Assassin's Creed Liberation

Question 1

What are the historical contexts and what’s the difficulty?

Answer 1

• The growth of the form since 1970s has been rapid and the construction of the ‘gamer’.
• The difficulty of regulating or monitoring the impact of such a fast paced industry.

Question 2

What’s the product context?

Answer 2

• The game was released on the Sony handheld device PlayStation Vita.
• It was developed by Ubisoft and released Assassin’s Creed three on PlayStation three.
• The simultaneous release may have been an attempt to have maximum impact on the three major markets for console and video game release: Japan, North America and Europe.

Question 3

What is the significance of technological change?

Answer 3

• PS Vita was attempting to tap into the increasing success of mobile gaming. The PS Vita was designed with many features associated with smart phones e.g. touchscreen, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and 3G.
• The game itself as a part of the well-known and popular franchise may have attempted to bring high game production values to the new mobile gaming arena.
• It was significantly exclusive to the PS Vita later released in a modified HD version across a large range of consoles and platforms.

Question 4

What was the role of regulation?

Answer 4

• Video games have been regulated by the BBFC they are now regulated by the video standard council applying the PEGI system.
• The game was classified 18.

Question 5

What were the digitally convergent platforms?

Answer 5

• The handheld game and console version is both owned would unlock additional game release.
• The Internet Wi-Fi functionality of the PS Vita allows users opportunity to download additional content (DLC) including weapons, characters and skins.
• Users could also engage in multiplayer versions of the game promoting a game of engagement and identification with the game.

Question 6

What are the reasons for success?

Answer 6

• Facebook and other social media marketing first revealed in March and the film came out nine months before release.
• Interacting with the fans on Ubisoft forums, fans felt apart of the development of the game.
• The co-release across platforms and the presence still across creative industries e.g. the range of products.
• The cinematic trailer with high-quality marketing hinted that the game would also be of high quality.

Question 7

What was the integration?

Answer 7

• Assassins Creed was vertical integration as Sony launched PS Vita in collab with the game, then Assassin’s Creed film was then released and then the official Soundtrack causing synergy.

Question 8

What would Livingston and Lunt recognise about regulation?

Answer 8

• There are new complications that risk regulation due to new technology such as the convergent PS Vita and it’s access to the Internet.

Question 9

What would Hesmondhalgh say?

Answer 9

• The game is a part of an established franchise with a large fan base.
• Produces are clearly attempting to harness the popularity of this franchise to encourage sales both of the game itself on the handheld device PS Vita.
• The industry offers many comparable examples of attempts to use software (games) to sell hardware (game systems and platforms).

Question 10

What’s the social and cultural contexts?

Answer 10

• Gender issues contributes to social and cultural significance due to the representation of female characters, underrepresentation of women in video game development and an assumed minority of female video gamers.
• The female protagonist Aveline De Grandpre, an African French assassin is new in the series.

Question 11

How did the producers target audiences?

Answer 11

• The game is for a handheld device so this may imply that it is aimed at a more casual, mobile gamer.
• Having a female protagonist which is unusual in the franchise may appeal to a different demographic.

Question 12

What would Bandura say?

Answer 12

• The game is rated 18 from PEGI due to violent content.
• He focuses on observation and imitation and vicious consequences e.g. the Bobo doll .
• Due to problems with parent control and the need to understand the risks such as grooming involving abuse and the increase in portable device ownership amongst children (tablets), you can question to what extent are children being protected from imitation.

Question 13

What will Henry Jenkins say?

Answer 13

• There is a fan culture.
• There are active fan communities, gamers that have evolved alongside the internet.
• Fans can be very passionate exponents of the game or the harshest critics, impacting the development of the game.
• The franchise has a strong foundation of social experiences (online multiplayer options) and communities outside the core gaming.