Is Call of Duty Taking Over?

Tucker M$$a$$e

Media Studies

11/30/2010

Final paper

Is Call of Duty Taking Over?

            As many of you know, game systems are a huge part of today’s world. People spend numerous hours a day on gaming. Many years ago gaming started on computers. Just like everything else in the world new technology and products are introduced. Many of you may have heard about the leading game systems known as Xbox or play station. In October of 2003, a game known as Call of Duty was introduced. Call of Duty is a war type of gaming style. It is a first person shooting game, which involves war between the good and evil. Since then this game has sky rocketed with the number of plays and millions of copies sold.

            Since 2003, there has been new series of the game introduced.  Call of Duty 2 came out in October 2005. That version of the game is when it really started to take gaming to a new level. It was introduced to cell phones, smart phones and Xbox in November of 2005. Activision, a major gaming company realized how many fans they have gained from the previous years of there new game. Another Version was introduced in November 2006, which brought a whole new gaming life style into households. Just like many other games now a days, you can play them all across the world at any time of the day online. The following year November of 2007, another series was introduced to the public. World at war became the largest gaming hit to record. This was the first version of Call of Duty, which received a mature audience rating. It marked how much the graphics became more realistic and could put you in a real life situation. Activision didn’t hold back and introduced a series called Modern War in November of 2008 and 2009. After Modern War Fare 2 was introduced, it set a new gaming standard. It held records for #1 rated game and the most sold copies worldwide. A game this detailed cannot be created in just a few days. Activision has already begun creating the next 3 series of the game. The newest series, Black ops came out in November of 2009. At any moment during the day, there are over 500,000 people playing online at one time. That is a significant introduction to gaming world.

            Call of Duty was ranked the most addictive game by g4, which is one of the largest game supporters and only TV show dedicated directly to games. Addiction to anything is hard to overcome. COD allows you to fully customize your player and the more you play the more achievements and ranks you can unlock. You are always tempted to keep playing because you want your first person character to be the best soldier with all the best equipment and attachments. It is like a never-ending game because once rank as high as you can, you prestige and rank up a class. Then you can do it all over again and keep earning rewards and ranking up just like real life soldiers.

Media plays a huge role in advertisement for any type of game. In November of 2009 when Black Ops was introduced you would see signs, posters, advertisements, and even commercials supporting the game in months advance. It is very common to see Call of Duty being played on TV shows, movies, or even at work. One great example is at my cousins business. It is called Platinum Solutions in Washington D.C. It is a bunch of very smart workers who create codes for the government. They did a study and the workers could concentrate better if they were given an hour a day during work to relax and play games. COD was there most popular game. COD is also a very popular game for old soldiers or even current soldiers. Even during a war at there base, soldiers are given time to get there mind of the terrible images they are already seeing daily. COD is a game, which gives them enjoyment and laughs together for the critical time they are involved in with their life.

Even though there are millions of people who love Cod, there are also many people who are against this style game. Many believe it is too realistic to war in real life. It gives the impression to some that war is a joke. In a real war, you don’t re-spawn and come back alive. Also a game system doesn’t give you the true feeling if you had to kill another human. All ages from teenagers to adults get are getting enjoyment and laughs of killing one another online. Many parents including mine dislike video games especially COD. Both my Grandparents were in war and war is not a joke in our family. But many parents also dislike it because of the bad images it is giving their children. Also it takes away so much time from their lives. Kids should be outside and being kids. Gaming also takes a lot of time away from your studying in school or concentrating in class. Many college students live on there won with no one to supervise them. They will choose to play COD with there friends over studying and doing their HW. Sitting inside all day gaming, especially a game that is so realistic, can really take away from life. Life is the most important thing given to you. Nothing created will be better than just being alive.

There have been reports to activision about kids getting nightmares from the game. Many of them reported about a level known as zombies. You are a soldier trying to defend your house from zombies breaking in. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1x61yGLWjo. Here is a great example of one of the zombie levels. Just because the game is rated mature, any kid or parent can get their hands on it one way or another. Even if a younger kid in just in the room watching them may not understand it is just a game and it couldn’t happen to them in real life. The second rated report to activision was about the attack dogs. Not only would children get nightmares but also they would even become afraid of their household dog. Just because on a game, attack dogs are taking people out, does not mean every dog you see will attack you. A fear like that could last someone forever, even if you try to overcome it.

A lot of frustration also comes from COD because of technology or the game lagging because of so many people on at one time. Channel noise is also a huge problem with COD. You can be sitting there playing, and all of a sudden you may here voices and shots coming from another game online. One great feature about online play is how it allows you to have all types of communication with one another. You can communicate with anyone anywhere in the world no matter where you are stationed. It is even possible to play someone in Australia if you are in the United States.

