Video games- Industry and Valhalla Flashcards

Question

what was announced in 2021 in relation to the Assassin's creed franchise ?

Answer 1

ubisoft would release Assassin's creed infinity, which has now been rebranded to be known as the Animus hub, and is inspired by the success of games such as Fortnite (Hesmondhalgh’s cultural industries theory- Ubisoft are using risk averse formatting from the success of games such as Fornite to minimise risk and maximise profit). Assassin’s creed infinity/ Animus hub would be a fully live service game / platform which would expand the franchise and enable the games to time jump and include multiple historical settings rather than a single setting (a hub that links all the games together). This would also ensure the longevity of the franchise and ability to add new content rather than launching a completely new game.

Answer 2

As technology has evolved, the growing preference for gamers appears to be purchasing digital copies of games as opposed to physical editions. DLC (downloadable content) is now often offered in advance as ‘pre-order bonuses’ or ‘season passes’ which allow producers to release various editions of the game at increasing price points.

Answer 3

In the context of media content, franchises are series that share simliar themes, characters, content, imagery etc. in the same way that conglomerates can dominate the media, as Hesmondhalgh and curran and seaton argue, franchises can also dominate the industry. Examples of this are game franchises such as Pokemon and Mario, both dominating franchises from the video game conglomerate Nintendo

Answer 4

Mario and Pokemon, which are franchises of the video game conglomerate Nintendo

Answer 5

There has been one main product released yearly beginning from 2007. However, there have also been spin-off releases released alongside the major releases such as side quests, and 'discovery tour series'.

Answer 6

a series of dedicated games that lets gamers roam freely around historical settings, such as Ancient Greece Ancient Egypt and the Viking age to learn more about their history and daily life.

Answer 7

the AC franchise generally features historical fiction, science fiction, and characters intertwined with real-world historical events and figures. For the majority of the time, players control an Assassin in the past history, hunting down their templar targets

Answer 8

the novel 'Alamut' by the slovenian writer Vladmir Bartol, whilst building upon concepts from the 'Prince of Persia' series, a franchise that was created by Ubisoft.

Answer 9

a video game franchise that is owned by Ubisoft, and peaked in the 90s and early 2000s, whereas AC began in the late 2000s and really took off in the 2010s.

Answer 10

In the early 2000s, the Prince of Persia series was becoming less successful and producers were growing tired of the protagonist always being a prince, so they developed the game into a similar franchise- Assassin's creed. This is an example of Hesmondhalgh's cultural industries theory

Answer 11

Ubisoft saw how the prince of persia franchise was failing, but used the tried and tested formula of this game style to produce Assassin’s creed. The Assassin’s creed franchise is a perfect example of Hesmondhalgh’s ideas about minimising risk in order to maximise profit- the game play in the game releases and spin-offs throughout the franchise has remained very similar; This appeals to fans who enjoy the experience and appeals to producers as it is financially safe to produce.

Answer 12

-High quality production, also known as AAA -Based on historical time periods and each game released almost yearly is a different historical setting -the yearly releases and consistency encourages audiences as they know new games will continuously be released

Answer 13

155 million units since its introduction in 2007- this was aided by the launch of AC Valhalla

Answer 14

Ubisoft claim that their games are entirely historically accurate due to professional historians working alongside developers of the games. E.g in the production of AC Valhalla Ubisoft worked with leading specialists in Norse and Anglo-Saxon history.- these were not just advisors but also key developers used in the game and the discovery tour Valhalla add on- Ubisoft also noted that they received contributions from The British Library, York Archaeological trust, the national museum of Denmark and Preston museum and grounds.

Answer 15

Younger audiences- such as school children as the discovery tour was used in an interactive and educational way, teaching through immersive experiences- e.g someone is not just learning about Viking ships in the Valhalla discovery tour, but also building one. The discovery allows the player to experience history in a very personal way and have fun engaging in quests and never realise that they are actually learning something.

Answer 16

The AC franchise has a wider revenue source through the fact they sell action figures, merchandise and have released a film based on the video game franchise. Ubisoft also makes money from ‘micropurchases’ such as DLC packs that are released alongside major game releases typically annually, as well as from user subscriptions and advertising.

Answer 17

Partnered with Universities and Technology Learning & cognition lab to create curriculum guides for the discovery tour.

