HA12 Task 1 - Analysis

Genre: First-person shooter

The first person genre has been one of the longest living genres to date with its simplicity and over time its grown in popularity. A first person shooter are games based around combat centred on guns and is played through the characters perspective. Many to all FPS games share specific traits as certain are unavoidable and are even sometimes limited.

A few example of First Person Shooters include;

- Call of Duty Series   
- Halo Series
- Battlefield Series
- DOOM

A few traits shared through all FPS games include full movement control given to the player, showing the currently equipped weapon in the middle of the screen, multiplayer game modes and mostly in modern games is the chance to create a class in multiplayer.

Halo 5: Guardians

In the video below you can see some gameplay of a beta version of Halo 5: Guardians where you can notice the common trait where your primary weapon can be seen in the centre of your HUD and your weapon ammo can be seen in the corner of the screen. Also in previous Halo games such as Reach and Halo 4 you could create a class before playing a match so you are able to switch up your play type depending on your opponents or boredom etc.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 3

The representation of the class menus in most first person shooters games are similar like this where you start a match with the option of picking 1 of your many classes to play with. These classes usually consist of  primary weapons, sidearms and equipment. Like you'd expect games like originality and with this game Black Ops 3 they have included Perks which give you extra ability's and wild cards which let you extend load outs.

In the Call of Duty series the codes and conventions of FPS games has always been present since the series had started and one for example is in this video where you notice ammo and the score are in similar positions on the screen as the other games such as Halo and Battlefield and are used well in this genre. As for the class customisation menu you can do it before starting a match with the option between 1 set up to 6 or 7, most to all class customisations include primary weapons, sidearms and equipment. Like you'd expect from games and with game Black Ops 3, they have included Perks which give you extra ability's and wild cards which let you extend load outs.

Battlefield 4

The Battlefield representation of the class menu is much smaller and more condense this is to show more of the map you will be playing on. They do this because they want to be a little different and show the player a preview of what is to come. Being smaller the screen looks much cleaner and gives the menu a better appearance. Also in the video below the guy shows you what the customisation menu for your classes look like and even more into knowledge of different equipment you can use and what is better than what and like Black Ops 3, Battlefield 4 has specific class based gear such as for medics they have defibrillators etc and like all other FPS games the ammo is shown in the top right and the gun is shown in the centre of the HUD etc.

DOOM

Being a first-person shooter, Doom is experienced through the eyes of the main character. This character is not named throughout the game. The game's designer, John Romero, has pointed out that this is so the player feels more involved in the game: "There was never a name for the DOOM marine because it's supposed to be you." At its core, the gameplay is similar to classic shooter games, presenting the player with the challenge of surviving while shooting every enemy in sight,. but with its pseudo-3D first-person perspective giving environments a spatial representation that has a major effect on the level design and gameplay experience

The video below is gameplay of the new DOOM game DOOM 4 which is to be released in 2016-17 and is a remake of the original DOOM and a lot has changed since then especially the graphics and some core gameplay but it still sticks with the basic FPS traits as mentioned before and you can clearly see this in the gameplay and unlike other games this one has your ammo count and health in the bottom corners like the original and now DOOM 4 has a multiplayer mode where you can create classes or select default classes.

HA11 Task 1 - Glossary

The Hypodermic Needle Model

This theory says mass media has the ability to influence large groups of people by 'injecting them' with specific messages that trigger the responses that they want. This theory originated in 1983 when 'The War of the Worlds' was broadcast on the radio and resulted in creating mass panic where many people believed the broadcast was real. However this theory was later shown to be proven untrue as researchers found that people are more likely to be persuaded and influenced by people closer to them.

The Inoculation Model

The Inoculation theory states that it is used to describe the attribution of greater resistance to an individual. Or even, the process of which the information is supplied to the receivers before the communication process even takes place in hopes that the receiver becomes more resistant. 

