Just Dance 2014 case study

Print

1.

2. The image above contains a man standing holding the game 'Just Dance 2014'. The background of where the man is standing has 'UBISOFT' (the developer) and the game name. The game cover has the name of the game, institution, PEGI. They have intelligently used a male as the central image. This is because it introduces a male audience. It is a colourful front cover with orange, blue and pink being dominating. It is striped behind the characters which represent each person. Blue is for males, orange for tomboys and pink is for girly females.

3.

'There's almost nothing new in Just Dance 2014. From a technical point of view , the game is substantially identical to last year's game. Yet, thanks to a plethora of modes and songs, the total 

value of the game is quite high.'

'This game is lot better than Just Dance 4. I have waited multiplayer the most with my friends. We all have wii and we wanted to play in our homes. New dance modes are good but I still feel like something is missing.' 

'Just Dance 2014 is about the about as good as it gets when it comes to a virtual dancing  simulation game for your Wii U. With over 48 tracks available at launch and the possibility of more DLC to come, it is perfect for those tweens, teens and adults looking for a fun social game to play.'

4. The game never featured on a magazine front cover.

Broadcast

1.This TV advert includes only normal people in it dancing. The song used is by Katy Perry 'ROAR' which is in the game. Also, there are objects/signs which represent Just Dance. For example, on the door it says 'JUST DANCE TO ENTER'. In the beginning it has names of all the singer artists with their dance route in it with the song in the background of course. 

2. The trailer shows many people uniting together as a team or playing against each other around the World. This is effective as the audience would be able to interpret that they can challenge their friends globally. Also, it shows many people playing the game which then infers a group of people can play the game like a family or friends. In the end it says the release date and the front cover of the game (information like institution).

3. The first video is an interview with a developer and the other is a demo of the game.

E-Media

1. The official website is attractive as it is colourful and is easy to navigate. There is a tweet update at the side informing their audience who aren't on tweeter about the game. It could potentially persuade them to create a tweeter account. There is a slideshow with little adverts available to be watched. This would influence an audience to buy their game as it shows more gameplay which would probably be colourful with different people and different shots being used quickly to build tension and excitement. 

2. The website has a link saying 'HOW TO BUY MORE SONGS'. This is intelligent because the gamers of Just Dance 2014 could potentially be bored of the same song and dance available.

3. It does have a YouTube channel.

4. Gamers enjoying Just Dance 2014

5. The YouTubers that post their gameplay of the game is like a review. They are able to form an opinion and share it with their viewers. Depending on how highly rated the YouTuber is, is also a factor because they could change/form some of their viewers opinions about the game.

6. Facebook likes: 6720587

7.

8. #JUSTDANCE2014

9.

Star Trek

Star Trek

1.

June 2011

E3 announcement and teaser trailer

This is effective because 'Trekers' would be able to see their loved film be transformed into a game. This would build the hype for the game and there would probably be reviews from people who saw gameplay at E3.

2.

April 2012

New teaser trailer released

This is vital so the audience for the game doesn't disappear because there hasn't been any new advertisements or information about the game.

3.

June 2012

Website and Twitter feed launched

Updates on Facebook

Game enemy (Gron) announced 

Gameplay footage posted online

Game producer Brian Miller interviewed

This is crucial because the fans of the game would be able to visit social networking sites and see photos, gameplay, information about the game. Also, there would be reviews on YouTube about Star Trek's game.

4.

March 2013

Official advert released

Pre-order promotional boxes arrive in stores

Game co-promoted TV and radio adverts

This method would help Star Trek develop their marketing campaign because the advert would say when the game would be released, where to pre-order the game etc. In GAME for example, they would have 'Star Trek' advertised outside or inside the store or possibly on the website. The Star Trek audience could be between the ages of 20-50 years. Therefore, if they have a car, they would probably hear advertisements on the radio.

5.

