Our Videogames CSPs are Tomb Raider Anniversary, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes and The Sims FreePlay.
These are in-depth CSPs and need to be studied with reference to all four elements of the Theoretical Framework (Language, Representation, Industries, Audience) and all relevant contexts.
This will be tested in Media Two exam – a 25 mark essay question.
Videogames: an introduction
The videogames industry is a huge media market – bigger than video and music combined. It is worth £3.86bn – more than double its value in 2007. Remarkably, these figures do not include mobile and free games such as Fortnite (which has over 200 million players worldwide).
With FIFA19, Red Dead Redemption 2 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 each selling more than 1m copies, it is important to consider the influence games can have on audiences and society.
Women in videogames
The representation of women in videogames has long been considered sexist. Female characters are rarely playable and usually reinforce traditional gender stereotypes. Games that did feature female characters presented them as damsels in distress or sex objects.
Lara Croft of the Tomb Raider series is one of the most iconic characters in videogame history. But while she is a strong, independent playable character, her appearance and costume turned her into a digital sex object.
Tropes vs Women in Video Games
Vlogger and gaming expert Anita Sarkeesian has produced two series of YouTube videos documenting the representation of women in videogames.
Vlogging as Feminist Frequency, the series are an important example of digital feminism (and a superb resource for Media students). However, as a result, she has been a target for online abuse and threats – most notably as part of the #gamergate controversy.
Women and videogames: blog tasks
Work through the following blog tasks to complete this introduction to women in videogames.
Part 1: Medium article - Is Female Representation in Video Games Finally Changing?
1) How have women traditionally been represented in videogames?
Women are traditionally more objectified in video games.
2) What percentage of the video game audience is female?
42% - based on the survey “Distribution of Computer and Video Gamers in the United States from 2006 to 2017 by Gender”
3) What recent games have signalled a change in the industry and what qualities do the female protagonists offer?
ero Dawn, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, The Last of Us, Dragon Age: Inquisition, and The Walking Dead series have female protagonists or important female roles.
4) Do you agree with the idea that audiences reject media products if they feel they are misrepresented within them?
More likely to reject media products if they feel that they are misrepresented.
5) What does the writer suggest has changed regarding recent versions of Lara Croft and who does she credit for this development?
Lara Croft was "saved" by Crystal Dynamics because they made some big changes in the way that she was represented in the reboot of Tomb Raider. Part 2: Tropes vs Women in Video Games – further analysis
In this discusses how certain computer games, intentionally show female characters but as an approach to speak to the male look. We see various models right now, an example Tomb Raider, it is obvious from the models she has appeared, this is attempting to speak to a male look, then again, she does likewise discuss how men are in binary opposition to this, for instance we perceive how games do whatever it takes not to show the guys "butt" and we see Anita attempt her best to show how they use things, for example, capes or long coats to cover them. Part 3: Anita Sarkeesian Gamespot interview
1) What reaction did Anita Sarkeesian receive when she published her videos on women in videogames? You can find more information on this on Sarkeesian’s Kickstarter fundraising page.
Lot of criticism and backlash when she first published her series on women in video games. The type of hate included:online video game forums vowing to "take [her] down",
2) How does Sarkeesian summarise feminism?
"working towards the equal treatment of women socially, culturally, institutionally, and economically."
3) Why do stories matter?
Stories allows there to be narrative which is core for humans.
4) How does Sarkeesian view Samus Aran and Lara Croft (the two protagonists from our upcoming CSPs)?
They both are protagonists in their own games.
5) How has the videogame landscape changed with regards to the representation of women?
Increase in the number of female characters in video games since the early releases of games such as Metroid, Super Mario Bros.
6) Why are Mirror’s Edge and Portal held up as examples of more progressive representations of women?
Uses women as protagonists without overly sexualising or objectifying them and skin of colour womens.
7) What are the qualities that Sarkeesian lists for developers to work on creating more positive female characters?
Protagonists not being directly tied to their sex appeal, stepping outside of typical conventions, emotional depth and expression in the characters.
8) What is the impact of the videogames industry being male-dominated?
That women are not given much of a chance to be more equal so they are unable to show the chracters and the games from a womens perspectives.
9) What did Sarkeesian hope to achieve through her ‘Tropes vs Women in Video Games’ series?
That people should look more critical at some of the games.
10) What media debates did Sarkeesian hope to spark with her video series?
Contribute to the ongoing conversation and debates regarding the sexist representations of women in video games.
The second aspect of our in-depth case study on The Sims FreePlay focuses on industries.
We need to know how videogames are regulated and also the companies behind the game. However, the most significant aspect of this concept is the 'freemium' model that The Sims FreePlay uses.
