Wednesday 25 November 2015

Academic research and bibliography

GRAND THEFT CHILDHOOD
Kutner, L., & Olson, C. (2008). Grand theft childhood: The surprising truth about violent video games and what parents can do. New York: Simon & Schuster. 


"Darren had a tough time in school earlier that week. On Monday, a teacher had said something that embarrassed him in front of his classmates. When he went home that afternoon, he plugged in his video game console, loaded Grand Theft Auto 3, blew up a few cars and shot a half-dozen people, including a young blonde woman. When asked, Darren admits that the woman he killed in the game looked a lot like his teacher." CHAPTER 1, PAGE 1.

Columbine High School shooters Dylan Harris and Eric Klebold were avid computer gamers. According to psychologists Craig Anderson and Karen Dill, "One possible contributing factor is violent video games. Harris and Klebold enjoyed playing the bloody shoot-em-up video game Doom, a game licensed by the US Army to train soldiers to effectively kill." CHAPTER 1, PAGE 2.

"It's unlikely that Harris and Klebold's interest in violent videogames or other violent media played any significant role in their actions. An FBI investigation concluded that Klebold was significantly depressed and suicidal, and Harris was a sociopath." CHAPTER 1, PAGE 4.

 "Young game players are socially isolated and unable to form interpersonal relationships." CHAPTER 1, PAGE 2.

"Video games that are rated "T" ("suitable for ages 13 and older") are less likely to desensitize a child to real-world violence than video games that are rated "M" ("suitable for ages 17 and older"). "CHAPTER 1, PAGE 2.

 "Much of the information in the popular press about the effects of violent video games is wrong." CHAPTER 1, PAGE 3.

"For younger children especially, games are a topic of conversation that allows them to build relationships with peers" CHAPTER 1, PAGE 5.

"Also, those games in which the player is rewarded with extra points for avoiding a violent confrontation (e.g., the SWAT series) are given the same "M" rating as those games in which the player is given extra points for piling up virtual corpses." CHAPTER 1, PAGE 7.

This book is relevant to my case study as it shows a balanced argument of video games and the impact it has on children. It also speaks a lot about how the press and how news institutions always have a negative against side on video games and how they talk lies about video games.

GAMING AT THE EDGE
 Shaw, A. (2015). Gaming at the edge: Sexuality and gender at the margins of gamer culture. 



"it never really occurred to me that gaming was something only a certain type of person did. In fact, it was only in my adult life that I heard people talking about the heterosexual, white, cisgendered male gamer as the norm”

"In Grand Theft Auto, it is used to construct a “credible” gangster fantasy, in Resident Evil 5, to paint a “realistic” picture of Africa. While these examples have been heavily contested as particularly “bad” representations of racial minorities"

"Games are absorbing, but in order to do that identification isn’t required” 

This book is relevant to my case study as it is almost like a audience study on gamers. Adrienne Shaw argues that video game players experience race, gender, and sexuality. Overall revealing how representation comes to matter to participants and considering the high stakes in politics of representation debates.

VIOLENCE IN VIDEO GAMES
Gimpel, D. (2013). Violence in video games. 



           

This book links to my case study as it has a lot of real life information of incidents that have occurred within video game violence, also speaks on how genuine they may be and how the news blame video games when really the killers are deranged and depressed teens.


VIOLENT VIDEO GAME EFFECTS ON CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS
Anderson, C., & Gentile, D. (2007). Violent video game effects on children and adolescents: Theory, research, and public policy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.  


"Characters make players feel like they are them, shooting and hunting down players to kill."

"The dramatic increase in speed and graphic capability has allowed video game violence to be as realistic as ever before."

"Fourth graders reported that they're favourite video games were violent, (59% girls, 73% boys.)"

This book goes into detail within popular violent video games and how they can affect young children in the long run. It also speaks on how easy it is for children to buy violent video games. The writers also question a lot of school shootings that have taken place in the past and gives details on how video games may not be the blame for these disastrous shootings.


THE EFFECTS OF VIDEO GAMES ON CHILDREN: 
Gunter, B. (1998). The effects of video games on children: The myth unmasked. Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press. 


