Research

Aaron Acaster

Existing ProductHe is standing at an angle and the camera is on a tilt so he’s literally looking down on the reader.

The red background is red witch shows aggression. Also the game is called “Red Dead Redemption” so it works on both ways

The main cover art is a character of a game that was massive at the time and it had a lot of anticipation behind it.

The art style of him isn’t a screen shot of the game, its more stylised. The shadows and overall he looks more sharp and crisp.

His full body isn’t in the frame, he is also covering the magazine title, witch is very unconventional, and shows that he is tough and serious.

Name of the game

A masculine character that the males and females can look up to.

Existing ProductHe is on a tilt and an action shot has been chosen to represent the game even though its more of a stealth game. This is because action shots look better and are more likely to attract more readers.

All of the text a part from the title is on a slant along with the main character. Not only does this look good but it shows that in the game the world kind of revolves around him and you are able to make your own choices.

The character is slightly off centre and is shown with an angry serious look on his face. It doesn't look like a screen shot from the game, it looks like digital art taken from a cut scene. The game doesn't look too much different from this picture witch shows off how good the game looks

The background is red ad black. This symbolises the fact that as the player you can chose to be violent(red) or stealthy(black).

The PS Vita would have been new at the time

The background looks like its from the game. This makes him look less out of place.

Existing Product

Small picture that doesn't take up the whole front cover. The art style is the same style that the games cover art uses. It’s a simple art style that looks good on a magazine because it leaves room for other games to be featured on the front covers.

Background is plane and white. It makes the shadow of the two people stand out

The title is bold and not covered by anything.

This image shows masculinity and violence. Themes that are very strong in the game.

The red on the logo symbolises violence, passion, leadership, anger and love. Themes that are all in the game.

Even though there are two people on the cover, it doesn’t look too cluttered. This is mainly because of the white background

Research Analysis• What common features do the researched products

have? I have realised that all of the magazine covers have digital art styled characters on the front, not a screenshot from the game. This is because it looks better and this way you are able to show people the game in the best light possible. An other thing that they have in common is simplicity. There is usually one character on the front posing in an action shot. And around him are headlines of what's featured inside. The background usually complements the main character on the front, weather it’s a background from the game to make the character seem more in place, or just a colour to represent the games themes. The background is a big part of what makes the whole cover come together.

• What aspects of the research will you include within your on work?

In my work I will take aspects of all of the magazines I have seen. For example, just having one person on the cover. This makes it look less cluttered and leaves more space to put headlines to show people what's inside. I like the idea of having a slightly weird camera angle. I feel like it’s a good way to show off a games main character. Its quite unconventional, but it works because depending on the character, it suits them. Having the character cover up the magazines title tells the audience that it’s a good brand and it has loyal customers that will buy no matter what. So I may take this idea and apply it to my own work.

Audience

Audience ProfileCategory Demographic Content to appeal to this audience

Age Range10-29 I feel like older children (10-13) are likely to be

interested in my magazine, because there are a lot of games targeted at them.

I also feel like younger teens (13-15) and older teens (15-18) also have many games target towards them. The same is true with younger adults (18-29). I feel that there aren’t too many games targeted towards anybody older than that.

The magazine wont feature any explicit content or anything a young child/ parents would find offensive. The magazine will feature more mature games, but only in the form of a review, etc..

GenderMale and female I think targeting a mostly male demographic is a good

choice. However, females are a large part of the audience too. I will appeal to both audiences by having a relatable yet popular videogame character featured on the front. This will entice readers into buying my magazine regardless of their gender.

PsychographicBelongers, Achievers, Type B, Balanced.

• Belongers: Want to belong to a group an like the sense of community. They are also brand loyal. I feel like if I can draw their attention to my magazine, I’ll have a loyal customer.

• Achievers: Even though they are usually a more serious business type, I feel like they may play games to relive some stress. Therefore they have an interest in videogame magazines. So even though they may not be the most loyal customer they may have people buy it for them on Christmas or a birthday.

• Type B: I feel like this is the stereotypical view of the typical gamer. They are quite likely to have an interest in video games, so I feel like they are a demographic I should be targeting.

• Balanced: These group of people respond to success. So I feel like if my magazine can include a walk through, or a trophy/ achievement guide, than that will give them what their looking for.

Social StatusA,B,C,1 • Because anyone can buy a gaming magazine. Even

if you don’t have a games console.