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.