"Video games are becoming more interactive, therefore becoming more physiologically impacting on youth."
"Proponents of video games have been viewed to be a source of learning as well as entertainment."
"Mastering games can boost a child's self esteem"

This book relates to my case study as it goes into detail about the hypodermic needle theory and how video game violence is affecting our young children. Also how kids that play games early start to think how the games do on topics like, sexuality, race, violence, money and women. It will teach kids what the normal will be but video games will teach the wrong things.

 Death By Video Games:
Parkin, S. (n.d.). Death by video game: Tales of obsession from the virtual frontline. 


This book is about video game addiction and how there have been many cases of death by playing video games, shows how this industry is massive and can have a massive impact on people.


RACISM, SEXISM AND THE MEDIA:
 Wilson, C., & Rrez, F. (2003). Racism, sexism, and the media: The rise of class communication in multicultural America (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications.

This book relates to my case study, as it goes into detail about how the media puts racist and sexist views into our minds without us even knowing, We care so much about the entertainment that we don't realise what's being portrayed. It doesn't go into too much detail with video gaming but it does have a few pages on it. But over all it will help.


STOP TEACHING OUR KIDS TO KILL:
Grossman, D., & DeGaetano, G. (1999). Stop teaching our kids to kill: A call to action against TV, movie & video game violence. New York: Crown.



This book goes into detail about how video games are becoming much more realistic on shooters and other violent games. Also discusses how movies and TV shows are becoming much more violent and this can have a bad impact on society and for our kids of this generation.



 MEDIA VIOLENCE AND CHILDREN:
Gentile, D. (2003). Media violence and children: A complete guide for parents and professionals. Westport, CT: Praeger. 




TRAIT AGGRESSION AND STYLE OF VIDEO GAME PLAY:
 Paradise, A. (2007). Trait aggression and style of video game play the effects of violent video game play on aggressive thoughts. 






BIBLIOGRAPHY:

World Wide Web:
Why GTA 5's most controversial mission may be unpleasant and repulsive but there is a message behind the degradation:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/staying-in/video-games/gta-5s-most-controversial-mission-2279001

GTA 5: the violence debate
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/10312420/GTA-5-the-violence-debate.html

 The Franklin Conspiracy: Why Gamers Decided The Police In “GTA V” Are Racisthttp://www.buzzfeed.com/josephbernstein/the-franklin-conspiracy-why-gamers-decided-the-police-in-gt#.fuxzXKJQL8

 Why GTA 5's most controversial mission may be unpleasant and repulsive but there is a message behind the degradation

http://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/staying-in/video-games/gta-5s-most-controversial-mission-2279001

 Mary Poust discusses the video game, Grand Theft Auto, whose latest ‘upgrade’ allows kids to have sex with and kill prostitutes, and concludes that we should not be playing or supporting these games. http://goodmenproject.com/ethics-values/mkdn-never-play-gta/

GTA 5 review: Satire, parody - and gameplay to show Rockstar have cracked combat in breathtaking Grand Theft Auto V

Documentaries:

BBC - THE GAME CHANGERS - TUESDAY 15TH SEPTEMBER 2015
Horizon, 2014-2015, Are Video Games Really That Bad?

Books / Magazines:

Trails and teasers: Marketing GTAV

Media Magazine 40: Play, Pleasure & Panics.

Censorship - the debate

Why audiences REALLY play video games?(MM40)

Ideas About Story Telling, The Narrative Structures Of GTA Vice City & La Noire: (MM 44)
GRAND THEFT CHILDHOOD
Kutner, L., & Olson, C. (2008). Grand theft childhood: The surprising truth about violent video games and what parents can do. New York: Simon & Schuster. 

GAMING AT THE EDGE
 Shaw, A. (2015). Gaming at the edge: Sexuality and gender at the margins of gamer culture. 

VIOLENCE IN VIDEO GAMES
Gimpel, D. (2013). Violence in video games. 

VIOLENT VIDEO GAME EFFECTS ON CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS
Anderson, C., & Gentile, D. (2007). Violent video game effects on children and adolescents: Theory, research, and public policy. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 

THE EFFECTS OF VIDEO GAMES ON CHILDREN: 
Gunter, B. (1998). The effects of video games on children: The myth unmasked. Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press.

Death By Video Games:
Parkin, S. (n.d.). Death by video game: Tales of obsession from the virtual frontline. 

