Video game industry revision

 The video game industry - The assassin’s creed franchise - Component one section B - industry (facts) and audience (theory)

Audience theories

• Pick and mix/theories around identity (Gauntlet) - audiences audiences construct identity through engaging with media products 
• Reception theory (Hall) - how an audience decodes the meanings and messages of a media product. Producers can encode meanings, and provide anchorage to audiences
• Cultivation theory (Gerbner) - when an ideology is repeated, it can gradually influence the ideology of an audience
• Effects model (Bandura) - media has a direct effect on us. This may be true for the very young, but also vulnerable adults 
• Fandom (Jenkins) - fans interact with media product in complex ways, eg the Pony’ds Creed: Sisterhood MLP/AC mashup
• End of audience (Clay shirky). The audience is now the producer!There are opportunities for audiences to make games with software packages, engage with products in a variety of different ways, etc. Producers now adopt a publish first and filter later response. Producers rely on uaudiences to playtest games, frwuently releasing games unfinished, and updating later on using patches and other updates. This is only possible through digital technology.
• Henry Jenkins - Fandom. Fans do whatever they want with a media product, and enjoy the product beyond it’s intended uses
• Cultivation theory (gerbner) - ideologies are reinforced through repeat exposure, eg violence is sometimes acceptable 
• Media effects model/hypodermic needle model (Bandura) - media has a direct affect on the ways in which we behave 
• Reception theory - (Hall) - audiences reice and interpret media products in different ways, although the producer will anchor the preferred reading
• Clay Shirky - end of audience. The audience is now the producer! Eg fan films. Also, publish then filter

Facts and context

• A triple A (AAA) game
• High quality and realistic graphics 
• Produced and distributed by Ubisoft
• A French, conglomerate, multinational, horizontally integrated and vertically integrated, billionaire owned organisation
• Available on 15 platforms: multi platform release 
• $4 billion total revenue… massive!
• Approx. 30 games… extensive franchise to minimise risk and maximise profit 
• First game not a critical success, but developed a cult following 
• A number of studios around the world (Toronto, Lyons, South Africa, Valencia…)
• AC first released 2007
• Ubisoft specialise in AAA games… but also casual games such as Just Dance and Monopoly
• Ubisoft have diversified into film production, and an AC was released
• Ubisoft: typical AAA studio with a range of specialised workers, from concept artists to programmers
• Typically digitally distributed, through platforms such as Steam, Epic, GOG, Estore, PlayStation store, or physically distributed
• Original grossed more than 50 million… but subsequent games have done far better!
• Franchise developed and published by Ubisoft, a vertically and horizontally integrated multinational conglomerate 
• Video Games in the UK are regulated by the BBFC… sometimes! And other times by PEGI, a European regulator. However, online platforms such as Steam circumvent these regulation… The regulation of video game sin the UK is HIGHLY ineffective!
• Some entries such as Valhalla have played with the genre, and have not been appreciated by fans as a result 
• Ubisoft is a major corporation specialising in producing AAA games 
• The AC franchise is known for its high production, including high fidelity graphics, a clear and complex narrative, many features and gameplay modes, including history modes, extremely high budget marketing, multiple languages, multi platform releases, and the high render/draw distance 
• French conglomerate, with studios in the US, Canada, South Africa, Valencia… and so on!
• Established pre-sold audience, 30ish games released
• Ubisoft established a film studio, an example of diversification, and minimising risk and maximising profit

Which AC games should I actually talk about?