Previewed in game magazines 

Gadget Show live game available to play

Gameplay footage on YouTube 

Interview with Brain Miller released

This is important because in magazines there will be reviews (positive/negative). Therefore, the audience for Star Trek would be able to see whether the gamer has good or bad reviews. Also, there would be more pictures of the game in the magazines. The gadget show showing gameplay would boost Star Trek's marketing campaign significantly because many people who watch the show would see the live gameplay. YouTube footage is good because its also another way of showing reviews on the game.



Teaser trailer
The trailer would appeal to an audience because some people like violent games, shooting, explosions etc.

Xbox teaser trailer
The trailer is the same as the teaser trailer above with the same gameplay (shooting, explosions).

Institution

Videogame advertising

Task 1

Rockstar games

Rockstar was founded in 1998 by the British video game producers Sam Houser, Dan Houser, Terry Donavan, Jaime King and Gary Foreman in Ney York city, Ney York, United states. The owner is Take Two Interactive which is an American multinational publisher, developer and distributor of video games and video game peripherals. It’s most successful games are Grand Theft Auto and especially GTA 5 as it spent $300million to produce the copies and instantly made a profit before the game was released, Max Payne, Midnight Club, L.A. Noire etc. The key people of Rockstar are British and the developer’s headquarter is in America.

EA

Electronic Arts was founded on May 28 1982. It was founded in America and their headquarters is in California United States of America. It was founded by an American called Trip Hawkins. It’s most successful games are the Battlefield series, FIFA series, NBA series, Harry Potter series, Mass Effects etc. It had 9,370 employees in 2013.

Zynga

Zynga was founded on July 2007. The founders are Mark Pincus, Eric Schiermeyer, Michael Luxton, Justin Waldron, Kyle Stewart, Scott Dale and Steve Schoettler. It was founded in San Francisco California. Their games are on phone and androids and would most likely to be found on social network sites.

Nintendo

Nintendo is located in Japan and was founded on September 23 1889. The founder is Fusajiro Yamauchi. It’s most successful game is Mario kart. This is because the Mario series are only produced for Nintendo and they are family games.

Sony Computer Entertainment

Sony is located Tokyo, Japan. It was founded on November 16 1993. The key people for Sony are Andrew House, Shuhei Yoshida and Shawn Layden etc. Sony doesn’t create game because they allow games to be played.

Task 2

W+K Amsterdam

W + K stands for Widen + Kennedy. It is best known for its work for Nike. It has also worked with brands like Facebook, Coca Cola, ESPN, HONDA, Microsoft, 3 Mobile etc. I think the Electronic Arts is the best campaign because it involves a significant amount of football and especially FIFA information on the page. It has pictures and text about recent FIFA’s like the TV and print adverts. It also covers other games like Battlefield, Need For Speed and Burnout. There is a picture of Gerad Pique in casual clothes holding a pair of very unique socks standing in front of a snowy background implying its Christmas. The little text that comes with it emphasises he doesn’t want socks because he wants FIFA 12. These are all the games they had a campaign for. The FIFA 14 advert didn’t only use Lionel Messi, they also used other footballers in their print, broadcast and e-media. It would mainly footballers that represent their country as they inspire the people there.

ROKKAN

It was launched in 2000 from a living room in New Jersey. Rokkan is based in Ney York, Los Angeles and Chicago in the United States.

Planetside 2

Planetside 2

1. Planetside 2 is a free-to-play massively multiplayer online first person shooter published by Sony Online           Entertainment and released on November 20 2012

2. It is a FPS game which means the players have the ability to see out of the computer soldiers eyes. 

3. The developer and publisher are Sony Online Entertainment in the United States and Canada.
4. Planetside 2 was launched on November 20 2012
5.
The game is played with a gamer controlling a soldier from one specific team.There are three different teams that one can fight for. There are 2000 players per continent on foot or land/air vehicles.  The territory system differs greatly from that of the original, being more free-form and based on a hexagonal territory control system. SOE has been taking into account balance issues from the first game. As stated by creative director Matthew Higby, they reward combatants on lower population empires through mechanics such as proportionally increased advancement rates and resources to aid the balance of overall empire saturation on each server as much as possible without force-restricting players from being able to play with their friends.