RACISM, SEXISM AND THE MEDIA:
 Wilson, C., & Rrez, F. (2003). Racism, sexism, and the media: The rise of class communication in multicultural America (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications.

STOP TEACHING OUR KIDS TO KILL:
Grossman, D., & DeGaetano, G. (1999). Stop teaching our kids to kill: A call to action against TV, movie & video game violence. New York: Crown.

MEDIA VIOLENCE AND CHILDREN:
Gentile, D. (2003). Media violence and children: A complete guide for parents and professionals. Westport, CT: Praeger.

 MEDIA VIOLENCE AND CHILDREN:
Gentile, D. (2003). Media violence and children: A complete guide for parents and professionals. Westport, CT: Praeger. 

TRAIT AGGRESSION AND STYLE OF VIDEO GAME PLAY:
 Paradise, A. (2007). Trait aggression and style of video game play the effects of violent video game play on aggressive thoughts. 


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Tuesday 17 November 2015

TASK #1 TEXTUAL ANALYSIS


Grand Theft Auto 5 is the most up to date instalment from the top selling video game franchise. Rockstar games have always been the centre of attention when it comes to controversy in the media entertainment industry. This is because Grand Theft Auto is a one of a kind open world adult game which features a ton of violence, drugs, sex, money and swearing more than any other video game created. Each addition in the block buster franchise has always had a scene / mission that catches a lot of attention in the media. For example, one of the other most successful GTA's: San Andreas, it featured a fully animated game play scenario which allowed players to have sex within the game. The creators removed the scene from the game before release, but a group of hackers still managed to publish the locked codes. The reason why it was removed was because Rockstar didn't want San Andreas to be a 18 rated game, thinking it would affect sales as many younger consumers enjoyed their game. As the game then had to be changed to a 18 after the hackers exposed rockstar, it didn't affect sales, and it still became one of the most high selling pieces of entertainment to date.

September 17, 2013. GTA V was released to the public after years of anticipation. After just three days, the game reached a sales revenue of $1,000,000,000. It broke a number of records and still hasn't been beaten for the fastest / highest grossing entertainment product in history. So what did Rockstar decide to add into this version of the franchise that could cause a stir? The 25th mission of the storyline "By The Book". Heres what people that own the game had to say about this mission:









This scene in the game was able to start another debate in media, something GTA is very likely to do when releasing another game. It seems to indicate how games are evolving more and more and that video games may actually be becoming even more violent than ever before. Although kids shouldn't be playing GTA V, theres still a vast amount of under 18s that consume the poison like entertainment that this game offers. The game REQUIRES that you torture this innocent man for no reason, thats what made it so controversial. GTA has always been an open world game, meaning that the player can act how they want to, evil or bad. It came down to players decisions on how brutal they want to act, but now for the first time, every player must direct this torture which is constructed to be very realistic and gruesome.  I reckon that when video games were first developing to be able to produce open world games, a scene like this wouldn't be regulated, but it goes to show how censorship and regulation in the gaming industry has evolved for this to be acceptable.

Lets take a deeper look into how Rockstar have created this mission as a whole. Firstly, the main character behind this interrogation is Trevor Phillips. When first being introduced to this character within the game, he kills someone with the bottom of his foot for no reason. He's the first character in GTA that allows players to go murder crazy and not feel guilty for it, because its something Trevor would do. But things like Trevor casually stamping someone to death is something us as players of this game wouldn't react to, its normal for us to see this in a GTA game. In the mission "By The Book" Trevor and the other protagonists (Michael & Franklin) are called out by the FIB (GTA version of the FBI) to extract information from a alleged captive MR K, who is entirely innocent. Mr K is tied up to a chair in a dark, abandoned, rusty garage. The room already looks like its been a place thats been used to torture people before. Next to this tied up innocent man is a table with enough instruments to create an orchestra of pain. Pliers, Car battery with clamps, a massive wrench and a gallon of water. As you're playing as trevor, you already know whats about to happen. When choosing the clamps, you clip them to Mr K's nipples and taze the man to un consciousness. You could also kick his chair to the floor, cover his face with a cloth and suffocate him with a gallon of water. You can also fix a plier to his molars and wiggle the analogue stick until he has no teeth. Also, if you torture him too much for him to pass out or almost die, you can just stab him with a syringe of adrenaline to wake him up and continue the brutality.

