Steve Neale – similarities and differences/predictability and innovation

Levels of verisimilitude – to what extent real world is referenced in products.

Narrative similarities – identification of defined story structures or formulaic narrative devices.

Character driven motifs – lead characters might have defined attributes or narrative arcs.

Iconography – mise en scene expectations + camera or editing styles

Audience targeting – genres crafted to appeal to audiences.

Repetition and audience pleasure – audiences are appealed to with the use of repeated motifs, themes, or stylistic devices.

Genre subversion – all genres are subject to evolve or change common expectations based on audience needs, contextual influences or economic influences.

Genre hybridity – A combination or intertwining of several genres.

Auteur effects – The input and influence specific individuals have on media products.

NEA Adverts Similarities and Differences

Similarities – Links to websites and social media accounts, Where/when to play/watch/listen, logos of companies involved, age ratings, non-photorealistic images for video games.

Differences – Enigma codes used to keep focus less on the people present in pictures but instead what is in front of them (sky, drum kit, punchbag).

I have chosen the brief of a gaming magazine and print advertisements because I enjoy playing a variety of different video games (multiplayer games, story games etc) in my spare time and therefore have a good knowledge around the industry and technology involved and what people similar to myself would be interested in reading.  Additionally, from previous NEA experience, I am familiar with the elements required for a magazine.

For some of my images, I will obscure things like faces so that I can build enigma codes (Roland Barthes). This creates intrigue for readers, who would then want to purchase what they see depicted in the magazine or adverts. The heavy use of fiction in the products creates an opportunity of audience escapism, as suggested by the Uses and Gratifications theory. Another way I can connect to this theory is by including direct address in the language of the magazine’s cover lines. Using a third person perspective on images on the cover and adverts could signify that the people present on those specific images are the heroes of the narratives, as stated by Propp. In terms of psychographic profiling, my products will likely appeal mostly to seekers, who are always looking forward to what’s next and are focused on excitement towards something (that ‘thing’ being the likes of new video games, social events and films).

My target audience will be primarily teenage boys aged 16-18, since they are the main demographic for video games. There will not be a specific level of education required for readers, since gaming is generally an activity for a large variety of people. My products will be easy to engage with, with large image, text with a simplistic design and informal language to appeal to my target audience, who wouldn’t want an overcomplicated product. I will also blend in other subjects that readers would be interested in, such as sports and films, and connect them with video games in order to maximise audiences.

My intention is to use props such as game controllers on the magazine cover in order to reinforce the genre. Because the majority of video games aren’t entirely photo-realistic, I intend to edit some of my images to appear more similar to those of screenshots from in-game to denote that the magazine follows the topic of video games less than it does the real world. Additionally, I will refer to ‘maps’ from multiplayer games on one of my coverlines so that the focus of the magazine is connoted through game-related jargon.

I will include frequent references to online material that is connected to the products, in order to establish convergence between print and digital media, since this is an ever growing market that is actually surpassing print methods in popularity.  This will include websites and social media accounts for the magazine and advertisement, as expected from traditional versions of similar products. This can also be applied to the Uses and Gratifications theory, as digital synergy allows for active readers to engage in social interaction.

The Sims FreePlay was developed by EA Mobile and Firemonkeys Studios. It has a PEGI rating of 12, due to themes that may be unsuitable for younger children.

EA Mobile is based in America, whereas Firemonkeys Studios is an Australian developer, making the game a global product.

The game is a single player mobile strategic life simulation focusing on emotional and social needs of characters, as opposed to having a specific narrative story.

The game was released on various different platforms over different time periods. It’s iOS release was on December 15 2011, Android on February 15 2012, Blackberry on July 31 2013 and Windows Phone on September 12 2013. It is still updated to this day, although Windows Phone support ended in 2017.

Horizon Forbidden West was developed by Guerrilla Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It received a PEGI audience rating of 16.

Guerrilla Games, part of PlayStation Studios, is based in Amsterdam, which is where their games are developed, including Horizon Forbidden West.

The game is a single player action RPG, with a post apocalyptic narrative in which the audience play as Aloy, who battles a robot swarm in order to investigate a dangerous plague. It is a third person game, as opposed to using a POV perspective like an FPS would. It is also the sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn, a 2017 PS4 Game.

The game launched for PS4 and PS5 on February 18th 2022, and released on PC on 21st March 2024.

A way that Bandura’s theory is reinforced by gaming addiction is the fact that developers hire psychologists in order to find ways to convince players to continue spending more and more time and money on their games. Also, gaming addicts are said to suffer behaviourally, perhaps because they have begun mimicking the games they have interacted with.

Jenkins’ theory may be countered by the idea of gaming addiction, since it may be argued players cannot challenge what they consume, and instead consistently play and play until they become miserable.

Shirky’s theory, however, may be supported by the fact that recovering gaming addicts can interact through the internet in order to support each other.

Livingstone and Lunt’s theory states that regulation (the setting of rules) of media products is becoming increasingly difficult to do. Those in charge of regulating the media (PEGI, BBFC etc) have to work not only in the best interest of the general public (by ensuring safety and protection from harmful media) but also in the best interest of consumers (ensuring choice, value for money etc). Difficulties are caused by two main factors – the powerful status of corporations releasing products and technology constantly growing.

In the UK, the Video Standards Council issue PEGI (Pan-European Game Information) ratings for video games. Games are assigned one of 5 ratings; 3, 7, 12, 16 or 18. Physical copies of the games cannot be sold to anyone under this age, as the ratings are legally enforceable. However, with the decline in physical media sales and rise of technology, it has never been easier for children to access games not appropriate for their age group, as all they need to do is go onto a digital retailer (e.g. PlayStation or Xbox Store) on their consoles and buy the game from there, without needing to provide any form of ID.

Case Study – https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2516427/Sandy-Hook-shooter-Adam-Lanza-83k-online-kills-massacre.html

Concern – We can see concern in the headline, where it emphasises the number of kills that Lanza got, and refers to the games he played as “violent” and that they were a method of “training” for his murders.

Hostility – When using a picture of Lanza, The Daily Mail comments on his weight and how he was not on medication at the time. They accompany this with an image of three FPS games claimed to be in his possession, further driving the idea that video games were semi responsible for the killings.

Consensus – The agreement that the newspaper comes to is that Lanza’s mum allowing him to play “violent” video games such as Call of Duty factored into him becoming a killer.

Disproportion – The statistics used here are intended to shock readers, due to the seemingly high amount of time spent and kills achieved on ‘Combat Arms’. However, it may be argued that E-Sports competitors would spend similar amounts of time on video games, and that doesn’t instantly determine that they too will go out and murder people.

Volatility – The comments on the article seem to suggest that at the time, the press was commonly trying to link violent video games to the behaviour of murderers, which audiences challenged.