Videogames: Final index

1) Videogames: Women in videogames

2) Videogames: Further feminist theory

3) Learner response: OSP assessment

4) Videogames: Tomb Raider Anniversary

5) Videogames - Metroid Prime 2: Echoes

6) Videogames: Henry Jenkins - fandom and participatory culture

7) Videogames: The Sims FreePlay part 1 - Language & Audience

8) Videogames: The Sims FreePlay part 2 - Industries

9) Videogames: The Sims FreePlay part 3 - Representation

10) Videogames: Exam question

Videogames: exam question blog task

 To what extent do video game makers target audiences through changing representations?

Refer to two of your three Videogames Close Study Products to support your answer. [25 marks] 

You may either take this on as a timed challenge without access to your notes (give yourself 35 minutes) OR you can treat this as an 'open-book' assessment and take unlimited time with full access to your notes and blog. Please note you will not be given a mark and grade for this essay question but will be given written feedback on what you produce. 

(didn't look at notes + didn't time myself)

The way that representations in The Sims Freeplay and Tomb Raider are portrayed are similar as well as different. The methods used by the developers of both games have been carefully analysed to ensure that concepts like postmodernism and other relevant industrial contexts. The target audiences for The Sims and Tomb Raider are a majority of Gen Z or millenial players. Whilst The Sims appeals more to a female market, the female gaze means that Tomb Raider has a majority male fanbase.

To an extent, the creators of Tomb Raider Anniversary have gone to great lengths to carefully construct representations to attract its target audience. When the original Tomb Raider released in the 1990s it was seen as a groundbreaking game because almost all titles at the time included females as side characters - not as the main protagonist. It's therefore easy to see why the game had an instant pull towards the female gamer market. As more and more titles were released, Lara Croft became one of the most recognisable characters in the gaming universe predominantly due to her sexualised appearance. Tomb Raider Anniversary released in 2007 and it was an instant hit as the nostalgia that was associated with the original Tomb Raider game was evident in this game. The way in which Lara Croft was constructed is definitely to appeal to the majority of male gamers. Applying Laura Mulvey's male gaze, one can argue that Lara Croft's appearance is simply the result of hetreosexual normality and that the way in which the character of Lara Croft is constructed appeals to the 'target' audience which tends to be males aged between 18-30 years old. We can also apply Van Zoonen's theory about the female body being seen as a 'spectacle' as Croft's body is seen as a device to attract male gamers. Through the heterosexual representation in Tomb Raider Anniversary, we see a progressive game concept however the game doesn't tackle other issues such as the inclusion of minorities or LGBTQ+ members. 

In The Sims Freeplay representations in-game are far more progressive than any of the other two CSPs in this topic. One could argue that this game is a postmodern text as it can be applied to Jean Baudrillard's theory of hyperreality. The artificial world in The Sims allows players to construct their own world, free from any dominant and influential ideologies, leading them to create a universe which feels more real than the one players are actually in. This leads to the fake reality becoming more definitive of the real world. The developers of The Sims have done this to display that its players can create their own individual world, opening up the possibility of unlocking fantasies. Another area in which The Sims dominate is the representation of LGBTQ+ members. When EA unveiled The Sims Freeplay at E3, the trailer they screened at the event featured a gay couple kissing, seen as extremely progressive and ahead of the times. Through changing the conventions of identity, the developers have given way for many underrepresented groups to be represented in the game. In return, this attracts more of their target audience as there is a wider scope to present one's identity. This can be linked to David Gauntlett's fluidity of culture, which is evident in the DLC packs The Sims Freeplay offers. DLCs like the pre-teen update and the pregnancy update reflect societal demands and then implements itself in the game. This makes the game's target audience more likely to create characters which best represent them and it'll make them play for longer.

We can apply Henry Jenkins' theory of fandom as Tomb Raider Anniversary offers a great sense of nostalgia to its players as it is a game in a long line of Lara Croft games, movies and spin-offs. The game appeals to the original fandom that the game attracted in the first place. Also applying Blumler and Katz's uses and gratification theory, the audience are able to find diversion and personal relationship. The game's player base is made up of mostly male gamers however a large part of the target audience is female as it's still seen as one of the only games to portray a female as the main protagonist. 

