Analysis of violent video games

For my Critical Investigation, I have decided to focus on violent video games and how they affect the audience. In this post, I have selected 2 main texts; Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty Modern Warfare which will be integral within my investigation, as they have been criticised for their violent behaviour and affects on the male teenage audience.

Analysis of Grand Theft Auto IV: Liberty City Stories



Close analysis from beginning upto 3:00 minutes

Grand Theft Auto:Liberty City Stories is one of a number of successful games in the Grand Theft Auto series. The game is set in a fictional setting called Liberty City, which is largely based on modern day New York City.

Grand Theft Auto is a sandbox style, non linear game, where the players are presented with challenges that can be completed in a number of different sequences. Unlike other video games, Grand Theft Auto is a less linear game will allows greater player freedom. Effectively, the game allows the player to have a choice between paths to victory; with extra unlockable challenges and subplots giving the player more gratifications out of playing the game.

Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, revolves around the protagonist, Niko Bellic, a war veteran from an unspecified country in Eastern Europe. Bellic comes to the United States in search of the American Dream, but quickly becomes entangled in a world of gangs, crime, and corruption. Though, Gran Theft Auto is unique to other games, as it is composed of elements from driving games and third-person shooters, and features "open-world" gameplay that gives players more control over their playing experience. In reference to the Uses and Gratifications theory, the game offers the audience a chance of escapism, as they can control a player and make him do unorthodox and unlwafful things which would never be allowed in society.

In this clip from the game, the audience can identify with Niko Bellic, as they can control his actions and make him do outlandish and immoral actions such as murdering, theft and can make him kill innocent civilians. The use of low key lighting connotes how crime is more illustrious and is carried out at night. As well as this, the use of long shot is used to connote how the protagonist is able to kill in a open setting. Though the consistent close up shot is used, as Bellic aims at the hot dog seller and pummels him to death. As a result, the audience are able to get sadistic pleasures out of killing as it is perfectly acceptable in the Dystopian setting of Liberty City.

The use of action codes are signified in a close up , as Bellic targets the seller gingerly walking off, the diegitic sound of the gunfire connotes sadistic violence, as the protagonist shows no mercy in his killing. In many ways, other audiences may have oppositional readings toward Bellic, as he is seemingly constructed as the Proppian hero in the game, yet may also be represented as the Proppian villian as he carries out such atrocities, such as murder and reckless violence. As Bellic moves, the tracking shot focuses around him which connotes how the audience is following Bellic and are identifying with him. Though, the use of zooms are increasingly signified in this clip, as the use of parallel sound of the police sirens connote how the city is protected by vigilant police. The binary opposition of the police versus crime is signified throughout the game, as crime is infested in the city, thus making the police active in infiltrating crime.

Though, the protagonist is still able to commit crime, as the wanted level continues to rise, as the protagonist keeps on committing offences. The use of the gun and the baseball bat as props seemingly make the protagonist more powerful, as Bellic is stereotyped as the rough, masculine European who is more aggressive in terms of his actions and dialect. In reference to the hypodermic needle theory, the players seem to be injected with the belief that violence is casual and satisfactory, as they are allowed to kill and commit crime. Consequently, the game would result in moral panic, as audiences may feel that the institution, Rockstar Games condones violence, which may result in more people commiting crime in society.

Whats more, the use of the non diegitic sound of the police call signifies how the police is more threatening. However, the use of the 360 degrees panning and close up shot of Bellic aiming at the police connotes, how he is invincible and powerful, as he can use violence as a means of reacting and is able to annihalite the police, resulting in the wanted level increasing. Interestingly, the use of cheats allows the player to escape from the police, as signified in a long shot of the helicopter. Like the weapons, vehicles are props, as they can be easily accessed at the touch of a button, on the mobile.

The high angle shot signifies how the helicopter is a utiltity to Bellic, as he is able to escape by any means. Also, this shot enables the audience to be powerful , as they can dock at any place and can also make the player commit suicide by crashing in any destination, such as an airport in this clip. As a result, the game is enduces violence, as the audience are able to do anything they want. The use of the exteme close up shot of the car wheel connotes how the protagonist may use speed in order to dodge the police. By using long shots , the audience are able to identify with the protagonist, as they see his journey in the airport, as he can escape by any means.