"Call of Duty: Black Ops" came out this week and broke records. According to the
Wall Street Journal It recorded revenue of $360 million which was $50 million better than the second place initial sales of "Modern Warfare." CoD's success was a pleasant surprise to Activision considering all the new technology offerings heading into the holiday season. The anticipation of the game created a 12:13 AM text from a former athlete whom most likely spent the next 48 hours "training" on the game. Duffka also noticed a number of students mysteriously absent on Wednesday and assumed others were honoring veterans by playing on Thursday. Not everybody is excited about the new game though. Fidel Castro and the Cuban government are disturbed by a portion of CoD which includes a scene in Havana, Cuba where the objective is to kill Castro, "What the United States government did not manage to do in 50 years, now it attempts to accomplish by virtual means." The Cuban state run media also quoted Castro as saying, "
sociopathic behavior among American children and adolescents, the main consumers."
Duffka asks readers for feedback regarding the game. Does it create sociopaths? If so, the game has a social cost and should be regulated or taxed, correct? Entering the next unit we will examine market structure and profitability. Does Activision have a monopoly?
I do not think that Activision has a monopoly on the gaming market. Seeing as there are so many other game manufacturers and suppliers, just because they have one extremely successful product doesn't make it a monopoly. Since the game is already rated M for Mature there is already some restriction n the game, and since it's not directly harmful to society, it should not be taxed.
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ReplyDeleteI don't think the game creates sociopath. People have to be messed up as it is to go insane and kill everyone. The game is simply entertainment like any other game is to a gamer. There are plenty of other resources that would cause sociopaths but where is complaints over those? I don't think the game itself has a social cost. There are plenty of other murderous games out there tha tcan easily be accused of the same thing but are not simply because they aren't called "CoD". Its just an extremly popular game that kids missed school to play, not make it their lifes goal to assassinate Fidel Castro.
ReplyDeleteI don't think playing video games creates sociopathic behavior. I think a lot of people who play any video games, CoD included, have a good grasp of reality. Granted, a lot of people probably are addicted to such games and don't always appear to have a grasp on reality, but its still there. Activision does have a monopoly, it is included by many companies for many different games and systems.
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ReplyDeleteI don't think the game creates sociopath but it might make people more violent. I think it is already regulated because of the rating you have to be 17 to buy it but that doesn't help that much because parents sometimes buy it for their kids. I don't think it has a monopoly because there are other games in the market made by other manufacturers that are just as popular and raise a comparable amount of money.
ReplyDeleteI do believe this game creates sociopath. I agree that the game should be regulated but not taxed because raising the price by a couple dollars will not reduce the demand by very much if any. Activision doesn't have a monopoly because there is copmetition with other game makers because games are so popular.
ReplyDeleteOk, i dont understand why so many people are bying and spending lots of money on video games, well maybe its because i dont play them at all.
ReplyDeleteBut i dont think it is a monopoly becuse there are many producers of video games, and COD doesnt have the right to produce the only fighting type of game where you kill people ,etc.
Game and video motinoring is at a point where it's left up to the parents. The government has already done evereything it should by rating movies and games for age groups and putting restrictions on M games or R movies. CoD is rated M for Mature meaning that anyone without proper proof of being 17 or older cannot purchase the game. Why should the government answer for irresponsible parents.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Activision in no way is a monopoly. When you walk into GameStop, theee are PLENTY of first person shooters for every console available. Each one is virtually the same, but some like Cod, just become a fad with no liable reason other then, "all my friends are playing it."
I don't believe that call of duty creates sociopaths. While the game can be very addicting to Americas youth, it doesn't create an environment where kids are going to go out and kill fidel castro. Kids would still play the game no matter who they kill, let alone a Cuban dictator.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that Call of Duty creates sociopaths. However, it does contain material meant for mature audiences, and the government has done a good job regulating it accordingly. As for Activision being a monopoly, there are many other game manufacturers in the market, many of which have games similar to, though not as successful as, CoD.
ReplyDeleteThe game does create sociopathic behavior, however, it only really impacts a small number of addicts. Taxing would discourage the large number of casual gamers from playing and hurt business. Activision is not a monopoly, as there are many comparable games on the market, although they are by far the most mainstream company.
ReplyDeleteThis game does not create sociopaths. This game is just a culture shift in what the majority of people play. It should not be taxed because in about 4 months everyone will get tired of the game.