 For example a theorist known as William McGuire wrote an article on this theory and one of his examples was a 'basic method included constructing a persuasive message attacking a cultural truism such as, “An apple a day, keeps the doctor away.”  This message would contain statements like “eating too many apples can cause digestive problems.” Prior to this message, material would be introduced that should strengthen the belief in the truism.'  

http://www.uky.edu/~drlane/capstone/persuasion/ino.htm

The Two-Step Flow Model

The two step flow hypothesis was first introduced by Bernard Berelson, Hazel Gaudet and Paul Lazarsfeld in The People's Choice, in 1944 a study focused on the process of decision making during a presidential election campaign. What the researchers expected to happen was to find a empirical support for the direct influence of media messages on peoples intentions on voting. However, they were surprised to discover that informal, personal contacts seemed to be mentioned for more frequently than exposure to radios or newspapers as sources of influences.

The Uses & Gratifications Theory

In the 1970's is where a reaction to traditional mass communication research emphasizing the sender and the message originated. Psychological orientation taking gratifications, motives and needs of media users as the main area of departure. Stressing the active audience and user instead. 

Uses and gratifications theory attempts to explain the uses and functions of the media for individuals, groups, and society in general. There are three objectives in developing uses and gratifications theory: 1) to explain how individuals use mass communication to gratify their needs. “What do people do with the media”. 2) to discover underlying motives for individuals’ media use. 3) to identify the positive and the negative consequences of individual media use. At the core of uses and gratifications theory lies the assumption that audience members actively seek out the mass media to satisfy individual needs.

The Reception Theory    

The reception theory from my understanding is that media isn't accepted by the viewer, but is interpreted in different ways based on their background and experiences. People with very different experiences may interpret media in completely different ways. Reception theory is generally referred to as audience reception in the analysis of communications models. In literary studies, reception theory originated from the work of Hans-Robert Jauss in the late 1960s, and the most influential work was produced during the 1970s and early 1980s in Germany and the US (Fortier 132), with some notable work done in other Western European countries. A form of reception theory has also been applied to the study of historiography

HA10 Task 1 - Glossary

Media Text

Media texts are what we consume from within the media for example; a television program, a book, a poster, a popular song, the latest fashion, etc. We can discuss with students what the type of text is—cartoon, rock video, fairy tale, police drama, etc.—and how it differs from other types of text, music. TV shows, magazines, newspapers, movies and even video games. There are different types of media text that appeals to different kind of people and they are created to appeal to those types of people. 

Semiotics

Semiotics at its basic is the study of the interpretation of signs and symbols, trying to figure out their meanings. Many texts contain certain symbols and signs and are normally left to the viewers to interpret in their own manner.

Genre

Genre is the category that media text is placed into. Genre is often indicated by the codes and conventions of the media text

In games, genre is often defined by the way the game is played, rather than the way the game looks or the way that the story is written. For examples, if game-play revolves around shooting targets, it is often put into the shooter category (With camera perspective putting the game into the sub-genres such as First-Person Shooter, Third-Person Shooter or Top Down Shooter), or, if the game-play revolves around creating a character and shaping their abilities, it is often put into the RPG or Role-Playing Game category.

Selection of content

The selection of content involves looking at the target audience's interests, and finding information that can be used for your product to appeal to those interests. Colours, symbols, shapes, etc. would be looked at when selecting content. Selection of content is where the developer of the game makes decisions on the content of their product including colors, design, game case etc. This is all important because these decisions can drastically impact the product an example of this would be a bad looking case for a game wouldn't attract customers to look at the game but a case which had a wide range of colors would attract a customers eye and could lead a purchase.

Construction of content

The construction of content is also known as the way it is structured and created, including things such as interaction with the player.

Codes and conventions

Codes are a system of signs, which are used to create meaning. Conventions are the generally accepted ways in which things are done. Each genre of video game has different codes and conventions.

Modes of address

The mode of address is the way that a piece of media is written, so that it becomes more appealing to certain audiences. A dark, gritty and complicated video game would appeal more to adults than a bright and simple game.

