Red Dead RedemptionProduction

GlossaryParent Company - A company that controls subsidiaries through its ownership of voting stock, as well as runs its own business.Subsidiary - Controlled by a holding or parent companyVertical Integration - The combination in one company of two or more stages of production normally operated by separate companiesHorizontal Integration - Production of different varieties of the same product, or different products at the same level of processing, within a single firm.Publisher - A person or company that prepares and issues books, journals, music, or other works for saleGame Developer - A person who develops games.Distributor - An agent who supplies goods to stores and other businesses that sell to consumersSoftware Developer - A software developer is a person or organization concerned with facets of the software development processTransnational - A large company operating internationally; a multinationalGlobalisation - growth to a global or worldwide scaleExclusivity - This refers to an advertiser requesting that their ad not be shown in rotation. This normally results in a higher fee for the publisher, as it reduces the number of ads they could otherwise show.Synergy - The interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effectsPartnership - A business or firm owned and run by two or more partnersProprietary software - Computer programs which are the legal property of one party, the use of which is made available to a second or more parties, usually under contract or licensing agreement.

Open Source software - is computer software that is available for use that is free of copyright reservations. This means that users of the software can study, change, improve and at times also distribute the software.Technical Convergence - Technological convergence is the tendency for different technological systems to evolve towards performing similar taskCloud computing - Cloud computing refers to the provision of computer resources (primarily software) on demand via a computer network. Its principal is, in effect, no different to the supply of gas or electricity – the digital content is streamed down the internet to the users computer ready for immediate use.Gaming-on-demand - Gaming on demand is a game service which will take advantage of a broadband connection, large servers and digital encryption and compression to stream game content directly to a subscriber. Game content isn't stored on the user's machine and game code execution occurs primarily at the server so a less powerful computer can be used than the game would normally require.OnLive - is a cloud computing, gaming-on-demand medium: the games are synchronized, rendered, and stored on remote servers and delivered via the Internet. Onlive itself is not a platform. The games offered run off of Onlive servers (mostly installed with Windows). The Onlive service allows game content to be passed along the internet to end users running the Onlive game system.

Factfile Made by Rockstar Games Rockstar Games are the Subsidiary of Take-

Two Interactive This means that Take –Two is the parent

company as it owns Rockstar. Who is Rockstar? Rockstar Games is a Publishing company that

publishes games such as Grand Theft Auto, Midnight Club and Red Dead Redemption.

Who runs Rockstar? The Rockstar Games label started in New

York in 1998 by the English video game producers Sam Houser, Dan Houser, Terry Donovan, Jamie King and Gary Foreman.

RockstarWere the various Rockstar Studios something else beforethey became Rockstar studios? Some studies have been renamed and taken over by its

parent company, Take-Two Interactive. This is to mix the two companies together although some studies have kept their Brand so that they can become part of the companies ‘2k Games division’.

Rockstar San Diego – Angel StudiosRockstar Vancouver – Barking Dog Studios

Rockstar Vienna – Neo Software

PublisherRockstar Games

DeveloperRockstar San Diego

DistributorDitan Distribution

For Red Dead Redemption

Vertical/Horizontel OwnershipParent Company

Take-Two Interactive

PublisherRockstar Games

Game DeveloperRockstar San Diego

DistributorTitan Distribution

The parent company, Take-Two Interactive Owns the Publishing

company Rockstar. This is vertical

integration as it is owning or controlling

production at different levels.

Rockstar is controlling the production at two stages of the production, the publishing and the game developing as it is the same company at both levels. This is vertical integration.

Parent CompanyTake-Two Interactive

PublisherRockstar Games

Game DeveloperRockstar San Diego

DistributorTitan Distribution

Software developerNatural Motion

Different companies are working together on the same level of production as a partnership; nobody owns Natural Motion.This is horizontal integration.

How is a game actually made? Rockstar Advanced Game Engine (RAGE)

Made by RAGE Technology Group at Rockstar San Diego.

Euphoria character animation engine at Natural Motion

Open Source bullet physics engine

Create the ‘game world’ using Euphoria, an example of cross-media convergence.