It is a free world; everyone can make there own decisions for themselves. No matter what the rules or regulations for gaming are, there are always sneaky ways to get around them. You can create something a little different to be legal or even just change a part of the game. Media is the biggest part of the world. Everything is based around media and advertisements. Many people are trying to somehow link COD to their products or ideas. COD has even been talked about on world news and even a major magazine NY Times. The game was such a big hit, there are also books written about the story and plot of the numerous COD series. http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=call+of+duty+book&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=3997313845&ref=pd_sl_suv6wk8yg_e. Even a very popular car company Jeep, has made a product about COD. They came out with a jeep wrangler COD edition. It is a special edition jeep based off of the game. It is introduced as the vehicle of choice for the game.  http://mosman-daily.whereilive.com.au/lifestyle/story/call-of-duty/  “The iconic Jeep Wrangler Unlimited is the vehicle of choice for the game, ready to take on whatever obstacles, enemies or explosions the action-packed game has to offer. Nothing comes close to the capabilities of the tough-as-nails Jeep Wrangler, on or off the screen.” (lieutenant colonel Hank Keirsey) That is one great example of how the media has help spread a game into a major car industry. Another major way of advertisement is clothing and apparel. Companies just right into it and now there are thousands of articles of clothing available just like the clothing scene in the game.

            I have many different personal feelings about the game. I honestly love the game. I enjoy playing it with friends and family. I understand that it is not real life but it may be a lot harder for other to recognize the fact it is a game. I would recommend going out and playing the game with your friends. It is a great way to enjoy a rainy day, or something fun to do for an hour at night once all your work and projects are done. Thanks again.

Works Cited

"Activision Games Forums • View Forum - Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Reflex." Activision Games Forums • Index Page. Web. 02 Dec. 2010. <http://forums.activision.com/viewforum.php?f=57>.

A,, By. "Amazon.com: Call of Duty Book." Web. 02 Dec. 2010. <http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=call of duty book&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=3997313845&ref=pd_sl_suv6wk8yg_e>.

"GameSpot Forums - Call of Duty: Black Ops - 500 People against 10th Lobbies." GameSpot Is Your Go-to Source for Video Game News, Reviews, and Entertainment. Web. 02 Dec. 2010. <http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/callofduty7workingtitle/show_msgs.php?topic_id=m-1-56110257&pid=960189>.

Peckham, By Matt. "Call of Duty: Black Ops Review Roundup - PCWorld." Reviews and News on Tech Products, Software and Downloads - PCWorld. Web. 02 Dec. 2010. <http://www.pcworld.com/article/210095/call_of_duty_black_ops_review_roundup.html>.

"Treyarch Explains The Call of Duty Jeep Wrangler Due Out Next Month." Kotaku, the Gamer’s Guide. Web. 02 Dec. 2010. <http://kotaku.com/5667616/treyarch-explains-the-call-of-duty-jeep-wrangler>.

news and commentators

News and television is one of the biggest things in the world. everyone in the world starts or ends there day with the news. Anywhere from the daily news to the world news. The United States news is much different from many other countries. the United States is a free country. therefore there is a lot more on the news of what the people want to here. Sometimes there is even information that is given out that people may or may not want to here. there are many sore and upsetting topics that are discussed on the news. SWitching from commentator to commentator the topics are made much more defined. Topics like war and rape are very serious. Sometimes they are looked over but other times they are not. Daily people say rape jokes in person or even in movies or TV shows but it is kind of let go. People who have been raped or know someone who has been raped are very touched or upset with these topics. It has happened numerous times that news broadcasters are fired for some of there own personal remarks that should not be allowed on TV. One bad remark or mistake can ruin a companies reviews or popularity. If someone does not like there broadcasting, they may switch channels or broadcaster they watch. It is also very common that many broadcasters may complain about a lot of things. Many anchormen need everything just right. Some want the camera's closer or farther away from them. Some need the camera right in there face because they feel thats how they get there true feelings out. Other may want to seem the like the back round depending on the topic.

It is also very common to see news companies promoting happy endings. They may start out with the news that bothers people like war, rape, or money loss. But it is always a good thing to end with something happy. Fort example someone getting rescued, animals saved, or troops being rescued. That type of news is what touches people and it is what they want to here. A happy ending is always a good way to start your day, or something great like that to fall asleep to at night.

Commercials are also a major part of the news and television. Other companies pay to take time away from there news. that is how the news companies also make there money. Advertisement is very important and a great way to make money or get your product out there. For example in the 1988 olympics, you would see and average of 10.2 minutes of commercials for every hour. Of coarse that is not what the people want to see but that is what supports a lot of the funding to have shows or events broadcasted on television.

New and improved products are a major part in the world today. It is very common that in commercials on on television you see signs for new products. Promoting new products supports everyone no matter what it is or what it can help. You also see improved products a lot of times. For example new TV's or games may say they are new and improved with better technologies. Manufacturers use the words new and improved because it catches people's attention and makes them feel like they need to have the newest and updated product.

