Write a review of a contemporary computer game to demonstrate an understanding of audiences

Marketing of computer games is extremely important. In a crowded market it is often difficult to make products stand out. Different strategies are employed such as courting controversy as you have seen in previous tasks. Another tactic is to appeal to ‘retro’ gamers in marketing classic games that audiences have fond memories of such as the Mario Brothers franchise.

Another key tactic is to set the agenda with positive reviews. A new game has to push the boundaries and provide a new gaming experience.  Influencing the agenda of magazines, newspapers and online reviews can affect sales. 

Your task is to provide a positive review of a computer game that you are familiar with.  You don’t need to be familiar with console games as games on mobile phones and on social media sites like Facebook are part of the industry.  The important thing is that you are enthusiastic about the game and can influence an audience through your use of language.  You need to identify an audience by picking the publication that your review will be published in. For instance, a review of ‘Farmville’  may appear in a magazine aimed at a female market.

·       You must study a range of reviews to understand the conventions of writing for this purpose.

·       You must then write a review for a computer game that you are familiar with.

·       You are answering the examination question below in a creative way.

Discuss the audience appeal of your text

·       Research a range of reviews for computer games. The links in the resources section are a good place to start.

·       Identify the audience by stating the publication or online web-site that your review will appear in

·       Write a response to the examination question in a creative way by writing a positive review of a computer game. This will show an awareness of the audience for your chosen game.

·       In writing the review you will be covering the following examination question

Discuss the audience appeal of your text

Although print versions of these magazines are popular you can also find easily accessible online versions

Edge magazine claims to be the ‘leading magazine for the games industry’ and has many reviews and helpful advice about how to get into the industry

http://www.edge-online.com/

This magazine has a range of reviews

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/#

Each console has their own specialist magazines and this link will take you to one for the X-Box

http://www.oxm.co.uk/

This magazine claims to be the largest source for reviews in the world

http://uk.gamespot.com/reviews.html?mode=top&sortdir=asc

Analyse computer games in relation to the gender of audiences

Computer games are often associated with male audiences. However, research has shown that there is a large female audience of gamers that defies this myth.

In this task you will conduct your own primary research to see if the pre-conceptions about audiences are correct. You will also discuss your findings in light of links to articles in the resources section, which discuss female audiences.

There used to be an argument that men are less likely to read literature. However, this is a simplistic analysis and it may be that men read different kinds of texts to women.  Likewise there are a range of types of computer games that appeal to differing audiences.  In the past decade ‘casual’ gaming has become more popular and is associated with the rise in gaming for mobile phones and on social media web-sites such as ‘Facebook.’  Whilst men form the main audience for traditional consoles it is a female audience which, ‘arguably’ dominates the ‘casual’ gaming market.

Devise a questionnaire positing questions such as the ones below;

·       Do you think more women or men play computer games?

·       What was the last game that you played?

·       Do you play games on your mobile phone?

·       Do you play games on social media sites like Facebook?

Discuss the audience appeal of your text

Referring to the question, provide a written response using the texts that you have studied and your secondary research to offer your view.

·       In pairs devise a questionnaire consisting of 10 questions

·       Conduct the questionnaire using a sample of 30 people

·       Analyse your findings

·       Respond to this examination question

Discuss the audience appeal of your text.

This article is about the female audience for genres that are considered to be aimed at a male audience

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/jun/19/women-fighting-back-battle-geek-culture

This article is about women who work in the computer games industry

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/dec/08/women-videogames-designing-writing?INTCMP=SRCH

This video provides a fast paced and visual account of the female audience for computer games and why the common perception is that most games are aimed at men.  For example, Women play non-console games and ‘casual games’ such as on mobiles and on social media.  Different platforms such as Nintendo’s Wii and games such as ‘Bejewelled’ on ‘Facebook’ are more popular than traditional console based games.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8ZVZRsy8N8

This gamer provides a personal video account of her perspective of the industry

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IH_BUIjPaw&feature=fvwrel

A link to research into audiences for computer games suggesting that the gender gap is not as large as we thought

http://www.iabuk.net/blog/10-uk-video-game-audience-stats