REVISION: Spec broken down part 1

This is the spec I will be going through all this in a PPT as a last minute reminder but I will post it up here as I do it to help you. First of here's a reminder of everything that the exam board wants us to know:

Candidates should be prepared to understand and discuss the processes of production, distribution, marketing and exchange as they relate to contemporary media institutions, as well as the nature of audience consumption and the relationships between audiences and institutions. In addition, candidates should be familiar with:

The issues raised by media ownership in contemporary media practice;

The importance of cross media convergence and synergy in production, distribution and marketing;

The technologies that have been introduced in recent years at the levels of production, distribution, marketing and exchange;

The significance of proliferation in hardware and content for institutions and audiences;

The importance of technological convergence for institutions and audiences;

The issues raised in the targeting of national and local audiences (specifically, British) by international or global institutions;

The ways in which the candidates’ own experiences of media consumption illustrate wider patterns and trends of audience behaviour.

Firstly, behind the cut I will be focusing on the elements of production, marketing, distribution and exchange. Remember: These are just prompts, if you don't have the notes to answer questions asked then you need to do some reading.

Essays: The other topics

Need to read up on a topic you did not look at for the exam?
Have a read of the following:

Is Mobile Gaming the future?
Shaun O

Or is Social Gaming?
Max S

Today's consoles - is there anything they can't do?
Tom C

Well done everybody, really pleased with the amount of effort and research that has obviously gone into all of these - the rest of us will find your essays useful reading for when the exam comes around!

Click here for a reminder of the Homework essay tasks

Mr H

Lesson 7 - EA Sports FIFA 13 Marketing & Distribution

Digital Distribution - Casey McVey

http://dhsmediacaseym.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/digital-distribution.html

Digital Distribution By Casey Mcvey

Lots of advantages and disadvantages to the future becoming digital, well done!

just one day after PES 2013 by taking out the £20 EA Sports Season Ticket

http://www.videogamer.com/xbox360/fifa_13/news/play_fifa_13_just_one_day_after_pes_2013_by_taking_out_the_20_ea_sports_season_ticket.html

Would you play £20 to be able to own FIFA 13 this Saturday instead of waiting until Thursday?
Though probably quite good value if you're buying Madden and Fifa I guess and regularly purchase DLC...

Benefits Outlined by Title

Madden NFL 13 (Xbox only for Europe)

• North America and Mexico Early access date – Friday, August 24, 2012 (6:00pm EST)
• Europe, Australia and New Zealand Early access date – Monday, August 27, 2012 (6:00pm CEST)
• Included paid DLC – One Legendary and 24 Pro Madden packs – one per week for 24 consecutive weeks - for use in Madden Ultimate Team
• 20% off additional DLC content purchased for Madden NFL 13

NHL 13

• North America and Mexico Early access date – Friday, September 7, 2012 (6:00pm EST)
• Europe, Australia and New Zealand Early access date – Saturday, September 8, 2012 (6:00pm CEST)
• Included paid DLC – 24 NHL Gold Premium packs for use in Hockey Ultimate Team – one per week for 24 consecutive weeks
• 20% off additional DLC content purchased for NHL 13

FIFA 13

• North America and Mexico Early access date – Friday, September 21, 2012 (6:00pm EST)
• Europe, Australia and New Zealand Early access date – Saturday, September 22, 2012 (6:00pm CEST)
• Included paid DLC – 24 FIFA Ultimate Team Gold Premium packs —one per week for 24 consecutive weeks—to help build an ultimate team of football superstars
• 20% off additional DLC content purchased for FIFA 13

Case study: Kinect Sports Ultimate Collection!

http://www.rare.co.uk/news/kinect-sports-ultimate-collection-out-now

Kinect Sports Ultimate Collection Out Now

18-09-2012

Continuing the September profile resurgence for Kinect Sports, an optimised double-pack of BAFTA-winning bestsellers Kinect Sports and Season Two is released to retail today under the title of Kinect Sports Ultimate Collection.

This angers me.. In our household, we have Kinect Sports 1 and Kinect Sports Season 2 .... If we were playing Season 1 and somebody wanted to play one of the minigames on Season 2, we would have to quit the game ... go get the disk ... put it in ... load up the game ...... and now this new pack would allow people to have both games' sports on one game disk.

