OSP & Videogames: An introduction

 1) What were the first videogames like?

arcade games

2) How have videogames changed over time?

 now you can play games on technology.

3) What do the most successful games have in common? Answer this in as much detail as you can. Think about audience pleasures - what do people like about playing videogames?

best story line

4) What criticisms have been made towards videogames?

can be addicting and make people obsessed.

1) At the time of the article, how many Fortnite players were there worldwide? (Bonus question - how many are there now? Try Googling it.)

200m worldwide

2) Why is it so popular? What are the audience pleasures of the game?

Good audience pleasures as its free. 

3) Why might some people criticise Fortnite?

They might criticize Fortnite for its business practices and it exploits the persons fomo with the item shop in game as they change everyday and you miss out on something each day that you don't buy 

4) Copy and paste two comments from 'below the line' of the Guardian article - these are comments written by Guardian readers in response to the feature. Select one comment you agree with and one you disagree with and explain why.

"A fantastic game for all the family. The violence is cartoon-like, not gratuitous or graphic. I limit my children to only playing the Playstation at the weekends. Simple."

I agree with this as parents should control how long they play for as it may be cause them to be unsociable and hurt there eyes. 

Videogames: Lara Croft Go

 Language

1) When did Lara Croft first appear in a videogame?

1996 Eidos Playstation game Tomb Raider

2) What classic films influenced the creation of Lara Croft and the Tomb Raider games?

Indiana Jones and featured the daughter of a Lord (later a famous archaeologist)

3) How has Lara Croft and Tomb Raider moved beyond just being a videogame?

Tom raider become a movie framchise and a phone tablet game. 

4) What devices can you play Lara Croft Go on?

Mobile phone/playstation

5) What type of game is Lara Croft Go?

a ‘turn-based puzzle’ 

6) How does Lara Croft Go use narrative (storyline) to make the game enjoyable for the audience?

the myth of the Queen of Venom.  There is no specific timescale – but is modern-day in Lara’s weaponry.

7) What iconography can be found in Lara Croft Go? How does this help communicate the genre of the game?

The use of the creatures such as snakes and spiders connote foreign places with venomous creatures potentially a hot. dry country. The danger aspects highlights the action/adventure theme.  

8) What other characters or enemies feature in the game?

snakes, spiders, no friends as shes independant.

9) What is the setting for Lara Croft Go? How does this compare to previous Lara Croft or Tomb Raider games?

The setting is in a jungle area with aspects of ancient relics and civilisation. This is a copy of the settings used in previous Lara Croft games in order to create a brand loyalty and nostalgia  for people that may have played older Lara Croft games.

10) Read this BBC article on the history of Lara Croft and Tomb Raider. How has the character of Lara Croft evolved over the last 20 years?  

more covered, more advanced

Representations


1) How are women usually represented in videogames?

attractive

2) How does the character of Lara Croft reinforce female stereotypes in the media?

. object of sexual desire. Her body features were particularly exaggerated in early versions of games.

3) How does the character of Lara Croft subvert female stereotypes in the media?

• She is an action hero – traditionally a male stereotype in gaming.
• She is empowered female heroine – rare in gaming industry at the time

4) Why do some people believe the videogames industry is sexist and needs to change?

Would a male character be designed like the way female characters are designed.

5) Do you think Lara Croft is an empowering feminist icon or just another objectified woman designed to appeal to male gamers?

The old Lara Croft Go would be designed to objectify women and the new one would be empowering feminist icon by being independent and included with action.

Industries

1) What does PEGI stand for?

pan european game information.

2) What is PEGI's job?

Ratings and help consumers make informed decisions when buying video games. 

3) Which company created Lara Croft Go?

square enix

4) What two popular videogame franchises were combined to create Lara Croft Go?

tomb raider and hitman go.

5) What else is part of the Lara Croft/Tomb Raider franchise?

isfe


Audience

1) Why might an audience enjoy playing Lara Croft Go?

action and adventure genre. 

2) Where and when might an audience play a game like Lara Croft Go? Think about the device it is played on and the times of the day someone might want to play the game.

At home, during the day and night, computer or tv. 

3) How did Square Enix design Lara Croft to make it appealing to an audience?

3d design software. 

4) Which of Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory might apply to Lara Croft Go?

 Diversion- the game provides entertainment. 

5) Who is the target audience for Lara Croft Go? How does brand loyalty contribute to this target audience?

Tomb Raider fans.

Newspapers: Final index

 

1) Newspapers: Introduction

2) December mock exams - learner response

3) Newspapers: Daily Mirror - Language and Audience

4) Newspapers: Daily Mirror - Representation and Industry

5) Newspapers: The Times - Introduction

6) Newspapers: The Times - Language and Audience

7) Newspapers: The Times - Representation and Industries

The Times case study

Representation

1) What representation of the Conservative Party can be found in the main story on the front page?

• Offers a positive representation of Boris Johnson and the Conservative party in their main front page story.

2) What representation is offered by the World Book Day picture story on the front of the Times?

Reinforcing white middle class British values most Times readers would agree with.

3) How does the coverage of the Royal Family in the Times contrast with the reporting of the same events in the Daily Mirror?

The Royal family in the times are presented in a professional serious manner compared to the daily mirror as they treat it as celebrity gossip.

4) How is Amazon represented in the Times inside page story?

• Amazon story is presented in a lighthearted way - almost an opinion piece rather than a serious news story. This is a strong contrast with the Mirror's reporting of the store as a 'threat to jobs'.

5) How does the representation of Amazon contrast with the Daily Mirror story on the same topic?

Industries

1) Who owns the Times? Write the name of the company AND the billionaire who owns the company.

The Times is owned by News UK (a subsidiary of News Corporation). News Corporation is a conglomerate mostly owned by Rupert Murdoch,

2) What was the The Times's circulation in 2019? How many papers did the Times used to sell back in the 1990s?

1990-3 million a day

now they sell around 300,000 everyday.

More successful online- 500,000 followers. 

3) How has the Times reacted to the decline in print sales and the growth of the internet?

The times created social media account updating their content regularly on it (twitter, facebook)

4) What does IPSO stand for and what is IPSO's job?

Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO).

Regulate 1500 print and 1100 online titles.

Listen to complaints about press behaviour.

Help with unwanted press attention.

Advise publication editors .

Provide information to the public.

Provide a journalist whistleblowing hotline.

5) Why do some people want stronger regulation of British newspapers?  

Some people think that the newspaper industry cannot be trusted to regulate itself with using IPSO and that stronger regulation should be better introduced. 

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