Task 4

when finding further links to help my investigation i was able to note some of the best theories in which will be included when writing my work.

Violence

This is not only done through influences of media but also how gaming violence and narrative roles influence how the audience portray things.
here are many things society as a whole and individuals can do to appease or inflame the issue, however each argument has a counter argument and a counter argument will exist for that and so on.

Because it is an issue of such heated debate with no answer or possibility of an answer should we just leave the issue be and choose not to address it further? Or should we make the issue widely known so society is more aware of the role the media can play. Or perhaps we should leave it to the media to publicise that. After all the media does have a strong influence.


Hyperdermic Needle

This is a theory in which suggests that the Media somehow 'injects' the audience on what they should belive, how they should act and what their veiws should be portrayed. ( as a syringe injects drugs into the body )

- draws attention to the power of the media producers over its audiences and how they are able to forcefeed infomation/views in which the audience should believe/trust
- It makes audiences seem 'passive' and 'powerless'

Does it influence us ?

Many theorists believed that the increase in violence was a direct result of violet images being shown in cinema through the Hyperdermic Needle theory. One such theorist stated that the new found media was manipulating the mainstream masses and deliberately causing crime and violence for financial gain. Although this argument has been cast aside man times it always returns in modern society when there is a severe outbreak of violence on TV.

These are links in which help both back up the ways in which narrative roles are contructed and also how they can be challenged giving me both sides to a arguement.
( How are the narrative roles of hero/villain constructed in popular video games such as the 'Call of Duty' and why are they more complicated than in earlier texts in the war genre? )

http://lass.calumet.purdue.edu/cca/gmj/fa08/gmj-fa08-kavoori.htm

Gaming as Narrative
Galloway suggests that a key element in discussing gaming narratives is to see the relationship between the gaming world and the real world. He explains that historically the theories of visual culture refer to such relationship as the problematics of representation.

http://www.karsten-wenzlaff.de/wp-content/uploads/2006/10/wenzlaff-game-theory-and-terrorism.pdf

Difficulties of modelling terrorism in game theory
If we assume rationality of the terrorists, we can use game theory to identify the strategic interactions, such as dominant strategies and the issue of threats. Most ‘irrational’ notions of terrorism can be incorporated in the framework of game theory by adjusting strategies and pay-offs in the game. Game theory also allows uncertainty and behaviour under risk. And finally, it explains changes of behaviour when the rules of the game are changed.23 Modelling terrorism in game theory is complicated.

http://www.springerlink.com/content/ll3rvgmn5u7301d8/

Storytelling, people, computers, and digital communications are becoming increasingly interwoven. The idea of using procedural techniques to involve people in stories is enormously attractive, yet actually finding a way to create interactive fiction that achieves both artistic and commercial success remains elusive.

Views on muslims in Call Of Duty
http://gamebattles.com/forums/t/3550110.html

Well the serial killer that was attacking in my hometown was a muslim. If I understand right, they hate all infidels and wish to kill all infidels. The United States and the people of it are infidels to them making us enemies naturally. So the hatred is mutual if this is the case
Anti Call of Duty, Social Networking
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=9917199564

Has Call of Duty violence Toned down ?
http://spawnkill.com/2010/10/25/call-of-duty-black-ops-violence-toned-down/

“It was a contextual kill where you were twisting the neck. It was too much. The throat cutting nasty, but that was worse.” Because of this, Treyarch had to scale back and tailor the game to a more acceptable range.

Has this game toped the Cal Of Duty war Franchise ?
http://www.su-spectator.com/entertainment/raising-the-b-a-r-with-cod-black-ops-1.1782855
.
Overall, Call of Duty: Black Ops is the next true step in the series, not just another nameless entry. Any of the three main game modes could be packaged as separate games, but you get them all for one price of entry

Too much violence ( treyarch)
http://www.thesixthaxis.com/2010/10/22/black-ops-violence-too-much-treyarch/

There were situations going too far. It was a a contextual kill where you were twisting the neck. It was too much. The throat cutting is nasty, but that was worse.”

