promotion OF GAMING

PROMOTION OF GAMINGYEAR 11 EXAMINATION 2014

The exam: 11th June 2014 (am)1 hr 30mins

4 Questions to answer (20 minutes per question)

2 Questions on the theory behind Promotion of Gaming2 Questions based on your own Pitch.

The brief: 12th May 20144 weeks before your exam you will get a brief from the exam board and this will hint at the content of the exam

For those 4 weeks we will only be able to give you guidance and not teach you from then on.

Theory?What is an effective marketing campaign for gaming?Use of Case StudiesWhy would certain promotional devices be better than others?What makes the gaming industry so effective?

My PitchA campaign to advertise a game, probably suggested to you by the exam board. Practical task to probably be:WebsiteTrailerPromotion Time LineMagazine advert

What are we NOT studying?How specific games are played

Design of games themselves

Promotion and marketing of games consoles and hardware.

What IS our focus?How are the audience attracted to games?What pleasures do the audience derive from gaming?What criticisms are made of gaming, and how should these be overcome?

Focus on promotion and marketing, not the games themselves.Studying integrated campaigns across media platforms.

Why Gaming?In 2011, games accounted for 40% of the entertainment marketIn the same year, the UK games industry generated 2bn in global sales and contributed to 1bn to the UKs GDPThe government instituted a Games Relief Tax from the end of April 2013, bringing the gaming industry into line with the film industry, in an attempt to take the UK gaming industry back up to its previous high (third most successful in the world in 2008)

Types of PromotionPrint AdvertisementsLarge Posters/BillboardsTrailersTV AdvertsWebsitesUse of Social NetworksMerchandise

Press ReleasesPreviews/reviewsPublic appearances/premiersCelebrity Endorsement

Writing for the ExamYear 11Basic Key TermsConnotationDenotationDemographicGenreBlumler and KatzHypodermic NeedleNarrativeCharacterisationPlatformPropps charactersMarketingPromotionTrailersBillboardsWebsitesSocial MediaRepresentationInstitutionUse of ExamplesWhy is this important?Your brief is given so that you do research into games and into promotional campaigns for you to bring this in to your work. If you dont use examples you are not showing that you have done any research.

Writing in RoleYour brief will be written to you in the form of a letter/advertisement for a job/Competition entry/Email.

You must respond appropriately, if the letter is signed by somebody, you must write your response to them and include this name throughout as it will show the exam board you can write to a brief. YOU GET MARKS FOR THIS!!!!Writing in Role: ExampleWell Mr White, I think the game you have designed is a great idea and I will be looking at the following ways to promote your game to the desired audience.

You are writing to somebody. When you see the brief you will be given a specific idea of how to do this. Writing your workPoint

Evidence

ExplainHow to PEE in Media!P = What is your opinion/what are your findings in relation to the question.

E= what examples of promotion can you use to back up your answer

E = Using Media Language how exactly does the evidence support your point?Example:The facts and research demonstrate that women are not entirely ignored by the gaming industry. 47% of all gamers are women. The platform on which women play on is slightly different to the traditional idea of a gamer. Women are more likely to play on APP games as the institutions tailor the narrative and media language such as colour connotations to them. For example Candy Crush which is less intimidating with a simple concept and more stereotypically female colour connotations. PEEAudience

Key Points1. Create profiles for casual and serious gamers, comparing and contrasting the ways in which promotion and advertising is used to appeal to them.

2. Select two contrasting video games. What kind of pleasures are promised to the target audience by the marketing materials?

What type of gamer?Create a profile for the people most likely to play these games

2012 most popular

Blumler and KatzThe theorists state that the five reasons why audiences select certain texts are:To be informed and educatedIn order to identify with characters and situationsTo be EntertainedTo enable themselves to socially interact with others (by watching, listening or reading together or through discussion of what theyd seen, read or heard)To escape from their daily troubles and woes.

Hypodermic Needle

This theory was developed in the 1920s.

Media was still relatively new

It was also very crude in its opinion of the general public.

Hypodermic Needle

It suggests that media happens to people and they have no free choice in whether or not they interact with it.The experience, intelligence and opinion of an individual are not relevant to the reception of the text.As an audience, we are manipulated by the creators of media texts, and that our behaviour and thinking might be easily changed by media-makers.Reception TheoryThis theory follows on from Blumler and Katz in that it understands that the consumer has independent ideas when interacting with media.