The development of The Sims was not exactly straightforward. The original developer Maxis thought that the game was not going to hit well with the target audience as it was too much of a risk. Taking David Hesmondhalgh's 'risky business' into mind, the sandbox game simply didn't have the appeal of similar games at the time. EA however saw its potential and took credit for its 'dollhouse' style game and published the game, going on to be one of the most successful game titles of all time. The 'dollhouse' style appealed to the female market, which makes up a large majority of its players. EA are also well known for adding the freemium model tp its games. In The Sims, the freemium model adds an extra layer of depth to the personalisation aspect of the game. In return for paying money to EA for extra DLC packs, players are given exclusive items that allow themselves to expressed more clearly in the game. We can apply Baudrillard's theory of simulacra here as the game both reflects and rejects some aspects of real world scenarios. Baudrillard mentioned a few descriptions of simulacra that could be applied to a postmodern text. I applied pretence to The Sims as it's a text that masks the absence of reality through process of speeding up building progressions and changing one's appearance. Another use of Baudrillard's theory could be the inclusion of pure simulacra. Players can create a world which bears no resemblance to the real world and is therefore a completely constructed world. We can also apply Jenkins' theory of fandom as Modding is one of the things that makes The Sims different from any other title is that fans can make their own make believe world from their own creations. The use of fan-made texts and applying it to an existing, well known product makes the target audience more involved in the creation of the game. The Sims' social media accounts also provide a great example of simulacra as they are real people, interacting with real gamers but its content is entirely based around a fictional world.

Videogames: The Sims FreePlay part 3 - Representation

 The Sims FreePlay - Representation blog tasks

Create a new blogpost called 'The Sims FreePlay case study part 3 - Representations' and complete the following tasks.

Textual analysis

Re-watch some of the expansion pack trailers and answer the following questions:

1) How do the expansion pack (DLC) trailers reinforce or challenge dominant ideologies?

Pregnancy - Western beauty ideals within the female community 

Police DLC - society is still run and controlled by institutional opression

Pre-teen DLC - targets key audience

2) What stereotypes have you identified in The Sims FreePlay?

Usually white characters that are featured

Despite the higher female players, more males appear in the trailer

Normalisation of heterosexual relationships

3) What media theories can you apply to representations in The Sims FreePlay?

Male gaze - females are positioned to appeal to the male gamers

Gauntlett - we reflect genders as opposed to adopting them 

normalised traumatisation - males expected to behave in a certain way


Representation reading

Read this Forbes article on gender and racism in The Sims franchise and answer the following questions:

1) How realistic does The Sims intend to be?

It intends to reflect everything individual players want in their ideal life. Although it's a simulation, content created about it can be a simulacra. 

“We’re not really looking for realism, we’re looking more for believability,” he told me. “It’s kind of a model of life with things like death and aging, but we don’t do things like broken bones and bleeding. It’s just not the kind of thing our game demands.”

2) How has The Sims tried to create more realistic representations of ethnicity?

They try to take a very neutral stance on issues like racism because this game doesn't reflect real life and therefore race and ethnicity hasn't got much relevance in The Sims. 

"Our game is kind of a caricature of life. We don’t really have a message—there’s no racism message, there’s no tolerance message. We have same-sex marriage in our game. Our Sims will not discriminate based on gender preference whatsoever. But there’s a line where it becomes too real. The only manner of hatred we have in the game is between incompatible Sims, something that’s driven by the traits of the Sim—a hotheaded Sim, or a Sim who hates children.“

3) How has The Sims responded to racism and sexism in society?

They don't include any indicators of a bias as it's not meant to reflect society rather a simulation.

4) What is The Sims perspective on gender fluidity and identity?

The customisation methods make it very easy to assign characters with its own identity including gender.

5) How does The Sims reinforce the dominant capitalist ideologies of American culture?

The freemium model encourages players to spend money in order for a big successful developer to get ece richer whist the average working class are getting ripped off

Read this New Normative feature on LGBTQ representation in The Sims franchise (the website link no longer works but that will take you to the text of the article - you'll need your Greenford Google login to access). Answer the following questions:

1) How did same-sex relationships unexpectedly help the original Sims game to be a success?

It allows players to express their sexuality however they feel, something that society doesn't give  a chance to do.

2) How is sexuality now represented in The Sims?

It's presented as fluid to allow the players to wrap the meaning of sexuality + gender around their individual needs

3) Why have fans praised the inclusion of LGBTQ relationships in The Sims franchise?

It presents the game as progressive which allows them to create more LGBTQ content that gives players to opportunity to find personal relationship and identity with their characters

4) Why did the Sims run into regulatory difficulties with American regulator the ESRB? How did EA respond?

Their new "Love Bed" addition was given an M-rating instead of the usual T-rating which meant that EA had to remove it but they protested that claim all the way.

5) How is sexuality represented in the wider videogames industry today?

