Friday 6 May 2011
Farmville
Marketing
Farmville is described as a “Farming Social network game” which was developed by Zynga. The game allows it’s players to grow virtual crops by ploughing land, planting and growing crops then harvesting them. The game also allows players to maintain virtual livestock. The game is available through Facebook and Apple iOS devices and will be coming to Android phones within the near future.
The game allows it’s players it connect through Facebook for social interaction within the game. This allows the players to work together to earn rewards and send gifts to each other. The game has relied on word-of-mouth for it’s marketing this is mainly done so via Facebook where users can invite their friends to start playing the game also.
Production
Whilst it’s claimed that Farmville is almost a copy of a competitor’s game ‘Farm Town’ which is also available through Facebook. Farmville was originally created using Adobe Flash, This meant that you only needed a web browser and the flash plug-in to be able to play the game. Farmville incorporates Facebook information to create a richer experience for it’s players by creating social interaction for the players with their friend’s list. The Game is a low-production but has been a huge success for Zynga. Farmville’s simplicity makes it more appealing for casual gamers to start playing and become addicted to.
Distribution
Farmville originally was distributed through Facebook which has a user-base of over 500 million active users and Facebook have stated that Users install 20 million applications per day. Farmville became available for Apple iOS devices in 2010 from the app store. Both are free to play however Farmville offers virtual goods to be bought in-game for real money.
Consumption
Gamers are playing this game through Facebook and their iPhones this means users play the game for short periods of time on simply designed levels. The game also motivates you to compete with your friends to earn a higher score.
Thursday 5 May 2011
Left 4 Dead
Left 4 Dead is a game created by independent game company ‘Valve’. It is a horror genre, first person shooter game. The game is based specifically upon the un-dead, and the gamer’s task to try and survive this terror. Unlike many other games, the aim isn’t to kill as many zombies as possible, therefore saving the world. In this game it is much more basic; the gamer must play to survive the continuous waves of flesh eating zombies. The game has a single player mode but after reading many reviews, and playing a demo of the game it is clear that the more gamers (up to 4) that play, the more exiting and interacting the game becomes.
Marketing
To market the game, ‘Valve’ chooses an expensive avenue. The company decided to release various TV adverts, website clips of game play and info regarding the game, prints in papers and magazines and outdoor posters and small billboard images. The aim of this expensive advertisement campaign was to expose ‘Left 4 Dead’ too as many people as possible to conjure up huge demand and anticipation for the game. In all, advertisement cost reached a staggering 10 million dollars (approx). These campaigns were rife all throughout the USA and Europe. Valve was aiming to hit a huge part of the gaming sectors, therefore trying to create as much revenue as possible.
To market the game, ‘Valve’ chooses an expensive avenue. The company decided to release various TV adverts, website clips of game play and info regarding the game, prints in papers and magazines and outdoor posters and small billboard images. The aim of this expensive advertisement campaign was to expose ‘Left 4 Dead’ too as many people as possible to conjure up huge demand and anticipation for the game. In all, advertisement cost reached a staggering 10 million dollars (approx). These campaigns were rife all throughout the USA and Europe. Valve was aiming to hit a huge part of the gaming sectors, therefore trying to create as much revenue as possible.
Valve hosted multiple competitions to engage with the audience, with prizes such as a free copy of their new game. The most notorious of these competitions was, "Dude, where's my thumb?” Entries that created and submitted the most realistic and gory pictures of events involving zombies were chosen as winners of this.