In the 1980s and 1990s a lot of work was done on the way individuals received and interpreted a text

Reception TheoryThis theory looked at how individual circumstances (gender, class, age, ethnicity) affected the readings.

This work was based on Stuart Hall's encoding/decoding model of the relationship between text and audience

Reception Theory: Encoding and decodingThe text is encoded by the producer, meaning that the person who made the media intended for it to be read and interpreted in a certain way.

The text is therefore decoded by the audience. However, an audience consists of hundreds if not thousands, or millions of people who decode things in different ways.

Reception Theory: Encoding and decodingBy using recognised codes and conventions, and by drawing upon audience expectations relating to aspects such as genre and use of stars, the producers can position the audience and thus create a certain amount of agreement on what the code means.

This is known as a preferred reading.

Cohens Moral Panic

What is it?Moral Panic a condition, episode, person or group of persons emerges as a threat to societal values and interests: the condition, episode, person or group is video games in this case. It basically means that something comes along that threatens to corrupt young people or society as a whole and challenge the way people act towards our laws and social standards.

Alternatively: moral panics involve the construction of folk devils that need controlling, which leads to increased social control (ie regualtion: BBFC, ELSPA, etc). This occurs during periods when powerful groups or the ruling classes face troubled times. The panic then becomes a substitute for the real (and more problematic) social issues.

Video Games become a Folk Devil explaining poor behaviour in children or adults. It is when this is done that the government decides that there needs to be some sort of regulation of the games.

Historical Perspectives: Previous and existing Folk Devils.Music halls in Victorian Britain lawles and immoralFootball, 100 years ago hooliganism Bicycles, 1890s cause of chaos and terrorRock and roll, 1950s the Negros revengeVideo Nasties, 1980sVideo Games, 1990s - nowInternet (IM, SMS), 2000s - now

Features of a Moral PanicConcern: behaviour of a particular group represented as having threat.Volatility: short-lived. Panics erupt dramatically but are difficult to sustain. Negative consequences for the rest of us.Hostility: folk devils constructed to create a clear division between them and us.Consensus: widespread acceptance of the threat posed by this group. Not necessarily reflecting national concern, but the campaigner will be very vocal whilst the opposition will be weak and disorganised.Disproportionality: wild exaggeration of evidence. Not only the number of people involved but also the scale of the problem

A* TaskWhat are the issues Game promoters face when advertising/promoting new games to the audience?

MediaLanguage

Exam Board Suggested Activities1. Study a print advertisement for a video game. Identify features in the advertisement which help you to identify the genre of the video game.2. Watch a trailer for the same video game. Outline the narrative of the trailer by describing the setting, characters and events.

Genre isWhen we categorise or label media in terms of their types. We can identify codes and conventions by looking at the similarities and differences between games in order to see where they are the same or different. We can then group them in terms of GENRE.

Main Video Game GenresMMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Play Game)Role play Adventure Puzzle Racing Rhythm/exercise First person shooter SandboxSports

Revision TaskIdentify the demographic that you think would mostly buy each of the genres in the list provided.

Why?

A* ThinkingWhat is meant by media language in relation to promotion of games?GenreGenre gives a game its identity which can be easily recognised by the target audience and it impacts on all areas of design, content, mode of address and underlying ideology linked to the expectation of the gaming experience. There is a wide range of genres to explore. Examples of some are listed as follows:

Why is this important to Promotion?Investigating the marketing of a particular genre of game leads not only to the study of the common factors which identify it as belonging to that genre, but also to what makes the game different from its competitors. Gamers can become very loyal to their favourite gaming franchise and publishers have become very successful in generating a buzz about a game before its release. Gamers queued overnight in order to be among the first to purchase Microsoft's Halo Reach upon its release in 2010 and other examples of this behaviour have since followed.

Revision TaskLook at two games in the same genre.

Are there any similarities in the way they have been promoted?

What makes one stand out from the other?

Create a check list of dos and donts for yourself if you were promoting a game in this genre

BrandsEvery game has an identity which makes it distinct from other games on the market. This is achieved through branding. We recognise brands through the use of design, shape, colour and images. Language is also very carefully selected t appeal to us through sound, wordplay and if used, the way a slogan talks to us.

