Daily Archives: January 26, 2023

Filters

Author:
Category:
Uncategorized

New Media

Leave a comment

Sentience – The ability to perceive and feel

Artificial intelligence is the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems.
Specific applications of AI include expert systems, natural language processing, speech recognition and machine vision.

  1. the transformation of social interaction (audiences);
  2. the transformation of individual identity (audiences and representation);
  3. the transformation of institutional structures (industry); and the changes in textual content and structure (language).
  4. The transformation of audience consumption

media has gone from straight forward processes such as sending a letter to someone, into lightspeed communication between each other.
Nowadays people don’t go back forth to each other but share information online, while allowing other people to use it.

New technology influences-

Speed

Knowledge

Times

Space (Communication)

Understanding

Access

Participation

Reality

Privacy

Chose

Interactivity

Storage

Retrieval

Flexability

–

 we do not think in a linear or sequential way, but associatively and sensorial, so that information is linked to patterns, consequences, almost like nodes of hyperlinked information.

  • on avg americans check their phone 344 times a day
  • 15-16yr olds who have high digital media use are more likely to develop ADHD
  • Olivia Blackmore uses social media for 19 hours a day (source- Dr Mckinlay)

Norbert Weiner –

Loop Theory- Predictive behaviour which is shaped and altered through networking and digital communications

Issues around wellbeing and privacy

Clay Shirky –

Internet has affected media consumption (obviously)

Audience behaviour has progressed passed passive consumption into interactive consumption.

BF Skinner

Free will is an illusion as behaviour is either a reaction/response to your environment or is random

Some themes and discussion points from Great Hack:

  • The Exchange of Data (That users didn’t know existed, people think platforms are free but you pay with data)
  • Search for Truth (
  • Behaviour Management (Manipulation)
  • Propaganda / Persuasion (specifically targeting millions without anyone knowing)
  • Regulation (Is it possible to regulate this stuff / is a fair election ever possible again/ how do u even regulate it lol)

Roger McNamee – “Facebook marries propaganda techniques to those of casino gambling”

Jaron Lanier

-People who don’t use social media are assets to society as they provide perspective

-Social media users are in essence turning into automated extensions of the platforms

-Social media isn’t bad for addicting as that’s their business model- the problem is the persuasion/influencing which as abuse of power

-Interests have shifted from using automated machine processes to know about your behaviour to using machine processes to shape your behaviour according to their interests

NEW MEDIA
OLD MEDIA		COMMENT OR EXAMPLE
Active involvement
		Passive involvement
		Shows such as the voice, in which the audience is a part of the show (By voting on/through their phones) whereas there used to be no involvement by the viewer.
Two-way conversationOne-way conversation
Open systemClosed system“closed” system old way of doing things: broadcasting from a single control point to a passive mass audience and allowing for virtually no feedback or participation – Or when there is a feedback channel, it’s narrow and tightly controlled. Online media function differently, however, because by their very nature, they’re two-way or multi-way systems
TransparentOpaqueMedia transparency deals with the openness and accountability of the media and can be defined as a transparent exchange of information subsidies based on the ideas of newsworthiness. Saying the the medias were supposedly less transparent with their techniques & agendas whereas now they are somewhat more transparent.
One-on-one marketingMass marketingCompany’s such as Cambridge Analytica being able to manipulate social media feeds to target very specific individuals.
About MeAbout You
Brand and User-generated ContentProfessional content
Authentic contentPolished content
FREE platformPaid platformMedia/ company’s are moving away from straight up paid products, to “free” services/products where you are essentially paying for the product by data they are collecting on you.
Metric: EngagementMetric: Reach/ frequency
Actors: Users / InfluencersActors/ Celebrities
Community decision-makingEconomic decision-making
Unstructured communicationControlled communication
Real time creationPre-produced/ scheduled
Bottom-up strategyTop-down strategy
Informal languageFormal language
The Voice

The Voice

Leave a comment

Representation

UK’s first / favourite black newspaper

First published in 1981 – offered a new media source for those in the black community – much of the media at the time was racist / marketed towards white people.