ReplyDeleteI do not thi that the game creates sociopath because there isn't people in society running around killing people. I also do not tank it's a monopoly because there are other game is stores that are similar to cod . I also do not think that activism has monoply
ReplyDeleteIt does not create sociopaths because people do not distance themselves from society. Maybe the first few days after it comes out people will be playing it 24/7, but guys will play together after a few days of on their own. Activision does have a monopoly because the call of duty games are one of the most popular games ever. Guys await the day when the next game comes out. The social costs are that teachers and girls hate when guys talk about COD. If people want to hang out, some people will just stay in all weekend and want to play.
ReplyDeleteThis game does not create sociopaths because people are already messed up as it is. The game is just for entertainment. It does not have a social cost because there are many different violent games that could take place of Call of Duty. Threrefore, it should not be taxed. Lastly, activision does have a monopoly because there are many systems in which this game is available for.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that the new call of duty creates sociopaths. The social cost is not very apparent in an overall level, besides taking away from youth education. I think that activision has a local monopoly because they are the only ones that can produce the game call of duty, but it does not have a monopoly in comparison to all game developers. There is apparent competition between game developers.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that activisoin has a monopoly because there are many substitutes for the game. I don't think that the game should be taxed any extra because it is just entertainment and just because you kill people in the game doesn't mean anyone will think they should actually kill someone.
ReplyDeleteCoD does not create sociopaths. There may be a few exceptions where people go to extremes over the game however, saying that the game causes sociopathic behavior is a bit far. There are always people who will be obsessive over something. The restrictions in place already keep purchases in check.
ReplyDeleteIthink that right after a new version of this game comes out, there is a deal of sociopath for a little bit. Guys are sucked in to the game and are not seen for days. It creates social cost because guys become recluses for a little bit after the release and others are effected by not seeing them when they want to.
ReplyDeleteAlthough activision is very popular and sell well, I do not think they are a monopoly. there are many substitute goods on every console but non of them match up to COD. since all the games for consoles are the same price, why would someone buy a lesser quality game for the same price. This is why cod has sold so well and will continue to sell as long as they remain the most productive and inventive in the first person shooter games.
I do not believe the game creates sociopaths, I think that is disorder you are born with. Although I do we believe CoD does cause addictive behavioriors. Activision is not a monopoly because their are so many other games that have violence in them-just like CoD. The only way the game should be regulated is by making sure kids who are not old enough to buy mature games-are not able to purchase them.
ReplyDeleteThis game, I think, does not cause someone to be a sociopath. Granted, people do distant themselves from society but not nearly long enough to be considered a sociopath. This game is just a phase like every other new game. There is a small social cost such as our education or social events. But not anything huge.
ReplyDeleteTherefore this game should not be taxed.
Activision might have the majority of video game sales right now, but there's heavy competion among producers and the market is only growing as people realize the opportunity to profit. People who play the game might be a little off reality while playing, but there're virtually no side effects in reality.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that the game creates sociopaths. While some people might go overboard with some of their actions, it doesn't make them sociopaths. In general, the government does regulate who can play the game with an "M" rating, granted parents still buy the game for their young kids. Activision does not have a monopoly, since there are other companies that make similar games, granted call of duty is a mainstream game.
ReplyDeleteI feel that call of duty does not create sociopaths unless maybe someone already has mental probles because the average person knows this is fiction and is not going to go crazy because they played it. Activision definatley does not have a monopoly because there are so many other fps's made by many other different company activisions just happens to be better because of there own ideas and hard work.
ReplyDeleteI think the game does create mild cases of sociopaths (please refer to the person who sits in front of me aka Chris) who stay up for days straight becoming somewhat brainwashed into trying to complete the game and won't stop until they do. However, not every person who plays the game is as attached and dependent on it and like to play for pure fun. Taxing the game a considerable amount won't stop kids from buying it because the demand is quite inelastic. I would consider activation to have somewhat a monopoly because no other company produces such a video game and if they do it doesn't have the 'brand name' of Cod. Therefore, they can easily increase their own profit by raising the price and tricking those few sociopaths into paying for it.
ReplyDeleteYes it creates sociopaths but there isn't much of a cost and you can argue it helps raise spirits, I had a lot of fun not coming Tuesday or Wednesday and now I feel rejuvenated and ready to learn. They don't have a monopoly there are plenty of other companies and different genres of video games.