What processes and people are involved in this long and complex

process? DevelopmentTrailer of the game was sent to Sony which also promoted the new Play Station 3 as it had yet to be released. Marketing and ReleaseAllowed people to ‘pre-order’ the game and gave them a vote on what outfit the main character could unlock

straight away, which instantly provided new content to the game depending on the outfit they chose. Exclusive additional things such as new gang buildings were available if you bought it on PS3. Downloadable content that expanded the game with new missions and guns.

What gaming platforms is Red Dead Redemption available on? Why do you think it is these consoles and not others?

I think the game is only available on PS3 and XBOX 360 as it is probably a game that requires good

graphics and a high standard of game play, a system that is fast and can deal with a big

sandbox game. As the game is 3D is probably takes up a lot of space and needs to have a good

console to support it. I also think it could be because it means the company can charge more for the game as generally, games for these types

of consoles are more expensive as they are newer. Also, people will want to buy it for these two

consoles as they are most popular at the moment and if they brought it out for PC, it may not do as

well. These consoles are also more likely to be bought by people around the age of the target

audience for the game, 18. Other consoles such as the Wii is more suitable for the younger

generation and families; therefore it wouldn’t get many sales if they brought it out on that platform.

Which technologies do they converge and what impact does this have on the game and its players?

Xbox and Play station 3 have similar qualities so it means the game can be made alike and less money has to be spent on making it available on those two platforms. The interaction is very similar when using both consoles and you are able to carry out similar tasks on them due to what they can provide, they are like different devices in one.

Does this impact on the game?This does impact on the game as it means that Rockstar can produce upgrades for the game and people can buy and

download the upgrade or expansion packs to make the game better and introduce new things to the game all of the time. This impacts the game as it means it isn’t being forgotten about and the company can spend money on improving the game and giving the players what they want so that they will spend more money and get more out of the game overall. You can already download this new content for the game:

Undead NightmareLiars and CheatsLegends and KillersOutlaws to the End (co-op mission pack)

Does this allow for extra revenue to be generated? It has slightly allowed for extra revenue to be made as games on these two platforms can be expensive, especially

when they first come out. As both consoles are in high demand and are popular due to the fact you can go online and play with other people, whilst also being able to access stored games and have the ability to save the game whenever you want. The technical convergence has allowed more revenue in a way because people are willing to pay for a high quality game that is modern and can do new things on the consoles.

Take Two Interactive Is a large American publishing company that is headquartered in New York It is also a developer and distribution company as it owns:2k Games and Rockstar Games.

Games it has produced:Grand Theft Auto

Midnight ClubManhuntBioshock

It is a transnational business.Why?It sells its products beyond the boundaries and world wide. Therefore it is also a global and has globalisation

due to the fact it uses other companies internationally to create the games.

Globalisation of the game means that the game is available globally, in many different countries instead of just one. The game is distributed to a lot of places and is growing due to this. The movement of people, goods, capital and ideas due to increased economic integration which in turn is propelled by increased trade and investment. The sharing of goods, services, knowledge and cultures between people and countries.

Which Game Engines run Red Dead Redemption?

Rage Euphoria Engine

Who owns them? Natural Motion

How does this relate to cross-media convergence?

Because Natural Motion also is used on other levels of production such as the game developer and software developer.

MarketingHow was the game marketed in the UK?Trailers – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gBctl1h_2ohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QxQi1qasY4&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PLBE314F1453C2B65CTHERE ARE MANY OTHER TRAILERS AVAILABLEBonus’ were available such as ‘the War Horse’Free Red Dead Redemption t-shirt if you pre-order the game online.Exclusive additional content like gang hideouts for the Play station version.The game features rewards for your console avatar.First ever trailers at the cinema for the game.

There was a half an hour short film made:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZUUVV2rjoc

Pre-order deals – Look at slide 7.$20 Walmart gift card and free pack of cardsBuilding sized billboard posters in New YorkGames Magazines

What was the marketing budget?