Before the introduction of The Voice, the black press in Britain targeted first-generation immigrants. Newspapers, such as The Caribbean Times and West Africa, kept the diaspora up to date about news about the old countries. The Voice was different. It wanted to publish stories which were relevant to the second generation who were born and raised in Britain.

They were eager to create a countertype to the negative portrayals of black people often represented in the mainstream media. This was particularly important after the civil unrest across England in 1981.

Was there a riot in Brixton or was it an uprising against social and economic injustice?

The headline ‘To Think This is England’ reinforces the binary opposition between the civilised England and the savage Other. The audience are positioned to sympathise with the cowering police officers who are under attack. They are almost protecting the viewer from the violence and the side-turned and torched vehicle is a strong signifier of the destruction they are trying to prevent.

Media Language

The Voice uses codes and conventions to influence meaning. They value black people and like to make them feel superior and strong and independent. They bring racist issues and discrimination problems to the light to relate to their specific audience.
They use images of mainly black people to get their views and values across and to attract their target audience. They also have quite a colourful site to show support for ‘coloured’ people and present it in a much more positive term. The images used are often not photoshopped and are natural which gives a real view of people which could better relate to their audience.

Industry

David Hesmondhalgh believed companies involved in cultural industries were motivated by profit rather than a duty to public service broadcasting. No one was going to invest in a newspaper which targeted a niche audience unless it was going to make money. However, the social and political context of the early 1980s offered the founder of The Voice, Val McCalla, an opportunity to raise the funds needed for such a risky venture.

Barclays Bank was being heavily criticised for its investments in South Africa where racial segregation was institutionalised in a system known as apartheid. In a bit of impression management, the bank attempted to counteract the negative publicity by showing support for African-Caribbean causes.

McCalla secured £62,000 from Barclays with the backing of the Loan Guarantee Scheme which was part of a series of initiatives set up by Margaret Thatcher’s government to help unemployed people start their own business. The Voice enterprise was a success and the bank loan was paid off within five years.

The circulation of the paper peaked at 55,000 in the early 1990s with young women being a substantial majority of its weekly buyers.

Articles

Each article follows the template. First, breadcrumbs help the user understand where the story fits into the site’s permalink structure and enables you to navigate to the parent category pages. This element is followed by the dateline and a clickable by-line.

Sims

Sims Freeplay

Leave a comment

Media Audiences

Main target audience are female casual gamers age 18-40. People who are more into hardcore gaming.

One of the reasons people may enjoy playing sims is the feeling of “playing god” and being in control, you can choose where they live, how they look, what they like, who they want to be friends with, etc. This allows audiences to create the virtual reality they want as they can create a family of their own.

This may appeal to caring side of audiences, for example maternal feelings in female players as characters can have babies and you can see them grow up, reflecting the virtual reality into their own lives.

This allows creativity to be explored as you are able to build like Minecraft which allows audiences to do what they like. This allows audiences to be creative and experiment with building and design choices.

Sims gives us the impression of escapism as people who choose to play sims can be offered the sense of a utopian dream world. The trailer of sims free play allows us to look into how we can create our dream life and dream home. This offers audiences a fantasy escape from their boring lives.

Creating your character isn’t the main part of sims as you can create characters or situations they can identify with, for example they can form their perfect love interest or make them famous and allows them to gain attention, etc.

Audiences may enjoy being able to experience things in a safe detached way. For example, people can die in your game or come to harm but it gives you the feeling that nothing will happen in their own real life.

There are many players who might find the game cathartic as they can experience situations that are exciting via the game, as the game allows them to explore different ways on how to play with the sims free play. This permits audiences to vent their own frustration or feelings in a safe way through the use of cathartic experiences.

There is a big diverse of players who may enjoy the diverse range of characters options, so you can choose a male or female characters or ethnicity, or be straight or be part of the LGBTQ community. Producers responded to audience requests for aspects such as more skin colours, more hair types, pregnancy, etc.

