IP - what is it?

IP is a term used a few times in the History of Rockstar Games YouTube video series. This is a technical industry term that the majority of gamers will not use on a day to day basis, so it will handy for us to be aware of it - showing the examiners that we are not going to be writing a fanboy or fangirl account of gaming but actually a Media Studies critical essay on the industry.

IP, in relation to videogames, stands for Intellectual Property.

This is a legal term that relates to the "property" owned by a developer - this can be a big franchise. Nobody other than Rockstar Games can produce a Grand Theft Auto title, so the IP belongs to Rockstar.

You will often see the phrase "New IP" - this means a game that is not an existing product or franchise - it is a new 'property' not seen before in the gaming world. An example might LA Noire or Sleeping Dogs - these were not franchises, but completely new properties. Gamers might be wary of "New IPs" and instead stick to what they know. This could lead to a stagnation of the market as the gaming world fills itself with sequels and rehashes of existing licenses - New IPs, as with LA Noire, offer something new to the industry!

Though without the clout of publishers Rockstar Games LA Noire might not have achieved the success it enjoyed. That iconic R* logo in the corner of the box reassured gamers - "don't worry folks! We know you have never seen a LA Noire game before, but you know we don't give any game this little orange R* logo" (As long as we don't mention State of Emergency...)



To see how the phrase is used, check out the following OXM article
http://www.oxm.co.uk/45534/ea-now-is-a-bad-time-for-new-ip-best-wait-for-spectacular-next-gen-consoles/

EA: now is a bad time for new IP, best wait for "spectacular" next gen consoles

"The market doesn't reward new IP this late in the cycle"