Presentation Transcript

1. Electronic Gaming and the Media Playground

   Chapter 10
2. “…(F)or players around the world, electronic gaming has become a social medium—as compelling and distracting as other social media. The U.S. Supreme Court has even granted electronic gaming First Amendment freedom of speech rights, ensuring its place as a mass medium.”
3. Early History of Electronic Gaming Mechanical Gaming Penny Arcades offered primitive games, 1880s Pinball initially considered gambling Popular after World War II with addition of “flipper” The First Video Games Cathode-Ray Tube patented , 1948 Odyssey, first home TV game, 1972 Home version of Pong, 1975
4. Arcades and Classic Games Games like Pac Man fill bars and arcades Signal gaming as a potential social medium Played with joysticks or buttons The “avatar” is common figure of control First-person perspective most popular in U.S. Three-quarters perspective more popular in Asia
5. Consoles and Advancing Graphics Home consoles become more powerful From 8-bit Atari in 1977 to 256-bit standard today Older, simpler games still popular Mario Brothers instantly recognizable Three major console makers dominate Nintendo, Microsoft, Sony Graphics improve for handheld devices Makes medium more accessible Angry Birds
6. Computers and Related Gaming Formats Personal computer games popular, 1980-1990s Versatility of controls Faster processing speeds Consoles catch up in computing power, late 1990s Dominate “first-person shooter” market Personal computer gaming survives Digitization of card games and board games
7. Internet and Social Gaming Sega Dreamcast, 1999 First console featuring online, multiplayer gaming Live online play adds new dimension Shooters, sports and music all use online play Online fantasy sports Increases fun of watching spectator sports
8. Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games MMORPGs create virtual worlds Gamers play individually or in “tribes” or “clans” World of Warcraft most popular More than 11 million players worldwide Children’s market is substantial Club Penguin, Webkinz Online games foster convergence Comic books, magazines, movies
9. Communities of Play: Inside the Game Gamers play in two types of groups Pick-Up Groups (PUGs) Noobs, ninjas and trolls Guilds or clans Mostly experienced players Two types of chat Voice or text
10. Communities of Play:Outside the Game Websites and face-to-face meetings about games Collective Intelligence Tips offered by gamers on user-generated sites Independent Sites Build community through forums and festivals Industry Sites Business sponsored sites featuring news, interviews, forums, tips, videos
11. Immersion Deep levels of involvement Motion-control technology Wii, Kinect 3D experiences Nintendo handheld game doesn’t need 3D glasses Used for training as well as entertainment Military Education Social causes Journalism
12. Addiction Games are addictive by design Recognizing high scores Gradually increasing difficulty levels Achieving rewards like special features, titles Real-life problems 8.5 % of youth are addicts Anecdotal tragedies
13. The Economics of Electronic Gaming: Money In Primary revenue from sale of games, consoles 60 % of U.S. households own console Gaming inspires media content TV shows Movies Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Resident Evil Media inspires games Movies, comics have game spin-offs Businesses create games for promotion Product placement generates revenue
14. The Economics of Electronic Gaming: Money Out Production similar to movie business $100 million for Grand Theft Auto 4 More than 1,000 people worked for more than three years Major expenditures Development Coding, designing, testing Royalties Distribution, licensing Marketing Advertising, promotions
15. Electronic Gaming in a Democratic Society Self-regulation Public, government debate regulation Industry creates Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) Free Speech and Video Games U.S. Supreme Court grants First Amendment protection Public still has concerns Industry realizes it must respect public opinion