The game is very simple and doesn’t need that much experience to play it. It is reassembly self explanatory. However, many audiences would like the mobile nature of the game. For example phones and tablets are increasingly popular ways of playing games.

The game is free to download and is appealing to many audiences, which makes it popular. However, there were some audiences who believed that there was too many in app purchases and that it was too hard to enjoy the game fully without spending money. This makes some audiences annoyed as they wouldn’t want to keep spending money to gain access to more upgrades. Generally there are some audiences who enjoy hacking games and often share these tips online.

Media representation

Sims can be a diverse game where you can create hundred of different options including gender, age, ethnicity, eye colour, hair colour, personality trait etc. This means the representation in the game is not fixed, and almost infinite in terms of diversity and peoples choice.

Unlike other media products, video games (particularly sims) allows audiences to shape the representation themselves. Many video games offer only a couple limitations of playable characters and they are often straight, white men. Sims free p[lay offers this diverse choice of choosing which kind of character you want to play, different ethnicities and your sexuality.

The representations in this game might be seen as more liberal and diverse than in others. The game offers a much broader range of skin tones, hair types, and accessories than other / previous games.

However, due to the game being set, some people can manipulate the game which doesn’t allow for players to officially make their sims intolerant, players can manipulate the game options to create intolerant worlds.

In terms of gender, their is lots of interests of women in their trailers looking for love and having babies, although the game offers a variety of choice for representation, the marketing shows common gender stereotypes. Women as shown taking on domestic roles of childcare and men are shown playing sports and working. However, the game does allow players to challenge gender stereotypes. For example, you can choose to play as a female characters for their sims does not limit their options in terms of clothing, hair style, or facial hair. Therefore you can manipulate the wide range of gender identities to be expressed by players although they still only have two genders to choose from on official options.

There is also a simulation that the game is designed to mimic reality in many ways. They try to keep the game as similar to real life as possible, their are elements such as morning sickness that add to to the realism of the game, the idea of verisimilitude.

There are many tasks that reflect the tedium, of real life, for example cleaning.

Sometimes players can feel immersed into the world of the games because of how realistic it feels. The graphics are low and it is not a real world. It removes some of the verisimilitude, as the game does not feature miscarriage or abortion so removes some more serious aspects of real life.

The game is game entertaining and fun and light-hearted, therefore they are trying to keep it real and pleasant.

Media Industry

Sims is published by 2 companies, EA mobile company and Firemonkeys studios. They are both subsidiaries of electronic arts. EA has a reputation for big budget triple A games that have had a huge success so many have pre-sold audience of fans.

EA mobile has over 800 staff in the US just to work on mobile gaming. EA mobile has 9 office around the world, reflecting the increasing popularity of mobile and casual gaming. EA has nearly 10,000 staff, 44 studios across 20 countries and nearly £6billion income each year.

A company called Maxis originally developed sims game and began the franchiser, and they recognised the potential and brought in Maxis in 1997 which is a horizontal integration.

The game has been successful as over 200 million have download the game. Distributing games digitally via things like the app store, is much cheaper than “hard copy” distribution eg discs.

However mobile gaming presents its own unique costs and difficulties for developers , sometimes mobile gamers have to constant update to cope with update releases for mobile operating systems. This is to make sure free mobile games can releases updates to keep audiences playing the game and making in app purchases. For example, add pets, more buildings etc.

Hesmondhalgh talks about minimising risks and profit, if you keep updating the game is a great way of maximising profits. Applying Sims to a mobile app and making it free allows more profit to come in and minimises the risk.

The VSC used the PEGI rating system to award the game a 12 rating. It has mild horror or fear themes, mild sexual content and nudity and mild alcohol, tobacco or drug references. This is likely because the players can put their SIMS in a variety of scenarios such as drinking, kissing, sex etc.

However, considering how it is easy for players under 12 can access the game, it has issues with regulation. It is difficult to regulate and online game because what is legal or socially acceptable varies from country to country and yet the game is distributed online where global players can access it. Particularly is Asia it is banned, due to LGBTQ characters and relationships.

Audiences were the ones who suggests pregnancy as being a desirable game feature which helps form a connection with the audience, to attract more audiences.