ELECTRONIC ARTSSims, FIFA, Harry Potter, Rock Band, Need for Speed, NFL, NHL, Star Wars

Bethesda: Elder Scrolls,

Cap Com: Resident Evil Series

Crytek: Far Cry Series

Media Molecule: Little Big Planet

Nintendo: Mario Brothers, Donkey Kong, SuperMario, Pokemon,

Rockstar: GTASims, FIFA, Harry Potter, Rock Band, Need for Speed, NFL, NHL, Star Wars48Why?Using media language, why do you think that some brands are more recognisable than others to you?

Give a full and detailed answer looking at what this suggests about you as a gamer, would you define yourself as a serious or casual gamer? Does this have an effect?

Key Terms:ConnotationDenotationFontTypographyIconographyImageA* Thinking

Attracting your audienceAre people naturally drawn to one specific genre or are they made to?

How does Media Language play a part in thisThink about Connotation and Denotation

Check your understandingDenotation: Sign/Symbol (the colour used)

Connotation: What this means.

In a sentence:

The denotation of dark colours used on the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows promotion material has the connotations of danger and action genre which would appeal to a male demographicVSFemales? Young Children?

Males only? The game seems to be but what about the female audience of the film? How does the Media Language fail to target them?Narrative?Another way of exploring media language is through a study of narrative. The content of a campaign is frequently constructed through the telling of a story or narrative. That narrative can communicate the brand values of the game and what makes it distinct.Of course narratives are often very entertaining and contain messages designed to appeal to the target audience.

Narrative in GamesWhy is this difficult?Sandbox Games have a world to explore yet no set narrative to exploreSimplistic in placesMinecraft and WOW allow audiences to design their own narrative.Yet it can be crucial to the Promotionlook at the next Case Study.

Propps NarrativeVladimir Propp suggested in 1928 that in any story there are only a limited number of character types, each of which have their own purpose in the narrative.

The HeroThe Central protagonist of the narrative who drives it forward and has some kind of quest or mission to undertake in return for a reward. Traditionally he is male, for example, Mario. In more recent games it needs to be noted that the Hero is not necessarily the good guy, but the person the story focuses on.

Heroine or PrincessThis character acts as a reward for the hero for succeeding in the quest. In older, more stereotypical narratives the heroine is a passive princess and the female, for example, Princess Peach.

VillainSeeks riches, glory and/or power, and also seeks to stop the hero from succeeding in the quest or mission, while presenting a genuine threat. They sometimes want the heroine for themselves too! They can be male, for example, the pigs in Angry Birds or Bowser in Mario, Vaas Montnegro in Far Cry

58Donor or MentorGives the hero important information or equipment to help him or her in the quest, They are often represented as wise or as having special powers, but are not able to do the quest without the hero. For example, Lester in GTA V

HelperAccompanies the hero for some or most of the journey of the quest, and can even help the hero to succeed, but cannot themselves complete the quest, for example, Luigi in Super Mario.

Todorovs EquilibriumTodorov breaks up Narratives into 5 aspects.EquilibriumDisruptionRecognition of disruptionAttempt to repair disruptionReinstatement of equilibrium

EquilibriumThe setting is established, key characters are introduced and the storyline is set up.

DisruptionOppositional characters appear and the story takes a particular direction.

Recognition of DisruptionThe lives of characters and events are interwoven. Tension builds throughout this section, which is often the longest.

Attempt to Repair disruptionThe highest point of tension after which there is a change in dynamic.

Reinstatement of EquilibriumMatters are sorted out, problems are solved and questions answered.

GTA VYoutube videos: Allows the audience to choose which characters story they want to hear first. This gives an insight into the story of the game. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0RLOOyhr9MWebsite: You can use their social media mock up where you can become a character through their Life Invader section. The website itself is based around the fictional town and the narrative/background of Liberty City.

A* TaskLook at the Marketing Campaign for a game of your choice. How could you apply the narrative theories to this campaign?

Which of Propps caharacters are shown and Why?

What part of the Equilibrium is focused on and does this add to the appeal?

Codes and ConventionsPromotional Materials and how to label them/use media language specific to the platform

Websites

Age verificationWebsites

Home PageNavigation BarLinks to separate landing pagesThis example is good to look at for how the promotion reflects the narrative and setting of the game.Website TerminologyRich Media where as many interactive and audio-visual elements are used to give richer content and a richer experience for the user e.g. watch the trailer or game play. It could allow you to listen to the soundtrack through a radio function.Flash Animation a non fixed placement moving image that is not interactive but invasive, e.g. a car speeding across a screen. It is often created using Adobe Flash software. Film animators use this and other software to make cartoons.

