Assassin's Creed Flashcards
Which company created Assassin’s Creed?
Ubisoft
How many games are in the main franchise?
13
What is a franchise?
A collection of related media with several derivative works that have been produced from an original creative work.
How much is the AC franchise worth?
$4.6 billion (as for 2020)
When did the first game come out?
November 2007
What are some other Ubisoft franchises?
- Just Dance
- Rayman
- Brawlhalla
- Rabbids
What is the video game industry being blamed for?
Violence, mass shootings
What is moral panic?
A widespread feeling of fear in response to the idea that a group of people is dangerous and poses a threat to society’s values and interests
What is an example of moral panic?
Columbine school shooting:
- 15 deaths
- Violent videogames were blamed
- One of the shooters was an ethusiast of the Doom franchise
- After this, videogames were under a lot of scrutiny
What are some benefits of the development of videogames?
- Creates jobs
- Improves concentration
- Teamwork skills
- Boosts the economy
- Escapism
What was the Bobo Doll Experiment?
(Albert Bandura 1961)
It proved children can learn to be violent from watching others be violent
- Adult actors hit a doll, when the child was left alone they also hit the doll
- This can also be applied to videogames
What is Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory?
Proposes that people learn from observing, imitating, and modeling others’ behaviours
What is Ubisoft Connect?
A multi-platform digital distribution, multiplayer communications service.
Players can purchase new games and manage downloads.
In-game achievements can be earned to gain points.
How are Ubisoft targeting and maintaing their audience?
- Multiple installments keeps fans waiting for the next game
- Ubisoft Connect allows fans to communicate with eachother to discuss the games
Gaming and Youtube
- Reviews and Let’s Plays
- Reach a wider audience
- Creates a community
- 200 million watch gaming content daily
- Lots of creators = diverse representation
- Sponsored posts/reviews
Gaming and Audiences
- 53% of people play on mobile daily
- 1/3 of the global population plays videogames
- Games have become more mainstream
- 74% of players use multiple platforms
Gaming and the Film Industry
- The industries have been collaborating since the 1980s
- Movies get turned into videogames (Harry Potter, Star Wars, The Matrix)
- Some games become movies (Street Fighter, Super Mario, FNAF)
- Videogame movies generally have a bad reputation
Gaming and the Toy Industry
- Collabrations with brands with Lego (e.g Animal Crossing)
- Increasing popularity of video-game toys (Huggy Wuggy)
- Skylanders incorporated toys into their game
- Collectables
What is Albert Bandura’s Media Effects theory?
The idea that media can directly implant an idea into the mind of audiences.
Audiences acquire attitudes, emotional responses, and new styles of conduct through modelling
What are some criticisms of the Media Effects theory?
Albert Bandura
- Implies that consumers are passive, when in reality they are active and critical
- Perhaps too simplistic
What is Henry Jenkins’ Fandom theory?
Fans are devoted followers of media texts who actively engage with the products to construct their own meanings and interpretations beyond the original message
- Creation of fanart, cosplays, fanfiction
- Blurs the lines between consumers and creators
- Creates a sense of community where ideologies can be discussed
How many sales does the game have as of 2021?
155 million sales
Which 3 major territories are video games culturally and financially significant?
Japan, Europe, USA
How much was the global video game market worth in 2021?
$138.4 billion, compared to $52.8 billion in 2012
How has AC tried to keep up with technological change?
Assassins Creed 3 Liberation was released on the PS Vita to try to capitalise off the popularity of mobile gaming
How did AC try to keep up with the popularity of games like Fortnite?
In 2021 Assassin’s Creed Infinity was announced to be having a fully live service game, like Fortnite, and would expand the franchise by having multiple historical settings within the game
What is happening to video game regulation in Europe?
It is being standardised by using the PEGI system
How has digital convergence shaped the series?
- AC 3 Liberation’s handheld game could be linked with the PS3 version to unlock extra content
- Social media has promoted gamer engagement and identification with the series
What does David Hesmondhalgh say about cultural industries?
Major cultural organisations create products for different industries in order to maximise chances of commercial success
How does Hesmondhalgh’s cultural industry theory link to the AC franchise?
- Genre-formatting is used to minimise risk and maximise profit
- The sequel formula lets fans know what to expect but also creates hype
- The video game industry is dominated by multi-national conglomerates (Ubisoft is the 5th largest VG company)
How does AC try to cater to women?
In later installment there are female protagonists, Aveline and Kassandra
How does the AC franchise target and construct audiences?
- Brand identity
- Games are distributed across media platforms, targeting diverse audiences
- In AC Odyssey the players could choose between a male or female protagonist, helping with identification