Notes from the lesson
Regulation: PEGI
The videogames industry is regulated by PEGI – Pan European Game Information.
In the UK, the Video Standards Council is responsible for regulating game content. In 2012, PEGI was introduced to UK law to make the age ratings legally enforceable.
It is illegal to sell games to people below the age of the rating.
The Sims FreePlay is rated 12+ due to mild references to alcohol, sexual content and similar adult themes.
Electronic Arts
The Sims franchise is owned by Electronic Arts (EA), a huge name in the videogames industry.
The Sims FreePlay was developed by Firemonkeys Studios, EA’s Australian subsidiary.
The franchise was originally developed by Maxis after EA acquired the company.
EA is famous for big-budget console games such as the FIFA series but has moved more into mobile gaming in recent years.
The 'freemium' model
The Sims FreePlay uses the ‘freemium’ model – free to download and play but with in-app purchases.
Although initially more popular with smaller, independent game developers, the freemium model is now a huge revenue generator for major publishers like EA.
The Sims FreePlay - Industries blog tasks
Create a new blogpost called 'The Sims FreePlay case study part 2 - Industries' and complete the following tasks.
1) What is the VSC and how does it link to UK law?
VSC is the an administrator of the PEGI age rating system. This is related to UK law as PEGI 12, 16 and 18 games in the UK are legally enforceable.
2) Note down the key statistics on the homepage.
13938+ games rated
15141+ apps rated
1702 number of member outlets
30 years in operation
3) What is the purpose of PEGI?
Age ratings so that people know what is aimed at what age.
4) Click on the PEGI Rating tab in the top menu. What are the age ratings and what do they include?
Age rating 3
Suitable for all age groups
Nudity may be shown in a non-sexual/natural manner (i.e. breast feeding)
Age rating 7
Unrealistic violence, typically directed towards fantasy characters
Age rating 12
More graphic violence but still targeted towards fantasy characters
Trivial injury is allowed
Age rating 16
More mature themes and scenes of violence
Sexual scenes
More realistic violence, may feature heavier images of death and injury to humans
Explicit language, sexual expletives and use of drugs/tobacco/illegal substances may be shown
Age rating 18
Features sexual violence, threat etc
Gross levels of violence: meaning that there are horrific methods of severe injury, torture, decapitation etc.
Sexual activity with visible nude
5) Scroll down to look at the ‘How games are examined’ infographic. What is the PEGI process for rating a game?
Content declaration assessment - the game developer declares what features in the game content and then the developer is then given a provisional rating. Submission materials - the developer provides PEGI with evidence of the game footage Video footage examination - the video footage is analysed to make sure the assessment matches the actual game footage Game examination - testing out the actual game and seeing what weapons are used etc.
1) How has The Sims FreePlay evolved since launch?
Become more intricate and developed over the years
2) Why does Amanda Schofield suggest ‘games aren’t products any more’?
Games are not products any more due to the fact that they are constructed around a partnership between the gamers and the game developers.
3) What does she say about The Sims gaming community?
Sims gaming community is very involved in the development process.
4) How has EA kept the game fresh and maintained the active player base?
By updating and keeping up with any trends in the gaming industry.
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.
Videogames: The Sims FreePlay part 1 - Language & Audience
Our final videogames CSP is The Sims FreePlay (2011). This is another in-depth CSP so will require significant work and research across three blogposts to complete your case study. Background: mobile gaming
The videogames industry has changed massively since the emergence of the smart phone and app store distribution model.
Mobile gaming has changed the audience demographics for gaming and brought the industry into the mainstream.
The app store model means tech giants such as Apple and Google are making significant sums from mobile gaming but mobile hits can still earn developers millions.
Angry Birds made developer Rovio $200m in 2012 and broke 2 billion downloads in 2014.
The Sims FreePlay
The Sims FreePlay is a spin-off from the hugely successful Sims franchise first published by Electronic Arts (EA) in 2000.
The game is a strategic life simulation game (also known as the sandbox genre).
The Sims FreePlay takes the game on to phones and tablets and uses the ‘freemium’ model that makes money via in-app purchases.
The game has seen 200 million downloads since 2011 – remarkable success.
The Sims FreePlay: Audience
The Sims franchise has demonstrated there is a strong and lucrative market in female gamers.
When The Sims was first pitched by creator Will Wright he described it as a ‘doll house’.
The development company Maxis weren’t keen because ‘doll houses were for girls, and girls didn’t play videogames’. EA then bought Maxis, saw potential in the idea and one of the most successful ever videogame franchises was born.
Expansion packs available for The Sims FreePlay reinforce the view that the target audience is predominantly female.
Participatory culture
The Sims franchise is one of the best examples of Henry Jenkins’ concept of participatory culture.
