Calling A/A* GCSE Media students...

There is an excellent article on the Guardian today regarding the future of the videogames market. You can read it here - PlayStation 4 and Xbox One sales: will 2014 boom, or bust?

Although the article is about consoles and we are interested in videoGAME marketing campaigns, the change in the market from games being played on disc to online to phone/tablet is an important development for us to learn about.

Make sure you also read the comments below the article - it's a great way to see other opinions on the same debate.

STOP PRESS! Kishan in Year 11 has also pointed out there is a YouTube channel dedicated to technology and gaming which is worth checking out if you want an A/A*. Visit Tech Radar's Gaming channel to see video reports on the latest aspects of the industry. Remember, we're focused on the marketing of videogames - so you'll have to ignore the stuff about hardware/consoles.

Thanks Kishan for the link!

Target audience: Planetside 2

Who plays videogames?

Male: 59% Female: 41%
Age of average gamer: 30
% of players over age of 50: 29%
Fastest growing demographic: adult women
% of players playing on phone/tablet: 55%

According to the ESRB almost 41% of PC gamers are women. When comparing today's industry climate with that of 20 years ago, women and many adults are more inclined to be using products in the industry. 

While the market for teen and young adult men is still a strong market, it is the other demographics which are posting significant growth.

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) provides the following summary for 2011 based on a study of almost 1,200 American households carried out by Ipsos MediaCT: 

• The average gamer is 30 years old and has been playing for 12 years. 82% of gamers are 18 years of age or older.
• 41% of all players are women and women over 18 years of age are one of the industry's fastest growing demographics.
• Today, adult women represent a greater portion of the game-playing population (37%) than boys age 17 or younger (13%).
• 29% of game players are over the age of 50, an increase from 9% in 1999.
• 65% of gamers play games with other gamers in person.
• 55% of gamers play games on their phones or handheld device.

Targeting an audience

Advertisers use more than just demographic details when targeting audiences these days. They also classify audiences using audience profiling such as MOSIAC or Psychographic groups.

Psychographics

Young and Rubicam invented a successful psychographic profile known as their 4Cs Marketing Model: Cross Cultural Consumer Characterisation. Website: www.4cs.yr.com/uk/‎

They suggested the following groups:

Mainstreamers: seek security
These are people who live in the world of the domestic and the everyday. A daily routine is fundamental to the way they live their lives. Their life choices are ‘we’ rather than ‘me’. As their name implies, they are the mainstream of society. They are the largest group of people within 4Cs across the world. They respond to big established brands, to ‘family’ brands and to offers of value for money. 

Aspirers: seek status

Materialistic, acquisitive people, who are driven by others’ perceptions of them rather than by their own values. As a result, they respond to what others perceive as being superficial: image, appearance, persona, charisma and fashion. An attractive pack is as important to them as its contents. 

Succeeders: seek control
Succeeders possess self-confidence, have a strong goal orientation and tend to be very organised. As a result, they tend to occupy positions of responsibility in society. When it comes to brands, they will often seek out the best because that is what they feel they deserve.

Resigned: seek survival
These are predominantly older people with constant, unchanging values built up over time. For them, the past is bathed in a warm nostalgic glow. They respect institutions and enjoy acting in traditional roles. Their brand choices are driven by a need for safety and for economy. They choose above all what is familiar to them. 

Explorers: seek discovery
These people are driven by a need for discovery, challenge and new frontiers. Young in nature, if not in reality, Explorers are often the first to try out new ideas and experiences.

Strugglers: seek escape

Strugglers live for today, and make few plans for tomorrow. Others often see them as victims, losers and wasters - aimless, disorganised people with few resources apart from their own physical skills. If they get on in life, it will depend more on a winning lottery ticket than anything they do themselves. They are heavy consumers of alcohol and junk food. 

Reformers: seek enlightenment/change

“Don’t tell me what to do or what to think” says the Reformer, valuing their own independent judgement. Reformers are the most anti-materialistic of the seven groups, and are often perceived as intellectual. They are socially aware, and pride themselves on tolerance. Reformers seek out the authentic and the harmonious, and are often at the leading edge of society.

