Call of Duty
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, however there are also other minor developers which help create individual aspects of the game, such as the campaign and multiplayer modes. There are currently eight Call of Duty games that have been released to the market, the most recent being Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, which was released on November 8, 2011. 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. [1]
Contents
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 take place during World War II, with Call of Duty: Black Ops taking place during the Cold War. The Modern Warfare titles take 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. In the most recent release, Makarov succeeds in inciting international conflict, and the game is a stark representation of World War III as it would be in modern times. Call of Duty includes different guns, grenades, and other weapons according to setting of the game. For instance, the Modern Warfare series has more modernized weapons than the older Call of Duty games set in World War II. The latest installment in the series is Call of Duty: Black Ops II which takes place in the 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 game every year in November, beginning in 2005. There have been many complaints that they simply use this strategy so that consumers are forced to purchase a new game every year, as the gameplay of each game hardly changes year to year. However, the recent release of Call of Duty: Black Ops II, shows that their marketing strategy is still successful.
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. [2] 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 the newly released Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 broke the record again, grossing $775 million in its first five days. [3]
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). [4]
Ethical Implications
Similar to most first-person shooter games, many concerned parents have expressed their concerns about the Call of Duty series promoting violent behavior among their children. There have also been many concerns about the Call of Duty series causing desensitization towards the severity of guns and violence in general.
Modern Warfare 2
In the single player mode of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, there is a very controversial level, named "No Russian," which takes place in a airport with the user disguised as a terrorist. The objective of the level is to travel through an airport and kill all of the innocent civilians and the character that the player controls is an undercover U.S. C.I.A. agent. Many gamers when playing the level for the first time reframed from shooting the citizens in fear of failing the level due to shooting innocent citizens as in the rest of the levels in the game. Once the gamer became aware that the murdering of innocent citizens had no consequences within the game, the feeling of being obligated not to murder innocent citizen was non existent. Although users have the ability to opt-out of playing this level, the game is still making the gamer participate in in what some consider unethical actions. During the level, many civilians are screaming and crying, and their deaths are often gory. The terrorist's methods of killing the civilians range from gunshots to grenades, which cause the most gore and brutality. This level alone has made Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 one of the most controversial games to date.
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 and then suddenly a truck explodes killing them instantly. The designers give players the option to skip this scene because of its graphic nature.
Black Ops II
Black Ops II, the most recent game in the series, also contains many ethical implications. The single player mode is set in the year 2025 where a terrorist group gains control of US 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 civillian 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.
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 [6]. Video game addicts immerse themselves in their games, even playing for 20 hours straight at times, which can lead to failed relationships and marriages.[7]
See Also
References
- ↑ Video game franchise sales. Retrieved on 2011-12-02.
- ↑ Call of Duty total sales. Retrieved 2011-12-02.
- ↑ Modern Warfare 3 Sales. Retrieved 2011-12-02.
- ↑ Call of Duty: Elite. Retrieved on 2011-12-02.
- ↑ http://callofduty.wikia.com/wiki/MQ-27_Dragonfire
- ↑ http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700140348/Video-game-addiction-blamed-for-15-percent-of-divorces.html
- ↑ http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700140348/Video-game-addiction-blamed-for-15-percent-of-divorces.html