Since the very first game in the franchise, online communities have created, suggested and shared content for the game.
‘Modding’ – short for modifications – is a huge part of the appeal of the game. Modding changes aspects of the gameplay – anything from the strength of coffee to incorporating ghosts or even sexual content.
The Sims FreePlay - Language & Audience blog tasks
Create a new blogpost called 'The Sims FreePlay case study part 1 - Language & Audience' and complete the following in-depth tasks.
Language / Gameplay analysis
Watch The Sims: FreePlay trailer and answer the following questions:
1) What elements of gameplay are shown?
Autonomy- the gamer has complete control over what they do.
2) What audience is the trailer targeting?
Targeting more of a younger female audience.
3) What audience pleasures are suggested by the trailer?
Diversion from their everyday day to day life. Personal identity as the game may reflect their life in some ways.
Now watch this walk-through of the beginning of The Sims FreePlay and answer the following questions:
1) How is the game constructed?
Tutorials are given to them.
2) What audience is this game targeting?
Young female audiences.
3) What audience pleasures does the game provide?
Personal identity as it may allow them to see some reflection from their own life.
4) How does the game encourage in-app purchases?
Crystals used to speed up the process for the gamer.
1) What critics reviews are included in the game information section?
"10/10.. one of the most addictive and highly polished games available and there's no excuse for anyone to not download it; especially since it is free to play" (148Apps)
2) What do the reviews suggest regarding the audience pleasures of The Sims FreePlay?
A lot of diversification for the audience.
3) How do the reviews reflect the strong element of participatory culture in The Sims?
Reviews can actually shape the content of the game.
1) What did The Sims designer Will Wright describe the game as?
' train set or doll's house where each person comes to it with their own interests and picks their own goals" (1999)
2) Why was development company Maxis initially not interested in The Sims?
Maxis, was not initially interested in the Sims due to the thought that the "doll house" concept of the game appealed to younger girls and that 'girls didn't play video games'
3) What is ‘modding’?
Modding is when modifications are offered for the games so that people can shape the game even further beyond what the official game play has to offer.
4) How does ‘modding’ link to Henry Jenkins’ idea of ‘textual poaching’?
Modding links to 'textual poaching' as it allows audiences to interact with the game and connect with other fans.
5) Look specifically at p136. Note down key quotes from Jenkins, Pearce and Wright on this page.
"Today, there are thousands" of fan websites dedicated to the sims -Jenkins
"It was the community that really brought the game to the next level"- Wright
"Most vibrant emergent fan culture of a single-player game in history"- Pearce
6) What examples of intertextuality are discussed in relation to The Sims? (Look for “replicating works from popular culture”)
Sims enabled gamers to make their own fandoms within the sims fandom.
7) What is ‘transmedia storytelling’ and how does The Sims allow players to create it?
Transmedia storytelling is when the primary text encoded in an official commercial product that could be dispersed over multiple media platforms.
8) How have Sims online communities developed over the last 20 years?
Different mods has created more divisions within the Sims fandom to develop.
9) Why have conflicts sometimes developed within The Sims online communities?
Due to 'hierarchies conflict has developed.
10) What does the writer suggest The Sims will be remembered for?
Will be remembered for its collaborative community and fandom.
Videogames: Henry Jenkins - fandom and participatory culture
Henry Jenkins is a key audience theorist – an expert in fandom and participatory culture. We need to apply Jenkins's ideas to our videogame CSPs but also think back to where his ideas are relevant with other media texts we have studied. His work on participatory culture links with Clay Shirky in places and the concept of fandom is important to many media texts - from TV drama to magazines. Notes Henry Jenkins is an expert in fandom and participatory culture. Key to this idea is the concept of the ‘prosumer’ – audiences that create as well as consume media. This culture has revolutionised fan communities with the opportunity to create and share content. It also links to Clay Shirky’s work on ‘mass amateurisation’. Fandom is now big business – with Comic-Con events making millions. More importantly, the internet has demonstrated the size of fan communities so it is no longer a minority of ‘geek’ stereotypes but mainstream popular culture (such as Marvel, Harry Potter or Doctor Who).
Jenkins defends fan cultures and argues that fans are often stereotyped negatively in the media because they value popular culture (e.g. films or games) over traditional cultural capital (high brow culture or knowledge). The irony is fan culture is often dominated by middle class, educated audiences. Jenkins discusses ‘textual poaching’ – when fans take texts and re-edit or develop their meanings, a process called semiotic productivity. Fan communities are also quick to criticise if they feel a text or character is developing in a way they don’t support. EU copyright law: a threat to participatory culture? A new copyright law currently moving through the European Parliament has been described as a potential 'meme-ban'. It would place the responsibility for the distribution of copyrighted material with the platform rather than the user or copyright holder - and therefore could lead to huge amounts of content being removed. If implemented in full, it could end textual poaching, fan-made texts and re-edits and many more examples of fandom and participatory culture. You can read more on the potential implications in this Wired feature.