An intro- film was released on Halloween 2008 showing events that happened prior to the ‘No Mercy’ campaign. This was created to further promote the game by showing potential gamers the experience being thrown into a zombie apocalypse would really be like. Valve discussed the whole process of the creation of this film on their consistently un-dated internet blog, keeping gamers involved and up-to-date right up to the games release
Left 4 Dead was also widely marketed through social networking sites, mainly Face book. Valve decided this was a money and time saving way to directly interact with potential fans, gamers, and people they hoped to persuade to buy their game. This was a great way to engage with their target audience and realise information upon the game such as new characters, potential add on’s and general information upon the ‘extraordinary’ game play. Valve released pictures and snap-scenes of the game before its actual release, in hope that this would create a further appetite for the game. An intro- film was released on Halloween 2008 showing events that happened prior to the ‘No Mercy’ campaign. This was created to further promote the game by showing potential gamers the experience being thrown into a zombie apocalypse would really be like. Valve discussed the whole process of the creation of this film on their consistently un-dated internet blog, keeping gamers involved and up-to-date right up to the games release
Production ‘Left 4 Dead’ was originally developed by ‘Turtle Rock Studios’ during 2005. Valve recognised the potential of the game, and therefore brought game rights from Turtle Rock, and continued development themselves. The game was horizon tally integrated as a strategy by Valve to keep as much of the profit to themselves as possible. Valve relied upon their most expensive and up-to-date source engine which included components such as multi-core processors and physics- based animation. This was done to create extreme realism in the game, down to fine features such as eyes, mouth, hair and clothing. This software was also used to create amazingly life-like reactions to being shot or killed during game play. This was a goal of Valves as they believed this would separate them in contest with other zombie based games such as ‘Dead rising’, and future zombie based games such as ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops’ latest zombie game play release.  Distribution After game development began in 2005, it was finally completed during the early stages of 2008. Valve released 2 different types of digital game play; A digital retail disk version which was sold in all popular game-based stores, and an online downloadable version. Game play is available on consoles/software; Windows, Xbox 360 and Mac OS X. The game proved particularly popular on Mac based products. Microsoft brought game play rights from Valve, and then sold shares in the game to Apple who integrated the game to be compatible on their Apple products. The game currently is still being sold, although not nearly as popular as it initially was. This is mainly due to a new release of the game; Left 4 Dead 2 Valve also created downloadable content sold through Xbox live such as new weapons and stages. This meant that customers continued to spend even after purchasing the game. As well as this, Valve released free content they could include within the game if customers purchased the game before certain dates. This proved successful as customers felt happy with their purchase, believing they had struck lucky with a great deal and saved money in the long run. Consumption There are many different ways consumers can play the game. One which has seemed the most popular is online game play (mainly Xbox 360). Gamers can play alongside friends and rivals on the game to create a more social experience. There is a single player campaign within the game, giving gamers an aim to complete before enjoying add on’s and social gaming. Finally, there is an off line multi-player split screen function. This allows friends to get together and game on one screen, working as part of a team to survive the game plays apocalypse. These different functions of the game allow versatility, and means gamers with different game preferences have choices as to which sort of game play they are involved in. To keep customers happy, frequent new game play was released such as weapons, maps and characters. This created a ‘timeless’ effect within the game, as there was always something new to complete. |
Tuesday 3 May 2011
Section A 1b Representation and audience
hello and welcome to our blog post
Representation
We have tried to represent freedom and ways of life in our music video. We displayed the contrast in different types of lifestyles through the use of jump cuts, which showed how different the types of people are. The mise-en-scene, such as costume also indicated the types of people, with lots of everyday, business-type people wearing suits and basic clothing, and out main character Porridge wearing jeans.
The use of colour in our music video also represents rebellion.
Our music video goes against Laura Mulvey's theory as we do not use objectification of women and we do not conform to the usual hip hop conventions of lots of girls on screen being shown purely for male's entertainment.
Audience
Our target audience is teenage males. It is also aimed at people interested in skateboarding, bmxing etc.
Our certificate would be 12 as there is no violence, strong language or sexual content. The only aspect of
our music video that would need some parental guidance or restriction is the lyrics.
We are attempting to generate a preferred response as are music video is purely for entertainment.
Our target group would expect to see a typical skating atmosphere, we have have embraced this stereotypical view of skating by the mise-en-scene and surrounding backgrounds. The audience we aimed the video at will be happy with our video because we followed the stereotype.
Representation
We have tried to represent freedom and ways of life in our music video. We displayed the contrast in different types of lifestyles through the use of jump cuts, which showed how different the types of people are. The mise-en-scene, such as costume also indicated the types of people, with lots of everyday, business-type people wearing suits and basic clothing, and out main character Porridge wearing jeans.
The use of colour in our music video also represents rebellion.
Our music video goes against Laura Mulvey's theory as we do not use objectification of women and we do not conform to the usual hip hop conventions of lots of girls on screen being shown purely for male's entertainment.
Audience
Our target audience is teenage males. It is also aimed at people interested in skateboarding, bmxing etc.
Our certificate would be 12 as there is no violence, strong language or sexual content. The only aspect of
our music video that would need some parental guidance or restriction is the lyrics.
We are attempting to generate a preferred response as are music video is purely for entertainment.
Our target group would expect to see a typical skating atmosphere, we have have embraced this stereotypical view of skating by the mise-en-scene and surrounding backgrounds. The audience we aimed the video at will be happy with our video because we followed the stereotype.
Assassins Creed Brotherhood
Marketing:
Assassins Creed Brotherhood stands out from all other action games in the market. Unlike games such as Call of Duty the game revolves around the complex historical storyline which is vital to game play and to drawing the audience it. This idea of the storyline being vital to the game play is reflected in the trailers for the game. Many of the trailers, deliberatly placed on the internet for its young target audience to view as many times as they wished, shows historical figures such as Leonardo da Vinci who work as important characters within the game. including characters like this not only educates the player but acts as a connection to the real world so player truely feels as if the story line could be true. Assassins Creed Brotherhood also differs from other games and attracts the consumer through the incredably detailed historical scenery and characters, of which can roam where ever they choose throughout the maps.
