Introduction

The game that I will be analysing is in the Call of Duty series called Modern Warfare 2 (MW2). It had sold 4.7 million copies on its first 24 hours of release within the USA and the UK. Through the USA alone it has sold 10 Million copies alone. It is developed by Infinity Ward whose main speciality is the COD series. They have developed some other games such as James Bond: Quantum of Solace. As you can see they are an established production company in the Combat Games industry.

Character Control

Character Control basically means how many characters you control and take the role as within the game. There are three types. Firstly Single Character Control, where the whole gameplay consists of the player controlling one specific character. A great example of this is James Bond: Goldeneye, where the whole game was played as the role of James Bond. The next is Multiple Characters with frequent change. This is where characters you are controlling change rapidly. Sports games are most common in this segment of Character Control. A good example of this is the NBA series where the player takes on the role as several team members who change frequently to simulate a real basketball team. The last type of Character Control is Multiple Characters with infrequent change. This is where the main character changes in different stages of the games. In Modern Warfare 2, this is the type of Character Control which is present during the Campaign. In total, the player takes on the role of five players throughout the Campaign. We play most of the campaign as Sgt Gary ‘Roach’ Sanderson. However, when he is killed we take on the role of Captain McTavish to avenge his death. Character Control within games is usually mutually exclusive, where only one type is used throughout the game so it does not change through different stages of a game.

Playing Method

The term Playing Method means the different modes of which a game can be played. This also consists of three types. Firstly the One Player mode where the whole game is played against the computer. The best example of this is the GTA series which only features this playing method with the player controls the character against the computer. The next is Versus mode where the player can play against another real player either online or from the same console e.g. a 1 on 1. A good example of this is Fight Night Champion where two players play against each other. The last playing method is Co-operative mode where loads of people play together either online or on the same console. A great example of this is FIFA 11 where it is possible to have up to 22 players competing in

Analyse how a video game

of your choosing

makes use of conventions

…

Main Menu of COD MW2 showing all the Game modes.

one match. The playing method in games is not mutually exclusive which means a game can feature more than one of these modes. My game MW2 features all of these playing methods. The campaign is done One Player against the computer. There is also a multiplayer mode where you can play a 1 on 1 against a friend on the same console or online which shows the Versus playing method and finally the game features Special Ops which are a series of missions which could be done together with a partner either online or from the same console which show the co-operative playing method. All these methods feature different ways in which the game can be played, which stimulates the life of the game, instead of them having to play one constant game mode.

Game Space

Game Space describes which type of space the game is played in. There are five main types. The first is Mapped where the player is given a 2D view of the world. The player usually plays these games from a Bird’s Eye view. The whole Pokémon series is played in this format. The next is contained area where the whole game takes place within a confined space. The Pro Evolution Soccer games helps to explain this in more detail, as the whole game is played within the space of the pitch and nothing else.

Following on, the next is a Structured Level, where the game guides the player exactly to the next stage with no distractions. The Sonic games are a good example as there is already a route planned for the player with no alternative route. The next type of game space is Free Roam Massive, where there is an objective; however during this the player is able to free roam the area. In the case of Mafia 2, this could be the whole city. The last type is Free Roam Level which is very similar however in this the player can only free roam within the level they have been submitted to. Modern Warfare 2 features the Free Roam Level game space. The player is able to roam the level they are on whilst taking part in a mission. The levels usually have certain boundaries where if you pass, the next wave of enemies come out. However once a area is secured, It is possible to roam around the area of the level, but only in a limited space as certain areas are blocked and we cant go into them. A good example of this is the Terminal special op mission. You start in a room in the airport which you can explore. Once you leave the room, the first wave appears and you have to kill them. Outside the room is a lounge like setting presenting an airport waiting area. It is possible to explore around, but the doors leading outside are not possible to open as the level does not require this. When you then use the escalators on the left, they trigger the second wave. Game Space is usually mutually exclusive as you cannot have more than one type within a game.

Pokemon Game Space (Mapped).

Terminal Spec Op Game Space. (Free Roam Level)

Narrative

The term Narrative looks at the gameplay of a game and how it plays. There are four main styles. Firstly a Linear Campaign where the campaign is played in the order the game has set out. A good example of this is Football Manager where the game makes the decisions on match orders and whether transfers have been accepted. Modern Warfare 2 also uses this style of Narrative as the campaign is done in a specific order to match the storyline. The next style is a Non Linear Campaign where the campaign can be played in a flexible order. A relevant example of this is the Grand Theft Auto series where missions can be varied in order. The next type of narrative is single objective where the player has one main aim within the game usually with a time limit. A great example of this is the Tekken series where the aim is to just defeat the other player within the time limit given.

