Final Exam Preparation: GTA feaure

Final Exam Preparation: GTA feature

How long before release did the GTA V campaign begin?                                                                       

Star Trek

1) Pick out the five most significant aspects of the Star Trek campaign from the list above and explain why they were important in creating a buzz about the game.                                                                                  June 2011 E3 announcement and teaser trailer: This is important because this is where it all starts and everyone gets the news that there is a star trek on the way.

June 2012 – E3

Website and Twitter feed launched Updates on Facebook Game enemy (Gorn) announced Gameplay footage posted online Game producer Brian Miller interviewed: Because this gives the audience a lot of info which is going to make more excitement.

March 2013

Official advert released   Pre-order promotional boxes arrive in stores   Game co-promoted TV and radio adverts: This steps up a whole level because this is the point where the game is out of the paramount company.

April 2013

Previewed in game magazines    Gadget Show live game available to play    Gameplay footage on YouTube   Interview with Brian Miller released: This is what it all comes down to.

December 2012

Trailer posted on Paramount website     Release date announced: This gives the audience the release date which means the game is finalised.

2)Watch the following YouTube trailers and explain why they might appeal to an audience:

• Teaser trailer
• Xbox teaser trailer
• Full trailer
• Comedy trailer with William Shatner

3) How many views did these trailers receive in total?

       185767

4) Why did the Star Trek videogame publisher develop the marketing campaign over such a long time?

    They wanted the audience get hyped about it and grow desperate and impatient. They also wanted to generate a lot of word of mouth.

5) What other examples can you find online from the Star Trek marketing campaign? Print? Reviews? Broadcast? E-media? Do you feel the campaign as a whole was successful?

 

IGN: 'Terrible animation'

       'Boring action'               

        'Dumb plot'

        'Tons of bugs'

You may argue that the game advertising campaign because it created a lot of hype and word of mouth before the release of the game, however as soon as the game was released it all went wrong. Though you may say that this was not the advertisers fault but rather the developers.

AIDA Game Marketing

You will be allocated one of the games below and have to come up with a 10 minute marketing plan in a pair. Remember, you need to create an emotional connection with the audience. Plan the following:

Task 1
Summarise who might play the game and what platform they will play it on. Give it a title.                              Age 9-28              Gender 75% Male     25% Female                                                                                          Adventurous young men will play the game as we are aiming to make this game as mature as possible.            The platform this would be on is PC, because we feel we would have more freedom and we see PC gamers more passionate with games similar to this one.                                                                                           Our Title is going to be LOST.  

Task 2
Use AIDA to plan a 10 minute marketing campaign for the new game:

A: How will you create marketing materials that attract audience attention to the game?                                  We are going to make this the most talked about game on social networking sites by getting celebs to talk about this... why social networking sites? because our audience age group is more likely to spend more time on social networking sites.                                                                                                                             
I: How will you generate audience interest?                                                                                                    We will generate audience interest by showing gameplay and showing people playing the game (e.g. a group of friends playing the game and enjoying it). Additionally we are going to focus on the internet by producing viral videos and involving famous personalities. 
                                                                                                                                                                 D: How will you stimulate audience desire to buy the game?                                                                            We are going to release many teasers and game play trailers to keep the audience updated but not give away too much and keep them waiting. In other words we want to tease the audience. We would also release a demo for them to see the quality of the game and grow more impatient for the release date and so they may pre-order.                                                                                                                                                                     
A: How will you promote audience action?                                                                                                       At the end of each trailer we would add websites to go onto to see more of the game feature, also include the websites and stores to buy it from.

Planetside 2

Planetside 2 is an MMOFPS (Massively Multiplayer On-line First Person Shooter) game that is free to play on-line. It is a war game set in a sci-fi environment. 

Players elect to join one of three factions (The Terran Republic; The Vanu Sovereignty and The New Conglomerates) all of which are fighting for territory in the online environment. 

Answer the following questions on your blog:

Use the Planetside 2 Wikipedia entry to answer the following questions:

1. What is Planetside 2?                                                                                                                           A free-to-play massively multiplayer online first-person shooter.
2. What genre does the game belong to?                                                                                                   free-to-play massively multiplayer online first-person shooter
3. Planetside 2 developer/publisher:                                                                                                         Sony online entertainment
4. When was it launched?                                                                                                                          November 20 2012
5. How does the gameplay work?                                                                                                              In the game each team has their own lobby and the will fight against other teams.                                                                                                             
6. What are the six different player classes in the game?                                                                           The Infiltrator                                                                                                                                     The Light                                                                                                                                           The Combat Medic                                                                                                                            The Engineer                                                                                                                                   The Heavy Assault                                                                                                                           The MAX class
7. What is the story or narrative to the game?                                                                                          There are three different armies who stand up for different beliefs and mindsets, you pick one to join and battle  for domination.