Overlayz a quirky graphic design that takes over the whole page when clicked on.Microsites cross between landing pages and front pages, often containing their own domain name. They extend the user experience and relate indirectly to the front page.Landing Pages are where you literally land after clicking on a link from the Front Page. Often there are less graphic design considerations on a landing page than a front page.

Game Box

RatingInstitutionImage promotes the content of the gameTitle of the GameTrailerSoundtrack from the gameQuick cuts in time to the soundtrackInsight into the narrativeImage that represents gameplay footageIdentifies the target audienceKey characters from the gameRelease DatePublishers namePEGI RatingPlatform the game is playable onReviews/Ratings if already releasedUSP is identified. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkkoHAzjnUsPoster

InstitutionRatingDate of ReleaseMain Image of characterImage promotes the content of the gameTitle of the GameSocial Media

ARTWORK AS BACKGROUNDPromotes DLCShares Fan Art and Audience involvementSocial Media

Synergy and Cross Media ConvergenceSocial Media

Cross Media ConvergenceCelebrity EndorsementRevision TaskLooking at the promotional campaign for GTA V consider which part of the campaign you think was most successful?

Research how much money GTA has made and identify if this would have been the case if it were not for the type of promotion.

THIS WILL BE IMPORTANT FOR YOUR EXAMKey Term: Intellectual Property (IP)This is the term given to a concept or idea that is original and owned by somebody.

New IPs in Gaming are rare. The market is flooded with sequels because these have a guaranteed audience and have been proven to be successful.

Games are expensive to design so new IPs are a risk. Look at the top 100 selling games of 2013 and see how many are new IPs?Top 100 selling Games of 2013

1. Grand Theft Auto V (Rockstar)2. FIFA 14 (EA)3. Call Of Duty: Ghosts (Activision)4. Battlefield 4 (EA)5. Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag (Ubisoft)6. Tomb Raider (Square Enix)7. FIFA 13 (EA)8. Lego Marvel Super Heroes (WB Games)9. Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition (Microsoft)10. The Last Of Us (Sony)11. Batman: Arkham Origins (WB Games)12. Call Of Duty: Black Ops II (Activision)13. Just Dance 2014 (Ubisoft)14. Far Cry 3 (Ubisoft)15. Saints Row IV (Deep Silver)16. BioShock Infinite (2K Games)17. Killzone: Shadow Fall (Sony)18. Need for Speed: Rivals (EA)19. Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes (WB Games)20. Skylanders: Swap Force (Activision)

21. Animal Crossing: New Leaf (Nintendo)22. Assassins Creed III (Ubisoft)23. Need For Speed: Most Wanted (EA)24. Disney Infinity (Disney)25. Lego The Lord Of The Rings (WB Games)26. Aliens: Colonial Marines (Sega)27. Pokmon X (Nintendo)28. WWE 2K14 (2K Games)29. Pokmon Y (Nintendo)30. Dead Island: Riptide (Deep Silver)31. Halo 4 (Microsoft)32. Splinter Cell: Blacklist (Ubisoft)33. Hitman Absolution (Square Enix)34. Luigis Mansion 2 (Nintendo)35. Gears Of War: Judgment (Microsoft)36. Crysis 3 (EA)37. Just Dance 4 (Ubisoft)38. Skylanders Giants (Activision)39. Football Manager 2014 (Sega)40. Dead Space 3 (EA)41. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda)42. Gran Turismo 6 (Sony)43. Forza Motorsport 5 (Microsoft)44. Grand Theft Auto IV (Rockstar)45. Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (Sega)46. Injustice: Gods Among Us (WB Games)47. Max Payne 3 (Rockstar)48. Grand Theft Auto Episodes: Liberty City (Rockstar)49. God Of War: Ascension (Sony)50. F1 2013 (Codemasters)51. Football Manager 2013 (Sega)52. Mario Kart 7 (Nintendo)53. Rayman Legends (Ubisoft)54. Dead Rising 3 (Microsoft)55. Forza Horizon (Microsoft)56. Medal Of Honor: Warfighter (EA)57. Red Dead Redemption: Game Of The Year Edition (Rockstar)58. Battlefield 3 (EA)59. The Legend Of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (Nintendo)60. GRID 2 (Codemasters)