Henry Jenkins - fandom blog tasks The following tasks will give you an excellent introduction to fandom and also allow you to start exploring degree-level insight into audience studies. Work through the following: Factsheet #107 - Fandom Use our Media Factsheet archive on the M: drive Media Shared (M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets) to find Media Factsheet #107 on Fandom. Save it to USB or email it to yourself so you have access to the reading for homework. Read the whole of Factsheet and answer the following questions: 1) What is the definition of a fan? The definition of a fan is to like or to have an admiration for something or someone. 2) What the different types of fan identified in the factsheet?
Newbie-New fans of the media text
Anti-fan- People negatively associated with the media text.
Hardcore/true fan- the 'insiders' within any given fandom. They pride themselves in how long they have been a fan and how much knowledge they have attained from their research.
3) What makes a ‘fandom’? Fandom allows fans with similar liking to something to communicate with each other. 4) What is Bordieu’s argument regarding the ‘cultural capital’ of fandom? Argues that fandoms offers a symbolic power and status for the fan. 5) What examples of fandom are provided on pages 2 and 3 of the factsheet?
Imaginative extension/text creation
Ironic readings
Defying the critics
6) Why is imaginative extension and text creation a vital part of digital fandom?
As they would not be able to express their different views and beliefs on certain thing in regarding media texts.
1) What types of content are on offer in this fansite?
Wallpapers
Games
Chat rooms for the fans
Any news
2) What does the number of links and content suggest about the size of the online fan community for Tomb Raider and Lara Croft? Pick out some examples from this page.
It shows that there is a lot of people surrounding that fan base and with a lot of links this shows that this allows them to connect more.
3) Scroll to the bottom of the page and look at the short ‘About me’ bio and social media updates. Is this a typical example of ‘fandom’ in the digital age? Why?
This allows the person to be able to get more feedbacks from the people that visit the site.
Links of the fan base on other social media such as twitter, facebook
Interviews
Features
Podcasts
2) Look at the Community Spotlight page. What does this suggest about the types of people who enjoy and participate in fan culture?
On Community Spotlight page are artists, musicians and etc.
3) There is a specific feature on Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. What do the questions from fans tell you about the level of engagement and interest in the game and franchise from the fan community?
They enjoy the game and will keep it due to the feedback they get.
Henry Jenkins: degree-level reading
Read the final chapter of ‘Fandom’ – written by Henry Jenkins. This will give you an excellent introduction to the level of reading required for seminars and essays at university as well as degree-level insight into our current work on fandom and participatory culture. Answer the following questions:
1) There is an important quote on the first page: “It’s not an audience, it’s a community”. What does this mean?
Its not just a social medis it is a group of people connecting with similar likes.
2) Jenkins quotes Clay Shirky in the second page of the chapter. Pick out a single sentence of the extended quote that you think is particularly relevant to our work on participatory culture and the ‘end of audience’ (clue – look towards the end!)
"In the age of the internet, no one is a passive consumer anymore because everyone is a media outlet.".
3) What are the different names Jenkins discusses for these active consumers that are replacing the traditional audience?
Inspirational consumers
Connectors
Influencer
4) On the third page of the chapter, what does Wired editor Chris Anderson suggest regarding the economic argument in favour of fan communities?
Real economic benefit would generate from being able to lower production costs.
5) What examples does Jenkins provide to argue that fan culture has gone mainstream?
No longer about the stereotypical 'nerdy' fan- and that now fan culture ultimately dominates the media now.
6) Look at the quote from Andrew Blau in which he discusses the importance of grassroots creativity. Pick out a sentence from the longer quote and decide whether you agree that audiences will ‘reshape the media landscape from the bottom up’.
"...will generate enormous creativity, but it will also tear apart some of the categories that organise the lives and work of media makers."
7) What does Jenkins suggest the new ideal consumer is?
A person who "talks up the program and spreads word about the brand whereas before the ideal consumer just watched TV and did not communicate"
8) Why is fandom 'the future'?
It will allow the fans to be able to connect more on different media platforms.
9) What does it mean when Jenkins says we shouldn’t celebrate ‘a process that commodifies fan cultural production’?
Not to promote it as it gives media industries a chance to start exploiting what the fans produce.
10) Read through to the end of the chapter. What do you think the future of fandom is? Are we all fans now? Is fandom mainstream or are real fan communities still an example of a niche media audience?
