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This text explores the video game industry, its historical context, popular consoles, and the changing profile of gamers. It also discusses the regulation of video games, the role of PEGI, and the audience appeal of video games.
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Component One: Section B Investigating Media Industries and Audiences Assassins Creed 3: Liberation Summary of Textbook p.115-119
Key Terms and Definitions: PEGI: Pan-European Game Information, age rating system to help European parents decide if the game is appropriate for their child. MMORPG: Massively multi-player online role-playing game Persistent Worlds: Feature of MMORPG meaning that the game world continues even when the gamer is not a part of it- So virtual world replicates real life. CRPG: Computer role-playing game Augmented Reality: Computer generated content overlaid on a real-world environment. Augmented reality hardware comes in forms such as hand-held devices and devices you can wear (headsets/glasses). Avatar: The players representation of themselves within the game. PlayStation Vita: A hand-held game console developed and released by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It is part of the PlayStation brand of gaming devices & the successor to the PlayStation Portable. Ubisoft: French computer game publisher & developer. It is currently the 3rd largest independent game publisher in both Europe & the USA. Co founder & CEO of Ubisoft Yves Guillemot says its aim is to “work with passionate people & make fun games”. Transgressive Behaviour: Behaviour that goes beyond the norms of social acceptability (deviant)
Historical Context of Video Games Industry • Popular Consoles: • PC Gaming • Xbox 360/one • PS/PS Vita Overview: Computer games are a relatively new but have received a rapid growth in recent years. Its profits have rivalled major films & sales of consoles are still expanding. In recent years, the profile of gamers have changed it is no longer just teenage males, gamers are now of all ages & genders. Computer games are accepted as media products, however some are very complex in their construction and the demands made on the gamer, in comparison to other media products.
Regulation of the Video Games Industry Overview: There are many reports regarding the issue of suitability of content of video games and the easy accessibility to this content by young people. The wider media often blame violent behavior and lack of sociability of young people to the gaming industry. For example, Grand Theft Auto & Call of Duty have caused concern over their content. Until 2012 the classification of video games was done by both PEGI & the BBFC. This is now the role of the Video Standards Council (VSC) however the BBFC are still responsible for the classification of non-game linear content on a game disc such as trailers. The role of the VSC are to regulate and classify games using the PEGI system. In July 2012 PEGI became the single video games age rating system, which made it illegal for a retailer to sell a game with a PEGI age rating of 12, 16 or 18 to anyone below that age.
Regulation of the Video Games Industry Why is regulation necessary? Regulation is necessary as it controls what certain age ranges can view in media products. It helps protects children & young audiences from viewing inappropriate or upsetting content without warning. It also helps parents to know what kind of content they are purchasing for their child & can decide whether it is a good decision or not. What is PEGI? PEGI (Pan-European Game Information) age rating system was launched in spring 2003 and was used to help parents make informed decisions on the purchase of computer games.
What’s the Audience Appeal of Video Games? • They give unique experiences which are not explored in other media products. Many games offer the multi-playing online experience where a large number of players can be involved in the virtual world. These are unique because they have persistent worlds, which make the experience more realistic to the player. • Pokemon Go (2016) was a game incorporating augmented reality targeted towards the whole family. • Video games are also role-playing games where the players work together to complete a mission. Therefore players meet many different people along the way & can generate friendships through gaming. • Within the game where the player must complete certain tasks to proceed to the next level. The tasks generally get more complex and challenging & certain challenges may have to be repeated several times before success. Therefore there is almost of hierarchy of levels within a game for the player to receive a form of accomplishment.
What’s the Audience Appeal of Video Games? • Computer games are intertextual, they use codes & conventions of other texts within their structure. (e.g. they could be derived from a novel, comic or existing audio-visual text, to help the marketing of the products). They may incorporate graphics, cinematic filming or recognisable audio codes from other texts within their structure. Some games also incorporate ‘easter eggs’ for players to hunt for which often reference/replicate other games/real-life events.