Ubisoft keep the game from becoming forgotten through the clever release of downloadable content for the game, such as: "Animus Project Update 1.0" this consists of new maps and game plays for the gamer which are specially designed for the online areas of the game. Through these online maps players can then play with friends all over the world within the game. "The Da Vinci Disappearance" is another side story for the game available for players on xbox 360 and playstation 3. The side story revolves around the disappearance of Leonardo Da Vinci.
The creatures of Assassins Creed Brotherhood (Ubisoft) also take full advantage of Facebook and Twitter through creating accounts for the protagonist "Ezio". Through these accounts reviews of the game and downloadable content is advertised to fans of the game.
Production:
The game was designed primarily by Unbisoft Montreal. The company used Autodesk 3D art creation software to build the game. Gameplay maps such as the city of Rome were constructed and populated through the help of Autodesk 3Ds Max and Autodesk MotionBuilder software. for more realistic in-game animation Autodesk HumanIK middleware was also used, this was used for both characters and horses. Danny Oros, techincal art director for Assassins Creed claimed that they knew that "HumanIK ... could address our inverse kinematics challenges quickly without sacrificing results or performance.” He also said that the environments within the game were all created from scratch and alot of the character animation was all new. motion caption studios were used in alot of the fighting scenes and developed within MotionBuilder to help create the most realistic movements possible.Distribution:
Before the release date of Assassins Creed: Brotherhood, Ubi Soft announced that if the game was preordered from various online stores, you would get an additional multiplayer character which is only accessible by pre-ordering. This meant that more people would be inclined to pre-order the game to get this character rather than waiting a while after the release date.
The release date of Brotherhood changed, depending on where abouts you lived in the world. America was the first place the game was released, on the 16th of November 2010, then with Australaisa, the release date was on the 18th November 2010. Europe was last with the 19th of November 2010. The changes in date would indicate where the game was mainly played and what kind of sales Ubi Soft was hoping for. The above were for the release of the game of PS3 and Xbox 360, the release of the game on PC was 4 months later, it March. This was because consoles are alot more popular and easier for gaming and the PC gaming community for Assasins Creed is not as big as the Xbox or the Playstation's.
Like the previous Assassins Creed's, Brotherhood was released in November, this was so that it would still be a relatively new game in time for Christmas, so that the people who waited until then were not completely behind on the game. But it still encouraged people to get it before Christmas aswell as some people could not wait for it.
Consumption:
Assassins Creed Brotherhood is a third person action-adventure which can be played on most console formats. The game has a choice of either a single player, campaign including a storyline linking from the previous Assassins Creed games or a new feature to the Assassins Creed games, an online multiplayer game. Where the person playing the game can play with other players online on a range of smaller game types (Free-For-All, Co-op etc) The game can be played either solo or online now, and downloadable content for the console is available to the gamer.
Daisy Cookson - Angry Birds
Angry Birds is a puzzle video game developed by Finland-based Rovio Mobile. Inspired primarily by a sketch of stylized wingless birds, the game was first released for Apple's iOS in December 2009. Since that time, over 12 million copies of the game have been purchased from Apple's App Store, which has prompted the company to design versions for other touchscreen-based smartphones, such as those using the Android operating system, among others.With 140 million downloads across all platforms,the game has been called "one of the most mainstream games out right now","one of the great runaway hits of 2010", and "the largest mobile app success the world has seen so far."
Angry Birds matches the iPhone market very well.
Marketing
- Short gameplay sessions match the phones usage patterns
- High art production values
- Setting/Characters that are appealing to both sexes
- Very simple mechanics that offer mastery potential in time
Additionally they have followed a very smart plan of regular updates and additions which get people talking about the game again and keeping it in the top of the charts. On iPhone it is absolutely crucial to get your game in the top 25. This is because of the way visibility works within iTunes and on the phone. Particularly with casual users you don't want them to have to search for your game.
This game has relied on viral and internet marketing to become successful. Rovio have created Facebook, Twitter pages for fans of the game to follow. On Twitter game players and developers can discuss the game and any problems/issues. Facebook has extra content available if you 'Like' the page, there are some videos, photo stills, links for download etc. We also found there was lots of merchandise such as t-shirts, cakes and toys which are make by fans of the game.
Production
As the concept of Angry Birds was developed, the staff realized the birds needed an enemy.At the time, the "swine flu" epidemic was in the news, so the staff made the birds' enemies pigs. The initial cost to develop Angry Birds was estimated to exceed €100,000.
