The clip begins by showing the construction of gender representation through the two main characters
Author Archives:
MEDIA EXAM SECTION B QUESTIONS
AS MEDIA TRIP TRAVEL DETAILS
CLASS
HERE ARE THE DETAILS FOR THE TRIP ON WEDNESDAY
- MEET AT ANGEL STATION AT 9.45 AM PROMPTLY.
http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk/user/XSLT_TRIP_REQUEST2
ATTACHED IS A COPY OF THE MAP WITH WALKING DIRECTIONS
Warning
Dear Class
This Friday (21st January) I will be moderating the work which you have completed for me and giving you overall gradings. This means that any outstanding work needs to be uploaded onto your blog by the end of Friday.
If you have been absent for any lessons and have missed tasks then you will need to make sure you have caught up on these tasks.
Ms Polston
AS MEDIA- GAMES WIPE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIb8JdoWF00
USING THE ABOVE CLIP- WATCH CHARLIE BROOKER’S INSIGHTFUL IDEAS ABOUT THE GAMES INDUSTRY AND ITS HISTORY. AT LEAST A PAGE OF A4 NOTES.
AS MEDIA HOMEWORK
READ THE ARTICLE IN THE LINK BELOW AND WRITE UP NOTES ON WHAT YOU SEE AS THE GAMES MAJOR POINTS OF SUCCESS.
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/99614-PopCap-Announces-a-Mind-Blowing-New-Bejeweled
THEN ONCE YOU HAVE DONE THIS, RESEARCH AND WRITE NOTES ON THE GAMES AUDIENCE (GENDER/AGE/PROFESSIONS/NATIONALITY) AND HOW THEY TARGET THEIR AUDIENCES.
DUE FOR MONDAY 17TH JANUARY
DEFINTIONS FOR VIDEOGAME UNIT
IMPORTANT TERMS TO KNOW FOR THE EXAMS
Key Definitions
Proliferation
Definition: A rapid increase in the number of a certain type of product.
Use: There are a number of different gaming formats, each with their own unique qualities – PS3, 360, Wii, DS, PSP, 360 and PC – subsequently Rockstar have to adapt their GTA experience to suit the format. So the PS3, 360 and PC get complete the GTA 4 experience, the DS, PSP and phone get GTA: Chinatown Wars.
Technological convergence
Convergence of media occurs when multiple products come together to form one product with the advantages of all of them.
Use: The PlayStation3 is an example of media convergence as it is machine that not only plays game, but can be used to watch Blu-Rays, surf the internet and organise and display digital content such as photos and music.
Media Convergence
When old and new media intersect in such a way that the way in media producers and media consumers interact changes.
Use: The consumption of GTA 4 is a good example of media convergence as consumers have used both old and new media to alter the way in which they experience the game. For instance GTA fans have used the internet to create fansites and communities to share tips, stories and experiences about the game. They have also developed their own modifications and shared them over the internet.
Or when two different media types combine to create a new experience.
Use: GTA4 uses licensed tracks for the radio stations in the games combining videogames and popular music to create new realistic experience and environment.
Synergy
Definition: The interaction of two or more agents to ensure a larger effect than if they acted independently.
Use: Rockstar used synergy in their marketing by timing the release of the first trailer to coincide with the release the first GTA 4 magazine preview which was in the US games magazine Game Informer.
Viral Marketing
Definition: A marketing technique aiming at reproducing “word of mouth”, usually on the internet and through existing social networks.
Use: Rockstar used viral marketing to increase awareness of GTA 4 by setting up spoof websites designed to be ‘discovered’ by GTA fans who would then spread the word.
Guerilla Marketing
Definition: The use of unconventional and low cost marketing strategies to raise awareness of a product.
Use: To promote GTA 4, Rockstar used Guerilla marketing, putting up ‘wanted posters’ over New York, stickers up on notice boards and commissioning works of graffiti that featured characters from the game.
Vertical Integration
Definition: Absorption into a single firm of several firms involved in all aspects of a product’s manufacture from raw materials to distribution.
Use: Rockstar Games have become a vertically integrated company by buying developers they have previously worked with, such as DMA Design who became Rockstar North and Angel Studios who became Rockstar San Diego. By doing this Rockstar have control over development, funding and marketing of their products.
Third Party Game
A game made by a company that is completely independent from the manufacturers of the console that the game is played on.
Second Party Game
A game created exclusively for a specific console through a contract agreement with the console manufacturer. (The console manufacturer may own a percentage of the studio, but not enough to give it a controlling interest.)