Set Product: Assassins Creed 3: Liberation Assassins Creed III: Liberation was released on the PlayStation Vita, the game was a multinational development. The video game was developed by Ubisoft, and launched alongside Assassins Creed III in October 2012. Assassins Creed III was one of the best selling games in the UK in the weeks of release on the PS3. It was the biggest launch in publisher Ubisoft’s history (the 3rd biggest launch of any game in the UK in 2012: behind COD BO2 & FIFA 13). Marketing & Distribution: a trailer for the game was released, as well as marketing included game-playing videos on YouTube introducing wider audiences to the game. Another marketing strategy included enabling gamers to download additional content to the game. (e.g. the tomahawk belonging to Connor, unique hunter hat & additional memory)
Set Product: Assassins Creed 3: Liberation Economic Context Summary: PS Vita was part of the 8th generation of gaming technology & released to competition to Nintendo 3DS. It was originally released only to be played on the PS Vita, but later in 2014 a modified HD version was released across different platforms such as the Xbox 360 & PlayStation 3 in a further marketing strategy to expand the audiences.
Set Product: Assassins Creed 3: Liberation Watch the trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5RxYUw4DFY How important is the trailer in the marketing of the game? For audiences who follow the Asssassins Creed franchise, the video games trailer generates hype for the game. For other audiences who may partially follow the franchise, the trailer sells the game to them. They understand the basic storyline of the game as well as seeing the graphics and introduced to critical characters which shape the plot. When game trailers are uploaded to YouTube & other media platforms, there is a chance for the game to go viral or be featured in the trending section of YouTube. Therefore generating a discussion about the game on social media & reaching more audiences. However, this can work opposite to the desired effect by creating backlash to the game depending on the reaction to the trailer.
Set Product: Assassins Creed 3: Liberation What is the Unique Selling Point of the PS Vita?: The unique selling point of the PS Vita is that unlike the Nintendo DS series, there are a wider range of games that can be played on the PS Vita for a number of different audiences. It is a hand-held conveniently easily-portable gaming device which at the time was relatively rare- since there has been the release of other gaming devices such as the Nintendo Switch which has rivaled the Vita. However, the release of the game on PS3 & Xbox 360 suggests that the need broaden to reach the facilitate for the traditional gamer. Who is the Target Audience?: The target audience for Assassins Creed III: Liberation are the traditional gamer as well as females from an ethnic minority background (personal identity to the main character). They are familiar with the Assassins Creed franchise but are seeking more representation in the gaming community. Why do you think the creators of the game included the (female/mixed race) character of Aveline de Grandpre? The inclusion of a female mixed-race protagonist is an unusual decision by the franchise. It addresses the rise in female gamers who are under represented in games in a positive portrayals.
Set Product: Assassins Creed 3: Liberation Social and Cultural Context: What issues are subject to debate in the gaming industry and why? The inclusion of a female main character reflects a cultural move in society and the industry. Gender roles and issues are subject of debate within the gaming industry, where most of the main protagonists in the popular and best selling games are mostly male. Females are tended to be under and misrepresented in games. Likewise, there is an assumption that girls/women don’t play video games.
Set Product: Assassins Creed 3: Liberation Study the following gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L97VKWGPo78 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVmgHaL-ljs Key Question: Do you think that Aveline is a positive role model for female game players? Although there is an element of violence in the game, I think that Avelineis a positive role model outside of the game, as she signifies the strong female character that is rarely recognized in the gaming industry. Most female characters in the gaming industry have negative connotations to their personas. However, Aveline symbolizes a new movement with the inclusion of a mixed-race female main character.
Key Theory: Bandura – Media Effects What does Bandura suggest in his idea? (3 key points) • Medias can implant ideas into the audience’s minds directly. • Audiences acquire a sense of attitudes & emotional responses and new styles of conduct through modelling • Media representations of transgressive behavior (violence/physical aggression) can lead to audiences imitating this behavior.
Key Theory: Bandura – Media Effects Key Question: Do you agree with his theory? Can playing violent video games lead audiences to imitating them in real life? I think that playing violent video games does not necessarily mean that audiences will imitate these in real life. However, I do think that there is an over representation of different types of violence in media. There are many different factors which affect the audiences behavior but video games are not the only platform to blame. There are other forms of media that are equally as responsible for the portrayal of violent behavior. It is also dependent on the type of audience that the video game are trying to target which PEGI and other regulators know which actions/behaviors are appropriate in a game/media source. The mass media prefer to blame video games for these types of violence as they are in competition with other media platforms.