It's more open to interpretation as players can choose their own gender and females are being given more central roles without being sexualised. A recent example is the inclusion of "gender neutral" as an option when picking a character for Call of Duty: Cold War

Reality, postmodernism and The Sims

Read this Paste Magazine feature on reality and The Sims franchise. Answer the following questions:

1) What does the article suggest about the representation of real life in The Sims 4?

Although games are meant for diversion, The Sims seemingly does the job despite reflecting a simulation of real life.

2) What audience pleasures did the writer used to find in The Sims franchise?

Escapism, personal relationship, personal identity

3) Why the does the writer mention an example of a washer and dryer as additional DLC?

Although the washer and dryer was added as a DLC, the writer still didn't use it because if the addition of that task to the Sims' daily routine. This suggests that not all DLCs are in high demand. 

4) In your opinion, has The Sims made an error in trying to make the franchise too realistic?

I think it should have all the human comforts we use in our everyday life but the developers should stop making it too much like real life as players are trying to escape from the real world as opposed to living in a virtual version of real life

5) How does this representation of reality link to Baudrillard’s theory of hyperreality - the increasingly blurred line between real and constructed?

Although you're emulating a real world, the actions you complete and the characters you create would most likely not exist in the real world, blending the meaning of illusion and reality. 

The Sims FreePlay social media analysis

Analyse The Sims FreePlay Facebook page and Twitter feed and answer the following questions:

1) What is the purpose of The Sims FreePlay social media channels?

To promote new DLCs and gameplay that some newbies might've missed out on. 

2) Choose three posts (from either Twitter or Facebook) and make a note of what they are and how they encourage audience interaction or response.

Twitter:

- Morocco update encourages audiences to go and download it to escape the winter period in the northern hemisphere

-The new customisation update allows you to wear hijabs, a very big inclusion to make sure more players are engaging with the game
- Christmas Carol house update suggests that players should immerse themselves in the seasonal feeling and play this unique map

3) Scroll down the Facebook feed briefly. How many requests for new content can you find from players? Why is this such as an important part of the appeal for The Sims FreePlay?

I can see quite a lot of people asking to fix bugs and other various small tweaks. This allows the developer to constantly cater the game's content specifically around The Sims' audience, making it more likely that they'll interact with it

4) What tweets can you find in the Twitter feed that refer to additional content or other revenue streams for EA?

The Arabian update brings in a lot of money because if the amount of time spent in lockdown. The christmas updates also suggest increased revenue too.

5) Linking to our work on postmodernism, how could The Sims FreePlay social media presence be an example of Baudrillard’s hyperreality and simulacra?

The real world is something that the real wold tries to emulate but also calls itself a simulation, allowing characters to create content that suits their individual needs. You could argue that because EA include so many real-world objects that the game is an example of hyperreality because the world in Sims might be seen as more of an indicator for reality as opposed to the real world, in the eyes of the gamer.

Simulacra also appears in The Sims' social media team. They're real people interacting with real gamers but centre its content around a completely fictional universe.

Videogames: The Sims FreePlay part 2 - Industries

 The Sims FreePlay - Industries blog tasks

Create a new blogpost called 'The Sims FreePlay case study part 2 - Industries' and complete the following tasks.

Regulation – PEGI

Research the following using the PEGI website.

1) What is the VSC and how does it link to UK law?

The VSC is the regulatory body that helps PEGI to regulate games for the UK. Every PEGI 12, 16 and 18 game is assessed by a VSC examiner who also writes detailed information for parents about what the game contains.

2) Note down the key statistics on the homepage.

PEGI also take into account the prospect of in-app purchases

"In 2012 the PEGI ratings system was incorporated into UK law and the VSC was appointed by the government as the statutory body responsible for the age rating of video games. In the UK, PEGI 12, 16 and 18 rated games supplied in physical form, such as discs and cartridges, are legally enforceable and cannot be sold or rented to anyone under those ages."

 

3) What is the purpose of PEGI?

To ensure that the correct rating is provided to products so that it can reach its intended audience

4) Click on the PEGI Rating tab in the top menu. What are the age ratings and what do they include?

3, 7, 12, 15 and 18

- fear

- in-app purchases

- violence

- horror

- bad language

- sex

- drugs

- gambling

It's worth noting that, even if a game is rated at the lowest classification of 3, it may still not appeal to young children and/or may be very challenging and complicated to play. It simply won't contain any content that is harmful to, or unsuitable for, young children.

5) Scroll down to look at the ‘How games are examined’ infographic. What is the PEGI process for rating a game?

