Videogames case study 2 - Kim Kardashian: Hollywood blog task

Language

1) What is the objective when playing the Kim Kardashian: Hollywood game?
In order to raise your fame and move from a Z to an A list celebrity. You do this by flirting and charming other celebs to gain fans.

2) What is an A-list celebrity? Why is it important in Kim Kardashian: Hollywood?
An A-list celeb is the best of the best, in other words "living the Kim K life". It's important as this is ultimately the objective of the game.

3) How do you download the Kim Kardashian: Hollywood game?
You can download it from the App store or Google play store.

4) What is the narrative or storyline of Kim Kardashian: Hollywood? Where is it set?
The aim of Kim Kardashian Hollywood is to work your way  up the celebrity scale from Z-List to A-List.  As you play you will interact with characters in the United States and around many of the world’s most glamourous and famous locations.  As you progress, there are collectibles and missions that will allow you to develop the status of your customisable character. Your ranking is determined by your position on the Top Stars list in Hollywood. They are sorted into six different lists, Unlisted being the lowest rank to the A-list being the highest rank. You rise up in ranks by gaining fans. The goal of Kim Kardashian: Hollywood is to gain as many fans as possible by doing well on projects, getting attention from Starnews, and dating to get to the A-list.

5) What characters can you play as? What characters appear in the game?
You play as your own custom character which you can change by moving up in ranks and getting money. A range of characters appear some real and some fictional. For example, other Kardashian sisters appear in the game.

Audience

1) Who is the intended audience for the Kim Kardashian Hollywood game? Why do you think this?
I think that the intended audience of the game would be teenagers and young women as the game is predominately based on young female representatives.


2) What audience pleasures are provided by the game? Use Blumler & Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory.

-Relationships- "narrative- your own character/avatar" , "celebrity; playing with Kim Kardashian and friends"

-Diverson- "escapism- different/celebrity lifestyle" , "setting- LA/Hollywood" , "wealth and success- lifestyle"

-Surveillance/Information-  "kardashians and other friends + lifestyle"

3) Why is the game so addictive for audiences?

I think it's addictive because of the fact that there are different levels/missions that you need to move up in rankings and it can be easily accessed because it's designed for mobiles. Furthermore, the sense of identity gives the player some sort of ambition to be like their character in the game.

4) Why does James Liu think Kim Kardashian: Hollywood is so successful?
-Branding. Kim is a major brand-name. Her star power gives the game a significant advantage. 
-Publishing. Glu Mobile is a publishing titan in the mobile world. They have a very large network of quality users that play their games. 
-Placement. Both Kim and Glu are powerful and trusted names. This gives them a significant advantage when approaching various store fronts like Apple or Google.

5) What does James Liu suggest is the reason players keep coming back to the game?

-Frustration over the lack of energy. Most events require 1 more energy than you're given to complete in a sitting.
-Avatar customization in the form of virtual goods. Clothes, Sofas, Chairs, and even a new apartment. It fits in well with the theme.
Representations


1) What representations of women can be found in Kim Kardashian: Hollywood?

-Modelling, dating, glamour and being successful.


2) What representations of race, ethnicity or sexuality can be found in the game?

-In the game there is a variety of different race/ethnicity. The players can customise their character according to how they want (skin colour, facial features and their own name)

3) How does the game both reinforce and subvert stereotypes in the media?

-It reinforces stereotypes by focusing on women's appearance, modelling and dating as a way to be successful. Similarly, celebrity is represented as something to aspire to even without an obvious talent or ability. 
-It subverts stereotypes by including high status, female business representatives in the game

4) What does the game suggest regarding modern perceptions of celebrity and how to get famous?

-It suggests that in today's society you become famous simply by knowing the right people and constantly promoting/attending events.

5) How might someone criticise the representation of celebrity in Kim Kardashian: Hollywood?

She promotes women as characters who have to always look good, model and date.



Industries

1) How much does Kim Kardashian: Hollywood cost?

-The game is free to download however, it includes varies in-app purchases (monthly/weekly subscriptions)


2) How does the game make money?

The game is free to download but makes huge amounts of money from in-app purchases and subscriptions. Players need to buy energy to complete tasks (or wait 30 minutes for energy to replenish). 

3) What subscriptions are available to Kim Kardashian: Hollywood?

