29/2/24- Video games

 Assassins Creed franchise

 GTA 6 Trailer

Grand Theft Auto Six: How does the teaser trailer to this game seek to minimise risk and maximise profit?

David Hesmondhalgh: the cultural industries 

GTA series, Rockstar games 

• Pre-sold audience of dedicated fans 
• Protagonist is a woman, helps target a wider audience 
• Floridian setting, with mise-en-scene of mud, crocodiles, broken down houses and neon lights 
• High quality , realistic graphics (high production values)

Engine: software used to make games 

• In house engine used to maximise game potential
• A clear storyline 
• A range of representations and lifestyles helps audiences identify with the game 
• Links to social media, helps the game to resonate with younger audiences
• Cool 80s style , neon mise-en-scene    

Testing(production)- 

It is hard for developers to asses their own games. 

When people test games, they are looking for bugs. 

Alpha and Beta versions are the versions that are tested to look for bugs. 

Open Beta- people who sign up play an unfinished version of the video games and give feedback of bugs etc

This is a way of exploiting the audience as they are doing a testers work for free. 

Patching and Maintenance (post-production)-

Sometimes the game has a Day 1 Patch straight after release e.g. Cyberpunk 2077- the reason they do this is for money.

All of these help studios to make as much money as possible and is convergence. 

Marketing and Promotion- 

Electronics Entertainment Expo- things like this are done to create hype around a game/franchise 

Assassins Creed: Valhalla 

Possible Questions- 

-How does this product attract and maintain it audience both locally and globally? What marketing and promotion does it use to do this?

-How did the specific process of production, distribution and circulation shape this media product?

- How has digital convergence affected how the media product is distributed, produced and its circulated?

How does the trailer to Assassins Creed: Valhalla target both mainstream and niche audiences?

-Graphics are a particularly high quality, with extremely high production values. Effects such as blood splatter, water effect, fire effects and especially hair. However, the footage from the trailer is not 'in game footage', but instead is a cinematic or cut scene. This allows the producer to show off the highest quality aspects of this game.

-Trailer looks like a movie rather than a game, that helps the advert to appeal to a wider audience who may not be familiar with video games.  

-Camera angles, editing and mise-en-scene all suggest high production values typical of AAA studios. 

-Trailer uses conventions of action films and historical epics, and specifically resembles shows and films like Vikings and Game of Thrones (intertextual reference)

-A clear and well defined narrative with antagonists, protagonist and binary oppositions.  

-References to social media and other videos at the end (digital convergence) 

How significant are economic factors in the game industry?

Economic factors refers to the financial status of an industry. All media industries exist to make money, and to minimise risk while maximising profit. In this essay I shall argue that economic factors are significant in the Assassins Creed franchise. The Assassins Creed franchise is a series of AAA action video games developed by Ubisoft and appealing to a wide audience.