They have industry experts who use their knowledge  to categorise a game based on what age group its content caters to

"We also listen to the views of parents and young people to ensure the ratings remain up-to-date and reflect current views about what's appropriate for children of different ages to play. The guidelines are kept under constant review in case changes are needed."

The ‘Freemium’ gaming model

Read this Lifewire feature on freemium gaming and answer the following questions:

1) How does the freemium model work?

The game is free to play but includes in-app purchases

2) Why do some gamers believe freemium is ruining games?

It puts all the good items in a game behind the paywall which makes the game inaccessible to gamers who can't pay the in-app purchases.

3) What are the positives of the freemium model for gaming?

It furthers gamers progress much faster and it generates money for the developer

Now read this Business Insider feature on freemium gaming and multiplayer games. Answer the following questions:

1) Note the key statistics in the first paragraph.

For clash of clans, in-app purchases account for about 70-80% of the $10 billion or more in iOS revenue each year.

2) Why does the freemium model incentivise game developers to create better and longer games?

The more items that players can unlock prolong the life of the core game because the add-ons will likely change the way that the player will interact with the game. 

3) What does the article suggest regarding the possibilities and risks to the freemium model in future?

it might be abandoned because some developers don't make it clear as to whether there are in-app purchases available

Read this New York Times feature on freemium gaming and answer the following questions:

1) Why did Temple Run use the freemium model?

2) The bigger gaming studios like Electronic Arts used to avoid the freemium model. Why are they now embracing it?

It helps them to increase the longevity of a game's content without having to release another edition of that game , the more in-app purchases you have, the more content there is available to unlock. 

3) Why does Peter Farago suggest independent game makers benefit more from the freemium model than the major publishers like EA?

The money gets distributed to less streams which results in more profit

Electronic Arts

Read this Pocket Gamer interview with EA’s Amanda Schofield, Senior Producer on The Sims FreePlay at EA's Melbourne-based Firemonkeys studio. Answer the following questions:

1) How has The Sims FreePlay evolved since launch?

We started out with a game where you could control 16 Sims, have a pet dog and a career and that was most of the game.

2) Why does Amanda Schofield suggest ‘games aren’t products any more’?

Gamers require that extra level that enables them to create their own content which reflects what they want in their ideal game

3) What does she say about The Sims gaming community?

 The community is a critical part of the game development process and must be embedded with our game teams so we not only know what our players are saying about the newest update, but we also can quickly respond to any problems that arise.

4) How has EA kept the game fresh and maintained the active player base?

Updates that reflect a season change or cultural trend such as Halloween or Pride month.

5) How many times has the game been installed and how much game time in years have players spent playing the game? 

200 million installs

78,000 years spent playing

Finally, read this blog on how EA is ruining the franchise (or not) due to its downloadable content. Answer the following questions:

1) What audience pleasures for The Sims are discussed at the beginning of the blog?

- personal identity

- personal relationship

virtual humans with personalities and ambitions — and take complete control of their lives. Players can also use the game to experiment with architecture, decoration and landscaping. Traditionally, each main series entry begins with a base game containing a large portion of the content, but not the entire package.

2) What examples of downloadable content are presented?

expansion packs such as new furniture or clothing

3) How did Electronic Arts enrage The Sims online communities with expansion packs and DLC?

The Pets DLC often disappoints players as the content is not as exclusive as thought to be and the players petitioned for the DLC to be free.

4) What innovations have appeared in various versions of The Sims over the years?

The gallery feature, acting as a social media platform. Virtual families that create a digitised generation of characters. 

5) In your opinion, do expansion packs like these exploit a loyal audience or is it simply EA responding to customer demand?

I think EA needs to make extra cash because the main crux of the game is to constantly develop your world to make it the best it can be, usually the answers to these questions are behind the in-app purchases which give EA money and the player some more content to enjoy.

Videogames: The Sims FreePlay part 1 - Language & Audience

 Language / Gameplay analysis

Watch The Sims: FreePlay trailer and answer the following questions:

1) What elements of gameplay are shown?

-customisation of characters

- maintaining the happiness of characters

- playing with pets

- having relationships

- exploring the avenues of adult life

2) What audience is the trailer targeting?

- females that desire to have their own family in adult life

3) What audience pleasures are suggested by the trailer?

- nostalgia of other Sims games 

- diversion

- personal relationships: bond with the characters and their journey through the game

- personal identity: players can relate to their characters as they have created something that reflects their values and idelogies

Now watch this walk-through of the beginning of The Sims FreePlay and answer the following questions:

1) How is the game constructed?

