“It doesn't take the most powerful nations on Earth to create the next global conflict. Just the will of a single man.”[1]
How and why are videogames such as Call of Duty becoming more violent? Is this a concern for their typical audience?
Within society, the video game industry has shown to become a powerful constituent of entertainment, with a present value of over $22 billion. Video games are also noted to be “one of the leading forms of media consumption” [2], which could be one of the factors that depict the significant impact it has on consumers. Also, many video games in this modern climate have shown to become increasingly violent, which has raised various institutional and societal issues as a result, and is becoming more and more perilous as the years go by. The significance of 18 rated games has been devalued, and in reality has caused younger gamers to become prevalent with video games containing explicit levels of blood, gore and violence.
This investigation will discuss how violence has become more explicit over the years. One of the prime factors that will be argued is how new and digital media has become a big part of this revolution.
First person shooters have become very popular recently, as there are various institutions which are competing for a heavier revelation of violence, and it seems to be primarily appealing to males: “Adolescents who were more hostile tended to consume more electronic media, played more violent video games, prefer more violent content, and have fewer parental limits on the content of their video games"[3]. Therefore gaming institutions such as Activision (developer of Call of Duty) have developed and induced their products in a way to appeal to primarily males as “in all cultures studied, men are found to be more aggressive than women, which suggests an innate, biological difference.” [4]
Realism has become a necessity in the modern prosperity of video games. One remarkable aspect of Call of Duty is its much updated graphics, which took off in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. The main anticipation for the release of the game was due to its revolutionised graphics which eagerly awaited the consumers. But the question is why it was such a success? The latest instalment of the Call of Duty series, Modern Warfare 3 “notched up $400m in sales within 24 hours of launching on 8 November.”[5] In conjunction with the sense of realism, dominant stereotypes are perpetuated in video games such as Call of Duty. Stereotypically, the American soldier is shown to be in simplest terms, a hero. However, foreign characters in particular the Afghanistan soldiers as well as Russian soldiers are portrayed as the villains, which is rather biased as it is a first person shooter and the consumer plays the role as the American soldier in his perspective, which goes with Infinity Ward’s values and ideologies.
On the other hand, the audience is shown to have an oppositional reading from Infinity Wards ideologies. This is evident throughout many fanzines and fanpages on the internet. Although generally the villain is supposedly a bad and unwanted character, in today’s post-modernist society, “the audience does not simply passively accept a text”[6] ,instead there is a two-step flow theory present, where “certain media campaigns may have failed to alter audience attitudes and behaviour”[7] which is apposite to Call of Duty’s values and ideologies. Websites such as Youtube and Facebook have provided these escapist gamers with a alternative reading to what Infinity Ward has displayed.
Since 9/11, first person shooters have been favoured by the majority of people as it relates to real life events relating to the terrorist attack. Realistic graphics and a first person perspective has given the consumer a sense of importance as it is a prevention of terrorism which most consumers fear of in real life. Nevertheless, despite the conflict and controversy this could cause, it is a perfect situation for video game institutions due to the face that video games are predominantly reflected upon real life events such as World War II. Tom Watson argued that the level was "no worse than scenes in many films and books" and criticising MP’s such as Keith Vaz for "collaborating with the Daily Mail to create moral panic over the use of video games" [8], such tabloid newspapers such as Daily Mail have a particular ideology of creating a moral panic over absurd situations. This in this case, has developed controversy of violence in Call of Duty.
This became a true demonstration of the zeitgeist as first person shooters bloomed in popularity after the 9/11 attacks in 2000. At the time, and many years after, there remained a fear of terrorism within the society where people started questioning the trustworthiness of the US Government, where many people claimed the government to be part of the attacks. Stereotypically, it can be seen that Afghans are portrayed as villains in real life which has been to some extent carried out in certain video games including Call of Duty. However, to many Afghans and certainly other ethnic groups, American soldiers in particular have shown to be the true villains after all, and have been circulating in the media where innocent civilians were killed: “Civilian deaths are one of the main sources of tension between Kabul and Washington.”[9]
Now, notwithstanding the increase or exposure of violence in video games, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (released in 2009, 6th instalment) was the “first game in the franchise to have been classified as an 18 rated game by the BBFC” [10]. All previous Call of Duty titles have been rated 16. So what does this suggest about violence in video games such as Call of Duty? Is the violence becoming worse? It may well be so. This can be justified to a certain extent as one of the missions of the British board of Film Classification is to “protect the public, and especially children, from content which might raise harm risks” [11]. This reveals extensively that video games are harmful to particularly children, which may be the reason why the age ratings were amended for the most recent Call of Duty titles.
