Call of Duty
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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, nine Call of Duty games that have been released to the market, most recently Call of Duty: Black Ops II, which was released on November 13, 2012. 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. [2] Like many first person shooter games, Call of Duty incorporates a significant amount of violence and thus has some ethical implications.
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 took 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 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. The latest installment in the series 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.
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. [3] 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. [4] 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.[5]
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). [6]
Ethical Implications
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 toward violence and killing.
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 an 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. In most other levels of the game, harming civilians causes the user to fail and start again from the beginning. "No Russian" actually requires the gamer to shoot innocent bystanders in order to advance. Although users have the ability to opt-out of playing this level, the creators of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 are sill able to encourage the gamer to participate in what some consider unethical actions. Adding to the horror and unethical nature of the game, during the level, many civilians are screaming and crying, and their deaths are often gory.
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.
Black Ops II
Black Ops II, the most recent game in the series contains many ethical implications. 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 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. Video game addicts immerse themselves in their games, even playing for 20 hours straight at times, which can lead to failed relationships and marriages. [8]. 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 [9]
See Also
- Ethics in Computer & Video Games
- World of Warcraft
- Warcraft III
- Game Addiction
- Team Fortress 2
- Bioshock
References
- ↑ Call of Duty, Wikipedia Retrieved on 12-05-2012.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Black Ops 2 Sales. Retrieved 2012-12-05.
- ↑ Call of Duty: Elite. Retrieved on 2011-12-02.
- ↑ MQ-27_Dragonfire Retrieved on 12-05-2012.
- ↑ Video Games = Divorce Retrieved on 12-05-2011.
- ↑ Video Games: World Record Retrieved on 12-05-1012.