Kinect Sports are excellent users of DLC to freshen up their games - Season 2 featured no less than FIVE DLC releases, often with entirely new sports - adding Basketball months after release.

DLC also came in the form of 'maps' - like with their Ski game and their Golf game.

Now it seems they are extending the shelf life of the Kinect Sports brand by reaching out to newcomers (not people like our house which already has both games!)
 

Homework essay: WHAT'S NEW? Innovations in the videogames industry

Homework Task: Innovations in the videogame industry  essay

Set: Monday 17^th September

Due:  Monday 1st October

(To be written in Word, spellchecked and then posted on your Blog)

The 2012 Videogames Industry: Your task is to write a 750-1000 word essay on one of the set questions below on new innovations in the videogames industry today. You are to conduct your own reading and note taking around the subject using my Label Cloud on the right hand side and the Gaming Site feeds also on the side to help you. For the first part of your essay define and give examples of the keyterms in your question - those words in bold below.

Essay questions

1.       “Freemium” and microtransactions – Are the days of Day One purchases numbered, with publishers wanting more purchases down the line?

2.       Digital Distribution – Will everything become digital in the future and who wants this?

3.       The controller revolution: Gesture controllers – Wii, Kinect and Move etc – How have they affected the videogames industry?

4.       Technological convergence – Game consoles becoming Swiss Army Knives – How have consoles evolved from purely game consoles and what has been the impact on the industry?

5.       Social Gaming – Are casual Gamers taking over?

6.       A long way from Snake: Mobile gaming – iOS and the rise of Android – is this the future of gaming?

7.       Is single player dying? The rise of online gaming and multiplayer: Are single player games at risk of being the exception as opposed to the rule?

Is there an area of the videogame industry that you would like to research that is not covered by the topics here? See me asap and we can sort out an appropriate question for you to look at.

History of DLC as 'expansions'

This shows the history of DLC - it used to be expansions to enhance the existing game: EA & Westwood's award winning Command and Conquer Red Alert had two add-ons - Counterstrike and Aftermath - though remember in those days in the mid 90s it meant trekking to a computer games shop (Electronics Boutique.. Anyone? Anyone??) whereas now it seems that games are deliberately 'missing' elements that are then inserted as DLC later on down the timeline.

Note the small microtransaction chunks in the final picture. Often these days we will find smaller, more managable chunks and more of them. Fifa's Ultimate Team is an example of theis - packs of cards are cheap but players often buy many at a time, or at regular intervals. All of which gain the publishers £££ often without having to think about shipping or any other distribution than the gamer pressing a couple of buttons on their console.

Mass Effect DLC Controversy infographic

Gaming 2012

Online Pass to KO Pre-owned market?

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/246073/ea-sports-games-will-require-online-pass-for-online-play/

EA Sports games will require "Online Pass" for online play

Buy your games new, or pay a $10 fee to access online features

Download Wars: How Nintendo can take on the Big Boys

If it wants its eShop to flourish, Nintendo must finally 'do online' right, says David Houghton

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/364606/features/download-wars-how-nintendo-can-take-on-the-big-boys/

'I'm worried hiding endings behind DLC could become a trend'

Does the idea of coughing up cash for the payoff trouble you

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/365509/features/im-worried-hiding-endings-behind-dlc-could-become-a-trend/

Microsoft and the $50m golden handcuffs

This link goes to information on the Exclusivity deal between Microsoft and Rockstar concerning the DLC for GTA IV - the two packs - The Lost and the Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony
http://texyt.com/Microsoft+pays+$50m+for+GTA+4+episodes+00111

Imagine this deal like golden handcuffs - Microsoft paying Rockstar Games a sackful of money to ensure that these two extra mission packs are only available (for the first year anyway) on the Xbox 360. Very interesting regarding digital distribution, institutional practices - not to mention a change in the relationship between PlayStation and Rockstar - remember that GTA was solely available on the PlayStation throughout the III trilogy: The trilogy of games that started with GTA III, followed by Vice City and San Andreas.

What is a video game?

Before we start our examination of the industry we need to get it straight what it is we are talking about. Please have a read below of the article by Nadia Oxford on http://gametheoryonline.com/

What, by definition, is a “video game?” Earth’s greatest scholars agree that it has something to do with sitting in front of the television and rescuing princesses, usually by way of manipulating a controller that is attached to a game box, which, in turn, is attached to a television.

