Assassins Creed Franchise Flashcards
Economic context of video games
-video games are culturally and financially significant across 3 major territories : Japan, Europe and USA.
-in 2021 the value of global video games market was estimated to be $138.4 billion increasing from $52.8 billion in 2012
-mobile gaming is the fasted growing area
The processes of production, distribution and circulation and how they shape media products
-video game production techniques have evolved and become increasingly innovative as the industry becomes more competitive and the demand for for games has increased
-being apart of a franchise is a production model that both increases economic viability and establishes brand indenttiy for an audience
-advances in technology have shaped video games by the inclusion of more complex gameplay, highly developed graphics and advanced CGI
-in terms of production the games franchise are part of a multinational development which is typical of game production in larger studios such as UBISOFT
What is the PS vita in relation to assassins creed III ?
- a video game device/controlled that Assassins creed III; liberation was released on.
-the decision to release assassins creed liberation on the ps vita was to tap into the increasing popularity of handheld gaming, the PS vita was designed with many features usually associated with smart phones
-the release of the game was seen as an attempt to bring high game value production to burgeoning new mobile gaming arena, the game was originally exclusive to the PS vita but later (2014) released a modified HD version across a large range of consoles and platforms (PS3 XBOX 360)
How was the release of Valhalla (2020)?
- assassins creed Valhalla was released in 2020 and co released with with the launch of the new consoles such as the PlayStation 5 and XBOX series X
-newer games in the franchise have introduced cross-generational gaming enable data to be transferred from earlier generation consoles and cross-play and progression carrying progress
How was the game play changed with the release of assassins creed infinity ?
- in 2021 Assassins creed Infinity, inspired by the success of games like Fortnite, would be a fully live service game. This would expand the franchise and enable games to jump and include multi pulse historical settings rather than single setting in existing games. This would also ensure longevity of the franchise and the ability to add new content rather than launching a completely new game
Consider regulation within the role of global distribution
-video game regulation differs around the world but is becoming standardised across many European countries
-in the UK until July 2012 video games had been regulated by the BBFC, they are now regulated by the video standards council (vsc) applying the PEGI system (pan European game information). The PEGI system can be discussed in terms of its progress (age ratings as visual.
How can you apply David Hesmonhalghs cultural industries to assassins creed franchise ?
-the video game industry is designed to make a profit, they operate in a. Completive market. One of ways they minimise risk is through genre-formatting, this can be seen evident in the franchise through audience recognition of brand. The audience know what to expect when playing
-the sequel formula of the franchise model gives audiences clues of what to expect, but enough difference through themes and setting to ensure anticipation and buzz around new launch game
How does the franchise target audience ?
-the brand identity of the franchise is a key strategy for targeting audiences, a fan community already exists in gaming audiences have a preconceived idea of what to expect of the game
-one way the franchise targets audiences is through identity of characters in the game, for example assassins creed Odyssey offers players a choice between male or female character, Alexios or Kassandra, allowing interpretations of the narrative. Valhalla presented a gender neutral character that as grows older you can choose preferred gender
The relations between technologies and consumption
-the distribution of games in franchise across different platforms is a strategy to increase audience consumption. This might also be considered as an attempt to draw gamers from different platforms to purchase additional hardware and adopt new gaming habits
-gamers might be encouraged to have a more satisfying experience by using a range of interlink products that offer exclusive downloadable content. This only made possible through convergent technology and gamer “buy in’ to the value of exclusive content.
