Theories Flashcards
Bandura
Learned Aggression
-Bandura suggests that the media can implant ideas in the mind of the audience directly and that media representation of transgressive behaviour such as violence, can lead audience members to imitate those forms of behaviour
-The Bobo Doll Experiment: Bandura designed the Bobo Doll Experiment to try and prove that children would copy an adult role model’s behaviour and his findings suggests that we are influenced by the actions and behaviours of adult role models
-If we play violent games from a young age then we will mimic and copy the violent actions within the game in our everyday lives with many suggesting playing video games has caused multiple terrorist attacks
-Several games in the franchise have received an 18 rating from PEGI due largely to violent content by the actions and behaviours of adult role models
-However, some argue that there is a difference between correlation and causation and that video games have many benefits such as challenging contemporary academic and psychological thinking
-It was also found that crime and mortality rates decreased after the release of a violent video game such as GTA therefore suggesting that it is providing a place for people to channel their aggression
Theory: Henry Jenkins (Audience)
Fandom
-Video games offer social experiences (online multiplayer options) as well as communities outside of the core game experience.
-Fans may be passionate exponents of a game or the harshest critics and can often impact the development of games directly.
-The developments in video games technology have expanded the ways in which fans can interact with games producers and the fan community, creating a participatory culture.
-Video games are interactive, enabling fans to construct their identities through the participatory online experience and the role-playing environment.
Theory: Clay Shirky (Industry)
How have changes in technology shaped the way audiences now connect with games?
-It has allowed for prosumers and for audiences to create communities that expand across the globe
How are game producers responding to audiences within their game content?
-They take on the feedback of the audience and produce content in terms of what they want/ don’t want
Consider ACV and other games: in what ways can the audience now ‘speak back’ and share/create content?
-They can contact the creators and influence the content of the games by expression their thoughts and views - if an audience has a negative response to something this will most likely be changed
Theory: Livingston and Lunt (industry)
Application to Assassin’s Creed & the gaming Industry:
-Difficult to regulate due to the amount of media available that is online and out of Ofcom/Pegi control
-The portability of the PS Vita means violent games can be accessed by a young audience involuntarily (anyone can watch you playing something in public)
-The only place the regulation is going to work is the point of sale (preventing from buying if under age)
-Can’t regulate otherwise since it can be accessed in other ways e.g. parents can purchase
Theory: Curran and Seaton (Industry)
-Marketing is largely dominated by conglomerates e.g. Sony and Microsoft (Ubisoft is the fifth biggest game developer)
-Oligopoly (an industry dominated by a few large firms)
-Console wars were linked to profit and power
-Profit arguably pushes innovation (graphics, storage, speeds)
-AC Capitalises on an existing audience/fanbase, similar narratives (give the people what they want)
Theory - Hesmondhalgh (Industry)
Cultural Industries
The way in which cultural industry companies attempt to minimise risk and maximise audiences:
-The video games industry is designed to make a profit, they operate in a competitive market. One of the ways they minimise risk is through genre-formatting, this is evident in the Assassin’s Creed franchise. The marketing of a new game uses audience recognition of the game and the brand as part of the franchise. Audiences therefore know what to expect
-The sequel formula of the franchise model gives audiences clues of what to expect, but enough differences through themes and setting to ensure anticipation and buzz around the launch of a new game
Hesmondhalgh also put forward the idea that the largest companies operate across a number of different cultural industries:
-The video games industry is dominated by large multi-national conglomerates. Ubisoft is the fifth largest video game company but is now also in competition with tech companies including Facebook, Google and Amazon who have recently become major players in the games industry backed by huge financial reserves.
Jean Baudrillard - Hyperreality
Baudrillard’s theory of hyperreality suggests that in postmodern culture, we are increasingly unable to distinguish between reality and simulation.
In Assassin’s Creed, the game’s representation of historical events often blurs the line between real history and fictional narrative.
The immersive environments in the game, such as the recreated cities of ancient Egypt or Renaissance Florence, allow players to experience a simulated version of reality that feels just as real as the actual historical world.
Baudrillard’s theory is highly relevant because Assassin’s Creed presents a hyperreal version of history, allowing players to experience history through simulation rather than a direct historical representation
Henry Jenkins - Convergence Culture
Jenkins’ theory of convergence culture can be applied to Assassin’s Creed in how the franchise has expanded beyond video games into other forms of media. The game has extended into films, novels, comics, and merchandising, creating an interconnected media ecosystem. This kind of media convergence encourages audience interaction across various platforms.
• The release of the Assassin’s Creed movie, for instance, extends the brand’s narrative beyond the video game, allowing fans to engage with the story through another medium.
Tzvetan Todorov - Narrative Theory
Todorov’s theory of narrative structure focuses on the idea that narratives often begin with equilibrium, move into disruption, and then return to equilibrium after conflict resolution. In Assassin’s Creed, this structure is visible in many of the games:
• The game usually starts with a sense of stability (such as the protagonist being part of a specific group or faction, like the Assassins). • The disruption comes in the form of a personal loss, an ideological conflict, or a betrayal, often tied to the historical setting (e.g., political conflict). • The restoration of equilibrium happens when the protagonist overcomes obstacles, uncovers conspiracies, and brings some form of justice or change to the world.
Roland Barthes - Mythologies
Barthes’ concept of mythmaking can be applied to how Assassin’s Creed turns historical events into mythic narratives.
The Assassins and Templars serve as archetypes in the game, representing larger ideological struggles, such as freedom vs. control, which reflect a simplified mythic conflict.
These mythic structures are often aligned with ideas of good and evil, freedom and oppression, which are central to the player’s experience.
• For instance, in Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, the warrior archetype is glorified through the protagonist, Kassandra or Alexios, who becomes a hero-like figure facing mythic quests, much like the gods and heroes of ancient Greek myth.
