Institutions and Audiences

Some terminology

There are a number of institutions working together in the videogames industry and we may not realise the work that goes into the game on the shelf.

Platform Holders

Platform holders manufacture the hardware on which videogames run. The three main companies at present are Sony who manufacture the PlayStation series, Microsoft who produce the Xbox series, and Nintendo who produce the Wii, GameCube, Game Boy and Nintendo DS.

Developers

The teams that create the videogames (the software that runs on consoles, PCs and handhelds).

Developers may be ‘first party’ (directly owned by a platform holder),

‘second party’ where there is some platform holder support or funding, or

‘third party’ who are unaffiliated with the platform holder.

Publishers

Publishers provide money and support for the development teams who create videogames.

Ubisoft and SCI (incorporating Eidos) in the UK, as well as Sony Computer Entertainment, Microsoft, Nintendo and Electronic Arts are among the larger videogame publishers.

Distributors and Retailers

The role of the distributor is to get videogames to retailers in order to sell to consumers. As the majority of videogames are currently distributed in physical form (ie on CD, DVD or cartridge), this means getting game boxes onto retailers’ shelves or to warehouses.

However, recent moves within the industry have pointed to the increased use of digital distribution with extra levels or even whole games being downloadable. (DLC = Downloadable Content)

Think of any game you might have played

Find out the following and post it as a Blogpost if you’ve set it up, otherwise paper is fine.

Game title: (Include an image of the coverart)

Available on what platform holders:

Developer:

Publisher:

How much did it cost to make?

How is it distributed – physical? Digital? Where could you get it from? Price?

Crazy Taxi

Game title: Crazy Taxi

Available on what platform holders: Originally in arcades, then ported to Dreamcast (2000), then PS2, Gamecube, Windows PCs then Xbox Live Arcade in 2010

Developer: Hitmaker, then Sega Studios developed the PS3 and Xbox 360 ports

Publisher: Sega

How much did it cost to make?

How is it distributed – physical? Digital? Where could you get it from? Price? CD/DVD Roms, Digital download, cloud computing – Available in shops, online retail, Xbox Live Marketplace for XBLA game

For homework/if you finish this exercise, then try and find out about the institutions behind Grand Theft Auto 4

Find out the following and post it as a Blogpost if you’ve set it up, otherwise paper is fine.

Game title: (Include an image of the coverart)

Available on what platform holders:

Developer:

Publisher:

How much did it cost to make?

How is it distributed – physical? Digital? Where could you get it from? Price?

Convergence

Media institutions in the 21st century produce and distribute their products across several media platforms: e.g. The Guardian has a paper edition, an online edition, podcasts and an iPhone / Android app.

In regards to our industry, the three main platform holders Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony are examples of convergence

Convergence Another example would be Warner Brothers making Harry Potter

the film and then releasing Harry Potter the video game.

When this happens it is called cross-media convergence.

With video-game convergence, it has become part of the synergy of marketing for many children’s films that a tie-in game is released in the run up to the cinema release – compared to many other games they are usually rushed and use the IP (Intellectual Property) of the film and combine it with an existing game engine.

Synergy: Using more than section of the media to aid the promotion and sale of a product

There are few critically acclaimed movie tie-in games. The classic examples many gamers my age mention is Goldeneye on the N64 – However, this came out two years after the Bond film! It shows that sometimes it is good to wait!

Sometimes it can happen the other way round: Films that are adapted from videogames – to varied success!

Technological Convergence

When technologies come together to perform more than one function e.g:a mobile phone taking photos and videos

Internet TV

In the early 90s, when I was recalling my NES and SNES adventures last lesson, they could only do 1 function – Can you note down all the functions that the most recent computer consoles can do?

Why audiences are important

Shops and businesses are accountable to their customers – if they don’t give them what they want, they won’t buy products and make any money

Audiences are exactly the same – they control the flow of money

Audiences have changed over time, and tracing this change helps us to understand why a modern-day audience is important

How do you think audiences have changed?1980s Audience 2012 Audience