Independent Case Study work; GTA 5

GTA 5: 

Name of the game: Grand Theft Auto 5 (GTA 5) 

Release date: September 17th 2013 

Institutions behind the game: Rockstar North, Rockstar Games

Print:

1) Billboards, bus shelters, phone boxes, buses and vans were used to advertise GTA 5.

2) The print advert conventions visible on the advert for for GTA 5 are the product name - Grand Theft Auto 5, modern sans serif font, the central image is a collage of parts from the game, and the colour scheme uses mostly dull colours like brown signifying it is not a game for little kids.

3) Mostly good reviews but some negative ones as well.

-Great script and most fully structured game in the history of the GTA franchise.

-Los Santos has been brought to life with its incredible size, scope, and realism.

-Open-world play lacks the unfettered thrills of earlier games.

Broadcast:

1) The only TV commercial for GTA 5 I could find is:

2) The trailer for GTA 5 is effective because it shows what the audience can expect from the game and what the game is about- the narrative. If it's something they are interested in, after the trailer they are most likely going to see gameplays as well to see if they look like what they saw in the trailer.

                                      

3) Gameplay:

Interviews can promote a game really well as it's different people talking about how they feel about the game, what it's like and what their experiences with it are. Especially if the person is a celebrity or famous it can have an impact on the audience's opinion of it and persuade them to buy it. The gameplays are also very useful, since they show the audience what the game is like and what the whole idea of t the game is. When they see that it's something they would be interested in, they will buy the game. 

E-Media:

1) I was unable to access the official GTA 5 website.

2) 

3) The YouTube channel is: Rockstar Games

4) Use generated videos:

5) User generated content such as gameplays help to promote the game because they show the audience what the game is like. Before watching it the person might not be sure about purchasing it because they have not played it before but seeing gameplays on YouTube makes it clear on what the point of the game is.

6) GTA 5 has had 1.9 million likes on Facebook.

7) 

This post appeals to the GTA V audience as it asks them about their opinion, making the feel powerful and like their opinion is actually appreciated in the game industry. It can make them feel powerful because other people might not understand it.

 

This post can appeal to the target audience as it is the funny moments from GTA V made by other players which for them are entertaining because they are interested in GTA and everything to do with it which means this would appeal to them.

This post would probably appeal to the target audience because it gives them a chance to have their questions answered maybe about the game or a trick that they can later on use in their own game.

This post can attract the GTA V gamers since it is a competition that allows them to win prizes to do with the game, that can help and improve their game. 

8) GTA 5

9) Twitter was used to promote this game, by putting up pictures of some parts of the game, countdowns to the day of the release. Also competitions were set up to enable the audience to win GTA V. Getting the audience involved really helped with the promotion, as it helped to attract more people by using direct addressing in posts.

10) The hashtag #gta5 drew attention to the game because when the audience saw that hashtag on for example Instagram, they could click on it and then it takes them to the page where there are different pictures with that same hashtag. Then the audience can see all the different videos and pictures from that game.

Overall, the GTA V promoting campaign was really widely spread bringing huge results. A variety of different adverts have been used and that is why the campaign was so good. The fact that they had adverts everywhere, on buildings, buses, bus shelters and others made the game to really stand out and it was impossible to not know anything about it.

VideoGame Advertising: Institution

Task 1: Developers and Publishers

Rockstar Games
Background: Formed in 1998 in New York, New York City, USA.
Owner/Founder(s): Sam Houser, Dan Houser, Terry Donovan, Jamie King and Gary Foreman.
Most Successful Games: Grand Theft Auto, Max Payne, Manhunt, L.A. Noire etc.
Interesting Fact About The Institution: In March 2014, Rockstar Games received the BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award at the British Academy Video Games Awards.

EA (Electronic Arts)
Background: Formed in 1982 in Redwood City, California, USA.
Owner/Founder: Trip Hawkins.
Most Successful Games: Battlefield, The Sims, FIFA, Need For Speed etc.
Interesting Fact About The Institution: In 2011 Electronic Arts was the world's third-largest gaming company.

Zynga
Background: Formed in 2007 in San Francisco, California, USA.
Owner/Founder: Mark Pincus.
Most Successful Games: FarmVille, Texas HoldEm Poker, ChefVille etc.
Interesting Fact About The Institution: Zynga was named after an American bulldog named Zinga once owned by Mark Pincus.

Nintendo
Background: Formed in 1889 in Kyoto, Japan.
Owner/Founder: Fusajiro Yamauchi.
Most Successful Games: Super Mario Bros, Wii Sports etc.
Interesting Fact About The Institution: It originally produced handmade hanafuda cards.

Sony Computer Entertainment
Background: Formed in 1993 in Tokyo, Japan.
Owner/Founder(s): Ken Kutaragi and Norio Ohga.
Most Successful Games: Gran Turismo, Eye Toy etc.
Interesting Fact About The Institution: The company has sold more than 400 million PlayStation consoles worldwide.