61. Diablo III (Blizzard)62. New Super Mario Bros. 2 (Nintendo)63. SimCity (EA)64. The Sims 3 (EA)65. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (Konami)66. Lego City Undercover: The Chase Begins (Nintendo)67. Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 (City Interactive)68. Angry Birds Star Wars (Activision)69. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Legendary Edition (Bethesda)70. WWE 13 (THQ)71. Gran Turismo 5 Academy Edition (Sony)72. Sonic Generations (Sega)73. Sleeping Dogs (Square Enix)74. Dead Island: Game Of The Year Edition (Deep Silver)75. Defiance (Trion Worlds)76. Borderlands 2 (2K Games)77. Dishonored (Bethesda)78. Beyond: Two Souls (Sony)79. Ryse: Son Of Rome (Microsoft)80. Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (Activision)

81. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14 (EA)82. Knack (Sony)83. Moshi Monsters: Moshlings Theme Park (Mind Candy)84. Forza Motorsport 4 (Microsoft)85. Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7 (WB Games)86. Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power Of Two (Disney)87. Mario & Sonic At The London 2012 Olympic Games (Sega)88. Payday 2 (505 Games)89. Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 (Konami)90. Professor Layton And The Azran Legacy (Nintendo)91. The Smurfs 2 (Ubisoft)92. Batman: Arkham City: Game Of The Year Edition (WB Games)93. Super Mario 3D Land (Nintendo)94. New Super Mario Bros. U (Nintendo)95. DmC Devil May Cry (Capcom)96. Metro: Last Light (Deep Silver)97. Super Mario 3D World (Nintendo)98. NBA 2K14 (2K Sports)99. The Sims 3: University Life (EA)100. Resident Evil 6 (Capcom)

THINKING POINT

How many of these games are targeted at Females?

How many are Sequels?

What sets the top 10 apart from the bottom 10?

KEY TERM: USPUnique Selling Point: This is what makes one game stand out from others. Think about what made GTAV the best? What was its USP?INSTITUTION Part 1The way the Gaming industry as a whole works

Promotion of GamingThe Marketing Mix

4 Ps of marketing

86The marketing mix or 4 Ps of marketing:PriceProductPromotionPlace

Decisions about these are based on the results of market research in the product

Think about the type of information a company would want to know about the market when considering undertaking market researchThe marketing mixThe type of information a company would want to know about the market when considering undertaking market research

GenderAgeStyle of gamePlatform to be played onCasual or Serious GamerOther Gaming interests

Consider the marketing mix when deciding:PriceProductPromotionPlace

Marketing Mix

Price

PriceThis section looks at how and why games are priced.

Marketing is often aimed at adults- 40 is expensive for children. Now, games are developing the sale of sections.

Eg Fifa consumers can buy cheaper Premiership only versions.

Internet games, like Candy Crush often have the option of buying add ons like coins or tools to move to next levels.

The main pricing strategies for games are:FreemiumMicrotransactionsPaymiumSubscriptionDLCPrice

Where the amount of competition in the market is strong so customers have a wide choice of suppliers to buy from businesses must set their prices close to the prices of competitors, having regard to the quality of the product and any unique selling points (USPs)Competitive pricing

This often used now for APPS ie flappy birds

What do you think are the characteristics of this pricing model?Fact: 50% of all in APP purchases come from 0.15% of players.Freemium pricing

Characteristics of FreemiumFree to buyAddictiveChallengesBuy livesUse of odd currency e.g buy eggs in Angry Birds or Lives in Candy Crush. Doesnt seem like real money.Sharing function with others

Type of Currency usedBuying new lives for Angry BirdsMicrotransactions

One off payment with the option of purchasing extra content.

There are good and bad examples of this.Paymium

Can be a separate game and isnt needed to progress.Its difficult to progress in the game without buying the add ons. MMORPG are typical of this

Relies on buying in game items

Subscription

Change in design.

Used to be content that didnt make the final cut of the game but is now known as exclusive incentives. DLC

Some times it is possible to discriminate between types of customer for the same product, perhaps based on usage or quality. Games in different countries will cost different amounts due to the currency and costs of production/taxPrice discrimination

We believe that the way the game is promoted is the most significant part of the success of the game. Consider in your answer:Types of PromotionRoles of AudienceWay games are promoted e.g. price and content.Exam Question

Place (and Distribution)

Place

PlaceWhere marketing is placed to appeal to audience. Focus on the use of internet and social media to entice an audience

Place is about ensuring that supplies of a product are available on the market for potential purchasers to buy.