In early 2010, Rovio began developing a variant of Angry Birds for Facebook. The project became one of the company's largest, with development taking over a year.
As the concept of Angry Birds was developed, the staff realized the birds needed an enemy.At the time, the "swine flu" epidemic was in the news, so the staff made the birds' enemies pigs. The initial cost to develop Angry Birds was estimated to exceed €100,000.
In early 2010, Rovio began developing a variant of Angry Birds for Facebook. The project became one of the company's largest, with development taking over a year.
Distribution
One of Angry Birds main success methods is it's accessability and it's low cost; just 59p. The app is available on the apple app store and the android market. It is very common that people will own and apple phone or an android phone and therefore there's a wide market.
Consumption The layout of the game is well suited to the phone, because it is touchscreen, it is easy to use and easy to understand and pick up when first playing the game. The game works by completing levels to open up new locked levels, this is what gives the game its addictive qualities; once you have unlocked one level, you feel you want to do another and so on. Also, the player recieves a rating for each level completed and so even when all the levels are completed, the player may still need to complete the game again, getting the highest rating for each level.
Consumption The layout of the game is well suited to the phone, because it is touchscreen, it is easy to use and easy to understand and pick up when first playing the game. The game works by completing levels to open up new locked levels, this is what gives the game its addictive qualities; once you have unlocked one level, you feel you want to do another and so on. Also, the player recieves a rating for each level completed and so even when all the levels are completed, the player may still need to complete the game again, getting the highest rating for each level.
Friday 29 April 2011
To give Left 4 Dead significant exposure, Valve (the Independent game company) financed a $10-million marketing campaign for the game in the United States and Europe, with advertisements appearing on television, print, websites and outdoor placements in many cities. Valve also hosted photo contests called, "Dude, where's my thumb?" offering copies of Left 4 Dead to people who submitted the best picture involving zombies or the outdoor advertising.
Left 4 dead have used facebook as a connection to the outside world and focus their marketing on a wide target audience. On the 'Left 4 Dead' facebook page they engage the viewer with various marketing strategies; one of which is the promotion of new characters. They have a range of photos with the in game graphics and also models of the characters within the game. This gives people an insight to what the game is like and the kind of graphics/characters that feature in the game, intriguing the viewers and making them want to buy the game to play with/against.
To promote the game and provide basic training to players before starting the game, Valve chose to develop a pre-rendered intro movie. This movie was released on Halloween and shows events prior to the beginning of the "No Mercy" campaign. Valve chose an intro movie over in-game training mechanics because they wanted the players to be immediately dropped into a zombie apocalypse. The movie aimed to make the game seem more meaningful and realistic when playing it as the trailer shows how the game would look in real life, adding another dimension to Left4Dead. This engages the the players of the game, but also promotes it to those who have never played it.
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| The product is also promoted in such a way that makes the consumer believe that they are getting the most out of their money buy including free items within the game if it is purchased before a certain date. This makes the consumer happy when they have bought the game as they receive 'free' products. Production The development of Left4Dead started in 2005 by Turtle Rock Studios which was then purchased by Valve Corporation during the development. The latest version of the Valve source engine was used with improvements such as multi-core processor support and physics-based animation to more realistically portray hair and clothing, and to improve physics interaction with enemies when shot or shoved in different body parts.Turtle Rock Studios aimed to create a horror film-inspired game that merges single player games' character-driven narrative structure with multiplayer games' social interaction and high re playability. Distribution Development of the game was completed in 2008 and two versions were released digitally: A downloadable digital version, which was available online, and a digital retail disc version. Left 4 Dead is available for PC and Xbox 360, as Xbox bought the rights to the game. The product is available in stores and online via websites such as play.com which promote the sales of the game. Althought the game cannot be purchased on xbox live, there is alot of downloadable content available for purchase. Consumption The consumer is able to play single player campaign, split screen and interact with on line game play. There are also available free downloadable packages online which brings a variety of maps and items. This ensures that the consumers do not get bored, and always have something new and different to look forward to. |
Tuesday 26 April 2011
Monday 25 April 2011
FIFA 11
Marketing
Fifa football games since 1993 have had the rights to use the main football governing body as their name which for one was massive because people would see that and think and also trust the game would be high quality. In fact, what Fifa did was genius because what made their game alot better than anyone elses, was the fact they had acquired licenses for every player and also every team so that when people are playing, it is more realistic and more enjoyabele which is what every gamer wants.
As well as that, another brilliant plan that Fifa came up with was that they could attract people also with have popular, well known commentators over the top when playing which would make the gamer feel like they are really playing and are the main attraction each time they play.this was a genius move for the marketing of their game at the time because once somebody played it and enjoyed it, it meant they would tell somebody else and the word would be passed around and then the game would sell more and more across the world.