Task 2: Advertising Agencies

W+K Amsterdam
1) W+K stands for Wieden + Kennedy.
2) They advertised Heineken, Powerade, Nike, Coca-Cola and EA.
3) In my opinion the Coca Cola advert is the most creative because it shows how adding some colour to the grey, boring reality can make everyone happy. 
4) They created a videogame campaign for FIFA 14.
5)

Rokkan
1) The Rokkan advertising agency has been around for 14 years.
2) It is based in New Jersey.
3) Rokkan has advertised Hyundai, Nestle, Chipotle.
4)
5) The publisher for 'Dishonored' was Bethesda Software.

Task 3: Regulatory Bodies

PEGI
1) PEGI is an age rating system that was established to help European parents make informed decisions on buying computer games.
2&3) PEGI uses a combination of content declaration and game review to determine the appropriate PEGI rating for each game.

PEGI 3
The content of games given this rating is considered suitable for all age groups. Some violence in a comical context (cartoon-like forms of violence) is acceptable but no explicit language. 
PEGI 7
Any game that would normally be rated at 3 but contains some possibly frightening scenes or sounds may be considered suitable in this category. 
PEGI 12
May contain violence in a fantasy setting, coarse language, mild sexual references or innuendo, or gambling.
PEGI 16
Depiction of violence (or sexual activity) reaches a stage that looks the same as would be expected in real life. More extreme language, the concept of the use of tobacco and drugs and the depiction of criminal activities.
PEGI 18
Level of violence reaches a stage where it becomes a depiction of gross violence and/or includes elements of specific types of violence(violence that would make the viewer feel a sense of revulsion).

4) The seven aspects that PEGI look for when giving a game a rating are: 
-bad language
-discrimination
-drugs
-fear
-gambling
-sex
-violence
5) PEGI Online is an addition to the PEGI system protecting young people from inappropriate online game content.

ASA
1) ASA's mission is to make sure that the advertising in media is legal, decent, honest and truthful, to the benefit of consumers, business and society.
2) ASA's values are:
-Consistent and proportionate
-Reliable and ethical
-Fair and respectful to all
-Accessible and helpful
-Intelligent and thorough, but also timely and proportionate
-Open and accountable, acting with integrity and never being afraid to admit when we’re wrong
-An excellent team, inspiring excellence in each other

Complaint:

1) The advertised company was Mothercare UK Ltd.

2) Someone complained because the claim "RRP £49.99 Price £24.99 You save £25.00" was misleading and could be substantiated, because they did not believe the product was generally sold for £49.99.

3) Upheld

Target Audience: Planet side 2

Target Audience: Planet side 2

1. What is planet side 2?

• Planet side is a free to play multi player online shooting game published by Sony Online entertainment. 

2. What genre does the game belong to?

• First person shooter game (Action)

3.Planet side 2 developer/publisher: 

• Sony Online Entertainment 

4. When was planet side 2 launched? 

• It was launched on November 20th 2012.

5. How does the game-play back?

• Planet side 2 is re-imaging of planet-side and it is a faster pace than the original planet side. It also holds thousands players.   

6. What are the six different player classes in the game?

• The Infiltrator class  
• The light assault class
• The Combat Medic class
• The Engineer class
• The Heavy assault class 
• The max class 

7.What is the story or narrative of the game?

• LanetSide 2 is a science fiction massively multiplayer online first-person shooter set approximately 300 years after the discovery of Auraxis, although the chronology of the game universe starts a few years before.  

Business Model 

1. How much does Planetside 2 cost to play? -The game is free to play but when if you want to go to different maps or want extra amo or armer you have to pay.
2. What does a subscription offer to players? - PlanetSide 2 is free-to-play and includes a cash shop for players to purchase in-game convenience items and cosmetic changes using real money.
3. What can the in-game currency be used to buy? - It can be used to buy convenience items and cosmetic changes using real money
4. Why do some players dislike games in which users can buy additional weapons or health? - Because the success on the battlefield is still entirely player skill based, [players purchasing cash shop offerings will] just be less impacted for re-deploying to the battlefield.

The Terran Republic -  The type of person to play this team would be someone of a army background, likely to be a male and aged between 12 -33, to be of a ABC1 social class and to possibly be in education part time, and likely to be living in a suburban area.  

The Vanu Sovereignty -  The type of person to play this team would likely to be a male and aged between 12 -33, to be of a ABC1 social class and to possibly be in higher education part time, and likely to be living in the city. 

The New Conglomerates - The type of person to play for this team would be someone who's lonely and likes violence,also likely to be a male and aged between 12 -33, to be of a ABCD1 social class and to possibly be in education part time, and likely to be living in a suburban area.  

Phone and tablet Gaming

Why mobile gaming is taking off?

1.             Accessibility: consumers can play at any time and anywhere.

2.             Global reach: developers can launch titles into any country they choose.

3.             Free-to-play: Pioneered on PC, free-to-play is the dominant business model for mobile taking over 90% of global revenues.

How mobile games make money?