Planetside 2

Planetside 2 is an MMOFPS (Massively Multiplayer On-line First Person Shooter) game that is free to play on-line. It is a war game set in a sci-fi environment. 

Players elect to join one of three factions (The Terran Republic; The Vanu Sovereignty and The New Conglomerates) all of which are fighting for territory in the online environment. 

Answer the following questions on your blog:

Use the Planetside 2 Wikipedia entry to answer the following questions:

1. What is Planetside 2?
2. What genre does the game belong to?
3. Planetside 2 developer/publisher:
4. When was it launched?
5. How does the gameplay work?
6. What are the six different player classes in the game?
7. What is the story or narrative to the game?

Business model

Now look at the section on the Planetside 2 business model.

1. How much does Planetside 2 cost to play?
2. What does a subscription offer to players?
3. What can the in-game currency be used to buy?
4. Why do some players dislike games in which users can buy additional weapons or health?

The three factions

Summarise the three factions that players can join in the game:

The Terran Republic:

The Vanu Sovereignty:

The New Conglomerates:

Watch the recruitment videos again for Planetside 2:

The Terran Republic recruitment video

The Vanu Sovereignty recruitment video

The New Conglomerates recruitment video

Planetside 2: Target audience

Write a possible target audience demographic for Planetside 2 in general:

Gender/age/social class/education/employment/location etc.

Now write a target audience demographic for each faction from Planetside 2 – it will be similar to the overall target audience but think carefully about changes in age, education or employment:

The Terran Republic

The Vanu Sovereignty

The New Conglomerates

Now use what you have learned about psychographic profiling to choose potential psychographic groups for each of the three factions:

The Terran Republic

The Vanu Sovereignty

The New Conglomerates

Explain why those psychographic groups would fit that particular faction.

If you don’t finish this in class, you must finish it for homework. Due: next Wednesday

If you do complete this in the lesson, you are free to continue your current homeworks:

• Wii Party case study questions 
• Institution questions from last Friday

Videogame advertising: Institution

Remember the key types of institution behind videogame advertising:

Game developer: creates and designs game
Game publisher: manufactures the game, sells copies to retailers, pays for advertising and marketing.
Advertising agency: creates the marketing campaign for the game.
Regulator: gives the game a rating and addresses complaints or concerns. 

Complete the following tasks on your blog.

Task 1: developers and publishers

Research the following game developers/publishers:

Rockstar Games
Background: year formed and location
Owner/founder:
Most successful games:
Interesting fact about the institution:

EA (Electronic Arts)
Background: year formed and location
Owner/founder:
Most successful games:
Interesting fact about the institution:

Zynga
Background: year formed and location
Owner/founder:
Most successful games:
Interesting fact about the institution:

Nintendo
Background: year formed and location
Owner/founder:
Most successful games:
Interesting fact about the institution:

Sony Computer Entertainment
Background: year formed and location
Owner/founder:
Most successful games:
Interesting fact about the institution:


Task 2: Advertising agencies

Look at the following advertising agency websites:

W+K Amsterdam

1. What do the letters stand for? (Clue: look at the very bottom of the website)
2. What brands have W+K Amsterdam advertised?
3. In your opinion, what is the most creative campaign on their website?
4. What videogame campaigns have they created?
5. What additional information can you find out about the FIFA14 advertising campaign?

Rokkan

1. How long has the Rokkan advertising agency been around for?
2. Where is Rokkan based?
3. What brands have Rokkan advertised?
4. Why was Rokkan's campaign for the videogame 'Dishonored' so successful?
5. Who was the publisher for 'Dishonored'?

Task 3: Regulatory bodies

PEGI

Visit the PEGI website and have a look around. 

Now click on the FAQ section of the website and answer the following questions:

1. What is PEGI and where is PEGI based?
2. How does PEGI rate games?
3. What are the age classifications used by PEGI?
4. What are the seven aspects that PEGI look for when giving a game a rating (e.g. violence)?
5. What is PEGI online? What does PEGI online regulate?

ASA

Visit the Advertising Standards Authority website and have a look around. 