First Party Game
A game created by the console manufacturers themselves or by a developer in which the console manufacturer has a controlling interest (over 51% of shares).
Game Engine
A game engine is a software system designed for the creation and development games.
Developer
The software developers who create the game.
Publisher
The company that funds, market and distribute games that they have developed internally or have commissioned or acquired from an independent games developer. (NB even though most publishers also develop games as well, they are referred to as ‘publishers’ to differentiate them from the companies that just develop games.)
Machinima
Derived from the words ‘machine’ and ‘cinema’, Machinima is art of filmmaking created by using real-time recording of computer games, virtual worlds or any already-existing 3D digital worlds.
Modding
Modding is a slang expression that is derived from the word “modify” and refers to the act of modifying a game to perform a function or to include content not originally conceived or intended by the designer, and then usually shared via the internet.
Sandbox Game
A game that allows the gamer to ignore the main objectives of the game (usually the Story Mission) and engage in other non-goal orientate activities.
GAME GENRES
Shooter:
One of the oldest genres of video game is the classic shooter. It has roots in the early 60s with Steve Russell’s Spacewar! Shooters are games that require the player to blow away enemies or objects in order to survive and continue gameplay. They usually fall into one of two categories: 1) horizontal, or 2) vertical. However, like Spacewar!, Star Castle, and Asteroids, there are shooters that are neither horizontal or vertical. These involve moving around the screen and shooting in whatever direction necessary to keep from being destroyed. Other classic examples include Defender, Galaga, R-Type, Phoenix, Space Invaders, Tempest, Xevious, and Zaxxon.
First-Person-Shooter (or FPS):
This is an example of a sub-genre that has grown enough to become its own genre. In fact, because of the prevalence of these games, many people use the term “shooter” to refer to first-person-shooters. These games are realtime fast-paced action games in which the player navigates an environment from a first-person perspective and, usually, blows everything and everyone away whenever possible. Though Wolfenstein 3D is regarded as the first sucessful example of this genre, it wasn’t until the release of Doom that people began to recognize the true potential of this type of gaming. Doom enabled multiple game players to share in the same game simultaneously via modem and LAN. This would become the standard of this genre, opening the game format up to multi-player deathmatches that would become so important to the format that some put little effort into story and the single-player experience in general (i.e., Unreal Tournament and Quake III). Though this is a relatively new genre (since the early 1990s), it has grown in popularity. Examples of first-person-shooter franchises include Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, Duke Nukem 3D, Descent, Marathon, GoldenEye, Halo, Quake, and Time Splitters.
Adventure:
Another of the first video game genres, especially from the computer platforms, was the adventure game. These were initially text-based games like Will Crowther’s Collossal Cave and the original Zork games. However, as the power of the gaming systems grew, developers tried to tap into the visual capabilities of each consecutive platform. The Atari VCS offered a game entitled Adventure. Roberta Williams began develping the King’s Quest series for Sierra Online in an attempt to add interactive graphics and point-and-click funtionality to the more puzzle-oriented traditional text-based adventure. There has always been a strong following for this genre because of the challenge of puzzle-solving and the general lack of violence. This has also made it popular for many non-traditional gaming demographics. In recent years, LucasArts and Cyan have been known for their contributions to the adventure genre. Other examples of adventure franchises include Gabriel Knight, Indiana Jones, Maniac Mansion, Monkey Island, Myst, Police Quest, and Syberia.
Platform:
It is believed that the platform genre began in 1981 with the release of the games Donkey Kong and Space Panic. Games within this genre are usually identified by navigating environments that require timing and jumping in order to reach a desitination while avoiding and/or disposing of enemies. Many of these, like Donkey Kong, have a series of screens, each with its own individual pattern of challenges. As companies began to develop platform games for home consoles and computers instead of arcade machines (i.e. Super Mario Bros for the Famicom and Nintendo Entertainment system), they took advantage of the evolving processors and and greater memory capacity by transcending individual screens and utilizing actively side-scrolling worlds. This evolutionary step in platform games moved them closer to immersive stories rather than challenging puzzles. Platform video games continued to evolve as gaming became more 3D. One of the greatest 3D platform games was introduced with the launch of the Nintendo 64 and was called Super Mario 64. Examples of 2D screen-based platform franchises include Bubble Bobble, Burgertime, Donkey Kong, Lode Runner, Mario Bros., and Space Panic. Examples of 2D scrolling platform franchises include Bonk, Donkey Kong Country, Sonic the Hedgehog, Super Mario Bros., and Vectorman. Examples of 3D platform franchises include Crash Bandicoot, Pac-Man World, Spyro the Dragon, and the aforementioned Super Mario 64.
