INDUSTRY

• Jenkin's and convergence:

  • Convergence theory- media convergence goes beyond a mere technological shift, insisting that it also represents a shift in industrial, cultural, and social paradigms.
  • Convergence types include: technological, economic, global, cultural.
  • Audiences may create sims based on themselves/others giving opportunity to escape this reality.
  • Convergence theory allows players to play sims and access various social medias for the fandom content/sims content.
• What platform was it released for?

  Firstly PC and mobile but eventually was reached Xbox and Playstation
• Who developed it?

  EA and Firemonkey studios

  -fire monkey studios is a subsidiary of EA
• What type of game is the Sims FP?

  Freemium= free to download but has in-app purchases
• How does the game use product placement? (INDUSTRY)

  items and tasks can be sponsored, players can gain in game currency through watching adverts
• Who regulates video games and how do they regulate them?

  PEGI (Pan European Games Information)

  they do not enforce the age limit required to but the game only provide advisory information
• How does sims freeplay make money(INDUSTRY)

  EA rely on in game purchases and advertising

  -Audiences are encourages to make in app purchases to get Simoleon currency to buy 'stuff packs'
• Significance of EA?

  EA has a reputation for big budget Triple A games that have had huge successes so may have a pre-sold audience of fans of EA and previous SIMS games for sims FP
• How is EA efficient at publishing games such as sims FP?

  EA is horizontally and vertically integrated meaning they can develop, publish and market games themselves.
• EA mobile has over 800 staff in the US just to work on mobile gaming
• EA mobile has 9 offices around the world reflecting the increasing popularity of mobile and casual gaming
• Maxis developed the original SIMS game and began the franchise
• How did EA horizontally integrate?

  EA recognised the potential of the game and bought Maxis in 1997
• How many downloads does Sims FP have?

  200 million
• How does it target a worldwide audience?

  The game is available in 11 different global languages in addition to English. This helps it target a worldwide audience
• Upside of freemium/mobile gaming?

  -Distributing games digitally via App Store is much cheaper than hard copy distribution (maximising profit, minimising risk)
• Downside of freemium/mobile gaming?

  -Mobile games have to have constant updates to cope with the updates released for mobile operating systems

  -Must also release regular updates/content updates to keep audiences playing the game and making in-app purchases (minimises risk and maximises profit)

  -Popular updates included owning pets, second story buildings
• Example of Sims synergetic partnerships?

  -Baby Ariel

  -Care Bears

  -Moschino

  -Sponsorships allows money to be invested into the game whilst Sims advertises products for the brand.
• How did EA market the game?

  -Used trailers to show off the new features added to the game (e.g. pregnancy, pets)

  -This promotes new games to players online or previous players to rejoin because of the update

  -Made full use of social media (twitter, IG, facebook) as they know that modern casual gamers are spending increasing time online
• PEGI Rating?

  12+ due to mild references to alcohol, sex, profanity and other adult/mature themes

  However issue with mobile gaming due to how easy 12 year olds could download without permission and break regulation rules.
• Issues with PEGI and app games?

  -Easy for underage people to access

  -Hard for EA to self regulate a mobile game's content due to what is legal or socially acceptable (varies from country to country) yet still distributed online to where global players can access

  -Sims is banned in 7 different countries, specifically Asia due to inclusion of LGBTQ content (culturally different/illegal)
• How do EA keep audiences happy?

  EA regularly invites feedback from them and suggestions for the game via social media, EA forums

  -Audiences were the ones who suggested pregnancy as being desirable in the game and therefore received this
• How does Sims FP subvert Curran and Seatons theory?

  • The idea of sims was bought by EA from Maxis in 1997 (EA games, subsidiary of EA)
  • Sims FP may subvert C+S theory that concentration limits creativity and quality
  • Sims FP/Sims franchise is a highly unique game with a large fanbase and can be deemed an 'adventurous product' regardless of its ownership
• How can Curran and Seaton's theory be applied to sims FP?

  • Owned by EA games (subsidiary of EA) a large well-known gaming company
  • Sims FP can be argued to limit creativity and quality due to being another game a part of the Sims franchise which is not as good as the original sims games due to being mobile
  • Can be argued to be less adventurous due to the control from a large video game company, lack of game updates as company focuses on profit from the game being a remake
  • Form of candy-floss culture, game is fun but does not fulfil an audiences' needs
• How does Sims FP reinforce Curran and Seaton's theory that new media has led to a lack of regulation? 1

  • Sims FP is a mobile game that can be accessed on app store or google play (world wide mobile game store)
  • Harder to regulate as anyone can download easily regardless of age unless parental controls have been put on by the parents themselves (self-regulation)
• How does Sims FP reinforce Livingstone and Lunt's theory of regulation?

  • The rise of convergent technology puts regulation at risk, sims is a mobile game
  • Sims FP is rated 12 but anyone can bypass this easily, age evidence is not required, young players may be exposed to sex and alcoholic references in the game (very minor)
  • This may link into the argument that new media products threaten the protection of audiences as consumers