Uncategorized

New media vs Old media

Leave a comment
NEW MEDIA
OLD MEDIA		COMMENT OR EXAMPLE
Active involvement
		Passive involvement

Two-way conversationOne-way conversation
Open systemClosed system
TransparentOpaque
One-on-one marketingMass marketing
About MeAbout You
Brand and User-generated ContentProfessional content
Authentic contentPolished content
FREE platformPaid platform
Metric: EngagementMetric: Reach/ frequency
Actors: Users / InfluencersActors/ Celebrities
Community decision-makingEconomic decision-making
Unstructured communicationControlled communication
Real time creationPre-produced/ scheduled
Bottom-up strategyTop-down strategy
Informal languageFormal language
Uncategorized

SIMS FreePlay

Leave a comment

Background: Mobile Gaming

  • The videogames industry has changed massively since the emergence of the smart phone and app store distribution model.
  • Mobile gaming has changed the audience demographics for gaming and brought the industry into the mainstream.
  • The app store model means tech giants such as Apple and Google are making significant sums from mobile gaming but mobile hits can still earn developers millions.
  • Angry Birds made developer Rovio $200m in 2012 and broke 2 billion downloads in 2014.


The Sims FreePlay

  • The Sims FreePlay is a spin-off from the hugely successful Sims franchise first published by Electronic Arts (EA) in 2000.
  • The game is a strategic life simulation game (also known as the sandbox genre). 
  • The Sims FreePlay takes the game on to phones and tablets and uses the ‘freemium’ model that makes money via in-app purchases.
  • The game has seen 200 million downloads since 2011 – remarkable success.

The Sims FreePlay: Audience

  • The Sims franchise has demonstrated there is a strong and lucrative market in female gamers.
  • When The Sims was first pitched by creator Will Wright he described it as a ‘doll house’. 
  • The development company Maxis weren’t keen because ‘doll houses were for girls, and girls didn’t play videogames’. EA then bought Maxis, saw potential in the idea and one of the most successful ever videogame franchises was born.
  • Expansion packs available for The Sims FreePlay reinforce the view that the target audience is predominantly female.

Participatory culture

  • The Sims franchise is one of the best examples of Henry Jenkins’ concept of participatory culture.
  • Since the very first game in the franchise, online communities have created, suggested and shared content for the game.
  • ‘Modding’ – short for modifications – is a huge part of the appeal of the game. Modding changes aspects of the gameplay – anything from the strength of coffee to incorporating ghosts or even sexual content.
Uncategorized

the voice- British newspaper

Leave a comment

It is owned by GV Media Group Limited, and is aimed at the British African-Caribbean community. The new 72-page monthly paper will launch on 26 September at an introductory price of £2.50, which is expected to then rise depending on “how the market responds”. The weekly edition of the paper has a cover price of £1.

The Voice is a British national African-Caribbean newspaper operating in the United Kingdom. The paper is based in London and was published every Thursday until 2019 when it became monthly. It is available in a paper version by subscription and also online. Founded 30th August 1982, the editor is Lester Holloway and the founder, Val McCalla.

‘The Voice newspaper to go monthly after 37 years as weekly’

The company then moved from print to online and changed to only monthly editions. Production costs for online newspapers are generally cheaper. For the website the main running costs are for hosting, maintenance and security.

Representation

Before the introduction of The Voice, the black press in Britain targeted first-generation immigrants. Newspapers, such as The Caribbean Times and West Africa, kept the diaspora up to date about news about the old countries. The Voice was different. It wanted to publish stories which were relevant to the second generation who were born and raised in Britain.

Theorists:

  • David Hesmondhalgh believed companies involved in cultural industries were motivated by profit rather than a duty to public service broadcasting. No one was going to invest in a newspaper which targeted a niche audience unless it was going to make money.
New Media, Sims

CSP – SIMS FREEPLAY

Leave a comment

Website: https://www.ea.com/en-gb/games/the-sims/the-sims-freeplay

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesimsfreeplay/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheSimsFreePlay?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

The Sims FreePlay

Language

  • Simulation
  • Players create account and are made to create their own avatar that they can control and ‘play’ as
  • They can ‘design’ this virtual character by changing skin tone, eye shape, hair style, outfit and body type to name a few.