Business model

Now look at the section on the Planetside 2 business model.

1. How much does Planetside 2 cost to play?                                                                                             Its for Free!
2. What does a subscription offer to players?                                                                                            Offers player upgrades                                                                                                                       
3. What can the in-game currency be used to buy?                                                                                     Upgrade guns, health, ammo
4. Why do some players dislike games in which users can buy additional weapons or health?                        The richer would have a better chance than the poor

The three factions

Summarise the three factions that players can join in the game:

The Terran Republic: Become soldiers, fighting the same way it has always been, easily for honour, duty and justice

The Vanu Sovereignty: For those who are not averagely intelligent, a war zone for those with wisdom, strength and seek enlightenment.

The New Conglomerates: They simply need change, they fight against oppression and for freedom, to conclude, this group is for the REBELS.

Watch the recruitment videos again for Planetside 2:

The Terran Republic recruitment video

The Vanu Sovereignty recruitment video

The New Conglomerates recruitment video

Planetside 2: Target audience

Write a possible target audience demographic for Planetside 2 in general:

Gender/age/social class/education/employment/location etc.

Now write a target audience demographic for each faction from Planetside 2 – it will be similar to the overall target audience but think carefully about changes in age, education or employment:

The Terran Republic

The Vanu Sovereignty

The New Conglomerates

Now use what you have learned about psychographic profiling to choose potential psychographic groups for each of the three factions:

The Terran Republic

The Vanu Sovereignty

The New Conglomerates

Explain why those psychographic groups would fit that particular faction.

Task 1: developers and publishers

Research the following game developers/publishers:

Rockstar Games
Background: Founded in 1998 based in New York City
Owner/founder: Terry Donovan
Most successful games: GTA (grand theft auto)
Interesting fact about the institution: On GTA V, Rockstar games spent a sum of 300 million dollars and received it all back only on pre-sales. 

EA (Electronic Arts)
Background: Founded in 1982 based in Redwood city
Owner/founder: Trip Hawkins
Most successful games: The Sims
Interesting fact about the institution: Their most successful game (The Sims) is the worlds most successful pc game ever and they have been awarded 5 different Guinness world records.

Zynga
Background: Founded in 2007 and based in San Francisco
Owner/founder: Mark Pincus
Most successful games: Farmville
Interesting fact about the institution: Zynga is named after the found (Mark Pincus') dog.

Nintendo
Background: Founded in 1889 based in Kyoto Japan
Owner/founder: Fusajiro Yamauchi (founder) & Saturu Iwata (Global President)
Most successful games: Mario
Interesting fact about the institution: 4 of the top 10 selling games is Produced and Developed by Nintendo.

Sony Computer Entertainment
Background: Founded 1993 and based in Tokyo Japan
Owner/founder: Andrew House
Most successful games: Tekken
Interesting fact about the institution: The playstation was the result of a failed collaboration between Sony and Nintendo  

Task 2: Advertising agencies

Look at the following advertising agency websites:

W+K Amsterdam

1. What do the letters stand for? (Clue: look at the very bottom of the website)                                         Wieden and Kennedy
2. What brands have W+K Amsterdam advertised?                                                                                    Heineken
3. In your opinion, what is the most creative campaign on their website?                                                   I believe their most creative campaign is their new Coca Cola campaign, which is about connecting four people from rural areas in the world (including Palestine) in the world cup.
4. What videogame campaigns have they created?                                                                                    Fifa
5. What additional information can you find out about the FIFA14 advertising campaign?                            The rapper Drake promoted fifa14 and his album at the same time during FIFA14 advertising campaign                         

Rokkan

1. How long has the Rokkan advertising agency been around for?                                                               Since 2000
2. Where is Rokkan based?                                                                                                                      New Jersey
3. What brands have Rokkan advertised?                                                                                                  Canon Cinema EOS
4. Why was Rokkan's campaign for the videogame 'Dishonored' so successful?                                             They took a unique idea and title and made it to one of the most talked about games in the world
5. Who was the publisher for 'Dishonored'?                                                                                                Bethesda softworks

Task 3: Regulatory bodies

PEGI

Visit the PEGI website and have a look around. 