ReplyDeleteVideo games do not create sociopaths. Saying that it does is an absurd statement. I also do not think that Activision has a monopoly. I think that Activison is an exceptional gaming company and that is the reason why it is doing so well and I believe that if a better company were to come out that people would start buying more games from them
ReplyDeletei dont think that the game creates a lot of sociopaths, atleast not enough to tax the game or anything. I say this because players of the game have no intent to do these actions in real life. the game is only a source of entertainment. while some may argue that the game makes addicted players anti-social, many players hang out and play together. some players may even play each other. also talking about the game and strategy can create bro-mances, tighter bonds between a guy and his good friends.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the game has probable means for creating sociopaths. Killers have existed way before the first violent video game came out. Therefore it shouldn't be regulated. I believe activation does have a monopoly, everytime a cod game is released people actually take the time to wait in line to be the first to have the game. With the next game projecting the same results, activision can be using cod as a monopoly in the video game marketplace.
ReplyDeleteWeirdddd!!! I just had this conversation with my mom last night about my CODsessed brother because she was afraid that all of this killing would turn him into both a psychopath and sociopath. I reassured her, however, that COD won't turn most kids into sociopaths and instead it is just a fad that will heat up again each time a new game comes out. Activision does seem to have a bit of a monopoly going. Everyone knows COD is the king of all video games especially because it is compatible on the two most popular gaming consoles.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the concept of the game is morally wrong, it is not reality. Call of Duty should not turn people into sociopaths. The game allows for an adventure outside of reality, but once they turn off the xbox it's back to homework and the real world. There should be no extra tax on the game because their are no proven side effects such as becoming a sociopath.
ReplyDeleteThe game does not create sociopaths but however it may have people separate themselves from society. Being a new game, many people anticipate and get excited with the hype of the upcoming game. These are e same effects of every new game and will gradually disappear when cod isn't "new".
ReplyDeleteActivisiion may seem to have monopolistic power but there are other competing companies and activision happens to contribute to the top video game of the world.
Activision does not have a monopoly because all of the gaming companies have the same boom of revenue when a highly anticipated game gets released. Also I do not believe the game creates sociopaths but it may skew hardcore gamers' view of reality (pain). But I do not believe this is a cost worthy of taxation.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe COD creates sociopathic behavior. It simulates a war zone, and in that situation, any rational person would shoot at the enemy. Furthermore, when a person goes out and shoots people for no reason or commits another act of random violence, some underlying issue is usually present. I don't believe Activision has a monopoly. Although their game is the most popular, other gaming companies receive huge revenues from tier games. Just because Activision receives the most revenue doesn't make it a monopoly.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe Call of Duty creates sociopaths. You may think my opinion to be a natural response because I play the game, but I think it's all a matter of how serious you take the game's content. I take the game as a fun activity I can play with friends even when i'm not with them. Even though the game's content is violent, I wouldn't want to replicate any of the actions depicted. I'm generally a calm person, my mom would kill me if I joined the army, and strapping explosives to an RC car is ludicrous in real life. That being said, Activision has the CoD series monopolized, but if far from monopolizing the video game market.
ReplyDeleteActivision, by no means, has a monopoly in the video game industry. I personally know plenty of people who don't play or like Call of Duty and there are tons of other genres of games to play. As for the sociopath issue, I don't play nearly enough to be called a sociopath, but from playing online you can easily tell who the sociopaths are by how they act. Believe me, those people who yell as loud as they can into their mics and start swearing profusely and throwing things around the room, those people are better off being sociopaths and burning all their anger on CoD than being in society. I'm not saying everyone who plays CoD is a sociopath, that's completely untrue, but there are some people who take it too seriously and they wouldn't be a help to society anyway even if the game didn't exist.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the game creates sociopaths. It's all virtual violence, so nothing is happening in real life. However, I think it is possible that it might bring out more violence in the people who play it frequently. There is also a social cost to it, because some people play it nonstop for weeks, which can create a problem. However, I don't think that necessarily means it should be taxed. I think that if video game makers can be creative enough to make a product that people can't stop playing, then they should be rewarded with a large profit.
ReplyDeleteI really don't think this game creates a sociopath. If people play it and it determines how they act in real life than it is not just the game creating this behavior and they probably have some other problems as it is. I also don't think the company is becoming a monopoly because they have one really successful game. There are other gaming companies out there that have successful games as well. For example, back in the day nintendo was huge. They regulate the game by putting a rating on it and basically making it so it's only worth playing online, causing people to pay extra for that as well.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe that this virtual game creates sociopaths because the teenagers that play this game know that it is just a GAME and they know that these are only virtual, meaning not real. It's just a game for teenagers who don't have anything else better to do when bored or when they have friends over. Most teenagers don't bring this game out into the real worked.
