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| Assassin's Creed III - Liberation features a black, female playable character. This representation is rare in mainstream videogames, and could be considered an example of Ubisoft attempting to target new audiences. |
- A repetitive and 'samey' franchise, with the repetition of generic elements: white background, faded mise-en-scene, and a hooded protagonist
- Iconography of the main, usually male protagonist in a hood, directly facing the audience
- The gameplay - stealth based action game. The trailer indicates no major changes. Steve Neal - repetition and difference
- This time, protagonist is a black, female pirate, allowing audiences the preferred reading of being excited by the upcoming game
- An anti slavery narrative, based around the idea of liberating black slaves. Intertextual references to Django Unchained and 12 Years A Slave.
- Django reference: Aveline kills white slavers and delivers one liners. Shots of slavers whipping black slave
- Also an intertextual reference to the then extremely popular Pirates Of The Caribbean series, and a reference to the earlier Assassin's Creed: Black Flag a popular game in the series
- Conventions of action films, and a strong, film like narrative that will appeal to mass audiences
- Released for a variety of platforms, both console, handheld and computer, on Vita, PS3, X360 and Steam
- Re-release: allows the producer to make a new release using pre-existing assets (graphics, voice acting, soundtrack etc)
- Niche audience - pre-existing Assassin's Creed fans, perhaps obsessive
- "All new missions" - allows super fans who have bought the previous game to have an incentive to buy this one
- The protagonist's whip is unique selling point, and an intertextual reference to the Indiana Jones and Castlevania franchise. Additionally the whip functions as a symbolic code, demonstrating black female reappropriation of a symbol of white supremacy and racist violence
- Black, female protagonist subverts the expectation that the target audience for videogames is young straight white men
- New missions, new features: targets pre-existing fans
- Common industry practice to re release games to more popular consoles
- Tackles big, ideological issues about race, slavery and colonialism. A touchy subject potentially, but pushes boundaries and increases word of mouth sales
- High quality animation, graphics and locations, and soundtrack! Very high production values.
- A spin-off from the main series.
- Developed by Ubisoft Montreal, who have experience in creating successful Assassin's creed games.
- Multi platform release minimises risk, though lacks exclusivity.
- Trailer shares conventions of high budget Hollywood film. Extra diegetic voice over/narration. Lots of action/ proairetic codes, and high quality orchestral soundtrack, which suggests high production values and high quality
U and Q block second year media provided the suggestions for this potential industry question.