1. A CASE STUDY

2. From the specification:
• Video games
• A study of the production, distribution and
marketing of a specific game within one or across
various gaming platforms, along with its
reception by a variety of (British) audiences. This
should be accompanied by study of the impact of
next generation capabilities (HD, Blu-Ray, online
services etc) on the production, distribution,
marketing and consumption of games.

3. Here’s a lovely video…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrurGjHbPU8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzvMOlvlXrY&oref
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4. Production
The Call of Duty series is published by Activision.
(Publishers are focused on marketing and
distribution.)
Activision own a number of software
development companies (Developers are the
equivalent of a production company) including
Treyarch and Infinity Ward.

5. A Call of Duty timeline
Call of Duty - October 29, 2003
Call of Duty 2 - October 25, 2005
Call of Duty 3 - November 7, 2006
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare - November 7, 2007
Call of Duty: World at War - November 11, 2008
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - November 10, 2009
Call of Duty: Black Ops - November 9, 2010
Modern Warfare 3 – November 8, 2011
Black Ops 2 – November 12, 2012
Call of Duty: Ghosts – November 5 - 2013

6. Content
The early CoD games dealt with
events in and around WWII, an
era revisited in World at War.
More recent titles have dealt
with more modern warzones.

7. Platforms
What are the different ways in which Call of
Duty can be played?
How do they differ?
Is there a definitive version?
What makes the game so popular amongst
the audience?
Who is the target audience?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rZRbSshurQ&feature=related

8. New Media Technologies
VS
As well as appearing on a variety of platforms,
what new media technologies allow the modern
gaming audience to broaden their experience?

9. Digital Distribution
• Steam is a digital distribution, digital rights
management, multiplayer and communications platform
developed by Valve Corporation. It is used to distribute
games and related media online, from
small independent developers to larger software houses.
Steam also has community features, automated game
updates, in-game voice and chat functionality.
• As of January 2012, there are 1504 games available through
Steam, and 40 million active user accounts. The concurrent
users peak was 5 million on January 2, 2012. Although
Valve never releases sales figures, Stardock, former owner
of competing platform Impulse, estimated in 2009 that
Steam had a 70% share of the digital distribution market for
video games.

10. Distribution Methods
Traditional retail – shops (HMV, Game etc)
Online Retail – buying a physical copy through a
website (Amazon, Play etc)
Download:
PC – Steam
X-Box – X-Box Live
PS3/4 – Playstation Network

11. How has the game been marketed?
What media sectors have been used to sell CoD?

12. What other media sector is the games
industry now similar to?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6QVxLE5JUg
What has accounted for this boom in gaming?