Project One: Call of Duty: Black Ops - There's a Solder in all of us
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pblj3JHF-Jo
It is a common belief among people that games are meant only for kids. The "There's A Soldier in All of Us" ad by Activision for the new Call of Duty: Black Ops game challenges that popular belief. Activision’s newest advertisement appeals to consumers by showing a wide variety of people taking part in the gaming environment.
While still managing to appeal to their original fan-base by showing the guns, explosions, and the interactive aspect of the game, their addition of everyday people alongside big name celebrities like Jimmy Kimmel and Kobe Bryant attracts more people to the game.
In the last decade, the gaming industry has boomed. Gaming technology has expanded, and along with the consumer base. The Entertainment Software Association reports that nearly three quarters of American households play computer or video games and that the average gamer’s age is 37. By showing people of different ages, genders and from various work backgrounds, Activison is appealing to the growing number of gamers in today’s society.
Furthering their attempts to attract the ever-growing gamer consumer base, Activision incorporates a sense of camaraderie in this commercial. People that you’ve never personally met are placed on your team to fight a virtual opposing threat. Being able to fit-in with a group of “strangers” allows the consumer to feel more at ease online and attracts those who may not get along with their peers outside of the gaming world.
“There’s A Soldier in All of Us” does not bias against racial backgrounds or age and pits people together and against each other in a way that makes you feel like you’re a part of something clearly bigger. This is highly effective and certainly one of the main attraction points for any game like Call of Duty with a massive online support-base. Looking at previous advertising efforts for their later games shows the use of the virtual characters and not exactly the person controlling that character. This commercial gives a visual representation of the people all over the world that come together to play the game and shows that regardless of experience and other everyday factors, you can still come together in this kind of environment.
The fact that video games are evolving visually every day is also a great aspect here. The excitement of literally being a battle situation is thrilling in itself, but when placed with other people in a virtual environment today is almost like being there physically. The graphical aspects of the game are extremely well made to further immerse the gamer in that environment and essentially, be there themselves. “It's a dramatization of what it's like to play the game”, said Rob Schwartz of TBWA (the agency responsible for making the advertisement).
This dramatization, although accurately showing the fan-base of the gaming series, does not show the actual game or any footage from it. Although this commercial is a great hook, for prospective gamers to base their gaming experience off a dramatization is like trying to discern how good a movie from the poster. The violence content of the ad has created a lot of scrutiny amongst some critics showing it to be misleading.
While simulating a war environment with explosions and guns, the ad fails to provide a realistic approach to this situation. As many people have complained: war is not all fun and games. TBWA strategically does not show any injuries, deaths or anything denoting actual pain. All though it is quite evident that this is a game, by showing only real people using ‘real’ weapons, the ad does not properly illustrate war, the clear theme of the game. Sam Machkovech states that the “There’s a Soldier in All of Us” ad "comes closer to selling real death than any video game possibly could.”
While I agree that the ad is disillusioning consumers to the actual dangers of warfare, the rhetorical aspects of the ad itself are extremely well played. Almost every second of the ad is exciting and the Rolling Stones song, although not completely befitting of the situation, is a great addition. In conclusion, though the ad successfully attracts and depicts the representation of people who may play the game, there are many negative implications of showing real people act out a war-scenario.
Rough Draft Workshop by Perrin Steve Atisha
1. The thesis is talking about Activision’s newest advertisement appeals to consumers by showing a wide variety of people taking part in the gaming environment.
2. It has a clear purpose because its talking about how we can come together and play this game without any biases or worrying about our day to day struggles and that is true because many people let out their anger and become at peace when they play these video games, ive seen it happen with my own brothers.
3. The paper needs structure, in other words it needs to flow better, following from one point to another. I feel like you are talking about one thing and then jump to the next.
4. The argument is that these video games are good and are not hurtful to others. I think the last paragraph where you explain that there are many negative implications of showing real people act out a war-scenario. You should either take this out because it contradicts your argument or explain why it doesn't.
5. The strongest part of the paper is when you talk about how people all over the world come together to play the game and it shows that regardless of experience and other everyday factors, you can still come together in this kind of environment.
6. The weakest part would probably be how you end it.
7. A counter-argument would be "If kids are playing these games they will become more aggressive in school, more hostile to teachers, students, and their parents." We could go on to say that these games will lower grades due to the amount of time playing and it can lead to ruining futures.
8. The grammar is great...
9. I would FAIL you...just kidding i would give you an A. Laugh...its good for you!
ya im weird i know
Adam Klaser’s workshop response
1. Is there a clear argument/thesis to the paper? Identify the thesis directly in the text or paraphrase it in your own words.
The thesis is not really clear and underdeveloped.
2. Does the paper have a clear exigence and purpose? Do you have a solid idea of why this argument is an important one and/or why it is or should be interesting to an audience made up of people such as yourself? What is the exigence?
The purpose of this paper is to show how video games attract not only kids but also adults and people from a variety of backgrounds and how everyone can play the game without any worries.
3. Does the paper follow a clear structure or does it read more like a disconnected series of observations? I.e., do the different paragraphs or sections of the piece seem to follow from one another? Are there appropriate transitions between different sections and ideas? Is there any part of the paper that seems unnecessary - "beside the point" or unrelated to the overall argument of the project as a whole?
The paper does not really flow together and needs better transitions in order to make it more connected.
4. Did any argument or analysis in this paper seem unwarranted or exaggerated (in other words, did you think the writer was "jumping to conclusions" at times or being unfairly judgmental or dismissive)?
I think that the part where you talk about the graphics needs to be taken out because it isn’t really talking about the ad which is what your paper is about.
5. What, in your opinion, is the strongest part of this paper?
The strongest part of your paper is when you talk about how everyone can come together and play a video game no matter how old you are or where you are from.
6. What, in your opinion, is the weakest part of this paper?
The weakest part of your paper would have to be the thesis and the structure.
7. If you were presenting a counter-argument to the paper (i.e., an attempt to argue against the thesis or central argument of the paper), what would it be? E.g., if you were asked to provide a counter-argument to the example paper we read on "Advergaming," you might argue that advertising in gaming is either not as widespread or not as problematic as the authors suggests (and provided reasons).
The counter-argument, I would make would be that because of video games kids are shown violence when they are young which can be a huge influence in their lives.
8. On the sentence-level, did you find the paper to be well written? Does it contain poor grammmar or sentence-fragments? Is it unnecessarily wordy at times?
I found your paper to have no grammatical mistakes.
9. Finally, what grade would you give this paper if you were evaluating it as it is now?
If I were to be grading this paper right now I would probably give it a B because of the lack of a thesis.