Because football has grown as a sport so much around the world, it meant more and more people got to see the best players perform and get that feeling that one day there might be a game where they would feel as good as modern day players. This growth of football around the world helped Fifa alot because it meant they could ship games out to stores everywhere and know that people would want to try it out and see how good it really was. This is another reason why marketing of Fifa 11 was so big. The last big factor also was the internet. Because the internet was so massive around the world, it meant people could watch real life game play and then if they liked the look of it, purchase it over the internet instead of having to come in and buy it by hand. This then meant when it came to marketing the game, people had two choices of how they wanted to purchase it and also it meant stores were never over crowded with people and stores never sold out quickly.
Production
Production of Fifa 11 was just the same as all the other Fifa games except, the players were much better, the stadiums were alot more realistic and also the graphics were basically identical to the real life players which is hard to do but over the years, technology has got better and more advanced which has also helped the games rise over the past years. Fifa 11 also comes with alot more features such as all the players ratings around what they should be, you can create your own team and also the fact you can transfer players to make your own team which is great fun when playing a big tournament. As well as that, during the transfers in a real season, players are automatically transferred to the new team so that it is more realistic, and also you can get used to them playing in your team.
Distribution
Distribution of Fifa 11 is done in many different ways and also products are sent to be sold across the world from the internet, in store and alo over the internet to download certain content for the game. The game would be sent off to all the different gaming stores and also other stores so that wherever people live, there is always a store where they can go and purchase the game. If people however do not want to leave the comfort of their own home, millions of copies of the game is avaliable to be bought from such sights as Amazon or even supermarket stores such as Tescos or Asda. Wherever you look, there is bound to be some way you can buy the game because Fifa want people to be able to enjoy playing the game and to have easy access to buy one from most places. This is a clever move to be able to purchase from over the internet and also from stores because it means that the internet use and also stores will financially be ok because of the fact the money is split 50 50 between each.
Consumption
While playing the game, people can create thrie own team or own specialised player which makes them feel they are very important which is key when playing a game because you want to enjoy it and try and make it feel as realistic as possible. this was a clever move from Fifa because it makes individuals want to improve their player or team. The more players can interact with the game itself, the more they will enjoy playing it which is what Fifa and EA sports want most.
Fifa football games since 1993 have had the rights to use the main football governing body as their name which for one was massive because people would see that and think and also trust the game would be high quality. In fact, what Fifa did was genius because what made their game alot better than anyone elses, was the fact they had acquired licenses for every player and also every team so that when people are playing, it is more realistic and more enjoyabele which is what every gamer wants.
As well as that, another brilliant plan that Fifa came up with was that they could attract people also with have popular, well known commentators over the top when playing which would make the gamer feel like they are really playing and are the main attraction each time they play.this was a genius move for the marketing of their game at the time because once somebody played it and enjoyed it, it meant they would tell somebody else and the word would be passed around and then the game would sell more and more across the world.
Because football has grown as a sport so much around the world, it meant more and more people got to see the best players perform and get that feeling that one day there might be a game where they would feel as good as modern day players. This growth of football around the world helped Fifa alot because it meant they could ship games out to stores everywhere and know that people would want to try it out and see how good it really was. This is another reason why marketing of Fifa 11 was so big. The last big factor also was the internet. Because the internet was so massive around the world, it meant people could watch real life game play and then if they liked the look of it, purchase it over the internet instead of having to come in and buy it by hand. This then meant when it came to marketing the game, people had two choices of how they wanted to purchase it and also it meant stores were never over crowded with people and stores never sold out quickly.
Production
Production of Fifa 11 was just the same as all the other Fifa games except, the players were much better, the stadiums were alot more realistic and also the graphics were basically identical to the real life players which is hard to do but over the years, technology has got better and more advanced which has also helped the games rise over the past years. Fifa 11 also comes with alot more features such as all the players ratings around what they should be, you can create your own team and also the fact you can transfer players to make your own team which is great fun when playing a big tournament. As well as that, during the transfers in a real season, players are automatically transferred to the new team so that it is more realistic, and also you can get used to them playing in your team.
Distribution
Distribution of Fifa 11 is done in many different ways and also products are sent to be sold across the world from the internet, in store and alo over the internet to download certain content for the game. The game would be sent off to all the different gaming stores and also other stores so that wherever people live, there is always a store where they can go and purchase the game. If people however do not want to leave the comfort of their own home, millions of copies of the game is avaliable to be bought from such sights as Amazon or even supermarket stores such as Tescos or Asda. Wherever you look, there is bound to be some way you can buy the game because Fifa want people to be able to enjoy playing the game and to have easy access to buy one from most places. This is a clever move to be able to purchase from over the internet and also from stores because it means that the internet use and also stores will financially be ok because of the fact the money is split 50 50 between each.
