Coursework: Print brief research and planning

The Print aspect to our coursework brief is as important as the video work we have been focusing on so far. 

It is crucial that you research, plan and design print work that could comfortably hold its own alongside professional examples. You will also need to make sure you have included a paragraph regarding your print work in your final draft Statement of Intent. A reminder of our coursework brief is here, with the key tasks as follows:

Print

Create a front cover and a three-page feature article for a fictional TV listings magazine. The front cover will feature a full-page image to promote the crime drama. You can choose your approach for the three-page feature article. For example: 

• an interview with the writer of the programme or cast member
• an article on the popularity of the genre
• a report from 'behind the scenes'
• another approach of your choice.

What are the minimum requirements?

TV magazine front cover 

• A4 portrait size
• Title / masthead
• Selling line (slogan)
• Cover price
• Dateline
• Main cover image and at least two further smaller images related to the content of the magazine
• At least five cover lines

Inside page feature

• Three A4 portrait pages (two of the pages can be A3 landscape size to create a double-page spread if you wish)
• Content that is appropriate to the conventions of the genre of magazine being created
• Original copy (at least 400 words) - this means writing your own article
• Each page to use original images as illustrations (the main cover image must not be repeated but the smaller images from the front cover can appear on internal pages)
• Internal pages should reflect the design codes and conventions of the genre of magazine being created

Across all pages - minimum requirements

• A clear house style should be used in the presentation of all pages
• A minimum of seven original images should be included in the submission
• All copy should be original and a minimum of 400 words should be submitted - you MUST write this all yourself from scratch
• Work should be presented on pages that are an appropriate size or in proportion to the size of paper used by magazines

Research and planning blog tasks

Create a blogpost called 'Print brief research and planning' and complete the following tasks to plan and prepare your print work.

Front cover

1) Research TV listing magazine front cover key conventions. Find at least five examples of TV listings magazine front covers and post them to your blog. This will give you a good idea of the type of magazine you need to produce.

2) Note down the design elements you notice in each front cover example you research and look for aspects you can use in your own work (e.g. camera shots, page design or cover lines). 

3) What key conventions can you find across different types of front cover - e.g. title placement, cover lines, main flash or cover line, date/price/barcode etc.

Here are a few examples to start you off: 

Inside page feature

1) Now research inside page features from TV listings magazines. Post at least five images of magazine inside page features (they can be from different magazine genres if you are struggling to find TV listings magazine inside pages).

Here are some examples of inside page features:

2) Note down the design elements you notice in each inside page feature example you research and look for aspects you can use in your own work (e.g. use of main/secondary images, page design, pull quotes, picture captions etc.) 

3) What key conventions can you find across different types of inside page feature - e.g. headline, subheading, main image etc.

Planning and sketching

1) Plan the content and cover lines for your front cover:

• Title (must be NEW original TV listings magazine you have invented):
• Slogan:
• Cover image: 
• Main cover story/main flash: 
• Additional cover lines:
• Additional two smaller images: 
• Font style / colour scheme, additional design aspects:

2) Plan the images you will use for the front cover - use CLAMPS. One main image and two smaller images required to meet the minimum content in the brief.

3) Plan the content for your inside page feature:

• Subject of feature:
• Headline:
• Subheading:
• Main image:
• Smaller images (need minimum of four across the three pages) 
• Font style / colour scheme, additional design aspects:

4) Write the copy (words) you will use for the inside page feature - headline, subheading, article text. 

5) Plan the social media content you will include in your print work to create opportunities for digital convergence e.g. hashtags, social media details etc.

6) Research and select the font or typography you will use for your print work. This is a critical element of your print work - the brief requires a consistent house style running through all of your pages. 

7) Produce an A4 sketch of your front cover design and scan it/upload a picture to your blog.

8) Produce A4 sketches of your inside page feature with clear layout of where headline, subheading, images and text will appear on the pages. 