Distribution is vital in order to make sure that this happens.

There are 3 models of placing an item in the market (see distribution on page 53)

Institution Part 2Regulating the Gaming Industry

PEGIhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-zLrjDpH34The purpose of PEGI is to advise consumers on who should play certain games. It can only prevent underage players from BUYING the games not playing them.

Why do games need to be regulated?Child Protection.Which theory could we use to identify this need?Hypodermic Needle and Cohens Moral Panic.

Who are PEGI?What have you found out from your research?

PEGI is used and recognised throughout Europe and has the enthusiastic support of the European Commission. It is considered to be a model of European harmonisation in the field of the protection of children.

Recent Ratings

Can you foresee any problems in the promotion of any of these games?What would theorists say?

What other agency do you need to consider?

What are the issues with the platforms of these games?

ASAAll advertisements for video games are overseen by the Advertising Standards Authority. It is a self-regulatory system and its role is to ensure that all UK advertising is legal, decent, honest and truthful.

You will need to consider this when designing your own advertisement in line with the brief that you are set. It may be that you consider the time your advert should be shown, on which channel, during which programmes. It is also a factor when looking at the genre of the game and who it must be advertised to. Revision TaskLook at the PEGI ratings for 2 different games of your choice.

Does the marketing material for the game clearly indicate the rating?

Does this mean that you have to in your own designs?

Exam QuestionWhat issues do you think we could face when marketing a new game to our audience?Consider in your answer:Representation of audienceRegulations put in placePortraying the narrative to the audience

Institution Part 3Roles and Responsibilities in the Promoting of Games.

Video Game PublisherThis is a company that publishes video games that they have either developed internally or have had developed by a video game developer. Video game publishers are responsible for their product's manufacturing and marketing, including market research and all aspects of advertising.They often finance the development, sometimes by paying a video game developer (the publisher calls this external development) and sometimes by paying an internal staff of developers called a studio. The large video game publishers also distribute the games they publish, while some smaller publishers instead hire distribution companies (or larger video game publishers) to distribute the games they publish. Other functions usually performed by the publisher include deciding on and paying for any license that the game may utilize; paying for localization (adapting to different languages); layout, printing, and possibly the writing of the user manual; and the creation of graphic design elements such as the box design.

Examples of Publishers and their rankings

The Number 1 PublisherTake-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (stylized as Take2), is an American multinational publisher, developer, and distributor of video games. Take-Two wholly owns Rockstar Games and 2K Games. The company's headquarters are in New York City, with international headquarters in Windsor, United Kingdom. Development studio locations include San Diego, Vancouver, Toronto and Novato, California. Take-Two has published many notable games, including its most famous series Grand Theft Auto, the Midnight Club racing series, the Manhunt series and more recently BioShock. As owner of 2K Games, Take-Two publishes its popular 2K Sports titles. It also acted as the publisher of Bethesda Softworks's 2006 game, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.Distribution channelsDistribution is how the game reaches the consumer

Where do you access your games?

Distribution channelsGameHMVAmazoneBayPlaystation storeXbox MarketplaceSteamiTunesFacebookGoogle play

Old Distribution Model

Retail-centric physical storesReliant on the manufacture and supply of the games disc and packagingRequires more initial outlay by the games publishers to produce the disc and box, this eats into their profitLimited space in store so limited stock and choice

New Distribution Model: DigitalMore games available online through games consoles they are their own marketplaces!Playstation Network is free if you own PS3Xbox Live is subscription basedApp-store download iPhone/iPod/iPad gamesSteam dominates the downloadable PC games market with highly popular quarterly sales with extremely low pricesConsoles also willing to sell you DLC for your games, as well as TV shows, movies and music DLC = Downloadable ContentDigital Distribution = Content being available to download online

Digital vs physical2013 saw digital sales overtake physical for the first time ever

Indie Games & DistributionGTA V was distributed to retailers through Take Two Interactive and Rockstar Games vast distribution network however, Indie games do not have this luxury.Indie games could be picked up by one of the consoles indie game marketplace, or Steam, or they could sell through their own websiteSelling through your own website ensures you remain in complete control of how your game is distributed, but can be more costly running the website and download servers: Some prefer to leave this to the experts

Case Study: GTA IVReleased in shops and online in April 2009Previous installments of the GTA series had been released on Playstation first then on Xbox a year laterGTA IV was released on the PS3 and Xbox 360 simultaneouslyAt the time of distribution of GTA IV these consoles had not been around for long so neither had established dominance yet.