Consumption
While playing the game, people can create thrie own team or own specialised player which makes them feel they are very important which is key when playing a game because you want to enjoy it and try and make it feel as realistic as possible. this was a clever move from Fifa because it makes individuals want to improve their player or team. The more players can interact with the game itself, the more they will enjoy playing it which is what Fifa and EA sports want most.
Wednesday 20 April 2011
Forza 4
One way this video game is marketed is by using in between commercial breaks on the television. That way, the game is able to get its message across to a much wider and diverse audience. In the adverts, they use famous cars, for example, Lotus, Ferrari, Maclaren etc. They also use standard cars like Ford, Vauxhall, Peugeot etc. This range of cars gives the game a much wider range of possibilities - this is the game's killer app.
When considering the range of places to market this game, one of the most popular areas of use is Facebook. Facebook targets a very wide audience where there would be a very wide age range to market to. Use of Facebook would enable the consumers to put in their personal preferences like commentary on whether they liked the game or not and use of Facebook would also enable the consumers to talk to one another on whether they enjoyed or liked the game or not. This would give instant feedback from the consumers.
Production
This video game was developed by Turn 10 Studios and published by MotorSport. The game uses a wide range of cars from a Honda Civic right up to a prestigious Enzo Ferrari and the Le Mans prototypes such as the Audio 8. This use of different levels of cars will appeal to a wide range of consumers as there will be a car to suit everyone's taste. The production also uses customisation and offers colour change which has an artistic appeal. The video game also had rave reviews in different well known journals.
Distribution
The distribution of this video game is through many different sources and outlets. Many are distributed through high street shops like Game, HMV and GameStation but one of the biggest selling distribution networks is when people buy on line. HMV also provide an on line distribution service that is fast and efficient. This way of marketing and purchasing the video game is aimed at reaching a much wider audience.
Forza is only available on the Xbox consoles making a niche market and basically Xbox has purchased the sole rights to distribute this game and by cornering the market, they will make vast profits for themselves. The cost of this video game is £39.99.
Consumption
Monday 18 April 2011
Super Mario Bro's Case Study
Super Mario Bro's is a platform video game which was developed by and published for the company Nintendo. Released in 1985, Super Mario Bro's has been the best selling video game of all time for over two decades, before being outsold by Nintendo's own Wii Sports in 2009.
Marketing
Super Mario Bro's has many different target audiences which is one main reason that the game has been such a huge success. By being such a versatile game, enjoyed by all of the family, the company Nintendo takes advantage of their marketing strategies to really sell their product.
When Super Mario bro's fist started they had televised adverts which showed all of the family playing on the Nintendo console, which then shows that anyone can play the game. Through time, they have always been creating new adverts which shows all of the different target markets playing the games, and also for their 25th anniversary, they created a 90 second advert with top rated celebrities involved which made the game that much more admirable.
Now a days, as the internet is a major part of marketing, Nintendo has incorporated some on-line games (Emulators) which people can play for free. The games are much like the console games however you cannot save your game play and go back to it another day, which would encourage players to go out and buy the real games for their consoles. Also as Facebook has become a very popular site, Nintendo have started to create pages and groups where players can join, add characters as friends, and comment on various hints and tips, which would improve their personal game play. Nintendo has also created sites where you can buy Super Mario Bro's merchandise which would appeal to the younger players, where you can buy cuddly toys, key rings, clothes. all with their favourite characters on them. Nintendo had also created a website which is dedicated to only Super Mario Bros which has the music which is on the games, and as you scroll over the categories, it has the same effect as when Mario is jumping up to hit the blocks to get coins.
Production
The game produced was a side scroller plat former game, with its own theme tune, which became quite recognisable to the consumers. the first version of Mario was actually a character called Jumpman, however the man who made many games for Nintendo- Shigeru Miyamoto, then went on to renaming him Mario, and came up with a brother of Mario called Luigi. after a while, they added different characters and costumes into the game which if Mario walked over for example a mushroom, he would then get bigger and be able to crush anything that he walked over, also if he walked over a flower, Mario would then be able to throw fireballs at his enemies.
Distribution
Hand held gaming has become very popular over the years, so Nintendo created a game on every games console they have produced, for example Nintendo 64, Nintendo Game Cube, Nintendo Game Boy, Nintendo Ds ETC. Nintendo had also started creating online versions of the Mario games, and also Super Mario Bros Apps which you can download onto iphones and certain android mobiles however, these are only Apps which tell you cheats, not the actual game.