HA9 Task 4 - Conclusion

HA9 Task 3 - Primary Research

HA9 Task 2 - Secondary Research

Secondary Research

To get an idea of the audience for Grand Theft Auto 5(GTA), I had to start with the cover art for4 the game. When I first looked at the cover, I could clearly see a few characters holding weapons as well as some vehicles including a helicopter.  Looking at the characters on the cover, all but 1 are male, which likely means the game is targeted towards male players.  

(Source)

The trailer for GTA also shows a high theme of violence, with a high speed car chase and a group of people about to rob a shop. So from looking at different screenshots, videos and cover arts, I believe that GTA was designed to appeal to young male players as the theme of violence and focusing on guns and vehicles suits male interests far more than females.  

(Source)

(Source)

As shown on many covers and trailers GTA5 has a PEGI rating of 18+, which fits with the themes of the game however, this doesn't necessarily mean that every player is 18+. As according to a survey done by a member of GameFAQs forum, 42% (931) of GTA players are between the ages of 18 and 24, were as 12% (116) of GTA players are below the age of 18. 

(Source)

HA9 Task 1 - Glossary

Quantitative Research

 Quantitative research is a specific questioning technique compared to Qualitative research and is known as a closed question, this can be used to collect mainly numerical data from those who answer the questions and the data is made up of facts and figures and is often made up of numbers, which means that the research can be easily put into graphs and charts.. Those who perform this research are looking for an unbiased result and the questions tend to correlate with with who, what, when and where, this means with quantitative research it isn't really suitable for finding out people's thoughts and what they think about the chosen subject.

As an example of this, if I asked 100 people whether or not  they have ever played any games from the Halo Series, I would use a questionnaire asking "Have you ever played any game from the Halo Series"?, designed to only use 2 answers "NO" or "Yes". 
However if I wanted to know someones opinion on how much the change of developers has changed the game series, however, this could not be easily accomplished through quantitative research. I could ask the question ' "The change of developers has greatly affected the Halo games." How much do you agree with this statement? ' I would then add 4 boxes saying 'strongly disagree', 'disagree', 'agree' and 'strongly agree', but I would get far more detailed responses if I asked the question in a more open manner. 

Overall quantitative research is better for finding facts and figures and not for opinions.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlr_aSNSOVSyS1KjSM027tRl-Nw0sNY9wbqt_d1d98JSHIP6NIX2UmtFJWiO61vGGUJ0tlC55k5Hk2jrD8LlJpgTY3fVtSO_s3BDs8i0drWQY2MvnPkVhNOkOTj8lWUI2kzZgSOHyFTcI/s640/Statistics.jpg

Qualitative Research

Qualitative research is polar opposite of quantitative research, it is more open that is mainly based on the persons opinion and whereas the quantitative research can be put into charts and graphs, qualitative research cannot but it is able to be put into reports that can be read.

Going back to my last example of the Halo Series, I could ask the question: 'In your opinion, how much does "The change of developers affected the Halo games and how?' followed by a area/box that would allow the subject to write their response. This question wouldn't really be possible to answer when using quantitative research, as worded opinion cannot be given as numerical data.

Audience Profiling

Audience profiling is when certain characteristics of people are targeted based on their social class, gender, age, personality and location. This will allow advertisers to target specific audiences more efficiently. 

This will also play a big role in focus group testing as certain audiences are gathered in either large or small groups, so if a a company wanted to create a violent game they would focus on groups of adult and teenage boys and even girls around the age of 17-21, whereas if they were aiming to design a cartoon styled game they would test the game with young boys and girls with ages from 7-12. 

Demographics

Demographics are studies based on factors such as age, race, sex, economic status, level of education, employment and income level, among other things. Demographics are used by governments, corporations and non-government organizations to learn more about a population's characteristics for many purposes, including policy development and economic market research.
Geo-demographics: are people who are described from where they live. This means basically that people who live in certain areas around similar environments will act similarly and have similar interests.