• AC: Unity 
• AC: Valhalla
• AC: Mirage
• AC: Odyssey

Industry 

(b) Briefly explain the function of the BBFC in the video game industry. [2]

• The BBFC regulate some game games in the united Kingdom in the same way they regulate films: an age certificate is awarded. However, there is no consistent reason for why some games are BBFC rated and some games a PEGI rated 

(c) Explain the role of regulation in the global distribution of video games. Refer to the AC franchise to support your points. [9]

• Videogames are primarily distributed through digital platforms, and physically for example through game discs. Age restrictions and other forms of regulation can halt or make distribution more difficult for distributors. Publishers, producers and distributors of videogames will routinely circumvent regulations in order to minimise risk and maximise profit.
• AC Mirage contains much content ensuring a PEGI 18 rating. The realistic violence and imitable behaviour require regulation to protect vulnerable audiences from harm and offence. However, the violence in this is not particularly explicit, and resembles fantasy violence. This form of violence ensures that game is not banned, as happened to Manhunt 2, and demonstrates a form of self-regulation, in order to make the game palatable to a wider audience. 
• In the accessibility menu, there is an option for the player to switch off blood, putting the emphasis of regulation on the player themselves
• Videogames are primarily distributed through digital platforms, including, Steam, PlayStation Store and the Nintendo E shop. These services are poorly regulated, and place the responsibility on the consumer, primarily through ticking a consent box
• Ubisoft have their own online store with similarly lax regulations
• Different countries have different approaches to game regulation. The Amercia ESRB and the Japanese CERO have different standards of regulation. However, different versions of games are released in different territories to appeal to multinational audiences 
• Steam’s complete lack of consistent regulation

3d) Explain how economic contexts shape AAA video game production. Refer to the AC franchise to support your points. [15]

• Following fan reaction to Valhalla, Ubisoft made a more traditional and conservative AC game with Mirage to appeal to a core and cult audience
• Mirage, Valhalla, and Unity came of on previous consoles as well as current generation consoles, maximising revenue 
• Very high budgets, typical of conglomerate ownership lead to high production values. The graphics have a high level of fidelity, the sound effects and soundtrack is particularly high quality (adaptive soundtrack), cut scenes with mocaping actors and high quality voice work, fully voiced with many voice actors, a selection of different languages, and a high draw distance.
• AC: Mirage uses elements from earlier AC Games, a risk averse strategy to minimise risk and maximise profit. Lacks creativity or artistry
• Required a team of specialist staff, including programmers, designers, artists, testers, producers, marketers, actors, voice actors and so on, evidence of a specialised industry
• A hybrid genre. Franchise combines action, stealth, historical, sci-fi, RPG, and open world. By combining many genre, a wider audience can be targeted
• Ubisoft can be criticised for a number of reasons. For example, a number of staff have abused their power and have sexually assaulted other members of staff. Periods of crunch and overwork are commonplace in the industry, and Ubisoft’s games have been criticised for their similarity. Huge layoffs across the industry indicate a specialised industry solely motivated by power and theory (Curran and Seaton)
• Games are often released buggy and unfinished, and then patched later. This process is typically avoidable to larger studio

Audience

(b) Explain how media producers attract audiences. Refer to the Assassin’s Creed franchise to support your points. [12]

• Reception theory - producers anchor audience responses in order to ensure the preferred reading
• Cultivation - repeating the same game over and over 
• Fandom and end of audience 
• Uses the same generic conventions over and over. Historical setting, sci fi premise, stealth, parkour and open world 
• Aesthetic conventions: a scary person staring at the camera in a hood on the cover
• A cult and active audience has been formed over years, fans who are happy to produce films such as Pony’s Creed, Assassin’s Kittens, and AC themed parkour
• A range of options, including language settings, educational gameplay modes, and an option to switch off blood effects 
• Valhalla trailer features intertextual reference to Viking narratives, the God Of War franchise and the game of thrones TV show
• All the games have a well defined, if confusing narrative

4. (a) Explain how video games target audiences. Refer to the Assassin’s Creed franchise to support your points. [8]

• Different language settings target multinational audiences 
• Range of accessibility settings, including colour blind modes, violence sliders, and subtitle options 
• Genre - high genre hybridity, combining, stealth, action, sci-fi, open world, historical 
• Diverse protagonists. Option to select gender in Valhalla, and AC III liberation features a black female protagonist 
• Innovative gaming features: game mechanics, stealth
• High production values 
• Gauntlet constructing identity, Hall, producers anchor preferred reading 
• Violence
• Escapism 
• Parkour 
• Fan videos