How does the Assassin’s Creed series attract and maintain its audiences both locally and globally?
- Ease of gameplay mechanics, which is explained through a series of tutorials
- High production values targets a global audience through it’s perception of quality, and a reputation of excellence
- Resembles a blockbuster film, with professional voice actors, a complicated storyline and large set scenes
- A repetition of previously successful elements attracts oolong time fans
- Parisian setting is extremely historically accurate, and provides appeal to French
- Highly interactive, with opportunities for audience choice
- Use of English language and regional accents creatures an easy to understand narrative for a wider, english speaking audience
- Game set in 17th century Paris appeals to and attracts a local and global audience
- Characters speak in English (in default settings) in English accents to attract a global audiences
- Option to change the language to a variety of options, and a variety of subtitles
- Use of high quality graphics presents a AAA experience that will appeal to fans around the world
- Huge mess of genre hybridity (sci fi, action, open world, RPG, combat, simulation, climbing/platform…) allows game to appeal to huge range of audiences
- RPG - role playing game
- Appeals to local audiences (Parisians) as the architecture is extremely historically accurate (Notre Dame cathedral rebuilt from data from this game)
- MES of high quality graphics
How have specialised production processes shaped the Assassin’s Creed franchise?
- The game features realistic performances made possible using motion capture technology
- Use of voice acting
- Public concept art, released to the publ;ic, and included throughout the game
- The detailed graphics are only made possible through specialist animators
- Available on multiple platforms
- High quality realtime graphics, including realtime lighting requires specialists
- (Baked iun li8ghting! Not actually realtime! Prerendered! But still stuff to do!)
- An event planner is needed to construct and keep track of the complicated narrative
- Specialised - good at one thing in particular
- Interactivity: audience has the opportunity to choose their own adventure
- Highly detailed map with a high draw distance
- Realtime lighting requires a highly specialised programmer to design
- Research, costume design and in-house historians
- Concept art
How has digital convergence affected the distribution of media products? Make reference to the Assassin’s Creed franchise to support your answer
- Digital convergence refers to how digital technology merges industries together
- Game distributed through digitally convergent online storefronts
- In game downloadable content/dlc/mission packs
- Updates an patches
- Advertising, on YouTube, Tiktok, and other social media platforms
- Digital convergence - how digital technology has allowed other forms of technology to come together
- Game can be downloaded off of online distribution services
- Game can be advertised using digitally convergent tech such as YouTube videos
- Game was developed using the Ubisoft Anvil engine, an in house engine for creating video games, which allows Ubisoft greater flexibility in producing and distributing games
- Custom, bespoke software creates a higher quality of product
- Games are distributed on digitally convergent platforms like Xbox series, which allows audiences the opportunity to experience game in a variety of ways
What is a conglomerate?
A company that produces and distributes a range of products. Conglomerates become conglomerates by conglomerating, or buying out smaller companies to maximise profit and to minimise competition. Therefore, conglomeration is a process of power.
How is Ubisoft an example of conglomerate ownership?
- Company expanded into the computer industry early on, selling computer parts through the post
- Own a range of other companies including Blue Mammoth, Red Strom Entertainment etc
- World wide studies, including studios in Shanghai, Montreal, and Milan, demonstrating a global outlook
- At the end of 2020, company moved focus away from AAA games to focus on smaller games, perhaps to target a wider audience
- Ubisoft Film and television (diversification!)
- The videogame industry has shifted dramatically, and many o0f the biggest and most profitable games are NOT graphics intensive, and include a high level of user creation
- Many subsidiaries in many different countries. Eg Ubisoft Stockholm, Malaga, Montreal, Berlin etc
- Invested in by Tencent an absolutely enormous corporation
- Attempted takeover?
- Mobile phone act production!
- Extremely high revenues
- Have bought out a range of smaller companies
- Ubisoft motion pictures (diversification)
- Public stock exchange