Difference between revisions of "Call of Duty"

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Call of Duty

"Screenshot from the Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2" [1] Type Video Game Launch Date October 29, 2003 [1] Status Active Product Line Call of Duty Call of Duty II Call of Duty III Call of Duty IV: Modern Warfare Call of Duty: World at War Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II Call of Duty: Black Ops Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III Call of Duty: Black Ops II Call of Duty: Ghosts Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Call of Duty: Black Ops III Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare Platform Mac OS X, Windows, iOS, Xbox 360, Playstation 3 Website www.callofduty.com/

Call of Duty is a first-person shooter video game franchise created by Ben Chichoski and published by Activision. The original game was created and released for PC, but it has since grown to include other gaming platforms, mainly Microsoft's Xbox and Sony's PlayStation. The two main developers of the Call of Duty series are Infinity Ward and Treyarch. There are also other minor developers which help create individual aspects of the game, such as the campaign and multiplayer modes. Currently, there are thirteen Call of Duty games that have been released to the market, with the most recent one being Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, which was developed by Infinity Ward and released on November 4, 2016.^[2] The Call of Duty series has quickly become one of the most successful video game franchises ever, recently securing a spot on an exclusive list of 11 video game franchises which have sold over 100 million copies worldwide. ^[3] Like many first person shooter games, Call of Duty incorporates a significant amount of violence, and the game has experienced some ethical backlash as a result.

Series information

The Call of Duty series is divided into two main parts, the main Call of Duty series and the Modern Warfare series. The Call of Duty titles mostly took place during World War II, with Call of Duty: Black Ops taking place during the Cold War. The Modern Warfare titles takes place in a more modern setting, as the title suggests, where the main playable characters chase down a terrorist named Makarov, who is obsessed with inciting world war. During the release of Modern Warfare 3, Makarov succeeds in inciting international conflict, and the game is a stark representation of World War III as it could be in modern times. Call of Duty gameplay includes various guns, grenades, and other weapons depending on game mode and level. The Modern Warfare series has more modernized weapons than the older Call of Duty games set in World War II. In one of the previous installments, is Call of Duty: Black Ops II which takes place in the year 2025, featuring futuristic, high-tech weaponry and drones.

Aside from the first Call of Duty, which was released in October 2003, Activision has released a new Call of Duty annually in November, beginning in 2005. There have been many complaints that developers use this strategy to lure customers into purchasing a new game every year, while the actual gameplay of each new version remains mostly the same. However, the success of the most recent release, Call of Duty: Black Ops II, shows that their marketing strategy is still successful.

The cover of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Revenue

Shortly after the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, the total sales of the Call of Duty series exceeded 55 million copies worldwide, equating to roughly three billion dollars in revenue. ^[4] Over the past few years, the Call of Duty series has set revenue records with each game it has released. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 brought in $550 million in the first five days after release, Call of Duty: Black Ops generated $650 million in its first five days, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 broke the record again, grossing $775 million in its first five days. ^[5] Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 raised the bar by generating $500 million in its first 24 hours and $1 billion after fifteen days on the shelves.^[6]

Call of Duty Elite

Along with the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Beachhead Studios developed and released Call of Duty: Elite, an online service which users can use to track online statistics along with many other features. This online service is free to use by anyone, but also has an option for a paid subscription for those who wish to have more features. Some of the highlights of Call of Duty: Elite include their multiple-game stats tracking, bonus game content, and social networking features. Users that pay for the "premium" package ($49.99 per year) get the following bonus perks: exclusive monthly downloadable content, daily challenges for prizes, clan integration with leveling, professional advice, and Elite TV (allows users to watch videos to improve their gameplay). ^[7]

Ethical Implications

Many concerned parents have expressed their concerns about the Call of Duty series promoting violent behavior amongst their children. There have also been many concerns regarding the Call of Duty series and the desensitization that it causes toward violence and killing. In addition, many of the players play the game with the use of a microphone, speaking into it during gameplay. Many parents have expressed concern that this allows for much negative and sometimes racist language over the network. Due to the fact that you can talk to other players live, there is no censorship of this speaking and can lead to intense arguments during game. People are matched up from all over the country, where almost nothing but your Xbox gamertag is shown to other users. This creates an anonymous atmosphere, so users feel that they can say whatever they want without being punished.

Modern Warfare 2

A screenshot from the controversial level "No Russian" in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Controversies quickly erupted over the "No Russian" level of the game, in which players assume the role of an undercover CIA agent who has joined a group of Russian terrorists. In order to maintain his cover, the CIA agent is encouraged to take part in an airport rampage, which involves machine-gunning down Russian civilians. The objective of this mission is to cause as much mayhem as possible within the airport. Throughout the level, players are presented with countless opportunities to take out harmless civilians. Ethical concerns arise over the inconsequential freedom for players to gun down the innocent.^[8] Although users hold the option to skip this mission, developers encourage gamers to play through this mission in order to further the plot of the storyline^[9]. It should be noted that it is possible to complete this mission without killing any civilians, although this is not immediately clear to a player the first time they play through the game.

Shortly after its release in 2009, Russia announced the banning of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 over the controversial level. On November 10th, Activision announced that sales will resume for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 in Russia with removal of the "No Russian" level.^[10]

Modern Warfare 3

Again, in the single player mode of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, there is a controversial scene 'Davis Family Vacation' involving the death of a child. From the perspective of a home video camera you see a mother and daughter walking down the streets of London when suddenly a truck explodes, killing them instantly. The game designers give players the option to skip this scene because of its graphic nature and depiction of innocent civilian deaths.