Audience

This CSP can be discussed in relation to some general trends in the industry such as the gradual shift away from a heavily male-dominated target audience. Also, the reaction of some reviewers and regulators to The Sims FreePlay is indicative of wider concerns about the potentially negative influences that video games are claimed to exert on players, particularly young players.

Representation

  • Representations are quite idealistic. Promoting the American Dream, idealistic body types and a perfected version of life

Industries

  • The Sims FreePlay was developed by EA Mobile. Released on IOS in 2011
  • The game was later taken over by Firemonkeys Studios

Regulation:

Sims FreePlay is regulated by the BBFC – British Board of Film Classification. This is an independent organisation that regulates all computer games in the UK. It is rated 12 – because the game “may contain themes that are not suitable for younger children, such as the potential for violent fist fights and “woohoo!”.

https://www.newsweek.com/sims-freeplay-banned-china-saudi-arabia-egypt-lgbtq-996699

The computer game was banned in China, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar and Egypt due to the games inclusion of LGBTQ and Non-Binary characters. The EA responded saying that “regional standards” were the reason for this ban. The Sims responded saying “We’ve always been proud that our in-game experiences embrace values as broad and diverse as our incredible Sims community. This has been important to us, as we know it is to you”

Pages: 1 2
Sims

Sims Freeplay

Leave a comment

The Sims FreePlay is a strategiclife simulation game developed by EA Mobile and later with Firemonkeys Studios. It is a freemium version of The Sims for mobile devices; it was released for iOS on December 15, 2011, released for Android on February 15, 2012, released for BlackBerry 10 on July 31, 2013, and released for Windows Phone 8 on September 12, 2013.

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 decision to ban the game due to ”sims” being able to have a homosexual relationship brings the topics of ”the media changing and moulding behaviour”, and further the ideas of authoritarianism and libertarianism. Authoritarianism being the ”Principle of blind submission to authority, as opposed to individual freedom of thought and action.” Libertarianism being ”Libertarians seek to maximize autonomy and political freedom, and minimize the state’s encroachment on and violations of individual liberties; civil and political rights, bodily autonomy, free association, free trade, freedom of expression”. The choice to ban a game due to the freedom of relationship shows the authority of these countries and how the want to dictate their population and what they are exposed too.

Uncategorized

CSP: Sims Freeplay

Leave a comment

The Sims FreePlay is a mobile video game where players create and manage their own virtual characters, known as Sims. You can determine their personality and customise their appearance, including their clothing, hairstyles, and facial features. Players are then tasked to fulfil the needs and desires of their characters by cooking meals, going to work, and building relationships with other Sims. Once you have designed your house, there is a store where you can purchase furniture, appliances, and other items to decorate your home and keep your Sim happy.

The game’s community is an important part of its success. You can visit and interact with other Sims, play against friends in in multiplayer competitions, and compare your scores and achievements.

Released in 2011 and still available on iOS and Android devices, this virtual town and story builder is free to play, but users are able to purchase in-game items with real money to speed up progress or unlock additional features.

Values and Ideology

Instead of poking fun at our obsession with material possessions and home comforts, The Sims FreePlay encourages the player to shop in the home store to buy more and more expensive goods. Progress is measured by the number of floors in your beach house and whether or not you have a stable for your horses.

This focus on consumerism is epitomised by the mall quests. Once you reach level 12, you can choose to start The Sunset Mall Quest and build your own centre “filled to the brim with stores, clothes and activities”. If you complete the various tasks within the time limit, you unlock the Pickle Sauce Burger Bar to enjoy burgers and milkshakes with other Sims. You can then work through the Pretty Little Planters Quest to unlock a second floor with even more ways to waste your Simoleons.

Put simply, the game reinforces a capitalist culture by normalising the desire for wealth and status.

Identity and Representation

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.

