Jane McGonigal: Gaming can make a better world

Jane McGonigal: Gaming can make a better world
TED.com video after the cut

TASK: Watch the TED lecture or read the introduction of the ebook below - Then on your Blogs, just post a few of the key statistics that are mentioned - you will want to remember a few for the exam! cough, 10,000 hours...

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Lesson 5 - Origins of Rockstar Games

For more information see The History of Rockstar Games or dip into Jacked: The unofficial story of Granf Theft Auto or download here.

5 rockstar - origins of the company from mrhoward12

Runescape - The facts

 

The History of Call of Duty (COD)

Grand Theft Auto: Why I love it

Tim Weaver confesses his undying affection for Rockstar's premier franchise...

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/324450/features/grand-theft-auto-why-i-love-it/

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.

Gaming 2012

Social Gaming

Rockstar Games

I think the Rockstar Games story is a fantastic saga to read about - If the Social Network got greenlit for a movie, I think the story of two brothers from England becoming the most influential figures of the games industry is surely worthy of being made for the big screen! From their beginnings in the music industry, via Lemmings and Dundee, via Race and Chase ... the iconic R* logo .... the leap into 3D with GTA III .... the attention to detail in both "Miami Vice" 80s styled Vice City and 90s "Bloods and Crips" LA portrayed in San Andreas .... to Hot Coffee - a watershed for the process of modding - and then Niko Bellic's turn as protagonist in GTA IV and New York being swamped with R* flyers in a wash of old school flyering inspired from the music industry that originally captured the imaginations of the two Houser brothers. Throw in Red Dead Redemption and LA Noire, showing R* are no one-trick ponies, and even the sport of kings, Rockstar Games Table Tennis!!

For a sense of nostalgia - as well as good research obviously! - you can download the first GTA and GTA2 from the R* website at http://www.rockstargames.com/downloads#/?collection=7



This shows great value for money as others could have cashed in here! But it increases the power of the brand.

The website also has a wide range of wallpapers - http://www.rockstargames.com/downloads#/?collection=1 I can't think of many other videogame developers whose logo I would want on the wallpaper of my PC, but it works! To bastardise the famous Barcelona tagline, Rockstar have become more than a games company. The word Rockstar has many connotations - glamour, danger, success, rebellious, wealth, cavalier - it's easy to see why the brand stands out among its competitors - few inspire the same dangerous cool as the team at R*.

For those wish to delve further into the story of Rockstar Games - If I had the power to do so, I would get the department to buy each of you a copy but alas not - you may wish to take a look at the following book: (Don't know if it's available in any local library)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jacked-unauthorized-behind---scenes-ebook/dp/B006FH0C6E/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1347472554&sr=1-1
I bought it on Kindle for £8.99 though it's about £13.99 in Waterstones.
Though I would definitely suggest downloading the 'trial chapter' as it's a very easy read and full of interesting information.

Charlie Brooker's Gameswipe - Worth a look!

TV Critic Charlie Brooker tooks aims at the videogame industry, be wary of strong language within the series - about 6 episodes? - but a really useful overview as to how public perception of gaming has changed over time and an overview of many of the genres of games currently popular at the moment
The series also has interviews with some celebrities who are famous gamers - such as TV's Dara O'Brain