“The '18' category was, however, deemed more appropriate for a particular mission in which the characteristics of the violence differ from the rest of the game. In this mission, the player has infiltrated the terrorist group and joins them as they execute an attack on innocent civilians at an airport.” According to the BBFC one of the main reasons Modern Warfare 2 was classified as an 18 rated game as a result of the infamous scene in the campaign where the gamer is put into the perspective of a Russian, walking along the airport platform and killing hundreds of innocent civilians. The BBFC also stated the violence in the majority of the game would have fallen within the allowance of the guidelines at '15' which state that “Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable.” [12]
"Kids not only watch realistic characters spurting blood and pulling heads, spinal cords and beating hearts out of bodies, but they are creating mayhem and are rewarded with extra points for doing so." [13] One of Call of Duty’s main rewarding strategies is kill streaks, or more recently point streaks. This gives the player the ability to either use very high operated gunships or simple radar privileges. This does not condone the prospect of reality in Call of Duty, because in true reality, soldiers do not get air support kill streaks, instead they specialise in one particular force.
In terms of first person shooter video games relation to reality, "Every branch of the US armed forces and many, many police departments are using retooled video games to train their personnel."[14] Consequently, it is evident to a large extent that video games, primarily the ones based on real life wars provide specialists such as the military a firsthand experience of the battlefield and in hindsight displays the ultimate future of video games as it is becoming more and more advanced in prevailing a sense of realism.
However, first person shooters, in particular Call of Duty have to some extent glamorized the game content. Being able to customise the weapons, including the choice of colour for the gun has countered the desensitised perspective of violence. Moreover, despite the very fast paced ambience that Modern Warfare has implemented, the demoralised killings of one another has made Call of Duty somewhat unrealistic which to be fair is the main purpose of a video game. During development of pre-2000 video games such as Doom, the main aim was to give the gamer a very realistic gaming experience.
The level of violence, sexual references and drug references within violent video games results in a wider moral panic, as the media arguably injects ideologies into the audience which corrupt children and cause aggression. Consequently, parents gain an oppositional reading to violent video games, as it is a “huge concern to children”. This has made video games very controversial, primarily because parents are concerned of how violence in video games will affect their children, but also how video games follow dominant stereotypes.
“Games, in general – not just video games – are a restriction of reality.”[15] Many video games in the past have portrayed a very unrealistic perspective to consumers. This can be uncovered by such historical video games including Super Mario, which brought popularity of arcades during the 90’s. A plumber being the protagonist followed an ambience of Vladimir Propp’s theory. However, this theory can be seemed as outdated for this particular video game movement. We no longer play video games where it follows a certain narrative structure. Online gaming has become the main essence of video games to its consumers as it creates a sense of salience: “This occurs when online gaming becomes the most important activity in the person’s life and dominates thinking, feelings and behaviour” [16]
This consequently could promote schadenfreude within the community of online gamers as there are opposed with players around the world and could already have established a negative ideology of certain ethnic groups that play videogames. Therefore, during the gameplay, players will gain pleasure in killing them which could therefore have a negative impact on the society of gamers.
Manhunt, a stealth game released in 2003, was very controversial. The game's graphic presentation of the executions is accentuated in a style reminiscent of a ‘snuff film’, and the game encourages players to execute enemies as brutally as possible. An example includes the protagonist fiercely decapitating one of the characters head with a crowbar. In addition to the gruesome manner in which the player kills other characters in the game, the protagonist is rewarded for brutally murdering innocent people.
However, video games are also argued to be a concern, as technology is improving at a fast pace meaning that the realism of violence in video games will continue to be more explicit. We do know that playing violent video games show physiological effects that are different compared to playing less violent games or no games at all and that those effects may be even greater for children who already show aggressive tendencies".
All in all, it can clearly be seen how video games have changed the audience’s expectation as the years go on but more importantly signifies the end of soft core violence. However, it can be understood ultimately that there are no real threats but a remaining concern by parents mainly due to the fact that it seems wrong to a certain extent to allow children to be exposed to such violence and realism to the world that they live in. “In contrast to modern life, where most of our exposure to real violence, crime and death is via news and entertainment fictions, past societies were far more accustomed to violence in their real life worlds.” [17]
Works Cited
Books:
· Cleave, Ryan G.. "1." Unplugged: my journey into the dark world of video game addiction. Deerfield Beach, FL: Health Communications, 2010. 3. Print.
· DeMaria, Rusel. "1." Reset: changing the way we look at video games. San Francisco, Calif.: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2007. 10. Print.
· Dini, Kourosh. Video Game Play and Addiction. Bloomington: iUniverse, 2008. Print.
