The Sims FreePlay CSP - Audience and Industries blog tasks
Audience
Read this App Store description and the customer reviews for The Sims FreePlay and answer the following questions:
1) What game information is provided on this page? Pick out three elements you think are important in terms of making the game appeal to an audience.
picture of in game and videos and trailers
2) How does the game information on this page reflect the strong element of participatory culture in The Sims?
it shows that the audience has the power to do what they want as it is a sandbox game
3) Read a few of the user reviews. What do they suggest about the audience pleasures of the game?
players become part of of the reality which the sims world withholds
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?
Will Wright describes as akin to ‘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?
it was normalised for girls to not pay videogames
3) What is ‘modding’? How does ‘modding’ link to Henry Jenkins’ idea of ‘textual poaching’?
is when players can add their own items into the game using coding
4) 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’
‘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’
‘The original Sims series has the most vibrant emergent fan culture of a single-player game in history’
5) What examples of intertextuality are discussed in relation to The Sims? (Look for “replicating works from popular culture”)
Intertextuality 'The Sims' is intertextual in its aim to become real simulated life. By incorporating things like TV programmes
6) What is ‘transmedia storytelling’ and how does The Sims allow players to create it?
The sims game give a space that allows cultured media fans to share stories with other game players who had similar interests.
7) How have Sims online communities developed over the last 20 years?
Through groups and social media
8) What does the writer suggest The Sims will be remembered for?
for its style of sandbox and imagination
Read this Henry Jenkins interview with James Paul Gee, writer of Woman as Gamers: The Sims and 21st Century Learning (2010).
1) Why does James Paul Gee see The Sims as an important game?
it shows how women play and design
2) What does the designer of The Sims, Will Wright, want players to do with the game?
wants to learn new skills and empower people with a bright imagination
3) Do you agree with the view that The Sims is not a game – but something else entirely?
no its a game as it has elements as a game
Industries
Electronic Arts & Sims FreePlay industries focus
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?
With introductions to new dlcs and more content for the game itself
2) Why does Amanda Schofield suggest ‘games aren’t products any more’?
players like new updates but also are quick to respond to the bugs which occurs in the game
3) What does she say about The Sims gaming community?
active and want more content
4) How has EA kept the game fresh and maintained the active player base?
a lot of players build a house in the game
5) How many times has the game been installed and how much game time in years have players spent playing the game? These could be great introductory statistics in an exam essay on this topic.
over 200 million
Read this blog on how EA is ruining the franchise (or not) due to its downloadable content. Answer the following questions:
a personal relationship with the sims character
2) What examples of downloadable content are presented?
expansion packs are advertised to buy
3) How did Electronic Arts enrage The Sims online communities with expansion packs and DLC?
.
received backlash for several iconic characters
4) What innovations have appeared in various versions of The Sims over the years?
Introduced pets
5) In your opinion, do expansion packs like these exploit a loyal audience or is it simply EA responding to customer demand?
The expansion pack is sort of a way to exploit their loyal audience as they know their players will be willing to spent their money on new items to make the game seem fresh and newly updated.
The ‘Freemium’ gaming model
Read this Business Insider feature on freemium gaming and multiplayer games. Answer the following questions:
1) Note the key statistics in the first paragraph.
Freeium game 70-80% £10 billion in revenue
2) Why does the freemium model incentivise game developers to create better and longer games?
For players to play the game for longer and wanna get the most fun out of the game itself
3) What does the article suggest regarding the possibilities and risks to the freemium model in future?
spending money in game allows them to increase their revenue
Regulation – PEGI
Research the following using the Games Rating Authority website - look at the videos and FAQ section.
1) How does the PEGI ratings system work and how does it link to UK law?
12 16 to 18 rated games are sold
2) What are the age ratings and what content guidance do they include?
3+ =suitable for all age groups
7+ =frightening scenes/sounds, unrealistic violence
12+ =realistic violence, sexual posturing, mild/bad language and horror sequences
parental guidance =parents recommended to watch with child
16+ =violence, sexual activity, strong bad language, alcohol/drugs
18+ = extreme violence, sexual violence and threat, gambling/illegal drugs/alcohol, sexual activity
3) What is the PEGI process for rating a game?
1)content declaration assessment
2)Submission materials
3)Video footage examination
4)Game examination
5)Receiving the PEGI licence
Comments
Post a Comment