6.
The six different player classes are:

• The Infiltrator is a sniper class with special abilities of cloaking and hacking, and can use sniper rifles, scout rifles and submachine guns to deliver a devastating effect.
• The Light Assault class is a scout who uses carbines, submachine guns and shotguns. The Light Assault's special ability is Jump Jets, which allow them to fly through the air for a short period of time.
• The Combat Medic is a healing class. Their weapons include assault rifles, shotguns and submachine guns. The Combat Medic's special abilities allows them to heal and resurrect other players.
• The Engineer class has the special ability of repairing vehicles, turrets, and MAX Units. The engineer also has the ability to build anti-infantry and anti-vehicle turrets. The Engineer's weapons include carbines, shotguns submachine guns and battle rifles.
• The Heavy Assault class has light machine guns, submachine guns, shotguns, batte rifles, and also Rocket Launchers, which are effective at destroying enemy vehicles. They also have the special ability of shields to help them endure heavy fire.
• The MAX class has a mobile armored suit that allows them to take significant damage before dying. However, due to the suit they are also the slowest class. They have access to anti-infantry, anti-vehicle, and anti-air weapons. Max units cost resources to use.

7.
Planetside 2 is a science fiction massively multiplayer set approximately 300 years after the discovery of Auraxis, although the chronology of the game universe starts a few years before. After the Earth has nearly come to ruin following a devastating war, the world's governments came to a consensus and united under one banner: the world-wide Terran Republic (TR). Some time later a wormhole, one which scientists fail to explain, appears and then disappears without a trace. There are three factions (teams) that fight for different purposes. 

Business model

1. Planetside 2 is free to play and includes a cash shop for players to purchase in-game convenience items         and cosmetic changes using real money. This is how they will attempt to make a profit.

2. Having a subscription provides players with increased experience, cert points and extra resources which       are used to acquire things like grenades and medical kits. 

3. There were only secondary weapons available only for aircrafts for the Beta.
4. Some gamers hate other gamers who buy additional items for themselves because they feel that they have     cheated and had to buy themselves to the top. Mainly gamers who are not good at a particular game and       are rich can buy themselves to division 1.

The three factions you are able to join:

• The Terran Republic- they fight for honour, justice, duty, saviour,tradition. The audience Psychographic is mainstream.
• The vanu Sovereignty- they fight for truth, enlightenment, wisdom, strength and intelligence. The audience Psychographic are succeeder or reformer or explores 
• The New Conglomerates- they fight for freedom.

Planetside 2 target audience 

Terran Republic:
Age 16-30
Male 75% Female 25%
Student 60%
Working 58%
Social class C2

Vanu Sovereignty 
Age 18-35
85% Male Female 15%
Student 30%
Full time 40%
Part time 20%
Social Class C1

New Conglomerates
Age 16-25
Male 90% Female 10%
Student 70%
Job 30%
Social class C2

Wii party

Wii Party

General research 

1. When was Wii Party released on Nintendo Wii?

It was released on the 8th of October 2010 in Europe.

2. Which developer/institution developed Wii Party?

The developers are Nd Cube and Nintendo SPD Group No. 4

3. How many copies has the game sold since release?

The game has sold 7.94 million copies Worldwide as of March 2012.

Broadcast

1.What are the key conventions of a videogame TV advert? What would you expect to see in most                 videogame TV adverts?  

The key conventions are including celebrities, platform availability, branding, release date, title, slogan, rating, age rating (mainly in the beginning), institution, website address, social media, Hash-tags (call to action). 

• I would expect to see either celebrities or gamers for the specific game explaining briefly the key features of the game or playing the game. 
• This links to footage of the game in the advert with either music in the background or speech from people in the video. The music would be able to make the advert dramatic and make the audience feel associated with the game play. Also, the actions of players in the advert could also emphasis relations between an audience and the gamer on the advert. 
• The platform availability would mainly go in the end with branding, release date, title, slogan and the call to action. 

 2. How many of the key conventions you have listed above appear in the Wii Party TV adverts? List              them with specific details from the Wii Party TV adverts.