Now click on the About section of the ASA website and answer the following questions:

1. What is the ASA's mission?
2. What are the ASA's values?

Now click on the Rulings section of the website. This is where the ASA reports on recent complaints and whether they upheld the complaint or rejected it.

Choose one of the complaints and write the following:

1. The company that was advertising:
2. Why someone complained:
3. Whether the complaint was upheld and why:

If you complete everything in class, choose another complaint and write about what it involved and whether it was upheld. Do you agree with the ruling?

Anything you don't complete in class must be completed for homework.

Due: Friday 2 May

Case study 2: Wii Party

Answer all of the following questions on your blog to complete your Wii Party case study.

General research

1. When was Wii Party released on the Nintendo Wii?
2. Which developer/institution created Wii Party?
3. How many copies has the game sold since release?

Broadcast

1. What are the key conventions of a videogame TV advert? What would you expect to see in most videogame TV adverts?
2. How many of the key conventions you have listed above appear in the Wii Party TV adverts? List them with specific details from the Wii Party TV adverts.
3. What is the typical setting for Wii Party TV adverts? Why is that setting used?
4. How might the setting appeal to families?
5. What celebrities do the adverts feature?
6. What do you notice about the celebrities' costume and make-up?
7. Why do you think those particular celebrities were chosen?
8. What do the celebrities suggest about the Wii Party target audience?
9. What else can you learn about the Wii Party target audience from the TV adverts? Suggest a demographic profile: gender, age, social class etc.
10. What audience pleasures do the Wii Party TV adverts offer to viewers? Refer to Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory when answering this question.
11. What examples of branding can you find in the Wii Party TV adverts - either for the game itself or Nintendo Wii?
12. Do you think the TV adverts were effective for promoting the Wii Party game?

Print

1. Find a Wii Party review from a magazine or newspaper. What does the review suggest about the target audience for the game?
2. Is the review positive or negative about the game? Copy and paste one quote from the review to support this view.
3. Do you think magazine reviews are effective in promoting the game to Wii Party's target audience?

E-media

1. Visit the Wii Party website. How does it attract and maintain the interest of a Wii Party fan?
2. What do you notice about the people in the scrolling central image featured on the website?
3. How many times can you find the words 'friends' or 'family' used on the official website? Why do you think the website emphasises this aspect of the game?
4. What is the colour scheme for the website? What does this suggest about the target audience?
5. Look at the 'Video Gallery' on the official website. What do the 'Invitation' videos suggest about the Wii Party target audience?
6. How many 'likes' has the Wii Party/Wii Party U Facebook wall had?
7. How does the Wii Party Facebook wall cross-promote other Nintendo games? Find three examples and explain why they appeal to the Wii Party target audience.
8. Wii Party does not have such a strong presence on other social networking sites. Why do you think this is?
9. Which platform do you think is strongest in promoting Wii Party to its target audience - broadcast, print or e-media? Why?

Complete for homework - due next week Friday.

Easter homework: Independent case study research

Complete the following questions and tasks on your blog to create your own, independent case study on a game advertising campaign of your choosing.

Name of game:

Release date:

Institutions behind the game (game studio/publisher):

Print

1. What print adverts were used to advertise the game? Find examples and post them on your blog.
2. What key conventions of print adverts can you find on the example you have chosen? Product name? Font? Slogan? Central image? Colour?
3. Find three reviews for your game that were originally published in videogame magazines. Are they positive or negative about the game? Copy and paste one quote from each review.
4. Did your game feature on any videogame magazine front covers? Find examples and explain why a front cover feature is so successful in promoting a game to its target audience.

Broadcast

1. Did your chosen game use a TV advert to promote the game? Embed it from YouTube if it did.
2. Is there a game trailer on YouTube? Embed it on your blog and explain why it is effective in promoting the game to its target audience.
3. Can you find any other broadcast features on the game - interviews, launch party events, video reviews, clips of the gameplay on YouTube etc. Write about how they effectively promote the game to its target audience.

