Monday, February 21, 2011

Call of Duty

How did Treyarch do it?  The developer behind Call of Duty: Black Ops managed to break the record for "the largest ever entertainment launch in history in any form of entertainment" with sales of "$310 million within the first day."  I want to know how.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treyarch


The topic of this blog post will need to be explored in more depth, however I'd like to start with the reflective level of Norman's Three Levels of Design (visceral, behavioural, and reflective) in relation to the Call of Duty franchise.  In his book, Emotional Design, Norman talks about how at the reflective level, "the overall impact of a product comes through reflection - in retrospective memory and reassessment" (p. 88).  The first Call of Duty game was launched in 2003 with each subsequent iteration of the game operating at the reflective level.  The nostalgia factor and "gamer cred" associated with playing these games provides fodder for marketing campaigns in the form of game trailers, multiplayer advertising, reviews, and toys.  Interestingly, Activision, the publisher of these games, has also created a Call of Duty Endowment, aimed at supporting U.S. veterans to find employment.  All of these measures serve to satisfy the reflective level of design, ensuring the continued longevity of the franchise.  Previous Call of Duty games then help to explain part of Treyarch's success with Black Ops.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Call_of_Duty


I have more to explore on this subject.  Where I am going with this is to take a prominent digital success story (in terms of sales, ethics and moral considerations are another issue entirely), study it and ask how this can be replicated in education.  Call of Duty has successfully engaged millions of people worldwide.   If I were to introduce a digital learning tool to a student, how could I achieve the engagement level synonymous with this franchise?  At the core, what is Call of Duty doing right that could be revamped and presented in an educational context to engage boys?

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