The advert includes celebrities, gamers, gameplay of the gamers, speech (with background music) from celebrities.

3. What is the typical setting for Wii Party TV adverts? Why is that setting used?
It is at home to infer its a family game.

4. How might the setting appeal to families?
The adverts are in homes where families are usually together and may not interact. Wii party would be able to unite families and communicate.

5. What celebrities do the adverts feature?

JLS, the Redknapps and Ant and Dec.

6. What do you notice about the celebrities' costume and make-up?
They wear causal clothes to show the audience anyone can play the game.

7. Why do you think those particular celebrities were chosen?

I think that those particular celebrities were chosen for a purpose because JLS advertise for friends and the Redknapps advertise for families.

8. What do the celebrities suggest about the Wii Part target audience?

The celebrities suggest that the game is for family and friends.

9. What else can you learn about the Wii Party target audience from the TV adverts? Suggest a demographic profile: gender, age, social class etc.

The demographic profile is for 60% Females & 40% Males aged 5-40, working class/ student.

10. What audience pleasures do the Wii Party TV adverts offer to viewers? Refer to Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory when answering this question.

The adverts develop personal identity with the audience because many people could potentially see themselves playing the same game as the celebrities. Also, it forms a relationship because the audience would know Ant and Dec as funny and entertaining people. Therefore, people would be used to seeing them making jokes.

11. What examples of branding can you find in the Wii Party TV adverts - either for the game itself or Nintendo Wii?

In the end of the advert, it has a 'WII PARTY' logo. This is there for people to know what the game is called.

12. Do you think the TV adverts were effective for promoting the Wii Party game?
Yes I think so because Nintendo were able to add famous people in the advert to ensure they made a social relationship with as many people as possible. This would lead to people wanting Wii party because it has JLS playing it.

Print

1. Find a Wii Party review from a magazine or newspaper. What does the review suggest about the target audience for the game? http://www.officialnintendomagazine.co.uk/20368/reviews/wii-party-review-review/

The review informs the viewers that Wii Party is for families.

2. Is the review positive or negative about the game? Copy and paste one quote from the review to support this view.

The review is positive: 'We adore this mode and it makes for one of the best two-player co-op experiences you'll find on the Wii.'

3.Do you think magazine reviews are effective in promoting the game to Wii Party's target audience?

I think they are effective for some games. Not as many people who enjoy playing PlayStation or X box enjoy playing Wii. Therefore, whenever a review is published about PlayStation or X box, some people would probably ignore it and purchase the game. However, with the Wii, I think people (mainly teenagers and people in early 20's) may not care about the review because they dislike the Wii anyway.

E-media

1.Visit the Wii Party website. How does it attract and maintain the interest of a Wii Party fan?
It is colourful and bright. It includes links leading to other Wii gadgets and games that people can click on and learn more about Wii. Also, it has links for Wii party like 'Party games' and 'house party'.

2.What do you notice about the people in the scrolling central image featured on the website?
The people are in the same room. The main objective Wii are attempting to accomplish is that they send a message to their audience that Wii party is for friends, families or groups of people.

3. How many times can you find the words 'friends' or 'family' used on the official website? Why do you think the website emphasises this aspect of the game?
On the intro page, it only says family and friends once for both.

4. What is the colour scheme for the website? What does this suggest about the target audience?
The colour scheme is white and pink. I think is because it is mainly based at the women gender.

5. Look at the 'Video Gallery' on the official website. What do the 'Invitation' videos suggest about the Wii Party target audience?
It suggests whenever your bored, Wii party would be able to change your mood positively. 

6. How many 'likes' has the Wii Party/Wii Party U Facebook wall had?
They have had 13,946 likes

7. How does the Wii Party Facebook wall cross-promote other Nintendo games? Find three examples and explain why they appeal to the Wii Party target audience.
It includes other games on the Wii, it promotes Wii U and Wii remotes. The games are used to be played, the Wii U can be utilised to play Wii party. 