The thing is, this mission doesn't even play a major part to the plot of the game, rockstar just inserted this pointless mission into the game because they can and because they know it will cause a debate within the media. Bad news is good news. Despite what the media say they will still gain even more acknowledgement for the game they have created.



Grand Theft Auto 5 has always been regarded as a game that is very misogynic, the treatment for women in the top selling franchise is something that has always been negative and actually quite harsh. Now, GTA V is set in Los Santos, the twisted rockstar version of Los Angeles. "Nearly all the characters in Los Santos are portrayed as awful people, women are shallow and sidelined, and the men front-and-centre are heartless, psychotic, money-obsessed, philandering bastards" - Tom Hoggins, Video Games Editor

In GTA V, we finally have some main characters to the plot which are female. That being; Amanda De Santa & Tracey De Santa. The wife and daughter of 1/3 protagonists Michael De Santa. The first time we ever come across these two in the game we see them arguing. The daughter Tracey is arguing with her mother, Amanda about how she's not allowed to invite boys over to her house. We then see Michael enter his pool garden, trying to relax by attempting to ignore the nagging and annoying voice of her Daughter. Throughout the game, the creators of the game have scripted these two characters to become more and more slutty and skanky as possible as you progress through the game. Tracey aspires to become a successful pornstar and Amanda cheats on Michael many times with the families tennis coach and yoga instructor. Tracey is also represented to be extremely dumb and dopey, she enforces the stereotype of the rich blonde daughters of California. Lets not forget the fact that rockstar also stuck a tattoo on her back which writes: "Skank".

There is also a set of missions in the game that are designed to be played with Franklin. In these missions you buddy up with a paparazzi and you scout through Los Santos trying to capture as much negative footage of local celebrities as you can. In the mission above, you sneak into a teen actresses mansion and catch her in the act. The paparazzi goes on to say how she's represented to be a local sweetheart and that she's such a blessing and a cutie. But behind the cameras she's actually a "skank" as what rockstar would say.

This mission enforces how cruel GTA is towards females and how the sandbox of Los Santos is constructed to hate on women. The in game radio presenters constantly make harsh jokes on girls and are always hating on them. Lets not forget that the in game world of advertising has a fragrance targeted for females which has the slogan 'Smell Like A Bitch". This GTA is also the first one which has more than one playable character, and not one is female.
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Thursday 12 November 2015

Media Magazine Conference Recap:

Bill Thompson:

Technology Expert....

 Benefits:
  1. Connection
  2. Information
  3. Voices in your head
  4. Political action
  5. Campaigning
  6. Financial reward
  7. Games
  8. Learning
  9. Friendship
Disadvantages:
  1. Bullying
  2. Unwanted porn
  3. Images of child sexual abuse
  4. Extremism
  5. Abuse
  6. Scams and rip off's
  7. Fraud
  8. Conspiracy theories
  9. The Dark Web

Natalie Fenton:

The Power Of Media...

Media Controls The Power Over:
  1. Media content
  2. Audiences
  3. Journalists
  4. Government
It Also Has The Power To:
  1. Censor
  2. Mislead
  3. Set the agenda

Rob Watson

Film Producer...

What Do Film Producers Do?
  1. You're The Boss
  2. Hire People
  3. Financial Control
  4. Marketing
  5. Finding Material
  6. Choosing Cast
  7. Have The Full View On Production And Post Production
Where Do Movie Plots Come From?
  1. Musical Adaptations
  2. Play Adaptations
  3. Book Adaptations
  4. Personal Life
  5. Random

Jenny Grahame

Murdered By My Boyfriend...

  1. Script Was From A True Story
  2. Took A Lot Of Research And Planning To Create Script
  3. Visited Many Families Affected By Relatives Murdered Due To Domestic Violence
  4. Writing Changes When Being Filmed
  5. Directors Choose How Everything Will Look.

Owen Jones

Democracy & Politics...

  1.  Society Doesn't Make Sense
  2. The Rich Control Everything
  3. Only 4 Of The Richest People Continue To Make The Most Money Every Year.
  4. Young People Punished To Educate
  5. Too Many Middle Classed Journalists, They Don't Understand The Working Class.






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