ANIMAL CROSSING: Audience consumption Flashcards
What audiences does ACNH appeal to?
Universal audience appeal
* Casual Gamers:
* Young adults/females:
* Children:
* International audiences
- Why does ACNH have universal global appeal?
- Children= Family friendly
- Adults= Depth, narrative, customisation
- Global Appeal: Major markets in Japan/ North America/ Europe due to universal themes.
Gender queer= Avatar customisation (can choose gender, hair, eye colour, skin tone)
Who are the pre-sold audience demographic for ACNH?
- Franchise fans (series begun in 2001)
- Will appreciate familar/new elements
- Minimises risk
What is ACNH largest audience?
- Female fans (19-24)
ACNH: Psychographic appeal?
- Non-competitive gameplay
Uses and gratification theory definition
- A communication theory
- That explores why and how
- individuals actively seek out specific media to satisfy their needs.
What need/gratfication would ACNH meet?
- Affective needs: (escape from stress through customisation)
- Social interactive need: (players can host online gatherings/ invite friends/ throw virtual events)
- Cognitive need
How does ACNH satisfy cognitive needs?
- Blathers provides detailed information about collected fossils, insects, art peices thus earning players cultural and scientific knowledge.
Name 4 features of ACNH that contributes to the franchises ability to retain players?
- Regular updates/ DNC’s
- Community/social interactions and game play
- Seasonal changes, real time events
- Customisation, self expression and creativity:
Audience appeal- Regular updates and DNC’s
- Provides players with ongoing content to explore.
Audience appeal- community and social interactions
- Community is fostered in game and amongst players.
- In game= visitations, trading, sharing
- Players= Communication through in game chat/ external platforms.
- Creates belonging
Audience appeal- seasonal changes and real time events
- The game incorperates real time mechanics and seasonal changes
- Encourages players to return to the game to experience time-limited events.
- The anticipatation of events maintains annual engagment.
Audience appeal- customisation and self expression
- The game provides extensive customisation options.
- Players can customise homes, avatars, architecture.
- Ability for self expression creates attachment and ownerships.
Animal Crossing: Social Context: Covid and economic success.
- Research finds that lockdown gave people time to indulge in games (such as Animal Crossing)
- 62% of UK adults played video games during the pandemic, says Ofcom.
convenience of digital distribution helped boost sales
What did ACNH supply audiences during the lockdown?
- Escapism
- Social interactions
- Sense of routine and normalcy
- Postive and uplifiying aesthetics and atmosphere
What does Jenkins mean by “Participatory culture”?
- Fans actively engage with and contribute media content
How do the fans in ACNH engage in “Participatory Culture”?
- Custom designs (patterns)
- Custom clothes, furniture
- Sharing creations with others
What does Jenkins mean by “Fan Labour”?
Fans willingly contribute their
* Time, Skills and Creativity
* To produce fandom-related content .
How do the players of ACNH engage in “fan labour”
- Participation in online communities (sharing tips, tricks, inspo, exchange dodo codes)
- Twitch streaming gameplay
- YT Walkthroughs
Explore how digitally convergent media fosters new forms of game consumption,
particularly social gaming, streaming, and virtual interaction
- Content sharing
- Streaming
- Social gaming/ Online Mutiplayer
Explore how digitally convergent media fosters new forms of game consumption, particularly streaming
- Many players stream their game play via Twitch/Yt.
- Creates a new type of entertainment in which audiences can watch, engage and interact with gameplay.
Explore how digitally convergent media fosters new forms of game consumption, particularly through social gaming
- Players can visit eachothers islands, interact in real-time.
- Friends and families can play together on in game experiences
- Converges internet technology with gaming
Explore how digitally convergent media fosters new forms of game consumption,
particularly content sharing
- Many players share screenshots/videos from their gameplay on social media platforms.
- r/AnimalCrossing is a subreddit dedicated to ACNH (has over 1 million members)
Examine how Animal Crossing leverages digital convergence for cross-promotional
opportunities (e.g., in-game events, partnerships with brands like Sanrio, social
media campaigns)
- Puma/ Build a bear
- Designers like Marc Jacob and Valentina did virtual catwalks of their clothes in the Game.
- digital partnerships–The Biden Campaign launched “Biden headquarters” in the game.
Guerilla Marketing: ACNH
*ACNH let companies/brands play the game for free. Companies like Gucci and H & M created their own island in the game. (these brands create publicity in social media, encourging players to particpate)
This generates free advertising and expands the brand’s reach through organic social sharing