Answer 18

Brand values are important as it can generate brand loyalty from employees in the company or by customers- they will recognise the brand as someone they can trust and will continuously return to because of their brand values.

Answer 19

1. educational: allow players to learn about the history of the time period whilst playing the game 2. enrich the lives of players by developing high quality games that resonate with all kinds of personalities 3. bring people together and allow everyone to learn and grow whilst having fun 4. family values- connectivity, showing new perspectives 5. Diversity: 'our team members come from diverse background and are passionate about solving thrilling challenges everyday' 6. 'we are putting DIA (diversity, inclusion and accessibility) at the heart of everything we do and focus on community' 7. quality, originality, community, education, diversity and inclusion

Answer 20

Curran and Seaton argue that conglomerates are primarily driven by the desire for profit and power- However, Ubisoft make it seem as though they are enriching customers' lives rather than being solely driven by the desire for profit and power through the brand values they display on their website.

Answer 21

an open world quest/adventure game played from the third person perspective and is the 12 major installement and 22nd release in the Assassin's creed franchise since 2007.

Answer 22

be released on 'the next generation'meaning fastert processing graphics 4K

Answer 23

AAA, meaning it has high value production values

Answer 24

10th November 2020

Answer 25

873 AD- the game recounts the fictional stories during the Viking Invasion of Britain.

Answer 26

the character of Eivor, a viking raider who becomes embroiled in the conflict between the brotherhood of Assassin's. Eivor could either be made or female, and the female version was rather androgynous, not sexualised in anyway and worse the same clothing as the male version of the character.

Answer 27

The launch of new consoles including Playstation 5 and Xbox series X

Answer 28

It sold more copies during its first week of release than any other Assassin's creed game. According to Ubisoft, Valhalla's number of active players on launch day were double that of AC odyssey which was released in 2018. Valhalla has also reached viewership and engagement numbers on Twitch and Youtube that surpass that of any other ubisoft game launch

Answer 29

51%- this is incredibly relevant and we can see that Assassin’s creed (ubisoft) has acted upon this; AC have developed their games

Answer 30

- Liberation III (released in 2012) -Syndicate (released in 2015) -Origins (released in 2017) -Odyssey (released in 2018)

Answer 31

Prior to Assassin’s creed liberation III (released in 2012), all the games in the franchise had only an option for a male main character. Liberation III, a spin off instalment introduced the first female protagonist named Aveline, who was also mixed race. However, there were still several issues with this

Answer 32

-many argued it was a very stereotypical representation of a female avatar and had a lack of promotion in the marketing materials -many suggested the representation of Aveline was very sanitised and sexualised, and appealed to a male audience who would enjoy the voyeurism of playing with this female character.

Answer 33

the original plan from Ubisoft was that Kassandra would be the sole protagonist and that there would be no option for a male character. However, some execs at the publisher demanded the sequel include an alternative male protagonist, reportedly telling the team that ‘women don’t sell’.

Answer 34

The fact that Ubisoft only had male characters in their franchise from 2007-2012, and the first inclusions of a female protagonist was either in a spin off (liberation III) and was provided with an alternative male character fits in within Hesmondhalgh’s cultural industries theory- they do not want to risk the audience (who are predominantly male) response by releasing only a female protagonist- they challenge this by offering the option of a male protagonist and do not amplify the fact that there even is an option for a female protagonist

Answer 35

according to Hall, there are three different ways that an audience may read a text- a preferred/intended, negotiated and oppositional

Answer 36

The audience accepts the encoded message from the media producer.

Answer 37

The audience understand what the encoded message is, but do not accept it entirely or can adapt it to suit their own belief system, audiences may have a negotiated reading by the fact that there is a female protagonist, however Ubisoft may have avoid an entirely oppositional reading as they have given the option to play a male character- such as Kassandra in Odyssey 2018 with the option to play her brother, Alexios

Answer 38

where audiences may entirely go against the encoded message of the producer- e.g they may dislike the fact the main character in Valhalla is Androgynous, or may be opposed to other factors such as the heavy focus on gore, violence and death.

Answer 39

Jenkins- The representation of a female protagonist may be quite empowering for a female audience, and fans may use to this to create fandoms- such as the 'AC sisterhood' Gauntlett- the empowering representation of a female authoritative protagonist may be inspirational for female audiences and they may wish to construct their own sense of identity against this.