Is this Depicting War ?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2010/sep/19/war-video-games-hennessey-sicart

‘The tension the audience feels brings them as close as they’re going to get to the real thing’

Violence, War, and Call of Duty 4
"Is it a coincidence that the game came out in 2007, when in January that year an extensive BBC poll found that 73% of the global population disapproves of the war in Iraq?"

"The game even periodically presents quotes on the subject of war and violence (usually when you fail in the single player). Among them are Yassar Arafat: “Whoever stands by a just cause cannot possibly be called a terrorist.” Bertrand Russel: “War does not determine who is right - only who is left.” Erasmus: “War is delightful to those who have not yet experienced it.” And what is Call of Duty 4 but an experience - and therefore, a potential deterrence - of war? Whatever Call of Duty 4 may be, it is certainly not an advertisement for actually being in the situations it places the player. The atmosphere is tense at the best of times. Nowhere is safe on the battlefield as bullets sing through even the densest wall. Even the best player must die multiple times - what of the real life soldier? "

"Is it a coincidence that the game came out in 2007, when in January that year an extensive BBC poll found that 73% of the global population disapproves of the war in Iraq?"

"that games do incorporate powerful psychological techniques to create a compulsion loop, but without these there would be no substance to a game."

Gaming addiction: myth, medical condition or moral panic?
http://www.infowars.com/violence-in-video-games-and-the-baghdad-massacre/
"Shooting dogs, beating children and murdering innocent civilians are dwarfed by the amount of unmitigated evil game developers are having their heroes portray."

Does game violence make teens aggressive?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16099971/ns/technology_and_science-games/
“Based on our results, I think parents should be aware of the relationship between violent video-game playing and brain function.”

Is Media Violence a Problem?
http://www.enotes.com/media-violence-problem-article

“Fear of being victimized by violence.” Constant exposure to violence in the media may lead people to believe that violence is everywhere and that they should be afraid. Researcher George Gerbner has described this as “Mean World Syndrome.”
"Children’s exposure to violence in the mass media, particularly at young ages, can have harmful lifelong consequences."

The Influence of Media Violence on Youth
http://psi.sagepub.com/content/4/3/81.abstract

"media violence increases the likelihood of aggressive and violent behavior in both immediate and long-term contexts."

"Media violence produces short-term increases by priming existing aggressive scripts and cognitions, increasing physiological arousal, and triggering an automatic tendency to imitate observed behaviors."



Finally these are the links in which have helped me find some issues and debates that will back up the narrative roles and how they have not yet been challenged in the war genre games such as the Call of Duty franchise.

Moral Panic
Modern moral panic

The controversy just won’t stop. As has been explained a thousand times before, the airport massacre level in Modern Warfare 2 is skippable and doesn’t involve you having to shoot anyone at all; you can just hang back with the rest of the rabble and follow them through the mayhem. Not that it matters of course, because it’s just a game and no-one actually dies.

Moral Effects
http://www.york.ac.uk/education/research/cresj/violence/

Violence in gaming was the other factor in which had been researched and through this I was able to find that younger people use the violence they learn from gaming and apply them to society through ethnic/cultural differences.
“Knowledge about young people’s views on violence and acceptance of violence in different contexts has important implications for violence prevention initiatives, particularly those in schools. If young people’s acceptance of violence is linked to their understandings of appropriate gender behaviour then an inherent aspect of effective violence prevention will also be to destabilise existing gender norms and expectations.”

Effects on violent media on children
Recent research has shown that connections between children playing violent video games can cause later aggressive behavioral problems. In retrospect studies have also shown a twelve percent increase in aggressive behavior after watching violent television as well

Post 9/11
Concerns on violent behaviour due to games
Young children have difficulty distinguishing reality from fantasy, which makes them more vulnerable to the effects of media violence. They may become more aggressive and fearful if they are exposed to high levels of violence in video games.

Censorship
Russia Bans
The Russian government pulled Modern Warfare 2 as a response to the Russian airport terror level, which we first revealed a few weeks back. But Russian gamers are also taking to gaming sites to attack developer Infinity Ward for its portrayal of their nation.

Ownership Control

Infinity Ward
Treyarch
Activision

One of the reasons why the owenership vary is because they compete with eachother through the Call Of Duty franchise. This allows them to make one game each year one after another making the next one better through competing. This evidently causes the game to become better which appeals to the Audience.