The sims freeplay is a free game developed on mobile devices. It can be downloaded from app stores and is compatible with iOS (Apple) and Android. It is an example of the genre of stategic life simulation games and is one of a series of sims games. The sims freeplay was first made available on iOS in 2011 and all other operating systems by 2013.

Publisher / ownership: EA (Electronic Arts) Maxis is an American video game developer and a division of Electronic Arts (EA). The studio was founded in 1987 by Will Wright and Jeff Braun, and acquired by EA in 1997. Maxis is best known for its simulation games, including The Sims, Spore and SimCity.

The game has seen 200 million downloads since 2011 – remarkable success.

Target audience

• The Sims franchise has demonstrated there is a strong and lucrative market in female gamers.
• Main target age 10 – 40. However the recommended age for the game is for players aged 12 and over.  The app gets its rating due to fantasy violence, partial nudity, sexual/suggestive content, and crude humour.
• 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.
• It was found that women were more likely to play games on their smartphones with a strong preference in casual games.

• 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

What elements of gameplay are shown?

• Character customisation – a range of races and ethnicities
• House decorating
• Playing with pets (furry friends)
• Finding true love and getting married
• Having children
• Dancing
• Sim Town
• Volcano
• Creative possibilities- painting, guitar, etc.

social media accounts where you can see new updates or information on the sims freeplay:

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

Media industries

The sims freeplay was developed by EA mobile and firemonkeys studios.  Firemonkeys is an EA Studio focused on bringing the greatest, most innovative entertainment experiences to mobile game players, Its an Australian video game developer. Electronic arts maximise profit by commodifying their products. Its is free to download but includes the possibility of in – app purchases. It is regualary updated offering players new content and the opportunity to interact with events and enter competitions.

Theories

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 basic version of The Sims Freeplay is available to download for free and there are standard items and hobbies which can be unlocked as you progress through the game. in 2021-2 fiscal year, the company received $3.91 billion in revenue from extra content sales.

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.

Regulation

Computer games in the UK are rated and regulated by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC). They classify games according to age groups, taking account of a number of factors, including the game’s themes, language, violence, and content. The Sims FreePlay is rated 12 because it “may contain themes that are not suitable for younger children, such as the potential for violent fist fights and “woohoo”.

These content descriptors are designed to help consumers make informed choices about the games. This is particularly important for parents who want to ensure the well-being of their children. It is illegal to sell or rent a video game to someone who is below the age rating on the game.

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.

Background of The Voice:

• What: It is a British national African-Caribbean newspaper operating in the UK.
• Who founded it: Val McCalla (until 2002), Taken over by Jamaican Gleaner Company is 2004. Publisher = GV Media Group Limited.
• When was it founded: 30th August 1982 based in London.
• Target Audience: The circulation of the paper peaked at 55,000 in the early 1990s with young women being a substantial majority of its weekly buyers.
• Available: In a paper version by subscription and online and turned monthly in 2019.
• Genres included: News / Sport / Lifestyle / Entertainment / Competitions / Opinion / Faith / Black British Voices / Video / Publications / Jobs and Galleries.

Statistics:

Theorists:

• Jurgen Habermas:
• David Hesmondhalgh believed companies involved in cultural industries were motivated by profit rather than a duty to public service broadcasting.
• Clay Shirky’s “Newspapers and Thinking he Unthinkable”  is a great summary of the threat the newspaper industry faced from online competition, but you probably already know Teen Vogue is no longer available as a glossy magazine and Oh Comely sold its last copy in 2021. Inevitably, The Voice moved from weekly to monthly editions.

Exam Question:

• Media producers must respond to changing social and cultural contexts to maintain audiences – (25 marks) – The Voice and Teen Vogue
• Media products are shaped by the economic and political contexts in which they are created. (25 marks) – The Voice and Teen Vogue)

The Voice, founded in 1982, 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.

owned by the GV media group limited

Lester Holloway edits the voice and has always had an interest in the political side of life.

The voice started as a print newspaper but with the rising number of people using social media and the internet the executive decision to move it online was made.

Regular columns in the newspaper include Faith, News, Campaigns, Sport, Black British Voices. In addition there are special supplements such as:

• Black Business Guide – an annual publication highlighting and showcasing small black business owners and their trades.
• Apprenticeships – each year, a supplement highlighting apprenticeships across the UK is published alongside the newspaper. The supplement includes features from key figures in business and apprenticeships.
• Carnival – every August, The Voice publishes a Carnival supplement to coincide with the Notting Hill Carnival.
• Bound volumes of the periodical from 1982 to 1999 are held in the Black Cultural Archives.
•  The Voice also features in the British Library collection of Black Britain publications.

Media industry

David Hesmondhalgh argues that major cultural organisations create products for different industries in order to maximise chances of commercial success. Which suggests why the voice was made.

Margret Thatcher was the uk prime minister in 1979-1990 and evoked racist laws against the black community in attempts to get them out of Britain. The voice was created in 1982 for the black community to speak freely against what Margret Thatcher wanted.

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

Media Representation

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

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.

Structure

The voice follows the same structure per post

The Voice, founded in 1982, 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.

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.

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.

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.

postcolonialism – Paul Gilroy

It is worth mentioning Margaret Thatcher’s concern in 1978 that the UK “might be rather swamped by people of a different culture”.⁵ Then, in 1981, the Metropolitan Police began “Operation Swamp”, using stop and search powers to arrest members of the public who had not even committed a crime. Of course, a disproportionate number of people from the African-Caribbean community were taken into custody, prompting accusations that the police were motivated by racism

Stuart Hall – Stereotypes

Audience

In We The Media, Dan Gillmor (2004) explored the changes in the news industry. He argued grassroots journalists were a serious threat to the monopolies enjoyed by big media conglomerates. The “official” news organisations are no longer writing the “first draft of history” because “the audience is learning how to get a better, timelier report”.

This sort of citizen journalism is a good example of Clay Shirky’s concept of mass amateurisation.

The Voice will struggle to be heard by an audience who prefer the quick and easy comment culture of social media rather than long-form journalism.

 Clay Shirky’s concept of mass amateurisation:

New digital technologies and social media has made connecting and collaborating incredibly easy. We want to like, follow, tweet, repost, cross-post, comment, review and subscribe. When we create our own content on our smartphones and share our thoughts with the world, the difference between producer and consumer becomes increasingly difficult to define. It is the end of audience.