· Tapscott, Don. Wikinomics: Harnessing the Power of Mass Collaboration, New York: Penguin Portfolio, 2006 pg 7 ( Lieberman 1993)
· Wesley, David, and Gloria Barczak Innovation and Marketing in the Video Games Industry, Social and Economic Impact of video games, pg 10
· Hall, Stuart. "18." Stuart Hall: Critical Dialogues in Cultural Studies. London: SAGE, 2004. 1844. Print
Websites:
· Vaz, Keith . "Byron Review." Parliament. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Nov. 2009. <www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmhansrd/cm091109/debtext/91109-0002.htm >.
· Cooke, David , Sir Quentin Thomas, and Graham Lee. "Mission Statement." British Board of Film Classification. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Nov. 2011. <www.bbfc.co.uk/about/mission-statement>. /
· Rayner, Alex. "Are video games just propaganda and training tools for the military? | Technology | The Guardian ." The Guardian . N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2012.
· "MTV Multiplayer." MTV Multiplayer. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2012. <http://www.multiplayerblog.mtv.com>.
· Stewart, Keith, and Mark Sweney. "Modern Warfare 3 hits the $1bn mark in record time | The Guardian ." The Guardian . N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2012. <http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/dec/12/modern-warfare-3-breaks-1bn-barrier>.
· Sammons, Aidan. "Gender Differences." Psychology. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2009. <www.psychlotron.org.uk/newResources/Vitagliano, Ed. "AFAJournal.org - Violent video games."
· AFA Journal March 2012. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2012. <http://www.afajournal.org/2004/july/704video
· Nadem, Ahmad , and Ahmad Haroon. "Afghan civilian deaths spark calls for US exit - Asia - World - The Independent." Independent The Independent | News | UK and Worldwide News | Newspaper . N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2012. <http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/afghan-civilian-deaths-spark-calls-for-us-exit-7562398.html>.
Works Consulted
Books:
· Gunter, Barrie. The effects of video games on children: the myth unmasked. Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press, 1998. Print.
· Newman, James. Playing with videogames . New York: Routledge, 2008. Print.
· Oppliger, Patrice A.. Wrestling and hypermasculinity. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2004. Print.
· Orderer, Peter, and Jennings Bryant. Playing video games: motives, responses, and consequences. Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2006. Print
· Rosser, James. Playin' to win: a surgeon, scientist and parent examines the upside of video games. Garden City, NY: Morgan James Publishing, Llc, 2008. Print.
· Signorielli, Nancy. "violence in the media." Violence in the media: a reference handbook. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, 2005. 36, 37. Print.
· Tapscott, Don. Grown up digital how the net generation is changing your world.. Concordville, Pa.: Soundview Executive Book Summaries ;, 2009. Print. Page 298
· Wesley, David, and Gloria Barczak. Innovation and Marketing in the Video Game Industry: Avoiding the Performance Trap.. Farnham: Ashgate Publishing Ltd, 2010. Print.
Websites:
· Vaz Keith “Byron Review”, Parliament http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmhansrd/cm091109/debtext/91109-0002.htm, 9 Nov 2009
· Game changers: the women who make video games -http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/dec/08/women-videogames-designing-writing
· Will computer games kill off the novel? http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/oct/30/computer-games-books-charlie-higson
· Doom III: Virtual Insanity? –http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/doom-iii-virtual-insanity-647676.html
· Violent films, video games and TV shows do make boys aggressive, study finds – http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1321627/Violent-films-video-games-TV-shows-DO-make-boys-aggressive.html
· Negative effects of violent video games becoming clearer – http://www.afajournal.org/2004/july/704video.asp
· Violent video games linked to child aggression – http://articles.cnn.com/2008-11-03/health/healthmag.violent.video.kids_1_violent-video-video-games-game-genres?_s=PM:HEALTH
[1] Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Trailer
[2] Innovation and Marketing in the Video Games Industry, Wesley, David, and Gloria Barczak 2006
[4] http://www.psychlotron.org.uk/newResources/developmental/AS_AQB_gender_BioBasics.pdf - Gender: biological theory
[5] http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/dec/12/modern-warfare-3-breaks-1bn-barrier - Modern Warfare 3 hits the $1bn mark in record time
[6] Hall, Stuart. "18." Stuart Hall: Critical Dialogues in Cultural Studies. London: SAGE, 2004. 1844. Print
[9] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/afghan-civilian-deaths-spark-calls-for-us-exit-7562398.html - Afghan civilian deaths spark calls for US exit
[10] Multiplayerblog.mtv.com
[12] Ibid
[13] Grown up digital how the next generation is changing your world.. Tapscott, Don, pg 7 ( Lieberman 1993)
[14] http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/mar/18/video-games-propaganda-tools-military
[15] Dini, Kourosh. Video Game Play and Addiction. Bloomington: iUniverse, 2008. Print.
[16] Cleave, Ryan G.. "1." Unplugged: my journey into the dark world of video game addiction.
[17] DeMaria, Rusel. "1." Reset: changing the way we look at video games.