Role-Playing Games (RPGs):
Evolving from pen-and-paper games like Dungeons and Dragons, RPGs are a special type of adventure game that usually incorporate three major elements: 1) a specific quest, 2) a process for evolving a character through experience to improve his/her ability to handle deadlier foes, 3) the careful acquisition and management if inventory items for the quest (i.e., weapons, armor, healing items, food, and tools). Having said that, these games still have many variations and appearances.
Puzzle:
In many ways, puzzle video games are not dissimilar from traditional puzzles. What they offer are unique environments that are not as easily introduced in one’s living room. For example, Wetrix enables the player to build up a series of walls that would be able to contain a deluge of water when it falls. Successful completion of a level involves capturing enough water. Other examples include Tetris, Intelligent Qube, Puzzle Bobble, Puyo Puyo, Devil Dice, and Mercury.
Simulations:
By their nature, simulations are attempts to accurately re-create an experience. These can be in the form of management simulations like SimCity and Theme Hospital, or more hands on like MicroSoft Flight Simulator or Gran Turismo.
Strategy/Tactics:
Like simulations, strategy/tactics games attempt to capture a sense of realism for the game player to experience. However, these titles are often turn-based as opposed to realtime and they give the player a greater sense of specific control over a situation. Franchises that fall into this genre include Ogre Tactics, Command and Conquer, Final Fantasy Tactics, and Worms.
Sports:
As you can imagine, sports games are those that simulate the playing of sports. Many of these have incorporated novel aspects beyond the games themselves. For example, most football video games like the Madden series enable the player to create and customize teams and play them for an entire season. Furthermore, many sports games include management elements beyond the games themselves. There is quite a bit of variety in this genre for fans of the games, the players, and the behind the scenes responsibilities of owning a team.
Fighting:
These titles pit player against player (usually 2 players head-to-head) and involve one triumphing over the other. Many of these games include a single player mode, but the real draw to this genre is the ability to demonstrate one’s gaming prowess against a friend. Examples of franchises in this genre include Street Fighter, Soul Calibur, Mortal Kombat, Tekken, Virtua Fighter, Dead or Alive, King of Fighters, and Bloody Roar.
Dance/Rhythm:
Dance Dance Revolution is probably the single largest franchise in this genre. Of the rest, many require a specialized controller like DDR, but several don’t. This grouping of games is differentiated by the timed elements usually synched to music somehow. Other good examples of this form include Parappa the Rapper, Bust a Groove, Gitaroo Man, Space Channel 5, Frequency, Beatmania, Para Para Paradise, Donkey Konga, and Eyetoy Groove.
Survival Horror:
As the name suggests, these titles are an interactive evolutionary step of the horror genre. The main gameplay mechanic in these is to “survive” the environment that includes fantastic or supernatural elements that are very frightening and often disturbing. Many of these titles are rated mature because of they are not intended for younger audiences and often include graphic scenes.
Hybrids:
It’s important to recognize that many games are not limited to a single genre. Some are the combination of two or more game types. In fact, as gaming evolves, we see lines blurred between genres more frequently than not. Since the introduction of 3D gaming, the action/adventure genre has grown dramatically. It is practically a catch-all category that incorporates 3D games with realtime combat and puzzle-solving in a fairly cohesive storyline. Many of these games are also first-person-shooters. Some are 3D platform titles. And most survival horror titles qualify as Action/Adventure games too. Another example of a hybrid is Myst. It is both an adventure game and a puzzle game. However, it is most certainly not an Action/Adventure game.
AS MEDIA GAMES TASK
CHOOSE ONE GAME VIDEO GAME- EITHER ON PC/Wii/PS3/XBOX/INTERNET AND RESEARCH ITS ORIGINS.
THAT MEANS YOU WILL NEED TO LOOK AT THE COMPANY WHO DEVELOPS AND PRODUCES THE GAME
- SUMMARY OF THE GAME
- DEVELOPERS
- WHEN FIRST PUBLISHED
- WHAT TYPE OF GAME FORMAT IS IT?
- MOST SUCCESSFUL FORMATS?
- WHAT IS THE CONTENT LIKE?
Due Monday: Mark the other person’s work and use the OCR scheme to show your reasoning
v=Wbir5E1Ueecocr_7949_sam_gce_unit_g322