1.             Paid-for apps

2.             In-game purchases (extra lives/add-ons/ access to higher levels etc.)

3.             In-app advertising

In-app advertising and purchases
Advertisers traditionally buy app ads according to eCPM, which means effective cost per thousand impressions—the price to show an ad to 1,000 players. The average cost for a standard eCPM is $3.

In 2012, 75% of app-store revenue came from in-app purchases. Of the top 50 highest-grossing games in the iOS app store, only two aren’t free to download.

Phone and tablet gaming: tasks

1.     How much money is Candy Crush Saga estimated to make each day from its users?

• Candy crush saga is estimated to make £610,000 ($1,000,000).

2.             How does it make this money?

• Over 100 million people log in which makes them get hooked to the game then they eventually pay for the game. 

3.             How many people are estimated to have installed Candy Crush?

• 500 million people have installed candy crush.

4.             Where do people play?

• 60% of UK play from and to work

5.             When was the game released?

• April 2012: Candy crush was released on Facebook 
• November 2012: Released for ios7 devices 
• December 2012: Released on androids 

6.             When did it reach 500 million downloads?

• It reached 500 million downloads in November 2013

7.             What percentage say they are addicted to the game?

• 30% of the people say they are addicted to the game.

8.          What is your own experience of playing Candy Crush? Have you played it? 

I have played candy crush and its really addicted.  

AIDA Exercise: Marketing a game

'Train your brain'

Game 5Brain training games that allow the player to map their progress on a chart, and compare their progress with others online. They can choose specific people, by logging in through Facebook and other social networking sites, or be allocated a group of anonymous brain trainers who will compete for a month.

This game is targeted to people who are 8+ and for both genders. The game will be available to use on platforms such as Nintendo Ds and on the latest smartphones. 

A: To promote my game I will promote it on TV advertisements, social networking sites, magazines and I will  also promote it on the internet to attract audiences attention.  

I: To generate my audience I will add extra games and multi player so that people can play with their friends. 

D: I will make sure my game is the best game to desire my audience to buy my game I will also persuade customers by my game. 

A:  To promote the audience action I will post YouTube adverts to get people talking about the game. 

FIFA 14 Case Study

Print:

The Fifa 14 print advert promotes the game well because it uses a well known football players 'Lionel Messi' as the central image. Key conventions: The slogan 'WE ARE FIFA 14'. The 'WE' makes everyone else feel they are included. Central Image: They used a famous football playing because he is well known which will make people look at the advert. Font/Colour: They used the colour 'RED' to highlight the important of the advert. They also used white to make the red stand out even more. The font is bold to make it stand out. Three reviews for FIFA 14'FIFA 14 rocks!!!!! Its the best football game till date.' This is a very positive comment. This is another negative review 'The worst Fifa of all time. Players move with the agility of a bus. 70% of the crosses are goals. Players are slow' 'Do Not Buy Do Not Buy .Do Not Buy .Do Not Buy' This review of the game is really negative which makes people not want to buy the game. It reaches out to a different variety of audience and it also tells you what others thing of the game. It also tells FIFA what they need to improve. In my opinion print more effective them e-media? In my opinion i think e-media is more effective because many people use social networking sites e.g Facebook,twitter also you-tube which will make them watch a trailer of maybe a Fifa 14 game. Broadcast: The advert attracts the audience as it has celebrities (e.g. Drake), football players (e.g. Messi) and a variety of average people from a range of different ethnicity. The advert uses a variety of different types of people, so this makes it easier to be an international advert.Lionel Messi is driving the van because he is a well known footballer which the audience will like to see on adverts and the screens are on the back with Fifa 14 being played to get the audience interested.  The TV advert features the Fifa 14 brand in many ways; the players in the advert are used in the game itself. The font used at the end is the standard writing that Fifa uses overall, so people can identify the game easily.The main star (Lionel Messi) is a well-established football player and by using him in the advert makes people even more attracted to the game. There is a combination of footballers, celebrities and regular people in the TV advert  because the game is targeted at a variety of people and also different races. The TV advert uses real life people and celebrities where as the trailer uses different graphics.  E-media:The layout of the website is effective; when you first click on the website the central image is of a well-known footballer. They used bold fonts on the website to make it stand out.How many 'likes' has the FIFA 14 Facebook wall had? -21,328,447 likes

They uploaded the trailer of fifa 14 and it got lots of likes by over 100,000 likes by Facebook users which shows they are interested in the game.They want the audience to get involved on facebook and play a game of FIFA 14.     

Music Video Analysis

Chris Brown ft Sevyn Streeter- It won't stop
 The genre of this song is R&B/Pop because this song is really popular. This music video is effective because they have used special effects in this video. The video is also effective because it young people having fun in the summer. It also shows 2 people in love with each other. In the video they have used pretty attractive girls and good looking boys. They have used different cameras shots to make the video more memorable and effective. The dancers made the video look good, by dancing at the same time to make the video look successful. They used the beach as a background because a beach isn't a busy background so it makes the video look good.