Role of the RetailerThink about what you see in shops to promote the sale of games. Massive posters?Exclusive Promotions?Placement of the Game in the store. Should it be in the shop window?Midnight openings?What is the knock on effect for the game if the retailers decide not to promote the game?Similarly what is the effect for the retailer if they choose not to sell/identify that they are selling the most recent games?

Representation

Exam Board TasksDoes the gender of the central character in a video game affect your choice of whether to buy the game or not? If so, why?Marketing materials for games often promote negative gender stereotypes. Do you agree?

Is this relevant to Game Promotion?An understanding of representation is crucial in exploring how the marketing of video games is approached. Each game is associated with an appearance or look, a set of behaviours and ideologies, a particular kind of experience which is shared by and expected by a particular fan base. Through exploring representation it is possible to examine how games are packaged and sold.

Often gamers are not just buying the game itself but are also subscribing to a shared cultural experience. The marketing of games is explicitly linked to the experience offered, particularly since the gamer is an active participant and can be represented within the game-world themselves in avatar format. It is interesting to examine the different ways in which the gaming experience is represented within marketing materials and how clearly this is embedded as part of the overall appeal of the product

Hypodermic Needle

Gaming, Representation and ViolenceExploring the representation of the game could lead to a discussion of the criticisms levelled at gaming. For example is violence behaviour promoted in the marketing materials as being glamorous or exciting?

Look at your discussions you have had in class about GTA in particular. You may find this collection of videos interesting as a case study for glamourising violence in gaming. (Its about an hour).https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFsQRT6uULI&list=PLsRh6_l8pPXPR_YRVwj5ceDGNezvqTM3r (this is also on the year 11 blog)Representation of WomenThe issue of gender stereotyping is also an interesting area to consider with a number of popular games. The Tomb Raider series and Grand Theft Auto games were often criticised for their representation of women. Other examples include the representations of female characters (such as Princess Peach) as being helpless in the earlier games in the Mario series and how this has been changed over time, or indeed the stereotypical nature of Mario himself.

Typical Female Games?Just Dance

Nintendogs

Tomb Raider

Candy Crush

Women and GamingThe average game player is 30 years old and has been playing games for 12 years

The average age of the most frequent game purcheser is 35 years old

47% of all game players are womenWomen over the age of 18 represent a larger portion of gamers than boys aged 17 or younger.

Princess Peach =Propps Heroine: In Mario franchise she needed to be saved.Seen as delicate and girlyPink Connotates stereotypes of femalesIn her own game one of the powers she had was to get Angry quickly.Lara Croft =Highly Sexualised with an unrealistic figureFails to be a positive role model for female gamers due to costume and sound effect choices.

Female Roles the factsIn 1991, a survey of 100 arcade games showed that 92 offered no female roles

Six female roles were unplayable

Two female roles were playable.and one was pacman

In 2001, 16% of all characters were women50% were portrayed as props or bystanders

Why do you think this is?Are there double standards?

Can you think of any other characters?

What games do you think women play?Look at your top 100 list, what does this suggest?

Exam QuestionThe Gaming Industry ignores its female demographic. DiscussUse the following points to inform your answer:The types of games availableThe roles of women in gamesThe way games are promotedThe stereotypes in the gaming industry

Final TipsMake sure you are building some case studies of your own. Look at recent games such as:TitanfallThiefInfamousMetal Gear Solid 5

These have been released recently, take a look at how they were promoted to give you ideas for your own.

Make sure that you are having a go at the revision questions.Final TipsMake sure you are in school on 12th May as you will be given the full details of your brief and will be given very specific ideas of what issues you need to research and revise.

Buy pencils, both drawing and coloured for your exam, along with a ruler and rubber.

Practise each exam question for 20 minutes only as this would be all youd have in the exam. Revision TimetableWednesday 9th April 9am -3:30pm

Monday Evenings: 2:45-5pm every week after Easter Holidays

Half term (June): Miss Walsh will be available from 10am on every day that week for support. Post Study Leave: ALL Year 11 lessons will run as normal once you have been sent on study leave if this is before your media exam.