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The Game:

Same sex couples
Create a lifestyle which you want, however you may imagine it.
Active consumption due to the user creating the world they are playing in.

Postmodernism in the fact that Baudrillard when it comes to postmodern simulation and simulacra, “It is no longer a question of imitation, nor duplication, nor even parody. It is a question of substituting the signs of the real for the real”. This game is a simulation but can be looked at as real, due to the fact it is still updated to this day with content appropriate to this time, despite it being released in 2011.

Regulation:

The video game was banned in China, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar and Egypt due to the possibility of establishing a homosexual relationship. This is an example of the 5 filters of mass media and regulation. (changes cultural contexts) This is because the game has been banned in certain countries and can be seen as homophobia.

Linked Theorists:

David Hesmondhalgh argued companies involved in the cultural industries, such as EA, were just like any other business who wanted to minimise risk and maximise profit. The Sims FreePlay follows the freemium business model. This is a free game available to everyone who uses an app store, however the game can be progressed quicker by using in game purchases, EA uses addiction methods like making things take time within the game, therefore players want to skip these things, doign that requires points which cost money.

David Gauntlett argues the media and technology play a significant role in shaping our identities and provide us with new ways to express ourselves and connect with others. For instance, the choice of skin tones available at the start of The Sims FreePlay is a recognition of the racial diversity of the audience. Although the gender options follow the simple binary of male and female, players can reject traditional gender roles when they explore the virtual world. In this way, the town will soon become a place which reflects the player’s identity and values.

Although Steve Neale was describing cinema as a “signifying process”, we can also use his semiotic approach to understand how the interplay of codes creates different genres of computer games. For instance, in The Sims FreePlay, players create and modify their own avatars, including their personalities.