Game Box CoverBlack, white and red colour scheme.Black connotates death and mystery.Red connotates death, danger, anger.White connotates purity, simplicity and emptiness. All of these things match the genre of the game as it is a violent game. The character has

a gun as a prop, to show that there is going to be violence and shooting within the game – something that will attract the target audience.

Already introducing the main character as a medium shot. Allowing you to see his appearance. He is scruffy and looks rough, his hair looks greasy and like he doesn’t care. He has a serious facial expression which means he has power; his stance helps with this idea too.

Shows snapshots of the action on the back, to show what parts of the game are like and give examples of the graphics.

Why do you think the RDR’s cinema advert was shown before screenings of Robin Hood, Iron Man 2 and Prince of Persia?

Because the films will have a similar target audience so by playing the trailer for the game whilst waiting for one of the films to start, it will introduce the people to the game. They chose to do it at these screenings as they are probably the type of people who are most likely to buy and play a game like this. The films are action films that will be mainly watched by males around the age of 18 and over, they include violence and have similar story lines. If they were to show the advert on films such as Bride Wars, it would get ignored as it wouldn’t be being shown to the type of people that would buy it.

“Speaking to MCV, Rockstar GM Neil Stephen said Redemption will get the company's first ever cinema advertising campaign."We think the cinematic nature of the game makes it a perfect fit for cinema," Stephen said; the game will be advertising to audiences of Robin Hood, Iron Man 2 and Prince of Persia.”

“Rockstar added that its cinema campaign will incorporate some kind of Bluetooth-enabled content download via posters in the cinema foyer”

This is an example of convergence as it is two companies working on the same level in order to provide something. The companies are coming together to create something on a whole.

What partnerships did Rockstar make with various retailers in order to generate pre-orders for RDR?

Rockstar made cross-media convergence partnerships as they were working with other companies on the same level of production. This level of production was marketing as they were coming up with ideas to promote and get their product out there and known. So they did this by working with other companies such as:Walmart – gift hard and free playing cardsGameStop – to provide the pre-order bonus on slide 7PlayStationXboxGameHMV

Where any of these partnerships set-up in the UK?Rockstar set up partnerships with companies such as HMV and Game in the UK so that they could sell the

game. They also set up cross-media convergence partnerships with online stores such as AMAZON UK, as they are popular and many people would rather buy a copy of the game online from a well known site that they trust and that offers good prices. There are other partnerships that were also set up in the UK, including:

HMV – The War HorseGAME – The Deadly Assassins OutfitGOOGLE SEARCH – Red Dead Redemption UK Pre-order EditionAMAZON UK – The Golden Guns Weapon PackWhy do shops form these partnerships with game publishers?By using these partnerships, the shops gained sales too as they were offering special things compared to

other shops. People would rather go to a shop that has a special deal on the game and gives you more for your money than a different shop that isn’t offering more for what you are paying.

Why would someone buy the game at the same price as somewhere that is offering it and more?

Appendix 2 – Interview with John Hillcoat

Distribution

• Physical or Digital media?

Physical includes the actual console itself:The CDThe Game boxBlu-rayWii Optical DiscUMB- They are different depending on the console.

Digital media is things for the game that you can download online:Expansion packsPlay station StoreSteamDirect2DriveMac App Store- These also vary on the console that you are using.

Digital media is much cheaper to do as it means less post production costs, and it is also quicker. This means that the game can be made cheaper for people to buy so maybe more people will buy it.

Xbox Marketplace (http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-GB/)

Windows Live Marketplace (www.gamesforwindows.com/en-GB/)

Steam (http://store.steampowered.com/)

History of Take-Two Interactive

As a company do they have a in-house distribution division or has this

recently changed? If it has, who now distributes the games?

opopooopopooopopooopopoo

How are Rock star's games distributed? In-House Developers - These are studios that are owned by a larger publisher, developing exclusively for that publisher. They have varying degrees of autonomy within the larger publisher, but typically have fewer funding issues. Examples include Rare and Lionshead owned.

They are distributed by Take-Two interactive.

Was Red Dead Redemption released simultaneously across the globe or was it a

staggered release?

If it was staggered, what implications are there for the distribution of the game?

