The Sims FreePlay - Language & Audience blog tasks
Create a new blogpost called 'The Sims FreePlay case study part 2 - Industries' and complete the following tasks.
1) What is the VSC and how does it link to UK law?
They are a rating board that is an administrator of the PEGI rating system. In 2012 it as incorporated into the UK and the VSC was the body responsible for age rating of video games using the PEGI system.
2) Note down the key statistics on the homepage.
VSC: working in the video industry since 1989.
Games Rated: 12,000+
Apps Rated: 8000+
Years in Operation: 30+
Number of Member Outlets: 1987
3) What is the purpose of PEGI?
It is the UK gaming regulator. Answers gaming questions, offers advice and info on how to play games (off and online) safely and responsibly. It is unbiased and independent.
4) Click on the PEGI Rating tab in the top menu. What are the age ratings and what do they include?
PEGI 3: Shouldn't require a content warning, considered suitable for all age groups. Some violence in a comical context or child friendly setting is acceptable, as is nudity when shown in a completely natural and non-sexual manner such as breast feeding.
PEGI 7: Some frightening scenes or sounds. Little more violence that is always unrealistic and often directed towards fantasy characters, also very mild non-realistic violence to humans, implied violence - e.g. bombing of a city where violence is not seen directly.
PEGI 12: More graphic and realistic looking violence towards fantasy characters, any violence to human characters must look unrealistic unless its minor or a trivial injury - a slap. Sexual innuendo and posturing ofte n seen in music videos is allowed. Some bad language - but only mild swearing, teaches or encourages gambling, can feature horror content e.g. strong threat and dread or graphic injury details.
PEGI !: 'Parental Guidance Recommended' rating for some non-game apps - user generated content e.g. Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.
PEGI 16: More mature and realistic violence towards human characters, can deal heavily with injury or death to humans. Sexual activity can be shown, but no explicit body arts, depictions of erotic nudity can be featured. Strong language and sexual expletives, tobacco and alcohol encourages, use of illegal drugs, could glamorise crime.
PEGI 18: Level of violence becomes gross - horrific methods of bringing death or severe injury, including torture, decapitation or dismemberment. Violence against vulnerable characters such as children and the elderly, motiveless violence against multiple innocents. Sexual violence and threat. Detailed descriptions of criminal techniques, or glamorise use of illegal drugs, explicit sexual activity visible.
5) Scroll down to look at the ‘How games are examined’ infographic. What is the PEGI process for rating a game?
1) Content Declaration Assessment: Game developer declares in detail what the game contains - elements like violence, bad language, sex and drug use. Developer then provided with a provisional rating which can be used for advertising.
1) Content Declaration Assessment: Game developer declares in detail what the game contains - elements like violence, bad language, sex and drug use. Developer then provided with a provisional rating which can be used for advertising.
2) Submission Materials: developer should provide evidence for their assessment, includes game footage and copy of game.
3) Video Footage Examination: Video footage is assessed and analsyed to see if anything was missed or misinterpreted from the questionnaire, before examining the game itself.
4) Game Examination: Trying out things that may not have been shown in the video - investigating the physical effects of different weapons or exploring all the ways in which your character can be harmed.
5) Receiving the PEGI License: Developer sent license they have to use and content labels to explain to the consumer why the game attended its rating.
The ‘Freemium’ gaming model
Read this Lifewire feature on freemium gaming and answer the following questions:
1) How does the freemium model work?
Free-to-play app is a free download that uses in-app purchases. Normal as-supported apps that offers an in-app purchase to disable the ads.
Read this Lifewire feature on freemium gaming and answer the following questions:
1) How does the freemium model work?
Free-to-play app is a free download that uses in-app purchases. Normal as-supported apps that offers an in-app purchase to disable the ads.
Gives away core functionality for free and offers upgrade to add certain features - lite version for an app with the premium version with premium features available for a price.
2) Why do some gamers believe freemium is ruining games?
It feels like games are just trying to leech players off of many with any opportunity. Could implement the worst side of it. Player base can change - makes harder to pay peope for the initial price of the download so some developers push the pree-to-play model.
2) Why do some gamers believe freemium is ruining games?
It feels like games are just trying to leech players off of many with any opportunity. Could implement the worst side of it. Player base can change - makes harder to pay peope for the initial price of the download so some developers push the pree-to-play model.
3) What are the positives of the freemium model for gaming?
It means that the gamer can experience the games without having to pay full price for them.
Now read this Business Insider feature on freemium gaming and multiplayer games. Answer the following questions:
1) Note the key statistics in the first paragraph.
70-80% of the $10billion in iOS revenue is from in-app purchases.
2) Why does the freemium model incentivise game developers to create better and longer games?
Players continuously spend money on the game, meaning that there is a strong level of certainty surrounding the numbers of gamers that will be reached with this game. Therefore, developers become more incentive to put the stream of revenue directly back into the game to improve it.
3) What does the article suggest regarding the possibilities and risks to the freemium model in future?
Game developers may find themselves under more scrutiny surrounding how clear the premise of their games are - younger gamers may accidentally purchase apps without knowing.
Developers may disregard the quality of the free/standard level content which would lead to boring games.
Developers may disregard the quality of the free/standard level content which would lead to boring games.
Read this New York Times feature on freemium gaming and answer the following questions:
1) Why did Temple Run use the freemium model?
Because they realised that once the game was free, there was a spike in downloads.
2) The bigger gaming studios like Electronic Arts used to avoid the freemium model. Why are they now embracing it?
Game developers may make people confused on how clear the premise of their games are - younger gamers may accidentally purchase apps without knowing. Also developers may disregard the quality of the free/standard level content which would lead to boring games.
3) Why does Peter Farago suggest independent game makers benefit more from the freemium model than the major publishers like EA?
It will be easier for independent game makers to start from scratch and then produce freemium games at a high standard and then maintain this standard. Large media publishers like EA would have to completely change their approach in order to make the freemium model work.
Electronic Arts
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?
The detailing and construction in the game have evolved a lot.
2) Why does Amanda Schofield suggest ‘games aren’t products any more’?
She suggests that games aren't products because they are now built and based around a partnership between the gamers and the game developers.
3) What does she say about The Sims gaming community?
They are very much involved in the development process as the development teams try to remain up to date about what their audiences are saying about the game and how their concerns or issues can be addressed.
4) How has EA kept the game fresh and maintained the active player base?
The game constantly reinvents and designs itself around the changing desires pf the players and the targeted audiences. The audiences feel a sense of personal identification with the idealism surrounding the world that they have created; therefore are unlikely to leave this behind.
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.
- Over 200m installs of the Sims Freeplay
- 78,000 game time (in years)
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