Henry Jenkins suggested fandoms are social entities with distinct dimensions. The online forums provide opportunities for Simmers to develop a social community around the game where they can praise the text and protest against aspects of the gameplay. Obviously, the mode of reception for some fans is much more intense than the casual player.

Audience Profile

The 2020 survey from The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) found “video games transcend age, gender and where we live” and that “there’s a game for everyone”. Interestingly, women were more likely to play games on their smartphones with a strong preference in casual games.

The survey also revealed different uses and gratifications. 55% of women in the 18-34 age group said “games help them stay connected with friends and family”. This obviously reinforces the argument audiences consume media to develop their personal relationships or, according to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, their sense of social belonging. Competing against friends in The Sims FreePlay might also improve the player’s self-esteem because they will feel accepted by their social circle.

77% of women surveyed in 35-54 age group said they played games to “help them relax”. For women aged 55-64, games provided “mental stimulation”. These motivations are examples of diversion because they are using the games to escape the stresses and strains of the real world. 

The 2020 survey from The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) found “video games transcend age, gender and where we live” and that “there’s a game for everyone”. Interestingly, women were more likely to play games on their smartphones with a strong preference in casual games.

The survey also revealed different uses and gratifications. 55% of women in the 18-34 age group said “games help them stay connected with friends and family”. This obviously reinforces the argument audiences consume media to develop their personal relationships or, according to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, their sense of social belonging. Competing against friends in The Sims FreePlay might also improve the player’s self-esteem because they will feel accepted by their social circle.

77% of women surveyed in 35-54 age group said they played games to “help them relax”. For women aged 55-64, games provided “mental stimulation”. These motivations are examples of diversion because they are using the games to escape the stresses and strains of the real world. 

Genre

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. This is in contrast to the specific characters in action-adventure games, such as Samus Aran in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes or Aloy in Horizon Forbidden West.

The games offer players realistic and immersive experiences their incredible settings, but their narrative structures are another notable difference. The Sims FreePlay is a life simulation game because it focuses on the he emotional and social needs of the characters which Neale might call the “process of desire”. By contrast, Samus is a bounty hunter who is wants to save the universe from the evil Ing and Aloy hunts for the source of mysterious and deadly plague to restore balance to the world. In terms of Todorov’s narrative theory, the disruptions in these stories are obviously violent.

Finally, according to Thomas Schatz, genre films are a “social force”. Since the two protagonists want to eliminate physical threats to society, we can place Metroid Prime 2: Echoes and Horizon Forbidden West into the genre of order. The outcomes in The Sims FreePlay are often determined by your relationships so the game could be classified into the genre of integration.

Privacy

The developer offers its own warning of “infrequent or mild references to violence, profanity, or crude themes”. EA also draws attention to the “location detection, user generated content, advertisements” in the game which might be inappropriate for younger audiences.

In terms of privacy, the company stores some of your personal information, such as age and gender, and tracks your use of the app. They might even collect data when you access other apps and websites so they can improve their targeted advertising.

Many critics are worried about the potential for personal information to be mishandled or misused. That is why the European Union strengthened the data protection laws in all its member states in 2018 with the introduction of The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The law sets out a number of rights for individuals in relation to their personal data, including the right to be informed about the collection and use of their personal data. The GDPR also requires companies to implement appropriate measures to protect personal data and to report any breaches to the relevant authorities and affected individuals. Companies which fail to comply with the law can face significant fines.

Of course, all participatory media come with real world risks, especially for young and vulnerable children who may not realise the importance of keeping their personal information private.

Censorship

EA made the game unavailable in some countries in 2018 because of “regional standards”. Many users were quick to suggest the ban was implemented because of the possibility of establishing same-sex relationships in the virtual world. If you want to play the game in places such as China, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, you need to use a VPN and change your location.

Key Theorists

Thomas Schatz-page 3

Todorov’s narrative theory,

Steve Neale-page 4

hierarchy of needs-page 6

uses and gratifications

Henry Jenkins+Jeremy Tunstall-page 5

David Gauntlett-page 7

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5