Answer 40

Biborg- the company was tasked with the social media marketing, but also physical in person marketing

Answer 41

The beginning of all the valhalla marketing took place through Twitter. Ubisoft social media accounts announced that fans could tune in to a livestream to see the live reveal of the next Assassin’s creed game setting. The reveal was in the form of an 8 hour long art demonstration, an innovative and creative way of showing fans the setting of the next AC game.

Answer 42

Ubisoft followed standard marketing and released various cinematic and gameplay trailers for Valhalla e.g the world premiere trailer, gameplay trailer (which offered a first look at the female protagonist) and cinematic trailer.

Answer 43

100m views in the first 10 days and was released 7 months before the game's launch

Answer 44

Two versions of the cinematic trailer were released simultaneously, featuring both a male and female version of the character of Eivor to attract a wide audience and allows audiences to relate personally with the character, engaging the audience even more.

Answer 45

The trailer does not break conventions of an AC game as we see that there is a clear narrative to the game whilst still being action packed and having lots of fighting/war sequences- this relates to Hesmondhalgh's cultural industries theory

Answer 46

The trailers did not break the conventions of the AC game franchise and featured several fighting/war sequences and showcased a historical narrative. This relates to Hesmondhalgh's cultural industries theory: through keeping to the conventions of the AC franchise, Ubisoft can target fans through a sense of familiarity shown in the trailer. However, the trailer also introduces new characters and different storylines to the franchise, which would be intriguing to the fans of AC as they are able to explore new adventures in the franchise- Ubisoft using risk averse formatting, a found successful formula. However, it could be seen as a risk that Valhalla had the opinion of either a male or female protagonist, Eivor.

Answer 47

The marketing of new games such as Valhalla uses audience recognition of the game and the brand as part of the franchise. Audiences therefore know what to expect. However, the sequel formula gives enough differences through themes and setting to ensure anticipation and buzz around the launch of a new game. (Hesmondhalgh’s cultural industries theory)

Answer 48

Assassin’s creed franchise is a key strategy for targeting audiences. A fan community already exists and gaming audiences have a preconceived idea of what to expect from a game in this franchise. This will be used in the marketing of a new game.

Answer 49

The development of technology since the first release in the franchise has allowed Valhalla to be marketed on social media which facilitates the targeting of diverse audiences; for example, they advertised the release of Valhalla on tiktok in an ad which allowed audiences to comment with the character of Eivor replying. Valhalla was also advertised through an online trailer which featured ‘~LikeAViking’ which suggested links to twitter and other social media. (this relates to Shirkys end of audience theory and Jenkins fandom theory)

Answer 50

Jenkins argues that audiences are no longer passive consumers of media texts, but are active participants (participatory culture) Fans also act as textual poachers, meaning they take elements from media texts and use this to create their own culture and identities, and form their own communities and interpretations. They create communities, produce new creative forms, collaborate to solve problems and shape the flow of media.

Answer 51

as a way to counteract and challenge how Ubisoft has treated its female Assassin characters, the Assassin creed sisterhood has been set up. The group is dedicated to empowering women throughout the Assassin’s creed community. The sisterhood has two initiates- to create a ‘warm and inviting environment’ and to celebrate the female characters found so far in the franchise whilst also calling attention to the way that the games can be improved. The fan initiative has also been created in the wake of the wave of sexual assault and misconduct allegations involving Assassin’s creed developers.

Answer 52

The development of news technologies also allows the game to be distributed digitally (DLC- downloadable content). This means that the game can be continuously edited and the customer will have access to exclusive content.

Answer 53

Assassin’s creed has several pages including on Reddit, facebook, wiki etc- this relates to Shirky’s ideas that with the introduction of digital and social media, audiences no longer play a passive receiving role; they become active participants and content creators.

Answer 54

social media platforms present producers with greater opportunities to quickly engage with small, specific ‘pockets’ of their target audience- niche audience members. This is often done through shorter, quicker posts on specific aspects of a game which might appeal to these niche audiences. E.g AC valhalla marketing team put up posts for animal fans.

Answer 55

Ubisoft also leveraged relevant Hashtags such as #AssassinsCreedValhalla and #LIKEAVIKING to increase visibility and encourage user generated content

Answer 56

Collectible items and merchandise which were release to coincide with the release of the game (synergy) such as Shoes, collectible art statues, Valhalla stickers available in the Ubisoft store, T-Shirts and a soundtrack EP released. Ubisoft also released limited edition bundles that included physical merchandise and exclusive in-game content enticing collectors and dedicated fans.