It's constructed to give you control over the avatars life as you have full customisation of their appearance and personality. The freemium model allows you to purchase extra gems to quicken your progress too. 

2) What audience is this game targeting?

People that have the time and patience to carry on the progress of the game until they get a  reality that reflects their ideal one. Ideally, females seem to have a lot more patience than men and prefer a game where you nurture a character and its surroundings. 

3) What audience pleasures does the game provide?

personal identity: your customisation of the character makes sure that your own values are at heart

personal relationships: gamers bond with the characters and their journey through the game

4) How does the game encourage in-app purchases?

By using gems that can speed up your progress which'll get your dream city much faster.

Audience

Read this App Store description and the customer reviews for The Sims FreePlay and answer the following questions:  

1) What critics reviews are included in the game information section?

5 STARS ...The Sims FreePlay is everything you could ever want a freemium Sims game to be.” (Gamezebo)

“10/10 …one of the most addictive and highly polished games available and there’s no excuse for anyone to not download it; especially since it is free to play (the clue’s in the title).” (God is a Geek)

2) What do the reviews suggest regarding the audience pleasures of The Sims FreePlay?

The in-app purchases enhance and improve your gaming experience. 

3) How do the reviews reflect the strong element of participatory culture in The Sims?

The players of the game influence the game's production and future updates based on what needs to be fixed.

Participatory culture

Read this academic journal article - The Sims: A Participatory Culture 14 Years On. Answer the following questions:

1) What did The Sims designer Will Wright describe the game as?

‘a train set or a doll’s house where each person comes to it with their own interest and picks their own goals’

2) Why was development company Maxis initially not interested in The Sims?

They didn't see the success of the 'dollhouse' style - cultural industries are a risky business

3) What is ‘modding’?

manipulating game code, with permission of the rights owners, to create new and  'fanpage' style content to post on a forum or even the official game website.

4) How does ‘modding’ link to Henry Jenkins’ idea of ‘textual poaching’?

They're using the original text, like the fans, and using it to produce a new and engaging creative text. 

5) Look specifically at p136. Note down key quotes from Jenkins, Pearce and Wright on this page.

‘held together through the mutual production and reciprocal exchange of knowledge’

‘The original Sims series has the most vibrant emergent fan culture of a single-player game in history’

‘We were probably responsible for the first million or so units sold but it was the community which really brought it to the next level’

6) What examples of intertextuality are discussed in relation to The Sims? (Look for “replicating works from popular culture”)

Star Trek, Star Wars, The X-Files and Japanese anime and manga were extremely popular.

7) What is ‘transmedia storytelling’ and how does The Sims allow players to create it?

a process wherein the primary text encoded in an official commercial product could be dispersed over multiple media, both digital and analogue in form

- The "official commercial product" is the actual Sims game 

- the dispersion of that media in both digital and analogue form is where the players can customise their characters or even use modding or creating fan fiction.

8) How have Sims online communities developed over the last 20 years?

They've become more interlinked, not only though their love of The Sims, but also through the distribution of fan made content which is just as, if not more, popular than the original text. 

9) Why have conflicts sometimes developed within The Sims online communities?

- modding characters to commit illegal activities that would be inappropriate for a game rated PEGI 3

10) What does the writer suggest The Sims will be remembered for?

"for the cult following that it engendered

well beyond the usual lifespan of a popular computer

game; and also for the culture of digital production it

helped to pioneer, one that remains such a staple of

fan and game modding communities today."

Read this Henry Jenkins interview with James Paul Gee, writer of Woman as Gamers: The Sims and 21st Century Learning (2010).

1) How is ‘modding’ used in The Sims?

modding is used to improve emotional intelligence and social interactions

2) Why does James Paul Gee see The Sims as an important game?

It's meant to be a game that goes beyond gaming, it's not just mainstream, it's cutting edge. 

3) What does the designer of The Sims, Will Wright, want players to do with the game?

they want players to be empowered to think like designers. they want the players to be at the forefront of the game's development. 

4) Do you agree with the view that The Sims is not a game – but something else entirely?

It doesn't really strike as much of a game - rather an application that allows you to use its customization features to build a fantasy world that fits in with individual ideologies.

5) How do you see the future of gaming? Do you agree with James Paul Gee that all games in the future will have the flexibility and interactivity of The Sims?

I think that many games will follow suit with The Sims and they'll create content that allows players to create their own content within the rights of the game. We're seeing an increase in the freemium model with EA's microtransactions and after its acquirement of multiple games developers like F1 devs Codemasters, it could be just a few years until we see all games constructed like The Sims.