Sunday 8 June 2014

Why the games industry is so important to the British economy


Potential Questions for the Exam

AIDA - aiming to reach your audience

DECCS - Promotional Campaign

Audience Types

Key Audience Theories

Call of Duty Promotion Timeline

Look at this excellent webpage for ideas:
http://www.dipity.com/whitmedia/Call-of-Duty-Ghosts/
30% of COD: Ghosts for one day only
31 Dec 2013

http://majornelson.com/2013/12/30/countdown-to-2014-daily-deal-day-15-call-of-duty-ghosts/

Double XP Weekend announced
27 Dec 2013

From 27th to 30th December 2013 all players online will receive double XP.
http://www.charlieintel.com/2013/12/23/double-xp-weekend-for-ghosts-starts-dec-27th-and-ends-dec-30th/

Season Pass trailer posted on YouTube
19 Dec 2013

Game released for PS4
22 Nov 2013

Game released for Xbox One
15 Nov 2013

Facebook page posts image promoting next-gen console versions
13 Nov 2013

Uses the hashtag #ghostsnextgen

Eminem's Marshall Mathers LP 2 Released.
5 Nov 2013

In-store GAME multiplayer promotional stand
5 Nov 2013

Game released for PC, PS3, 360, Wii U
5 Nov 2013

Celebrity multiplayer tournament takes place
4 Nov 2013

Call of Duty: Ghosts is hosting a star-studded multiplayer tournament this evening (November 4) to mark the game's launch. Hip hop duo Rizzle Kicks, rapper Wretch 32, footballers Andros Townsend and Daniel Sturridge, and rugby player Tom Croft are among the celebrities taking part in the event.
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/gaming/news/a528434/call-of-duty-ghosts-uk-stars-face-off-in-tournament-as-it-happened.html

ASDA confirms midnight launch events

30 Oct 2013
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/asda-confirms-39-97-price-for-cod-ghosts-outlines-midnight-events-deals/0123439

Extinction game mode trailer released
28 Oct 2013

Monster Energy gives away in-game items with promotional cans
22 Oct 2013

Call of Duty Time adverts air on TV and YouTube
13 Oct 2013

Multiplayer reveal footage posted on YouTube
17 Sep 2013

UK Single Player Trailer released
9 Sep 2013

Eminem pre-order offer announced
9 Sep 2013

What is the Call of Duty®: Ghosts Eminem Special Price Offer? Fans who purchase Call of Duty: Ghosts at participating retailers will get a limited time offer to buy the standard digital edition of Eminem's new album, “The Marshall Mathers LP2,” for a special reduced price. The album includes a bonus studio track, available only through this offer.

@InfinityWard promises 500 players a free copy of the game
21 Aug 2013
http://twitter.com/InfinityWard/status/370310134372630531

Eminem's 'Survival' featured in new multiplayer trailer
15 Aug 2013

Collector's Edition 'Breach' trailer
15 Aug 2013

Multiplayer footage revealed live from LA
14 Aug 2013

Pre-order bonus map announced
1 Jul 2013
http://www.webpronews.com/call-of-duty-ghosts-bonus-pre-order-map-announced-2013-07

Gameplay revealed at Xbox One event in Redmond, USA
21 May 2013

CoD: Ghosts officially announced
1 May 2013

Pre-orders were also available. The announcement included details of the Xbox One event at which the game would be revealed.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2013/05/01/call-of-duty-ghosts-officially-announced-big-reveal-coming-at-xbox-event-may-21st/

'Masked Warriors' teaser trailer released
1 May 2013

@InfinityWard tweets the website image
30 Apr 2013

With the hashtag #soon
http://instagram.com/p/YvXoxlyp-R/

Tesco 'accidentally' lists CoD: Ghosts on its website
24 Apr 2013
http://venturebeat.com/2013/04/24/u-k-retailer-tesco-pulls-listing-for-call-of-duty-ghosts-after-it-was-put-up-accidentally/

Teaser website goes live
15 Apr 2013

The official Call of Duty website was replaced with a mysterious image that updated when users logged in with either Facebook or Twitter. The mosaic was completed by 30th April and looked like the attached image.

Activision confirms development of CoD: Ghosts
15 Feb 2013
http://www.polygon.com/2013/2/7/3965150/next-call-of-duty-game-activision-poorer-performance

Bored with call of Duty? Check out this page on The Legend of Zelda:

http://www.dipity.com/whitmedia/The-Legend-of-Zelda-A-Link-Between-Worlds/

L A Noire

Wednesday 28 May 2014

Narrative Theories

N.B. Roland Barthes' Enigma Code - a text will set up a mystery or enigma to draw in or intrigue the audience

