video games

 video games 

5/11/24

L/O: to explore the history & context of video games

. video games are a relatively new media form since 1970 they have had a massive growth . this is due to a rapid technological development- think graphics , narratives , consoles etc. 

. in recent years the diversity of games genres and platforms on which they can be played has meant an explosion in the gaming industry 

. in 2024 the video games market is projected to reach a revenue of 282.30 billion dollars 

decade                                game                             features

1970's                             space invaders                a coin operated arcade game - not much narrative 

1980's                             Nintendo                     console featured games 

1990's                             mortal Kombat      console wars heat up and computer games start being appearing

2000's                             wii fit                    online games console / computer , developed more , graphics

2010's                             mine craft.                smart phone game playing , online streaming , more                                                                                                                                                                          advanced

three changes that have occurred in games since the 1970's :

can play globally , technology advances , internet / online world 

1).consoles ( play station , xbox) , mobile devices ( phones , i pads), 

2). smartphones are a popular way for people to pay games due to everyone having a smartphone now a days 

3). due to the technological developments the gaming audience has increased more due to everyone having access to games 

4). game companies make money throughout the games with adverts , in app purchases etc 

5). what is augmented reality and how has it been used to enhance games? where digital technology is used to combine the real world with 3D to make games more realistic 

uses & gratifications theory

-pies-

personal identity 

information

entertainment

social interactions 

Roblox: entertainment , social interaction 

Minecraft: entertainment , social interaction , personal identity 

15/11/24

how do games make money 

L/O: to explore how the gaming industry is funded 

do now 

1).synergy - mutual advantages gained when many companies work together 

2).technological convergence-the process of combining different technologies into a single unit to create different products or offerings 

3).the PEGI system is used to age rate games 

4).GRA: games rating authority 

5). regulation: the act of controlling something 

methods of making money :

adverts , subscriptions , limited items , collaborations, in game purchases , pricing the game , sponsorships  

how does Fortnite battle royal make money ?: 

• In-game purchases: Players can purchase downloadable content (DLC), such as cosmetics, emotes, and skins, using the game's virtual currency, V-Bucks. The Battle Pass is a popular in-game purchase that costs around $9.50 per quarter and gives players access to exclusive content and updates. 
• Merchandise sales: Fortnite sells merchandise. 
• in game currency: Fortnite offers an in game currency which costs players to get. 
• battle pass: exclusive content to players who buy this over the season 

Fortnite is an example of the 'games as a service' model - where there is constant revenue stream from the in app purchases 

the launch and success of Fortnite 

launch- the promotional campaign targeted existing gamers 

the campaign reached 150 million users across different gaming sites 

it had a cinematic trailer - suggesting that the game is different to others and to target more of an audience , to also emphasise the game is a battle game , and within it the graphics where not realistic which supported parents to let their children play. and within the trailer there was different ethnicities and genders to show a variety encouraging players to play

the game gained 10 million players within the first 2 weeks following its launch. 

its still very successful 

success -As of 2024, Fortnite has approximately 650 million registered players.

Fortnite seems to average $5.5 billion every year 

collaborations- it has characters from other successful franchises such as marvel & star wars 

for example the collaboration with avengers limited time only generated 1.2 million social media mentions within the first 2 days .this buzz raised a lot of awareness to the game amongst audiences who where not existing gamers 

other collaborations - stranger things , family guy , dc comics , cobra kai , dead pool 

e-sports and events- the Fortnite world cup was first held in 2019 . it received lots of media attention and was streamed on their twitch channel. epic now employees many professional gamers to keep the game at the forefront of the online conversations . celebrity players also help raise the profile of the game .Fortnite has also hosted a variety of events from festivals to live concerts.

example- the rift tour with Ariana grande scheduled a series of virtual shows in the game this was publicised on their website through teaser trailers , in game purchases and quests.

Homework

People tend to play games for many different reasons , for example and audience plays a game for entertainment purposes, to allow them to enjoy the game and to cure boredom. meanwhile another reason would be how an audience while playing games can socially interact with one another for example people tend to play Fortnite to talk and communicate with online friends. Meanwhile others play video games to help find a sense of personal identity , people might relate towards the c characters within a video game and feel  a sense of comfort and therefor play the game more. 

19/11/24

audiences 

do now -

1).advertisement , in app purchases

2). more fame / acknowledgement 

3).Ariana grande , stranger things 

4). celebrity appearances eg characters in games , social media posts

5).personal identity , information , entertainment , social interaction. 

the Fortnite website, and linked social media is an important way for the brand to reach its audience .

the website includes information & updates for its users 

the website is appealing through the use of bright animations and imperative's eg "watch now!"

some posts further address the audience by addressing them in role.

the menu bar links to pages for each mode of the game. 

Fortnite's target audience - 72% are male 22% are female     10-25 and 42% are employed full time

how does Fortnite target them - the unrealistic violence and cartoon style graphics attract a younger audience ,   the rise of e-sports stars , mainly consumed via streaming platforms like youtube and twitch has led to many people becoming famous example would be ninja who ranks the highest in the world for social media interactions , this created gamer celebrities who have become role models which attract an audience , Fortnite also uses seasons - with rumours and gossip about future seasons which follows the T/V online subscription style of long-form drama. 

1). the main elements on the home screen are the new additions , links to news , the shops , game collections made by epic .

2).Fortnite products that are featured include: new skins , game collaborations , PS5 console with exclusive items 

3).ice spice , PS5 , ninja turtles, lego  

4). one post - promotes the PS5 console collaboration , another announces the new Fortnite chapter with Eminem and another post is promoting the fact they will be promoting snoop dog 

5).they can go to the item shop straight away , they can read news about the game and they game check out and download new games and create your own games 

6).to allow people to make more purchases for exclusive items , and to show what items they give away with subscriptions 

applying audience theory

effects theory: collection of approaches and ideas that explains how media influences people ,

the idea that audiences can be passive or active and the difference on how they engage with media messages 

active audience: and audience that engages somehow with any media messages by interpreting them or evaluating them and responding to them . they are able to question messages and challenges ideas they convey 

passive audience:  accepts what the media is telling them without question and is more likely to be directly affected by them . they are more receptive and less engaged 

ways Fortnite audiences are active:

social media discussion on their opinions 

by interacting with the game itself to play it 

 Fortnite is an interactive game, Fortnite creative allows its format to allow more creativity with designing skins , games etc. 

social interaction: Fortnite allows it users to communicate with one another through the game and allows discussion through different platforms 

entertainment : Fortnite allows you to escape into the game and leave the real world 

22/11/24

video games : exam prep 

L/O: to explore the possible exam questions for video games 

do now 

1).cartoon style, celebrity characters 

2). 12-25 year olds , any gender

3). adding a variety of skin colours and people from different shows/ tv series

4). passive audience

5). personal identity