8.Wii Party does not have such a strong presence on other social networking sites. Why do you think this is?
On Facebook you are allowed to design a wall. Therefore, Wii party have utilised this to add white and pink as their colour scheme. However, on Twitter for example you can't can only post pictures or comments/statements.

9. Which platform do you think is strongest in promoting Wii Party to its target audience - broadcast, print or e-media? Why?
I thinks broadcast is the best method because Nintendo are able to use famous groups of people to emphasises that any group of people can enjoy their game.

Phone and Tablet gaming

Phone and Tablet gaming

Candy Crush Saga

1. It is estimated to make £610,000 a day according to Appdata

2. They make their money from advertising their game on websites mainly social networking            sites (i.e. Facebook).

3. 500 million people have installed Candy crush.

4. People can play the game on their laptops while scrolling through Facebook, on their phone       on the bus or train to work, then they can switch on their tablet and continue from where they       left off. 28% of gamers play at work.

5. Candy crush was released on a variety of days for a mix of different platforms/devices. April        2012 it was released on Facebook, November 2012 on IOS and December 2012 it                    launched on Android.

6. It reached 500 million downloads on November 2013.

7. A typical Candy Crush gamer is a women in her 25-45's.

8.25% have bought in-game features.

9. 30% say they are addicted.

10. I have never played, but I see some of my friends and family playing. They make the game sound hard and problem solving.



The 'daily mail' says the audience for candy crush is dominated by women from the ages 25-55. One women played for eight hours. Candy Crush have ensured players are able to save their progress on a certain device (phone) and then be able to resume the game on a tablet. The game is based at people who take a transport provided my the area (London Transport), work, long journeys, playing it at home. They have done this because Candy Crush is played on portable devices which means they can be used anywhere. Therefore, when people are on their breaks, on their way to work or are bored they are capable of picking up their tablet, phone or laptop and play Candy Crush Saga.

case study Battlefield 4

Battlefield 4

Release date was on October 29 2013
The institution is EA .

1.Print examples:

The print above advertises 'MEDAL OD HONOR'. However, Battlefield have cross promoted with with them because below the title it says if gamers were to pre-order Medal of Honor, they get early access to Battlefield 4's BETA (demo).

2. Battlefield have kept the series name and added the next level (4). The colour scheme is black and orange, release date and slogan. Central image is of a marine running toward the camera with vehicles.

3. 'Another solid dose of intense multiplayer action makes it easier to overlook yet another underwhelming single-player campaign.' 
This review is positive and negative. This is because it mentions that Battlefield's multiplayer is exciting. However, its story mode is not as good. 
'Battlefield 4's multiplayer largely takes its cues from the pre-existing playbook, mixing some long-lost ideas with a few innovations that enhance teamwork.'
This review is positive because it talks about the features in the multiplayer.

4. It has featured on front covers. This is a good thing because the people that see the magazine would realise Battlefield because it's success. They could potentially interpret that Battlefield 4 is a good game because its on the front cover of a magazine instead of highly rated games like 'Fifa 14' or 'COD'. 

Broadcast

1. Yes they do have a TV advert.

2. Yes there is a game trailer. The review I found basically said the multiplayer is the only good thing about Battlefield 4. In the trailer they Battlefield only showed multiplayer gameplay. They added new features to the game and uploaded them on the trailer to build up the tension for Battlefield.

3. This is a conference with a person who was part of the making of Battlefield. The video in the beginning has many ordinary people briefly describing their opinion on the game (epic, next gen).

E-Media 

1. Battlefield has a website called 'Battlelog'. This is a website only for BF4 gamers where they can customise guns, vehicles, helicopters etc. However, this isn't the official site. But it includes the colour scheme of  black and orange and a few pictures of in-game warfare.

2. Yes Battlefield has its own YouTube channel.  

3.

4. This is Battlefield gameplay from a famous YouTuber called Vikkstar123.

5. Many of YouTuber's (who play Battlefield) fans, could potentially see Battlefield gameplay and form their own opinion.
6.7084003 likes.
7.
8. #battlefield
9. they sent out tweets telling followers about release dates and updates for the game.
10.