E-media

1. Visit your chosen game's official website. How does it attract and maintain the interest of its target audience?
2. Are there any creative or interesting aspects to the game's official website?
3. Does the game have a YouTube channel?
4. Can you find any examples of user-generated content on YouTube that players have created and uploaded from the game? Embed any examples on your blog.
5. How does user-generated content such as gameplay videos help to promote the game?
6. How many 'likes' has your chosen game's Facebook wall had?
7. Choose five of the posts on the Facebook page's wall, screengrab them and explain how they appeal to the game's target audience.
8. What is your chosen game's Twitter hashtag?
9. How did the campaign use Twitter to promote the game?
10. Can you find any other creative uses of e-media to promote the game? This might include hashtags, competitions, Instagram, user-generated campaigns or anything else that is designed to draw attention to the game.

Other

1. What else can you find from the marketing and promotion of your chosen game? A launch event? Stories appearing in newspapers? Celebrity endorsement? Scandal or controversy?
2. Write down anything else of interest at the end of your case study blogpost.

This is your Easter homework.

Due: Wednesday 23 April.

FIFA14 case study

Answer the following questions on your blog to complete your FIFA14 case study.

Print

1. Find a FIFA14 print advert and describe how it promotes the game.
2. What key conventions of print adverts can you find on the FIFA ad? Product name? Font? Slogan? Central image? Colour?
3. Find three reviews for FIFA14 that were originally published in videogame magazines. Are they positive or negative about the game? Copy and paste one quote from each review.
4. Why are magazine reviews effective in promoting the game to FIFA14's target audience?
5. In your opinion, is print or e-media more effective in reaching the FIFA14 target audience?

Broadcast

1. Watch the FIFA14 TV advert on YouTube. How the does the advert attract an audience?
2. Why is Lionel Messi driving the van?
3. How does the TV advert feature the FIFA14 brand? Font? Slogan? Main star?
4. Why is there a combination of famous footballers, celebrities and regular people in the advert?
5. Watch the FIFA14 trailer on YouTube. How does it differ from the TV advert?
6. Why is the trailer effective in promoting the game?

E-media

1. Visit the FIFA14 website. How does it attract and maintain the interest of a FIFA14 fan?
2. How many 'likes' has the FIFA14 Facebook wall had?
3. Choose five of the posts on the Facebook page's wall, screengrab them and explain how they appeal to the FIFA14 target audience.
4. Find three examples of celebrity/footballer promotion on the Facebook wall and write how they promote the FIFA14 brand.
5. What is the FIFA14 Twitter hashtag?
6. What is the FIFA14 Twitter account currently tweeting about? Find three recent tweets and explain why they would appeal to the FIFA14 target audience.
7. Can you find any examples of user-generated content on YouTube? This means YouTube videos of FIFA14 gameplay that players have created and uploaded themselves. Embed at least three videos on your blog.

Remember, this is homework to complete in the Easter holidays. 

Due: Wednesday 23 April

Exam topic: Marketing and Promotion of Videogames

Exam details: Marketing and Promotion of Videogames

• Media Studies Unit 1 exam
• Worth 40% of the GCSE
• Wednesday 11 June 2014 (AM)
• Pre-release briefing material given out 16 May along with revision pack
• Notes cannot be taken into exam
• Four tasks worth 15 marks each
• 20 minutes per task

What does the topic include?

• Advertising campaigns for new videogames: print, broadcast and e-media
• Promotional events/social media campaigns to raise awareness of new games
• How a videogames audience is targeted
• How games on different platforms use marketing to generate income and profit

What does it NOT include?

• How specific games are played
• The design of videogames themselves
• Anything to do with consoles/hardware

The exam

• Q1: Knowledge of exam topic – must use examples from your case studies
• Q2: Your pitch for new campaign
• Q3: An additional question about your idea, often relating to audience
• Q4:  A practical design task

Case studies

For Q1 in the exam, you need at least four case studies of existing videogame advertising campaigns. 

We will cover two in class and you will choose two to research at home.

For all four case studies, you need to cover the three platforms: print, broadcast and e-media. 

The case studies are vital for two reasons:

• You must mention a minimum of two campaigns in Q1 to achieve higher than a D grade.
• You can use the creative promotional ideas you find as inspiration for Q2, Q3 and Q4.