Consumption
Consumers can use the Super Mario Bros game in many different consoles, which can be hand held or not, the games are easy to use so that means many different age groups can play the games. The game is designed with lots of different levels, which allows the user to do as many levels as they want, save the game and access it easily at another time. Can also use the game on the computer, which people can play when they are doing other things, like browsing the internet etc.
Monday 11 April 2011
Angry Birds Case Study
Angry Birds is a third party puzzle game which was developed by Rovio Mobile. The game was first released on the Apple App Store, which encouraged the company to make versions for Nokia and Android phones too. As of March 2011, 100 million copies have been sold across all platforms. Rovio is currently developing a Facebook version of Angry Birds.
Marketing:
Angry Birds is well suited to the iPhone market, it has short gameplay sessions, a storyline which appeals to a wide audience, and a simple concept which becomes addictive. App sales come mostly from viral marketing (word of mouth), so Angry Birds was successful because it appealed to almost everyone. Also Rovio have continually updated the game, and released new versions which keep users playing. This keeps the game in the top 25 apps on the App Store, which is a form of promotion.
Angry Birds Rio has been released to promote the new movie Rio Birds, this is an example of synergy. Although this version has a new setting and storyline, the concept hasn't changed it's just rebranded. The game will also feature the updates like the original. In the first 10 days of the app being released it sold 10 million copies, which proves the popularity and power of the Angry Bird brand.
This game has relied on viral and internet marketing to become successful. Rovio have created Facebook, Twitter pages for fans of the game to follow. On Twitter game players and developers can discuss the game and any problems/issues. Facebook has extra content available if you 'Like' the page, there are some videos, photo stills, links for download etc. We also found there was lots of merchandise such as t-shirts, cakes and toys which are make by fans of the game.
Production:
The idea for the game came from some cartoon images of wingless angry-looking birds. Rovio decided to design a game around this and soon found that the birds needed an enemy. Swine flu was in the news at the time and was the inspiration for the pigs. The mechanics of the game were inspired by medieval slingshots (right). A similar game Crush the Castle, had similar mechanics. Initially the game cost €100,000 to produce (about £80,000).A Facebook version of Angry Birds has been in production for over a year, and is expected to begin testing this month. The game will take advantage of Facebook facilities to create new features.
Distribution:
Mobile gaming has become very important so easy access to the game is crucial for success. Angry Birds is available on mobile devices stores such as the Apple App Store and Android Market. The price is low at just 59p, this encourages users to buy the game and updates that follow.
Consumption:
Customers are using Angry Birds on their mobile devices/smart phones. The game is designed so that users can play short levels/sessions and can easily return. The concept/mechanics of the game are also very simple which means that it is easy to play on-the-go. The use of a touchscreen also simplifies the game for all users as anyone can use a touchscreen, it's easily to understand and use.
The game motivates consumers because as you complete levels new sections of the games are unlocked, and new versions of the game are continually released. There are also ratings and game scores for each of the levels which encourages consumers to keep playing the game so they can get more points.
Thursday 7 April 2011
Easter Homework: Institutions and Audiences – Videogames.
You need to continue building your research around your chosen game case study.
Firstly type up your research on marketing, and then research the following in relation to your chosen game:
Production – how was the game designed and constructed?
Distibution – distribution of the game to the consumer (to stores/online/downloadable content)
Consumption – how is the consumer interacting with and playing the game?
Remember your game must not be from the Rockstar company and should not be in the same style as Red Dead Redemption.
You can do this in pairs; the above sections must be completed over Easter. There will still be more information to add and you will present your case studies in the second week back.
USE TERMINOLOGY FROM THE POWERPOINTS!!!!!!!
Wednesday 6 April 2011
What different genres of games are discussed?
Nearly all genres are discussed including:
Sports Games
Fantasy- This was said for people to escape from their lives and be who they want to be.
Action- There are examples of this getting very graphically violent.
Adventure
What does the documentary say about character development?
The Documentary states regarding characters that:
The player develops a relationship with them through perhaps feeling sorry for them and wanting them to complete their mission. Some also say that they can relate to the character in some ways as the GTA example was mentioned when the guy said he thought the character was a good guy in bad situations like himself.
Nearly all genres are discussed including:
Sports Games
Fantasy- This was said for people to escape from their lives and be who they want to be.
Action- There are examples of this getting very graphically violent.
Adventure
What does the documentary say about character development?
The Documentary states regarding characters that:
The player develops a relationship with them through perhaps feeling sorry for them and wanting them to complete their mission. Some also say that they can relate to the character in some ways as the GTA example was mentioned when the guy said he thought the character was a good guy in bad situations like himself.