Marketing the Video Game

Marketing Assassins' Creed IV

Marketing and Promotion of Red Dead Redemption

Grand Theft Auto 5 Official Gameplay Trailer


The World 

The world of GTA V will be set in the re-imagining of Southern California, where players can expect to surround themselves into a huge array of sceneries that replicate the stereotypical Californian lifestyle. This world will include mountains, oceans, strip malls, urban environments, wilderness, beaches as well as the corporate world surrounded by its huge skyscrapers. In every single one of these environment, players will be able to take part in activities that pertain to the area that they find themselves. These activities will be fulfilled by the role of three independent characters that will form the base for the campaign of GTA V.

gta V.jpg

The Characters

The characters in GTA V will transform the narrative of the campaign into to one interwoven story. Players will be able to cut between the three different points of view between each one of the three characters at any time. This can be done during free play or during missions. If you are playing with one of your three characters during free play, your other two characters will not be idle. They will, in fact, be engaging in their own activities, which all range from driving idly around town to taking part in yoga classes.

The three characters in GTA V will each have their own personality as well as their own special ability. The special ability of the characters haven’t been divulged as of yet but are expected to derive from the personality traits and history of each one of the protagonists. Here are the basics surrounding the three characters and their personality types:

Michael: Used to be a successful bank robber, which now finds himself spending his time trying to manage his family. Michael is currently in a mid-life crisis where he finds his family lifestyle monotonous and frustrating, and craves to return to the adrenaline packed world of guns, money and heart pumping action.

Franklin: Franklin is an up and coming street hustler that believes he is surrounded by individuals inferior to him. He finds himself having to balance the duality of a life style of gangsterism with the desire to leave that way of life in which he thrives.

Trevor: The hill billy with psychotic tendencies. Trevor has a desire for chaos and destruction, where there is never a second thought at the consequences of his actions. He will act as the comical relief of the title with his unexplanatory actions and quirks.

All the characters will be subject to certain stats that are expected to be enhanced via in-game achievements or repetition of activities.

These stats are: Special, Stamina, Shooting, Strength, Stealth, Flying, Driving and Lung Capacity


The layout of the HUD or map display will also show the players health as well as their armor. The orange bar is not confirmed but we expect it to relate to the players special ability or stamina levels.

Game Activities

GTA V has a huge array of events to take part in the game, besides the campaign. Here are just some of the activities that players can expect to take part in:

Vehicle Customization, vehicles will be able to be fully customized in GTA V where the cars themselves will be subject to certain stats that can change. These stats are: Top Speed, Acceleration, Braking and Traction
Flying Planes
Clothes Shopping
Sky Diving
Playing Golf
Cycling Races
Tennis
Yoga
Deep Sea Diving
Jet Skiing
Hunting
Bounty Hunting
Character customization: Tattoo’s and Piercings
Stock Investment
Drag Races

Missions

Within campaign missions, players are now expected to be more creative and are allowed more decisions when it come to setting up and completing missions. An example of the decisions that players will be able to make include the possibility to be stealthy in a mission or to go guns blazing into a heist. Each one of the choices will come with its own costs and rewards.

A brand new introduction to the mission is the mercenary system. Players will be able to hire mercenaries to help out in certain tasks in the mission. These mercenaries each come with certain set of specialized skills, such as hacking, driving or being a great gunman. If the mission is successful the mercenary will receive their allotted cut as their cost for the job.

MErcs.jpg

http://www.mweb.co.za/games/ViewNewsArticle/tabid/2549/Article/7941/GTA-V-Trailer-Analysis.aspx

Grand Theft Auto Online: Official Gameplay Video

Grand Theft Auto and Representation

Revision Pack

Heavy Rain trailer analysis

Types of Audience

AIDA

Video Game Magazines

Representation in Video Games

Friday 17 January 2014

Media GCSE - exemplar coursework

This is a good example of GCSE coursework - not brilliant, but certainly good enough to warrant an A.

 
The cover looks like the real thing; the layout clearly follows conventions of magazine cover layout. I could moan about the image not being sharp enough... If I was really picky, I might complain about the traces of white around the hair, but she's done a good job and this isn't A Level.


The article is set out in neatly spaced columns. Not hard to do. You should be able to come up with a decent estimate for column width at three columns per page and leave enough space between each three to make them evenly spaced with a clear margin around the page. Once you've worked out your column width, duplicate the layer twice so all three are the same width. The picture's strong and the desaturation adds an element of class. Now, to be honest, considering the nature of the story, I would expect to see a picture of the cosmetic surgery gone wrong, but I'm being generous here and any attempt to manipulate an image may result in it looking third rate - and it looks good at the moment. Again, it's not A Level.

The colour scheme is simple but effective and while it  doesn't pick up any colours from the cover, there has been an attempt to create a house style by using the title with the page number and by the 'Belle Exclusive' banner at the top of the page. In both cases, Belle is in the same font as it is on the cover.



The advert, though simple, is effective. It would've been better had she been pouting and smiling - something lipstick adverts tend to rely on, when they're not being overtly sexual.