Authors
1 Assistant Professor of Communications, University of Tehran
2 PhD Candidate of Communications, University of Tehran
Abstract
For a long time communication theorists have criticized public media for being unilateral. What they prescript is to transform pattern of communication into bilateral one; in other words, to make media interactional. Telephone is the first fully interactional, however, there was a long road to the contemporary communication and information media which are highly interactional. Nevertheless, not all the modern media are equally interactional. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate levels of interactionability in modern media and strength them. As other concepts in communication, interaction has different definitions, implying various aspects of the audience-media relation. And this feature of multi-dimensionality is to be considered. Quistis (2002) suggests a model in which all the technical, social, and comprehensive aspects of interaction are inherent. In other words, not only the technical aspect of media, but also audience’s perception plays a key role in the model. Visual-computer games are good instance of interactionability in modern media. However, not all games are equally interactional. Analyzing a well-known computer game “Call of Duty”, this article attempts to study different levels of interactionability. The main question is: how can one offer a pragmatic definition of three dimensions of interactionability to study computer games; and how this features are in Call of Duty applied?
Keywords
Kowsari, M. (1384 [2005 A.D]) Taâmoli Bodan va Bâzbodegi dar Bâzihâ-ye Computri (Persian Translation of Interactionability and Openness in the Religious Computer Games), Hamâyeŝ-e Din va Rasâne-h, Markaz-e Tahqiq va Taose-h Sedâ va Simâ.
Kowsari, M. (1385 [2006 A.D]) “Xânevâde-h Sims: Farâso-ye Jensiyat va Nežâd” (Persian Translation of Sims Family: Beyond Gender and Race), Faslnâme-h Pažoheŝ-e Zanân, Vol. - (16): 51-66.
______ (1387 [2008 A.D]) Motâleât-e Farhangi va Bâzihâ-ye Râyânei (Persian Translation of Cultural Studies and Computer Games), Markaz-e Motâleât va Tahqiqât-e Rasânei-ye Hamŝahri, Majmoe-h Maqâlât-e Bâzihâ-ye Râyânei.
_________ (1387 [2008 A.D]) “Naslhâ-ye X, Y va Z va Siyâsatgozâri-ye Farhangi dar Iran” (Persian Translation of Generations of X, Y and Z and Cultural Policy in Iran), Faslnâme-h Râhbord-e Farhang, Vol. 1 (3): 65-85.
Kim and Molly (1379 [2000 A.D]) Tahlil-e Âmeli dar Pažoheŝhâ-ye Ejtemâi (Persian Translation of Introduction to Factor Analysis: What is and How to do it), Translated by Masood Kowsari, Tehran: Naŝr-e Salmân.
Gee, J. (2004) What Video Games Have To Teach Us about Learning and Literacy? Palgrave: Macmillan.
Grimes, S. (2006) “Online Multiplayer Games: a Virtual Space for Intellectual Property Debates?”, New Media & Society, Vol. 8 (6): 969-990.
Kalleja, G. (2007) “Digital Game Involvement: A Conceptual Model”, Games and Culture, Vol. 2(3): 236-260.
Kingsepp, I. (2007) “Fighting Hyperreality with Hyperreality: History and Death in World War II”, Game and Culture, Vol. 2(4): 366-375.
Kiousis, S. (2000) “Interactivity: Concept Explication”, New Media & Society, Vol. 4 (3): 355-383.
Machin, D. & Leeuwen, T. (2007) Global Media Discourse: A Critical Introduction, London: Routledge.
Manninen, T. (2004) “Rich Interaction Model For Game and Virtual Environment Design”, available at http://herkules.oulu.fi/isbn9514272544/isbn9514272544.pdf.
McMillan, S. & Downes, E. (2000) “Defining Interactivity: A Qualitative: Identification of Key Dimensions”, New Media and Society, Vol. 2 (2): 157-179.
______ (2002) “A Four-Part Model of Cyber-Interactivity: Some Cyber-Places are More Interactive than others”, New Media and Society, Vol. 4(2):271-291.
Oblak, T. (2005) “The Lack of Interactivity and Hypertextuality”, Gazette, Vol. 67(1):87-106.
Rafaeli, S. (1988) “Interactivity: From New Media to Communication”, Sage Annual Review of Communication Research: Advancing Communication Science, Vol. 16(-): 110-134.
Rojek, C., Shaw, S. & Veal, A. (2006) A Handbook of Leisure Studies, Palgrave: Macmillan Ltd.
Schulte, S. (2008) “The War Games Scenario Regulating Teenagers and Teenaged Technology (1980–1984)”, Television & New Media, Vol. 9(6): 487-513.
Poole, S. (2007) Trigger Happy: Video Games and the Entertainment Revolution, available at http://stevenpoole.net/blog/trigger-happier/
Tapscott, D. (1998) Growing Up Digital: the Rise of the Net Generation, London: McGraw-Hill Professional.
Send comment about this article