me personally
"Diaper backward spells repaid. Think about it. "
"Darkness is to space what silence is to sound"
"Art is anything you can get away with."
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