9) Create a new A4 portrait document in Adobe Photoshop (or Adobe InDesign) for your front cover design. Start to add text, check your font choices and put in the elements you have already planned/sketched. 

10) Create an A3 landscape document plus an A4 portrait document in Adobe Photoshop (or Adobe InDesign) for your inside page feature. Add the elements you can - headline, subheading, text etc.

Photoshoot

1) Who do you need to photograph for your front cover and inside page images? Remember, you need seven original images across the whole print production. 

2) What camera shots do you need? Write a shot list for your photoshoots. Make sure you plan a variety of camera shots you will look to capture - medium shots, close-ups etc.

3) Plan the mise-en-scene. What costume, props or make-up will you require for your photoshoots?

4) Finally, note down the time and date for your photoshoots. This may be inside or outside school (or a combination of both). You will have Media lesson time for this after the mock exams.

Statement of Intent

1) Once you have completed your print research and planning, go back to your statement of intent and make sure you have included the print brief in your final draft. Then, submit the final draft statement of intent to your teacher.  

Use your Media coursework lessons to complete these planning tasks - homework time should be exclusively to revise for mocks.

Due date for research and planning on Google Classroom.

Videogames: Final index

We have now finished our final in-depth topic - Videogames.

Your have done some superb work on women in videogames, Henry Jenkins, fandom and postmodernism. You now need to complete a Videogames blog index to ensure you have completed all the work for our in-depth Videogame CSPs. 

This process is clearly excellent revision for the Media mock exams approaching as there is a lot of theory in there that could be applied across the full range of CSPs.  

Your Videogames final index should include the following:

1) Videogames: Henry Jenkins - fandom and participatory culture

2) Videogames: The Sims FreePlay - Language & Representation
3) Videogames: The Sims FreePlay part 2 - Audience & Industries

4) Learner response: OSP assessment

5) Videogames: Women in videogames & Further feminist theory

6) Videogames: Horizon Forbidden West - Language & Representations

7) Videogames: Horizon Forbidden West - Audience & Industries

For your index, the text should link to YOUR corresponding blogpost so you can access your work on each aspect of the case study quickly and easily. This also means you if you have missed anything you can catch up with the work and notes and won't underperform in mock exams or class assessments due to gaps in your knowledge.

Index due date: on Google Classroom 

January mock exams - how to revise for Media

Your January A Level Media mock exams are the real deal - the opportunity to put everything you have learned to the test. 

Students typically do better in the summer exams than the last set of mocks - but usually only by around a grade. This means you need to make sure you are fully prepared for these exams with the aim of achieving your target grade or just off it.

The following will help you plan your revision:

Media Paper 1

Section A will always focus on Media Language and Representations. This means the following CSPs could come up:

Advertising & Marketing
Score hair cream (1967) & Sephora Black Beauty Is Beauty - Advertising index is here

Music Video
Old Town Road & Ghost Town - Music Video index is here

Section B will always focus on Media Audiences and Industries. This means the following CSPs could come up:

Film Industry

Blinded By The Light - Film Industry index is here

Radio

BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat and War of the Worlds 

Newspapers (not in January mock exam - we haven't covered this yet)

The Daily Mail and The Guardian

Unseen question

The first question in Media Paper 1 Section A will always be an unseen media product.

The second question will also relate to the unseen while also bringing in a CSP. This means it is likely the unseen product will link to advertising and marketing or music promotion.

For the unseen question, revise our work on Media codes and reading an image from Year 12. 

20-mark essays

There will be TWO 20-mark essays in Paper 1 – at the end of each section (Q4 and Q7). AQA states for your extended response questions:

“You will be rewarded for your ability to construct and develop a sustained line of reasoning which is coherent, relevant, substantiated and logically structured.” This means you need to write an essay that constructs an argument that answers the question you have been given.

Question 4 will be an evaluation of theory question so you need to know the named theorists on the specification and be able to offer an opinion or evaluation of their key ideas. 

