Assassins Creed

Question 1

Product context

Answer 1

-Published by Ubisoft
-Action adventure open world game played from a third person perspective
-different historical setting in each game
-Valhalla increased sales to 155 million units

Question 2

Economic contexts

Answer 2

-Culturally and financially relevant across 3 main territories (Japan, USA and Europe
-in 2021 worth 138.4 billion mobile gaming is the fastest growing era with it being just 52.8 billion in 2012

Question 3

How production, distribution and circulation shape media texts

Answer 3

-Being part of a franchise is a production model that both increases economic viability and establishes a brand identity for the audience
-advances in technology means complex gameplay, good graphics

Question 4

Relationship between recent tech change and production, distribution and circulation

Answer 4

-Releasing third on PS vita was to confirm to changes and increase in Mobile gaming, this could’ve been done to bring high game production values to the emerging gaming era
-newer games on the franchise have introduced cross generational gaming enabling data to be transferred from console to console
-Game infinity is a live service game enables to time jump and have multiple historical settings

Question 5

Role of regulation in production distribution and circulation

Answer 5

-up until 2012 regulated by the BBFC but is now done by the Video standards council through the PEGI system
-protects young people making sure they are not exposed to things
-3,7,12,16,18
-rated an 18 due to punching, choking, killing, motiveless killing of innocent people, strong language
-issues with this is that there is more and more digital games being made so age ratings are hard to keep up with parents can also just buy it for their kids and can be bought online
-Livingstone and Lunt idea that increase in big media corporations and rise of convergent technologies and transformations in the production, distribution and marketing of digital media, have placed traditional approaches to media regulation at risk

Question 6

Impact of digital convergence

Answer 6

• if you had liberation on PS vita and ps3 you unlock additional games content
  -social media many streamers that have gameplays on their channels bringing promoted gamer engagement and identification with fans

Question 7

Hesmondhalghs theory

Answer 7

-Companies try to minimise risk and maximise profit
-AC use genre formatting which means marketing of a new game uses audience recognition of the game and the brand audiences know what to expect
-use sequel formula of the franchise so audiences have clues to expect but enlighten differences through new themes, settings and characters to ensure buzz

Question 8

Audiences social and cultural change

Answer 8

-Many advances to reflect the social change society is experiencing
-In later games there are examples of female protagonists however they often have to share the spotlight or star in spin off games.
-Aveline de grandpre ‘little bird’
Outfit allowed her to use charm and bribery stopped her from using certain weaponry and free running
-Kassandra one of the most powerful assassins in the game due to having superhuman abilities yet she’s a guest character

Question 9

How franchises attract audiences

Answer 9

-Brand identity is important Dan community already exists and gamers have a preconceived idea what to expect
-result of technological advancement means games distributed across a range of platforms
-form a sense of identity even with a fan community or with the characters