While that description of a video game isn’t necessarily incorrect, it’s about ten years out of date. Console and PC gaming is still very relevant, but now it’s supplemented by alternative methods of gaming–many of which are free, or at least very easy on the wallet.

When you think of video games, make sure you leave some brain space for its offshoots, including:

Portable Games — It was Nintendo engineer Gunpei Yokoi who realized, as far back as 1980, that commuters might appreciate being able to play electronic games on the go. The Game & Watch series of games was subsequently born, each with its own self-contained game (often an adaptation of an arcade hit) and a built-in liquid crystal display.

In 1989, Nintendo released the Game Boy, a handheld gaming system that could switch out game cartridges. The handheld gaming market exploded from thereon, with Nintendo generally holding the biggest pieces of the pie thanks to hit portable systems like the Game Boy Advance and the Nintendo DS.

Whereas portable games were once simplified versions of console games, or else designed in a way that kept them from using too many resources, modern handheld systems like the Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita are capable of displaying graphics on par with a console. Portable games can be purchased at retail, or downloaded via a system’s specific online store. Portable games are also currently facing a lot of competition from:

iOS/Smartphone Games — The term “iOS game” refers to any game that’s running off Apple’s mobile operating system. iOS games can include titles for the iPad and iPod Touch line of tablets/music players, but it’s most commonly used to identify a game that’s running on the iPhone.

iOS games are typically simpler than console or handheld games; you’ll find a lot of quick distractions and compelling puzzle games. However, the market is quickly becoming more complex, and the general low price of iOS games (which are bought and downloaded via Apple’s App Store–unlike handheld gaming systems, there is no physical media involved) make them good impulse buys.

Smartphones that run on Google’s Android operating system are also a popular choice for on-the-go gaming.

Downloadable Games — Pertains to games that are downloaded from an online store, as opposed to games that are published on a physical medium, like a disc or a game card. Downloadable games can be just as complex as console games that are bought at retail (in fact, PC gamers favour downloading big releases on Steam, a PC-based online distribution platform), though smaller, casual games are very popular, too. Downloadable games are usually cheaper than titles bought at retail. Popular distribution platforms include Steam, Xbox Live Arcade, the Wii Shop Channel, the Nintendo DSi Store, the Nintendo 3DS eShop, PlayStation Network, and the App Store.

Free-to-Play Games — Free-to-play games are, as the name suggests, free to play. Typically, these games run on web browsers, or on iOS platforms. They’re free to download and you can usually play them for as long as you want–though most of these games lock up a certain portion of their content until you pay for said content through an electronic transaction (usually via a credit card). These “microtransactions” are typically a few dollars, though most free-to-play games do offer you the chance to purchase super-cool items for much larger sums of money.

Social/Facebook Games — Social games have made a recent splash in the gaming landscape. Social games encourage sharing between players, and run off social networks as a result, with Facebook being the most popular. Usually, players are tasked with building towards or maintaining a goal, and are rewarded for interacting with each other, and for getting friends to play along, too. Most social games fall under the free-to-play category as well.

Zynga is currently by far the biggest developer and distributor of social games. Some of Zynga’s most popular works include FarmVille, CityVille, and Mafia Wars.

Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs) — MMOGs usually offer a big world for the player to explore. In this world, players can communicate with each other, unite to complete goals, or even compete. MMOGs tend to be deep and complex, with one of the most famous examples of the genre being Blizzard’s World of Warcraft.

Many MMOGs can be played on an Internet browser and cover a multitude of genres. It’s an especially popular market for kids thanks to games like Free Realms (Fantasy), Moshi Monsters (Fantasy/Educational) and NeoPets (Virtual Pets).

Depending on the game, MMOGs can follow the free-to-play formula, or require a monthly subscription from the player. Oftentimes, the game can be played for free until a certain level is reached, and then a subscription is required.

Triple A/”Blockbuster” Games — There’s still a place in the market for big-budget games that spend two years or better in development. These are the high-profile, widely-advertised games that are sometimes referred to as “Blockbuster” games. On a Nintendo console, it might be a new Legend of Zelda game; on the PlayStation 3, the Xbox 360, and/or the PC, it might be a new Call of Duty or Halo title. Blockbuster games tend to be developed with the core gamer in mind, though everyone is invited to enjoy them.