• Gold: 49.99 USD / month 
• Silver: 19.99 USD / month
• Bronze: 4.99 USD / month 

4) How was Kim Kardashian: Hollywood marketed and promoted?

It was promoted by social media and influencer's associated with the Kim K brand. Also, there is advertising that takes place withing the game (Twitter, Facebook etc) which broadens the platform of the game. They made a 31 second tv advert to also promote the game.


5) How does Kim Kardashian: Hollywood use media convergence to cross-promote the game and the Kardashian brand?

"Advertising appears in this game and may permit users to interact with one another (e.g., chat rooms, player to player chat, messaging) depending on the availability of these features. Linking to social networking sites are not intended for persons in violation of the applicable rules of such social networking sites." This initially shows how there are cross-promoted brands incorporated within the game (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook)

OSP & Videogames: An introduction

Watch the YouTube video outlining the history of the videogames industry from the 1970s to the 2010s. Now answer the following questions:

1) What were the first videogames like?

The first video games were played on mainframe computers (like an oscilloscope) during the 1950s.


2) How have videogames changed over time?

Games have change over the years as they now include a more narrative perspective and are digitally clearer than before. They can also be played on devices/consoles such as Nintendo, Play station etc.


3) What do the most successful games have in common? Answer this in as much detail as you can. Think about audience pleasures - what do people like about playing videogames?

-Most video games have some sort of goal the end of them, through levels/stages making the players more interested to play on to victory. 
-They also have a narrative during the game which makes it more interactive for the players.


4) What criticisms have been made towards videogames?

Depending on the video-game and its narrative the criticism will be varied for example GTA 5 will have a negative criticism because it encourages crime and violence but on the other hand Fifa will have a positive criticism because it influences people to play sports such as football.

Read this Guardian feature from last year about the sensationally popular videogame Fortnite: Battle Royale and watch the original trailer below.




Now answer the following questions:

1) How many Fortnite players are there worldwide?

There are 250 million Fortnite players worldwide.

2) Why is it so popular? What are the audience pleasures of the game?

The audience might enjoy two aspects of pleasures in the game , one being visceral pleasure which is experienced through the different sound effects produced by a selection of weapons in the game.The second pleasure would be a vicarious pleasure which is experienced through the character that you can customise in many ways e.g outfit,weapon skin,backpack and hacking tool. 


3) Why might some people criticise Fortnite?

Some people might criticise Fortnite due to how young school children get addicted to the game so quickly which then leads to them lacking keeping up with life's minor necessities. 

 4) Copy and paste two comments from 'below the line' of the Guardian article - these are comments written by Guardian readers in response to the feature. Select one comment you agree with and one you disagree with and explain why.

Agree

"A fantastic game for all the family. The violence is cartoon-like, not gratuitous or graphic. I limit my children to only playing the Playstation at the weekends."

I agree with this because it doesn't show bloody graphics and has parental controls that allow parents to limit the amount if time their kids spend playing it.

Disagree
3) Computer games naturally get them more engaged in computing which leads being interested in Science and engineering.

Videogames case study 1: Lara Croft Go blog task

Language

1) Who is Lara Croft and when did she first appear in a videogame?

Lara Croft first appeared in 1996 Eidos PlayStation game Tomb Raider.

2) What classic films influenced the creation of Lara Croft and the Tomb Raider games?

Lara Croft and Tomb Raider are influenced by the movie Indiana Jones.

3) How has Lara Croft and Tomb Raider moved beyond just being a videogame?


Lara Croft and Tomb Raider moved beyond just being a video game as Lara croft took a different route into the movie industry whilst 'Tomb Raider' took the title for the game instead of 'Lara Croft'.In addition Lara Croft has featured in many different media sources such as magazines,adverts and also ventured into comic books and merchandise.

4) What devices can you play Lara Croft Go on?

The game Lara Croft can be played on a variety of different platforms such as iOS, Android, PS4 , PlayStation vita and even Microsoft windows. 

5) What type of game is Lara Croft Go?

Lara Croft is a action and adventure type of game. 

6) How does Lara Croft Go use narrative (storyline)?

The narrative of Tomb Raider was influenced by Indiana Jones and featured the daughter of a Lord (later a famous archaeologist), called Lara Croft on various missions through settings such as jungles, tombs and jungles. The genre is action-adventure and involves many conventions of this genre such as fighting villains using weaponry.