It was released at the same time everywhere and on both available platforms.PS3 & XBOX – 18th May, 2010.

But then different expansion packs were released at separate times. On June 22, 2010,  they released the first downloadable expansion pack for Red Dead Redemption  - Outlaws to the End.And then other downloadable content was released on different dates, making it available for players.July 8, 2010August 10, 2010 and so on.

The short film directed by John Hillcoat was released on May 29, 2010.

In a way, it was staggered as you couldn’t buy the complete game as there were always new packs to download and improve the game. This had implication on the distribution of the game as it meant they had to make all of the packs available and send them out on the right time and make people aware of the new one.

1)Where can the game be bought?2)Does this impact on the distribution of the game?3)Are these various points of sale going to have an

impact on the price?

1) The game can be bought many places including online and in shops. Some examples of shops that would sell the game are HMV, Tesco, Game. And also online shops like AMAZON. The prices may vary depending where you buy it from due to the bonus deals that certain places have with the game. The game can also be downloaded on the gaming platform itself I think, making it easy.

2) This does impact on the distribution of the game as they can only be bought at certain places meaning the distribution process could be difficult although there are many places it can be bought from so people shouldn’t have any trouble finding it.

3) It definitely has an impact on the price as certain shops have special bonus deals on when you buy the game, which other places may not have. Do any of the

above points of sale relate to technological convergence?

Yes, the fact you can download new content online on the gaming platform.

USEFUL ARTICLES –Online Gaming

www.dfcint.com/wp/?p=14

In 2006, DFC estimates that the worldwide online game market was $4.5 billion. They think that by2012 the worldwide online game market will pass $13 billion.

Broadband penetration in the twenty leading online game

countries is expected to increase 48% from 2006 to 2012.

The total overall number of online gamers in the twenty leading

online game countries is expected to increase 51% from 2006 to

2012.

 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17458205 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17464931

http://www.detecon-dmr.com/en/article/the-evolution-of-video-gaming-distribution_2010_01_19

40% of online games revenue coming from digital distribution by 2012 and revenue from digital distribution of console games to surpass $1 billion by the same year.

Mobile gaming, which is predominantly digitally distributed, already generated $5.8 billion

With digital distribution, developers and publishers can avoid retailers entirely and distribute games to consumers themselves or through online aggregators such as Direct2Drive and Gametap. Console makers have also launched digital distribution networks on their game systems to allow consumers to directly download content to internal hard drives.

The first successful video game digital distribution platforms was Valve’s Steam client - distributes almost 600 games available for download and has 16 million users.

Telecom providers should be able to play a key role in the development of gaming digital distribution.

Creative Distribution (www.creativedistribution.co.uk)

UK based games distribution company

Streaming GamesCloud

Consumption

describes the audiences actual interaction with the media text. This can be either passive or interactive engagement :

Passive engagement is when you watch something on TV or on the internet and think about it.

Interactive engagement is when you describe the media text.

consumer to manipulate the technology in some way to either to access the media text or to progress it in some way – using an iPhone to access the internet, bid on eBay or purchase an item from Amazon would be a good example of the former while playing console games would be an ideal example of the latter.

What interactive elements encourage the audience/consumer to buy Red Dead Redemption?

• Violence• Online• Story• Combat• Gunplay

How does the Open World/ Sandbox nature of the game (in terms of different outcomes / challenges) relate to Consumption?

Online gaming – interact with other players

Multi player gaming

Sales figures for Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare.

How do these compare to the original games release?

• Red Dead Redemption – 11 Million sales

• Read Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare – 2 million so it is a lot less!

What are the key characteristics of RDR game play?• It is an online game that enables up to 16 people to play the game

at once together, so it is also a multiplayer game. This offers a different type of game play that people will like. The players can also interact with the environment and the world of the game as it is a sandbox game, so it shows a good perspective of the actual life of the character and includes a 3D image of the world he lives in.

• The players can also, along side of the main storyline, take part in special ‘random’ tasks.

In what ways is this similar to the way we consume other media products?

RDR game play is heavily reliant on technology. Describe the technologies used in online gaming, DLC, game play and game environment?