Tuesday 5 April 2011
video games film review
This is a documentary where Charlie Brooker talked us through as the audience different types of games and what is main features of them. One thing that was very good about this documentary was that Charlie managed to keep us as the viewers entertained which helped him gain are attention and listen to what he was saying. He talked us through shoot em ups which is exactly was it sais on the tin, shooting games. he sums up the different types of games that he goes through (such as GTA and driver) and he sums up the type of people that play them (sad people) but then goes in to detail about different types of people who plays these games on features they have compared o other games on the market.
'Video Games - Charlie Brooker' Documentry
The programme ran through a time-line of all of the types of games which have been produced throughout gaming release, these included side scrollers, beat-'em-up, RPG's & Shoot-'em-ups etc. The programme also, went through how games graphics and story lines have changed since their existence. Charlie Brooker, also went through how it is quite clear what is real life and what is in a game.
Charlie Brooker's documentary
There are different genres of games in the gaming market which interests different ages groups and different personalities. violent games are, such as beat them ups and shoot them ups are coming more popular in the gaming industry.
Each game has a disadvantage that the consumer may not like. for example, games tend to have different
things to unlock on the way and you have to have the skills to experience the games properly which can annoy the consumer.
Over the years the graphics have changed dramatically.
Each game has a disadvantage that the consumer may not like. for example, games tend to have different
things to unlock on the way and you have to have the skills to experience the games properly which can annoy the consumer.
Over the years the graphics have changed dramatically.
- There are many different genres of video games - Shoot 'em up, platformer, first person shooter, strategy etc.
- There are many different audiences for these different genres.
- There is a lot of controvosy within video games such as grand theft auto, which makes some people believe that their audiences are likely to commit the crimes commited in the game.
- There are many different audiences for these different genres.
- There is a lot of controvosy within video games such as grand theft auto, which makes some people believe that their audiences are likely to commit the crimes commited in the game.
Charlie Booker Documentary
In the documentary featuring Charlie Booker many issues were discussed about video games. The different genres of games were explained, with examples throughout gaming history. These included: platformer, first person shooter, MMORPG, puzzle, shoot 'em ups, beat 'em ups, amongst others.
One of the main points of the documentary was that gamers are often seen as teenagers who have nothing better to do with their time. As games got increasingly more violent, parents began to worry about the effects of that games had on their children. Games like Grand Theft Auto allow the player to get involved in crime such as murder or reckless driving, which many thought would cause confusion for players between what is reality and legal and what is illegal. This has caused gaming as a whole to be rejected from society.
One of the main points of the documentary was that gamers are often seen as teenagers who have nothing better to do with their time. As games got increasingly more violent, parents began to worry about the effects of that games had on their children. Games like Grand Theft Auto allow the player to get involved in crime such as murder or reckless driving, which many thought would cause confusion for players between what is reality and legal and what is illegal. This has caused gaming as a whole to be rejected from society.
Charlie Brooker Film Review
In the documentary Charlie explains his opinion on the video game world, he sums up that games are for sad people that haven't got a life and the games a designed in such a way that this type of person will enjoy it. The games generally have a storyline filled with blood, violence and guns. The storyline it self is often basic as the developers focus on pleasing the gamers mind with drugs, violence and sex. The only games that wouldn't include this sort of would be games such as 'Guitar Hero' and 'Rock Band'. Charlie explained that some game produces attempt to over shadow the violence and produce games more family orientated such as 'Viva Pinyata'. But the media....
Our views on the program about video games
we feel that video games have progressed vastly since they were first invented, but especially in the last 10 years. With the invention of the Nintendo Wii, PS3, and X-box 360, there are many genres of games available for a very wide targeted market.
A lot of different genre of games are covered during the program such as sport, shoot em' ups, adventure etc... They talk about the target audience that these genres appeal to and also the criticisms of each genre, such as the negative impact violent games have on children.
A lot of different genre of games are covered during the program such as sport, shoot em' ups, adventure etc... They talk about the target audience that these genres appeal to and also the criticisms of each genre, such as the negative impact violent games have on children.
Charlie Brooker- video games
The aim of program was to give examples of every area of video games and to see what his views were on them. It was interesting that he showed how many different areas of gaming there were. He also showed how games have change in terms of graphics and story lines. He also talked about the negative media attention video games get and how it is blown way out of proportion. He made good points on how people can tell the difference between games and reality and there is no need to get all stressed about it.
Charlie Brooker Film Review
In the documentary Charlie explained how the video games industry how changed througout the development of the media.
The games started off with 2D side scrolling games with very pixelated graphics.
The games started off with 2D side scrolling games with very pixelated graphics.
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