7) What iconography can be found in Lara Croft Go? How does this help communicate the sub-genre of videogame?

In Lara Croft Go there are trees, vines, cliffs, caves and rocks. All of these easily allow the audience to interpret that it is some kind of jungle setting and some may be able to tell that it is in fact the Amazon Jungle. This can help the audience to know that there could be a lot of enemies mostly in the form of animals as that is their natural habitat making them aware of these aspects of the game.The iconography such as the equipment and the selective creatures included highlight the action/adventure genre.The setting also reinforces the genre adventure.


8) What other characters or enemies feature in the game?

In the game Lara Croft Go, Lara Croft comes across quite a lot of enemies such as Lizards, Snakes and Spiders while the main villain is the Queen of Venom.


9) What is the setting for Lara Croft Go? How does this compare to previous Lara Croft or Tomb Raider games?

The setting for Lara Croft Go is the Amazon Jungle mainly inside the caves and at cliffs in order for the player to feel some thrill when playing the game. This is quite different from the far away island locations in the previous Tomb Raider games. This makes it seem much more adventurous and exciting for the player.

10) Read this BBC article on the history of Lara Croft and Tomb Raider. How has the character of Lara Croft evolved over the last 20 years?  

Over the last 20 years Lara Croft has become a more respectable character in the gaming community leading the example that having a female heroine can be done well. Lara Croft was able to inspire many people encouraging many females to take control. When Lara Croft was first created she was heavily sexualised with a body that did not fit realistic human proportions and clothes that certainly did not fit her mission of finding relics these are some of the reasons why her character was antagonised. As the game continued to adapt her figure became much less sexualised.
Representation


1) How are women usually represented in videogames?

Women are usually represented as inferior beings to men.

2) How does the character of Lara Croft reinforce female stereotypes in the media?

The character of Lara Croft reinforces the female stereotypes in media because women are generally sexualised in majority of the media.

3) How does the character of Lara Croft subvert female stereotypes in the media?

The character of Lara Croft subverts the female stereotypes in the media as it shows women are not inferior to men and can actually be more adventurous than men. 

4) Why do some people believe the videogames industry is sexist and needs to change?

Some people might believe that the videogames industry is sexist because majority of the videogames produced either don't include females or does but portrays them in a negative and rather insulting manor. 

5) Do you think Lara Croft is an empowering feminist icon or just another objectified woman designed to appeal to male gamers?

I think Lara Croft is a icon that objectifies women,as the characters designed showing sexual aspects of a women which i think was intentionally done to appeal to male gamer's as the majority of the gaming community is operated by male gamer's.


Industries

1) What does PEGI stand for?

PEGI stands for Pan European Game Information.

2) What is PEGI's job?

Pan European Game Information (PEGI) is a European video game content rating system established to help European consumers make informed decisions when buying video games or apps through the use of age recommendations and content descriptors.


3) Which company created Lara Croft Go?

The company that created Lara Croft GO is Square Enix Montreal. 

4) What two popular videogame franchises were combined to create Lara Croft Go?

Tomb Raider and Hitman Go

5) What else is part of the Lara Croft/Tomb Raider franchise?

There are movies and videogames as well as advertising that ultimately support the franchise.
Audience

1) Why might an audience enjoy playing Lara Croft Go?

They might enjoy playing LC as it's an interactive, puzzle and strategic game that will engage the audience.
2) Where and when might an audience play a game like Lara Croft Go? Think about the device it is played on and the times of the day someone might want to play the game.

An audience might play the game whenever they can, it is a form of escapism for them. The fact that it can be easily accessed via a mobile also supports the idea that it c an literally be played whenever and wherever.
3) How did Square Enix design Lara Croft to make it appealing to an audience?
They used Lara’s classic animations from the first Tomb Raider to fit in with the turn-based game which would be quite appealing for the audience as original fans would be intrigued to play.
4) Which of Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory might apply to Lara Croft Go?

-personal relationships
-escapism
-diversion 
5) Who is the target audience for Lara Croft Go? How does brand loyalty contribute to this target audience?

-Lara Croft Go predominately targets a more female consumer as the game has become less sexualiased and more women are involved in the industry. It could also be aimed at older people as, stereotypically, majority of them are into solving and learning how to complete puzzles. Lara Croft Go could also be aimed at an audience who enjoyed the original Tomb Raider games.