There are commercials everywhere out there that may have different meanings and intentions. You may see some you like and many commercials that make you upset.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KL55Qtu7ht8
This commercial is very touching to many people. there are millions of people out there who would love to help rescue and house many animals. Also donations to companies like this are needed. Companies like the rspca are helping everyone and animals.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oh_i4CDNTeA
Breast cancer is a very big topic in the world today. Any male or female can get it. This commercial is great to show how males should support breast cancer more. Many males may not seem like it is a very important topic but it really is.

net Neutrality

Net Neutrality is a growing concept many people agree with or disagree with. Net neutrality is what allows you to have a free and open Internet. Sometimes servers can put blocks or restrictions on what you can view or see. Net Neutrality is what allows you to have a flat level surface for all Internet services and technologies. It also allows to services, of the same level, to be able to be in contact with each other. Everyone in the world in connected to each other. There are many types of telephone companies that want to block that. They want to separate it into different groups so that people and websites have to pay extra to use there services. They want there also to be a fast lane. So then only companies who pay the extra amount of money are allowed to use the faster Internet lanes. It then would not be fair to everyone. With net neutrality, the only job the server has to do is move data around. It does not block or un block certain services you may want to use. 

There are many companies that do not support net neutrality. AT&T, Verizon, Comcast and Time Warner Cable are all against it. They want to be like a gatekeeper for the internet. They want to be able to decide which sites go slow or fast, and also who would be allowed to use the fast or slower sites. The more money a person or company may spend may regulate there internet speed and options. “They want to tax content providers to guarantee speedy delivery of their data. And they want to discriminate in favor of their own search engines, Internet phone services and streaming video -- while slowing down or blocking services offered by their competitors.” http://www.savetheinternet.com/frequently-asked-questions?gclid=CJ35mNncj6UCFeJN5QodqRLNOA

There are also many supporters of net neutrality. Besides everyone who does not want to loose Internet speed, or pay tax on their Internet for no reason, there are many companies who are for it. Companies like Microsoft, face book, Google, eBay. And even Comcast are all for it. Net neutrality is even on the top on the white houses list to take control of. http://www.savetheinternet.com/frequently-asked-questions?gclid=CJ35mNncj6UCFeJN5QodqRLNOA (who supports net neutrality)

Net Neutrality has become such a big topic, it is almost everywhere you look. http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/subjects/n/net_neutrality/index.html There was an awesome article in NY times that would help anyone really understand what is going on behind this I do support it. I think it is totally unfair that companies just want to make more money from people over the Internet. Times are tough for everyone and these leading companies have enough money being made. I also think it would be terrible if certain people had fast Internet and certain people had slow internet. Everything these days is wireless or a faster way then dial up connection. Either way you get the speed you pay for. 

pentagon secretly gets information

            After reading Behind TV Analysts, Pentagon’s Hidden Hand in the New York Times, it really gave me a lot of different views about war. I never truly realized how a lot of war information and information the media gives out is discovered. I would have never suspected the pentagon would even send troops over sea’s to give an overview. The pentagon would form a campaign to generate favorable news on how the war is going, and performance of the troops. Sometimes this was even done secretly without the troops knowing they were being viewed.

            It is very clear how many Americans do not support troops over sea’s. The government has tried changing people’s opinions but it clearly isn’t working well. There are billions and billions of dollars being spent at war. Many people and families feel that is a total waste to have our troops over they’re fighting for our country. It still is not clear who and why the attacks are being placed. It is known that the war will continue even if nothing is ever accomplished from it.

            News broadcasters are even getting the opportunities to take trips over and become part of the war. It is a very dangerous job. The information they are bringing back with them is priceless. A lot of the times it cannot be shared. The people who attend these jobs are becoming overwhelmed. Some of the information is too graphic to even reach the public. One official who attended the trip stated, ““They have now become the go-to guys not only on breaking stories, but they influence the views on issues,”

            I think it is terrible how people do not support war veterans. Even John McCann has not voted to support war veterans the past 6 years. I found this video link of a veteran explaining how he felt on war veterans. He stood up for himself and his rights with other soldiers. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLhxwb_ODNs

            It is incredible some of the cartoons people make about war. It is far from funny. It is even worse when the cartoons make fun of war and war veterans. I found one cartoon that I kind of liked which supported the war. It is telling the soldier to be careful in a hinting matter. http://soul13832numb.blogspot.com/2007/01/escalator.html

            The memories and images soldiers see each and every day will ruin them forever. I found a site that is very graphic and shows a lot of crude things some people want to see. This is a very strong reason why the war should just be ended. http://www.awitness.org/journal/real_iraq_war.html Even if images and stories are not supposed to get out to the public they will find a way. Even our own government is trying to be sneaky and get around us without us knowing.

            The war in Iraq has exceeded 3 trillion dollars. No one can even imagine that amount of money. I think that is a disgrace to everyone and there families. There are all these people dyeing and suffering and we can’t support them. http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2010/09/05-0 I understand supporting our country and getting back what we have lost. But we are still loosing people each and everyday.