A quadrotor drone in Call of Duty: Black Ops II that can be autonomous or player controlled ^[11]

Black Ops II

Black Ops II contains many ethical implications that deal with futuristic warfare strategies that have proven to be controversial. The single player mode is set in the year 2025, where a terrorist group gains control of U.S. military drones and uses them against the United States. While the story is set in the future, autonomous military drones are being developed and tested today. Currently, many people are opposed to the development of drones because their autonomy raises the risk of civilian casualties. The human emotions attached to the act of killing is removed, and accountability is difficult to place when drones do the work. The campaign mode illustrates how dangerous these weapons would be when fallen into the wrong hands. However, it also shows the benefits of drones. Drones would take the place of human soldiers on the battlefield, therefore making it much safer for our soldiers. In the multiplayer mode, players can virtually experience this safety. When attacking with guns, players take the risk of getting killed by another player, but when using drones, they can score kills and points without actually risking their own life.

Black Ops III Failed Marketing Ploy

In weeks leading up to the release of Black Ops III, Activision re-branded their Twitter account to appear like a genuine news organization named 'Current Events Aggregate.' Frome there, they proceeded to post fictional tweets that appeared to cover a major terrorist attack in Singapore. The account, which has since returned to its original Call of Duty name, included tweets which alluded to massive explosions, the collapse of social order and talks of Quarantine Zones and violence. Although there was not any widespread panic caused by the plot, many viewed it as tasteless and very irresponsible. It was also noted that the choice of Singapore for the location of these phony attacks was a particularly poor choice considering its both past and present struggles with groups such as Jemaah Islamiyah and the so-called Islamic State. ^[12]

Societal Impact

As video games are currently at the peak of their popularity, their impact on society has been greatly magnified. Many believe that video games have transformed from a fun hobby to a full fledged addiction for many players. Like any addiction, video game addiction has serious implications. In 2011, fifteen percent of divorces in the U.S. were attributed to video game addiction of games such as World of Warcraft, Call of Duty, and Halo. Video game addicts immerse themselves in their games, even playing for 20 hours straight at times, which can lead to failed relationships and marriages. ^[13]. One Australian man named Okan Kaya, set the world record of playing Call of Duty: Black Ops II for 135 straight hours (seven full days) with 10 minute breaks during the session which is an extreme case of video game addiction ^[14] In other scenarios, video games like Call of Duty can cause players to fully immerse themselves in gameplay, further distracting them from their personal hygiene, societal duties, work, or school.

Call of Duty Online

The Call of Duty series has become popular among gamers because they a source of entertainment for hours on end. The story mode has caught the attention of gamers worldwide but the online multiplayer is also very popular among gamers. Activision even announced that players spend an average of 340 hours playing Call Of Duty a year.<redhttps://www.videogamer.com/news/the-average-call-of-duty-user-plays-for-how-long></ref> These games have societal impacts on gamers but there are also ethical implications with the online multiplayer mode. Players in First-Person Shooter games (FPS), such as Call of Duty, are paired with other players around the world. Players can be teamed up or be matched against each other and the team with the most kills wins.^[15] The players are also able to communicate with one another using microphones and talk to random people online. This ability to communicate with strangers has brought up many ethical dilemmas with the online community because many players fall victims of Phishing Scams or some form of cyberbullying while playing online.<red>http://internet-safety.yoursphere.com/2012/01/cyberbullying-and-online-gaming-how-to-protect-your-child-2/</ref>

See Also

• Ethics in Computer & Video Games
• Electronic Sports
• World of Warcraft
• Warcraft III
• Game Addiction
• Team Fortress 2
• BioShock

External Links

• Call of Duty's Website
• Call of Duty's Wiki
• Call of Duty: Elite's Website

References

1. ↑ Call of Duty, Wikipedia Retrieved on 12-05-2012.
2. ↑ Scott Lowe · (May 2, 2016) · Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare - Everything You Need to Know · work · Activision · April 17, 2017
3. ↑ List of best-selling video game franchises. Retrieved on 2011-12-02.
4. ↑ Ingham, Tim. Call of Duty total tops 55 million sales 27 November 2009. Retrieved 2 December 2011.
5. ↑ Sliwinski, Alexander. Modern Warfare 3 Sales. 17 November 2011. Retrieved 2 December 2011.
6. ↑ Tassi, Paul. Black Ops 2 Sales. 5 December 2012. Retrieved 5 December 2012.
7. ↑ Call of Duty: Elite. Retrieved on 2011-12-02.
8. ↑ http://kotaku.com/5931235/the-designer-of-call-of-dutys-no-russian-massacre-wanted-you-to-feel-something
9. ↑ Totilo, Stephan. "The Designer of Call of Duty's 'No Russian' Massacre Wanted You to Feel Something." 2 August 2012. Retrieved on 5 December 2012.
10. ↑ Shaer, Matthew. "Modern Warfare 2 not banned in Russia, according to Activision." 17 November 2009. Retrieved on 5 December 2012.
11. ↑ MQ-27_Dragonfire Retrieved on 12-05-2012.
12. ↑ Newton, Mark. Call of Duty Controversy: Black Ops III Creates Fake Terror Attack to Sell Game 5 October 2012. Retrieved on 17 April 2016.
13. ↑ Whatcott, Andrea. "Video-game addiction blamed for 15 percent of divorces." 31 May 2011. Retrieved on 5 December 2011.
14. ↑ Video Games: World Record 21 November 2011. Retrieved on 5 December 1012.
15. ↑ https://nobullying.com/more-on-bullying-in-online-games/

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