Finally the last Narrative style is level objective where the player has to finish a level to progress within the game. My game Modern Warfare presents this well as if an objective is not completed within the campaign; it is not possible to move to the next stage. A campaign has a story behind it. Therefore every level features another section of the chronological story, so it wouldn’t make sense if we did the missions in a different order. For example in Act 1, of the campaign we play as the character Ghost. However, during Act 3, Ghost is murdered so if we didn’t do the campaign in order, this would be very confusing as we can’t play as a dead character. There are around 5 objectives per mission. These would be something like ‘Secure the West Bridge’ or ‘Find General Shepard’.

Camera View

Camera View is the way in which the player gets to view the game. This is not a mutually exclusive convention but can be varied within a game. There are four types within a game. Firstly a Birds Eye shot where the game is looked at from above. A good example of this is the Sims series. The next is an Extreme long shot. This is where the game space is seen from a long shot. Good examples of these are sports games such as Fight Night Champion and FIFA 11, where the game space is captured from a long shot. The next type is a third person camera view. This is where it is possible to see the character you are controlling and see their actions in detail. Good examples of this view are Crash Bandicoot series and also the Assassins Creed series. Finally the last style of camera is the First Person view where the sight is of the character being controlled. We get to see the game from their eyes in the setting. My example Modern Warfare 2 features this view and it helps take on the role as the character in the game. As we see from the characters eye, we turn into the character and control his input within the game. Everything on the screen helps us understand the characters circumstances and our objective. We get to see exactly on the map, where the character is and the enemies that we need to kill. We also see the amount of bullets they have left and the grenades and flash bangs limit. The time is also shown to help us understand how much time we have to complete our objective. All these things help us turn into the character and think like a real soldier.

‘No Russian’ Mission in MW2

Tekken Single Objective

Genre

Genres for video games are used to classify video games based on their gameplay interaction. There are ten main genres. The first genre is the platform genre where the games are set in a fantasy world where levels have to be completed. There is usually collection of rings or coins or some kind of objects. A great example of this is the Mario games where coins need to be collected. The second genre is the quiz genre where the player has to answer questions which get harder in a limited time. A good example of this genre may be Who Wants to be a Millionaire video games. The next genre is Racing, which are split into two types. The first is cartoony like Mario Kart for instance and the second is real life such as the Gran Turismo series. The main aim of these games is to complete races with other player which can be simulated by the computer. The following genre is very similar but is called Driving. This is where there is no real aim of winning anything when driving in the car. However it is possible to join races and try to win then. The subsequent genre is Role Playing Games (RPG’s). This is where the player takes on the role of someone and lives their life. An obvious example of this is in GTA Vice City, where the player finds themselves playing in the shoes of Tommy Vercetti.

Another genre is Sports which is self-explanatory. A popular genre is the Adventure genre where the character plays through the game fighting various characters and completing small objectives through his journey. A recent example of this is Assassins Creed Brotherhood where that is what the player can do within gameplay. A currently popular genre is the new Music Simulation genre. This is where the player has to do steps to match the music to play around with music. A great example of this is Guitar Hero where one of the tasks is to simulate playing a guitar to match a soundtrack. The next genre is the Management Simulation genre where the player has the power to control certain characters and situations. This is shown effectively within Nintendogs series where the player has to

Amount of Bullets Left

Amount of Special Equipment left such as Frag Grenades.The time left in which to

complete an objective.

The score, on the number of kills you have got and the limit you need to get.

Map which shows, your position within the setting and sometimes where the enemies are.

Tommy Vercetti in GTA Vice City

look after a simulated dog, in which they control food, water, exercise and other factors. The final genre is that of Combat. This is where the player becomes a shooter and the main task is to shoot people. My game Modern Warfare 2 is a combat game in which the main aim is to kill certain people within the level to progress to the next stage. The objectives reflect this by giving us direct orders like ‘Kill General Shepard’. The only way we can do that is by using a gun or a knife which promotes the combat genre. If a game fits into multiple genres, it is called a hybrid as presented by GTA IV. Some genres that fit into this game are RPG, Adventure, Driving, and Combat.

Conclusion

Through this essay, I have explored the different conventions of a Video Game and have identified what type of conventions fit into my selected game of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. For all other types of conventions, I have given relevant examples to help the reader get a better insight on what I mean. I have selected the game MW2 because it has brought me back into the gaming world. I enjoyed playing it because of the different playing methods and the grasping campaign. As I have a little brother, it was very exciting trying to complete the special ops together and I do seriously feel it was a great sibling bonding technique. The storyline of the Campaign had me hooked up till the last mission, and the ending was epic. To be honest, I can’t wait for Modern Warfare 3 to be released.

General Shepard being killed with a knife in his

eye