ReplyDeleteActivison does not have a monopoly because when other games are introduced to the public through different companies, those games also bring in a large amount of revenue.
I don't think that this game creates sociopaths.Although it causes people to be obsessed with if for a few days, it doesn't detach people from society, therefore, it doesn't need to be regulated or taxed. I think that activison has a monopoly because it is a popular video game that has a huge impact on many people.
ReplyDeleteI'm not really sure if the game creates sociopaths or not. I have never participated in playing cod. I have seen commercials for it on tv and the only part that interested me was the new jeep wrangler was a part of the game (because I wanted a jeep.) I feel like that was a good source of advertisement because cod is reaching a lot of people. The thing I don't like about cod is it isn't compatible with the wii. Or maybe it's just that the wii sucks and isn't compatible with anything unlike other gaming systems. In any case the game is probably not creating sociopaths because people are spending all their time playing it instead of going out and killing people.
ReplyDeleteCoD does not create sociopaths. Homicide rates in the US alone have been decreasing since 2005, just before the debut of CoD and many other FPSs on the next-gen consoles. And crime rates have remained unchanged since the release of CoD: Black Ops this past Tuesday. Coincidence? I think not. Video games allow people to vent their rage and anger from current high-stress lives through a healthy catharsis. FPSs like CoD also increase people's reaction time in a variety of situations, a feat 'educational' games like the Brain Age series have failed to accomplish. Activision also holds no monopoly over any industry, especially with a terrible joke of a series like CoD. There are many competitors to CoD, like Medal of Honor, Battlefield: Bad Company, and, of course, Halo. CoD will not succeed in the market while it continues to ignore consumers and presses it's beliefs that people should have no friends, living in their basement, playing video games with strangers they have never meant and could be convicted rapists and murderers for all they know, because it continues to reject the idea that more than one person should be capable of playing online or through a system link with more than one person per system, forcing people to stay away from friends and not see them in person, which is necessary for proper social development. Halo, on the other hand, a much better series, does answer this problem, and will therefore continue to succeed and thrive in our current market.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe Activision has a monopoly seeing as there are bucket loads of other substitute goods to CoD, like Metal of Honor, Rainbow Six Vegas, and Halo. As for sociopaths, I don't think CoD leads to that, and for those who say it does should take into consideration all the other shooting video games out there, some much more violent than Black Ops. Lastly, I think CoD does create a social cost, and the biggest proof I have is people missing school and staying up until 4 in the morning playing the game. If you weigh the marginal benefits with the marginal costs, coming to school the day after CoD comes out will benefit you in the short-term and the long-term much more than playing CoD for that one day.
ReplyDeleteActivision does not have a monopoly. One look at the 2010 E3 expo could tell you there are plenty of shooter rivals to the new cod, such as medal of honor and halo reach. It would not make sense to tax gaming because people have property freedoms/ rights and can do whatever they want in the privacy of their home.
ReplyDeleteThe game may create sociopaths but it is not a scientific finding, and even if it did, taxes would just mean less people become sociopaths, it wouldn't change the fact that the game creates sociopaths. Activision does not have a monopoly because it still has to compete with a massive amount of first person shooter games, it still has to compete in the market.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe the game creates sociopaths. No one who plays the game immediately feels like they need to go to Cuba and kill Castro. They are just playing it for fun and are not concerned with who they are shooting, as long as it is entertaining
ReplyDeleteCall of duty doesn't create sociopaths, that's more of a chemical inbkance, nothing to do with playing a video game. If this was the case, the game, Grand Theft Auto would've never been allowed to be continued. And I don't think Activision has a monopoly because other companies like Bungie (created the Halo series) have their big games too.
ReplyDeleteCOD does not create sociopaths because if it did we would have many of them by now considering this is the eight game in the series. Activision does not have a monopoly because there are other game developers such as Bungie who made halo and Rockstar who made Grand Theft Auto.
ReplyDeleteAbour 1% of population are considered sociopaths, without a complete lack of regard for the rightsof others. To suggest that a video game could not only instigate but create this disorder is not.merely ridculous but highly offensive. Due to the obssesive habits of some players there is a societal cost however videogames are no different then any other form of entertainment and therefor should not have a higher tax then books, television, or movies. There are many videogame producers however activision does have a large portion of the market.
ReplyDeleteCall of duty definitely doesn't create sociopaths... Its just a game, and everybody knows it. I don't think people take the events that happen in the game seriously. They're fake, and just for fun. Activision also does not have a monopoly. The video game industry is huge, and developers are free to create games they want as long as it doesn't interfere with copyright laws.