Answer 57

Ubisoft partnered with Reebok to release limited edition shoes, creating a unique marketing opportunity that appealed to both gamers and sneaker enthusiasts.

Answer 58

They collaborated with popular gaming influencers to generate buzz and reach a wider audience through reviews, playthroughs and social media promotions

Answer 59

assassin’s creed franchise has a strong, well developed fan base- this could benefit ubisoft as they can spend less money on marketing because the game is already well known and played by many gamers.

Answer 60

When companies branch into different types of media to increase their chances of success and reach audiences. The discovery tour is a perfect example of this.

Answer 61

Ubisoft know that the historical accuracy and quality of their games, there unique selling point, is what is successful and attracts audiences, and therefore by using this tried and tested formula but altering it slightly, they are appealing to audiences who do not enjoy violence, minimising risk and maximising audiences.

Answer 62

There should be a PEGI rating on any game - the ratings are either 3,7,12,16 and 18

Answer 63

Up until 2012, the video game industry was largely regulated by the BBFC (which also regulates films) and PEGI (which was not that well known at the time), now the video game industry is largely regulated by VSC- video standards council. The VSC have the responsibility of checking the games content and assigning an official PEGI age rating

Answer 64

an age rating system which provides consumers with information about gaming content. the PEGI code tells parents whether games contain depictions of violence, swearing, gambling etc. Games which carry PEGI 12,16 and 18 must not be sold or hired to persons under the respective age bar. The VSC are responsible for looking at the content of the game and assigning a relevant PEGI age rating

Answer 65

that parents can choose age appropriate games for their children, however in 2015 UKIE research revealed that just 2.5 parents buy their children age appropriate games.

Answer 66

an additional notice below the age rating label which informs consumers if an in-game purchase includes paid random items (such as loot boxes or card packs)

Answer 67

-players use stealth to discreetly kill human targets -players use weapons such as swords, axes, arrows and siege weapons to kill multiple enemies -combat is highlighted by screams of pain and frequent blood-splatter effects -some weapons allow players to decapitate enemies, zoomed in sequences depict victims bones, organs and muscles getting damaged -there is some sexual material; such as a mission taking place in a brothel, topless women straddling men, a character agreeing to lay with a man etc -a handful of sequences depict screen distortion/discolouration and impaired movements after the player's characters consume mushrooms. -characters can engage in drinking contests

Answer 68

The video standards council they have the responsibility of checking game content and assigning a relevant PRGI age rating for the game by looking at PEGI criteria. The VSC has a code of practise designed to promote high standards within the video and computer game industry. The VSC does deal with complaints but they are essentially an organisation to look after retailers.

Answer 69

1. it is essentially the industry self regulating themselves 2. it is too restrictive or too confusing, and that the American system is much broader and much more detailed with 6 different categories. 3. PEGI restricts personal choice as a gamer who is under a certain age cannot purchase the game

Answer 70

Bandura argues that the media can have a tremendous influence on the audience’s opinions and actions because we accept and absorb the text's intended meaning- the media can implant ideas into the mind of the audience directly. He also suggests that the media representations of transgressive behaviour such as violence or physical aggression can lead audience members to imitate those forms of behaviour such as committing violent and aggressive acts. The assassin’s creed franchise could be considered damaging to a passive young player due to the fact they are vicariously living through a character in a role playing game which is violent towards other humans. This is ultimately the reason the game received an 18 rating from PEGI due to largely violent content.

Answer 71

Livingstone and lunt suggest the needs of the consumer (variety and creativity) are often at odds with the needs of the citizens (protection from harmful materials). Traditional regulation is at risk due to increasingly globalised media industries, the risk of digital media and the way that products are marketed and distributed. Livingstone and lunt suggests that the principle function of the independent bodies who regulate the UK’s media is to protect children and other vulnerable groups from the effects of harmful content

Answer 72

Yasuke- an African Samurai Naoe- a fictional shinobi ninja character

Answer 73

the new game is highly reflective of Hesmondhalgh cultural industries theory- it could be said that Ubisoft are taking a major risk in the game by having the two central protagonists be both a female and a male character of colour- both tend to be very underpresented within the video game industry and could pose a risk to audiences responses and commercial success