Now click on the FAQ section of the website and answer the following questions:

1. What is PEGI and where is PEGI based?                                                                                                 Pan European Game Information is a European video game content rating system.
2. How does PEGI rate games?                                                                                                                Self Regulated                                                                                                                                Eight content descriptors                                                                                                                    5 age categories                                                                                                                                  The descriptors advice the suitability and content of a game for one of the 5 age categories. 
3. What are the age classifications used by PEGI?                                                                                      3+ 7+ 12+ 15+ 18+
4. What are the seven aspects that PEGI look for when giving a game a rating (e.g. violence)?                   Content of the game, violence, bad language, fear/horror, sex, drugs, gambling, discrimination and online.
5. What is PEGI online? What does PEGI online regulate?                                                                            PEGI online regulates regulates the content and suitability for games made and put online.

ASA

Visit the Advertising Standards Authority website and have a look around. 

Now click on the About section of the ASA website and answer the following questions:

1. What is the ASA's mission?                                                                                                                   ASA's mission is to ensure that advertising in all media is legal, honest, decent and truthful, to the benefit of consumers, business and society.
2. What are the ASA's values?                                                                                                                  

   Our values

   Our shared values are to be:
   • Consistent and proportionate
   • Reliable and ethical
   • Fair and respectful to all
   • Accessible and helpful
   • Intelligent and thorough, but also timely and proportionate
   • Open and accountable, acting with integrity and never being afraid to admit when we’re wrong
   • An excellent team, inspiring excellence in each other
   Our external stakeholders will also find us:
   • Independent in administering the Advertising Codes
   • Evidence-based, targeted and consistent
   • Reflective of society, not a social engineer

Now click on the Rulings section of the website. This is where the ASA reports on recent complaints and whether they upheld the complaint or rejected it.

Choose one of the complaints and write the following:

1. The company that was advertising:                                                                                                      Paramount Pictures UK
2. Why someone complained:                                                                                                                    He/She thought that this game would be too scary and distressing for kids and it was put before a game on a children's website
3. Whether the complaint was upheld and why:                                                                                          Upheld
   The ASA considered the overall tone and the content of the ad, including in particular the scene of two young girls with a ghostly appearance and no eyes speaking in demonic voices, was likely to cause harm and distress to children.

If you complete everything in class, choose another complaint and write about what it involved and whether it was upheld. Do you agree with the ruling?

Name of game: Grand Theft Auto V

Release date: September 17th 2013

Institutions behind the game (game studio/publisher): Rockstar Games/Rockstar North

Print

1. What print adverts were used to advertise the game? Find examples and post them on your blog.            
2. What key conventions of print adverts can you find on the example you have chosen? Product name? Font? Slogan? Central image? Colour?                                                                                                    On this print advert I could see the product name which is in the famous GTA font, the central image also tells us what this game is all about.                                                                                               
3. Find three reviews for your game that were originally published in videogame magazines. Are they positive or negative about the game? Copy and paste one quote from each review.                                 "Memorable missions, barnstorming heists, amusing side objectives and an almost impossibly immersive world to explore" This review is positive.                                                                                                                                                    " Crime, violence, sex, drugs, and alcohol = not for kids." Negative review                                            
4. Did your game feature on any videogame magazine front covers? Find examples and explain why a front cover feature is so successful in promoting a game to its target audience.                                            A front cover feature is successful in promoting a game because the usual readers of this magazines attention will be brought straight to the game.

Broadcast

1. Did your chosen game use a TV advert to promote the game? Embed it from YouTube if it did.                 
2. Is there a game trailer on YouTube? Embed it on your blog and explain why it is effective in promoting the game to its target audience.   
3. Can you find any other broadcast features on the game - interviews, launch party events, video reviews, clips of the gameplay on YouTube etc. Write about how they effectively promote the game to its target audience.

E-media

1. Visit your chosen game's official website. How does it attract and maintain the interest of its target audience?
2. Are there any creative or interesting aspects to the game's official website?
3. Does the game have a YouTube channel?
4. Can you find any examples of user-generated content on YouTube that players have created and uploaded from the game? Embed any examples on your blog.
5. How does user-generated content such as gameplay videos help to promote the game?
6. How many 'likes' has your chosen game's Facebook wall had?
7. Choose five of the posts on the Facebook page's wall, screengrab them and explain how they appeal to the game's target audience.
8. What is your chosen game's Twitter hashtag?
9. How did the campaign use Twitter to promote the game?
10. Can you find any other creative uses of e-media to promote the game? This might include hashtags, competitions, Instagram, user-generated campaigns or anything else that is designed to draw attention to the game.

Other

1. What else can you find from the marketing and promotion of your chosen game? A launch event? Stories appearing in newspapers? Celebrity endorsement? Scandal or controversy?
2. Write down anything else of interest at the end of your case study blogpost.