ReplyDeleteCod definatley doesn't create sociopaths, in fact it molds young minds for the better. It teaches people how they can kill zombies, (which is definatley useful) and also will teach people how to kill fidel castro which will ask be extremely useful. I do think though that it gives activation a huge monopoly, because it is the only real game of it's kind, and no one would really buy anything else. I really don't consider any other competetiion when I think of first person shooting games.
ReplyDeleteThe game itself does not create sociopaths. It is the responsibity of the gamers to be able to separate the game from reality. COD is simply a form of entertainment, just like any other video game. It is not intended to make any sort of political statement or to personally offend Castro or the Cuban government, it is a game. Activision does not have a monopoly, there are plenty of other companies that create equally popular video games.
ReplyDeleteI believe that COD stimulates sociopathic behavior in addicts, but only in the confines of the home. They realize that in the real world, doing the things they do virtually in the game is simply impossible because they don't have the resources (if they even THINK of attempting to do things such as assassinating Fidel Castro on their own,) so it can't truly create real sociopaths. Since there is no real world impact other than keeping addicted teens off the street and out of school (thats their personal problem) until they get bored of the game, there is not much of a spillover cost so taxation is unnecessary.
ReplyDeleteAs for Activision having a monopoly, do you mean having a monopoly on making lots of money, or a monopoly on "creating sociopaths"? Either way I don't believe they are a monopoly because there are many more companies out there that make profitable games and ones that make much, MUCH more disturbing games that definitely can lead to sociopathic behavior.
I agree with Kyle. To say that CoD actively creates sociopaths is ridiculous. It seems as though this is just more communist propaganda thrown out by the Cuban government. Activision does a decent job when making video games, but by no means has a significant enough hold of the gaming industry to be called a monopoly. To compare it to another game, that would be like saying bungee had a monopoly when halo 1, 2, and 3 came out. They simply don't. Blizzard would be the only company I could conceive of coming close to that level. No other single computer gaming company can touch their user commitment and willingness to pay, and when it comes to RTS style games and MMORPG's they are top of the pack and not likely to be knocked down anytime in the near future.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that this game creates sociopaths, and it therefore shouldn't be taxed. The game is also rated as M, which is a regulation that attempts to keep younger children from playing it. While some claim that videogame violence may result in the player becoming more violent as well, I think that most of society realizes that CoD is simply a fictional game. Also, I don't think that Activision is a monopoly because there are many other various companies that produce popular games as well.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that activision has a monopoly over the video game market. It is a very popular series, but there are hundreds of other games that come out every year that can be considered competition. People who own the game may show obsessive behavior, but not sociopathic. There is a very small social cost, so a tax would not be the best way to regulate it. Similar to movie ratings, there are already age restrictions in place to control who can and cannot buy a violent or "mature" game.
ReplyDeleteCall of Duty does turn a very small amount of people into sociopaths, but that will happen with pretty much any widespread trend. The Harry Potter books and movies have attracted millions of fans that will wait until midnight to get the book or see the movie. Just because a product is widely appreciated doesn't mean that all of the fans are crazy. Yes, some will get out of hand with their obsession with COD, but it is such a small number that we cant consider it significant. Also, just as JK Rowling doesn't have a monopoly on books, COD doesn't have a monopoly on video games. Consumers have other choices, and are not forced to buy the product in any way, so taxes would not be justifiable in this situation.
ReplyDeleteCall of Duty does not create sociopaths, it sort of discourages it in a way. The worst Call of Duty does is convince idiot teenagers who are of age to join the military. Accusing Call of Duty of creating sociopaths is also calling out any other video games, movies, and books that include or contain fictional war. Activision absolutely does not have a monopoly, plus it depends on the market. Activision just happened to create a genre of games that reach out to other parts of the world. But in the video game industry, Activision hasn't monopolized anything. It has huge competition such as Microsoft, Bungie, Rockstar, EA, Blizzard, and Ubisoft. Microsoft has the capability to crush Activision if it actually invested more resources into the video game industry.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that the game creates sociopaths. Sure many people miss school and go crazy if you will but this is no different than young teenage girls obsesssing with Twilight or Justin Beeber. I think the COD series is a brilliant capitalism investment that is making Infinity Ward, Activison and Treyarch filthy rich and helping the economy all the while entertaining and training our youth.
ReplyDeleteActivision or any other manufaturer or company doesn't have a monopoly when it comes to video games and whatnot.