Audience
Read this App Store description and the customer reviews for The Sims FreePlay and answer the following questions:
1) What game information is provided on this page? Pick out three elements you think are important in terms of making the game appeal to an audience.
'Create their story' - ability to design your own sims and control their lives
'Virtual community' - emphasis on the ability to control every aspect of the game and create your own world/lives
'Real life connect' - ability to connect with other real players
2) How does the game information on this page reflect the strong element of participatory culture in The Sims?
Links directing players to their twitter, facebook and instagram communities
3) Read a few of the user reviews. What do they suggest about the audience pleasures of the game?
Links to audience pleasures - escapism, personal relationships, entertainment
Participatory culture
Read this academic journal article - The Sims: A Participatory Culture 14 Years On. Answer the following questions:
1) What did The Sims designer Will Wright describe the game as?
He originally described the game as a train set or a doll house.
2) Why was development company Maxis initially not interested in The Sims?
They weren't interested as they believed that 'doll houses were for girls and girls don't play video games.'
3) What is ‘modding’? How does ‘modding’ link to Henry Jenkins’ idea of ‘textual poaching’?
Modding is where players manipulate the games coding to change aspects of the game. This links to Jenkins' idea as players are remaking/reworking game content which contributes to the game.
4) Look specifically at p136. Note down key quotes from Jenkins, Pearce and Wright on this page.
Jenkins:
"There were already more than fifty fan Web sites dedicated to The Sims. Today, there are thousands."
Pearce:
"The original Sims series has the most vibrant emergent fan culture of a single-player game in history."
Wright:
"We were probably responsible for the first million or so units sold but it was the community which really brought it to the next level."
5) What examples of intertextuality are discussed in relation to The Sims? (Look for “replicating works from popular culture”)
Star Trek, Star Wars, The X-Files, Japanese anime and manga, Lord of the Rings, The Matrix
6) What is ‘transmedia storytelling’ and how does The Sims allow players to create it?
Transmedia storytelling is where the original story is dispersed among multiple forms of media. The Sims allows players to create it by allowing them to create their own stories and share them through the in game social media to other players. Players also create films/comics using the game which they share online.
7) How have Sims online communities developed over the last 20 years?
The communities have developed as there was once only 50 online communities but this has grown to thousands over time. There is also large groups of models who are trying to share their knowledge to new models and keep the game entertaining so that it doesn't die.
8) What does the writer suggest The Sims will be remembered for?
The writer suggests it will be remembered for its long lasting cult following and for the impact it had in shaping the foundation for in game participatory culture.
Read this Henry Jenkins interview with James Paul Gee, writer of Woman as Gamers: The Sims and 21st Century Learning (2010).
1) Why does James Paul Gee see The Sims as an important game?
Gee believes the game is important as it acts as a gateway from gaming to designing.
2) What does the designer of The Sims, Will Wright, want players to do with the game?
He wants players to create their own content and organise communities around the game.
3) Do you agree with the view that The Sims is not a game – but something else entirely?
I somewhat agree, I believe the sims is more than just a game, It’s a creative space. However, it does still have many a characteristics of a game and players still have to make strategic decisions.
Industries
Electronic Arts & Sims FreePlay industries focus
Read this Pocket Gamer interview with EA’s Amanda Schofield, Senior Producer on The Sims FreePlay at EA's Melbourne-based Firemonkeys studio. Answer the following questions:
1) How has The Sims FreePlay evolved since launch?
It started as just a few characters, small world and a few careers but over time developed to give players more choice and freedom.
2) Why does Amanda Schofield suggest ‘games aren’t products any more’?
She says games aren’t products, they’re services. She says this because games are no longer a one off sale, they require constant updates to keep the game alive.
3) What does she say about The Sims gaming community?
Very active and always looking for new content/updates.
4) How has EA kept the game fresh and maintained the active player base?
Regular updates and listening to feedback from their community/players.
5) How many times has the game been installed and how much game time in years have players spent playing the game? These could be great introductory statistics in an exam essay on this topic.
200m+ downloads and 78,000+ years
Read this blog on how EA is ruining the franchise (or not) due to its downloadable content. Answer the following questions:
control, escapism, personal relationships
2) What examples of downloadable content are presented?
Expansion packs and stuff packs
3) How did Electronic Arts enrage The Sims online communities with expansion packs and DLC?
They removed part of an expansion pack so they could resell it.
4) What innovations have appeared in various versions of The Sims over the years?
sims 1 created the niche for life simulation games
Sims 2 refined the virtual families, allowing players to create multi-generational legacies.
The Sims 3 gave access to “every inch of a hyper-realistic world.”
The Sims 4 innovations include:“the capability to travel between multiple neighbourhoods,”“download other players’ creations through the ‘Gallery’,”“customise gender options… to improve diversity,”
5) In your opinion, do expansion packs like these exploit a loyal audience or is it
simply EA responding to customer demand?
I believe expansion packs can be considered exploitative when they contain things that should’ve been available for free already but otherwise fans want new content and it costs money to produce new content so it’s fair for EA to charge for expansion packs and to continue producing them.
The ‘Freemium’ gaming model
Read this Business Insider feature on freemium gaming and multiplayer games. Answer the following questions:
1) Note the key statistics in the first paragraph.
Freemium games account for about 70–80% of the $10 billion or more in ios revenue each year.
2) Why does the freemium model incentivise game developers to create better and longer games?
They have to keep developing new updates to keep players engaged and interested.
3) What does the article suggest regarding the possibilities and risks to the freemium model in future?
Possibility - done with console games
Risk - developers prioritise money and free to play players suffer
Regulation – PEGI
Research the following using the Games Rating Authority website - look at the videos and FAQ section.
1) How does the PEGI ratings system work and how does it link to UK law?
Video game age classification company which provides ratings to tell consumers what ages the game is suitable/safe for. PEGI ratings are legally enforced and its illegal to sell games to people under the PEGI age rating.
2) What are the age ratings and what content guidance do they include?
PEGI 3 - Suitable for all ages; no frightening sounds/images; only very mild, cartoon-style or child-friendly violence; no bad language.
PEGI 7 - Might include scenes or sounds that could mildly scare young children; still only mild or non-realistic violence allowed.
PEGI 12 - May include fantasy violence or non-realistic violence against human-like characters, mild bad language or mild sexual innuendo
PEGI 16 - Realistic-looking violence and/or more severe bad language; might include games of chance, depiction of drug use, alcohol or tobacco.
PEGI 18 - Adult-only content: likely to include gross violence, explicit sexual activity or imagery, glamorised drug use, strong themes
3) What is the PEGI process for rating a game?
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