Mechanics and Experience in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Opportunities for Civic Empathy

Abstract

Background: Videogames are widely considered effective learning environments, with powerful lessons relevant to those who design teaching and learning experiences. Violent videogames, however, are often left out of such conversations. Intervention: In this context, we examine Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (MW) as a violent videogame that might suggest design principles useful for effecting emotional experiences, a key element to the formation of memories and therefore learning. Methods: Through narrative description of two missions from MW and interleaved discussion of its mechanics, we contend even violent videogames might inform the design of interactive learning experiences. Results: We highlight how MW ’s mechanics (a) are designed to constrain player’s actions to facilitate visceral experiences, while being (b) thoughtfully juxtaposed with typical first-person shooter mechanics, to (c) create opportunities to develop what we call civic empathy, the ability to understand—even share to some extent—the feelings of another person with whom one shares a common affiliation with and responsibility to one or more social groups. We also highlight the concept of global civic empathy, in which one includes the world’s citizens as co-members of a global community. Discussion: Learning from simulations and games is often discussed through the lens of actions made available to players. Our contribution is the flip side of that coin—what a game or simulation prevents players from doing—is equally important. Limitations: We played these missions ourselves. We therefore limit our conclusions to our own experiences, though we contend our findings may inform the design of learning games and simulations. Conclusion: In simplest terms, our theory of action is this: (1) Constraining mechanics (2) create juxtaposition and cognitive dissonance, which in turn (3) create emotional experiences that serve as rich sites for complex learning (empathy development) to take place.