You can look through this AQA Specimen Paper 1 paper to familiarise yourself with the structure of the paper. Note that several of the CSPs have changed since this specimen paper was produced.

Media Paper 2

The first question in Media Paper 2 will always be a 9-mark question on an unseen media product.

Aside from Q1, Media Paper 2 tests your in-depth topic areas:

TV

Capital and Deutschland 83 - TV index is here

Magazines

GQ and The Gentlewoman - Magazines index is here

Online, Social and Participatory

Zendaya and The Voice - OSP index is here

Videogames

The Sims FreePlay and Horizon Forbidden West - index is here.

Indeed, the majority of Paper 2 will be THREE 25-mark essays on your in-depth topics. AQA states for your extended response questions:

“You will be rewarded for your ability to construct and develop a sustained line of reasoning which is coherent, relevant, substantiated and logically structured.” This means plan and write an essay with a clear and convincing argument!

The structure for the 25-mark questions in Paper 2 is as follows:

• Q2: evaluation of theory question - you MUST focus on the theory and simply use CSPs for evidence
• Q3: contexts question (e.g. social and cultural contexts)
• Q4: synoptic question - more details below

Q4: Synoptic question

The final question in Paper 2 will always be the synoptic question – which requires you to demonstrate knowledge of the whole two-year course of study. AQA states:

“Question 4 is a synoptic question in which you will be rewarded for your ability to draw together different areas of knowledge and understanding from across the full course of study.”

How do we do this? Answer: Key concepts - Language, Representations, Audience, Industries. In your answer make sure that you are addressing 2-3 of the key concepts in responding to the question. This will demonstrate your knowledge of the whole course - but make sure you do stay focused on the question!

You can look through this AQA Specimen Paper 2 paper to familiarise yourself with the structure of the paper. Note that several of the CSPs have changed since this specimen paper was produced. 

How to revise

Revision is a very personal thing and everyone has different techniques. Here's a video on YouTube with top tips for A* A Level revision: 

Personally, I strongly recommend using flash cards (they are often called record cards if you are trying to buy them online or in WHSmiths). The simple act of distilling topics into a few key words or phrases to put on the card will seriously help in remembering the key information in the final exams. I have spare flash cards in DF07 if you'd like some. Try creating three sets of cards:

• Terminology/key words
• Theories
• CSPs

Lesson slides

As requested, you can find all of our original lesson slides in this folder on Google Drive. You'll need your Greenford Google login to access this obviously. 

Example questions

Use the example question booklets we gave you in class to test yourself against the kind of questions to expect in these exams. The practice questions we looked at in class can be found here: Exemplar question notes from class.

Revision example and useful resources - thank you Assia!

One of our former Year 13 Media students, Assia, very kindly shared some of her revision resources with us when she left Greenford. These are notes on CSPs which you may find useful but I'd also recommend creating your own similar resources for the CSPs to help you remember the key details. By the way, this is what an A grade student looks like! You'll need your Greenford Google login to access these and note that some of the CSPs have changed this year:

• Advertising - Score and Maybelline 
• Film - Blinded By The Light
• Radio - War of the Worlds and BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat

Additional revision resources

If you want to mix up your Media revision a little then you can always read around the subject or look through our Factsheet archive for topics you're struggling with. 

Anything you read in our Media Magazine archive will help to give you a wider perspective on media debates and every issue has several articles which focus on interesting examples, theories and debates that will help you in the Media exams. You'll find our Media Magazine archive here. 

Similarly, you have access to our whole Media Factsheet archive if there are any particular topics or theories you want to revise in more detail. Look at these for example: 

• How to revise for A Level Media exams
• Exploring theoretical perspectives to print magazines
• Channel 4: an overview and update
• Understanding digital convergence
• BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat
• Using theory
• The BBC: an overview and update

If you want to test your knowledge of the complete subject content, you can find it on the AQA website here. Look at the menu on the left-hand side - under media language, media representation etc. you'll find everything that could come up in exams: 

Remember, you need to revise EVERYTHING you have learned over the last 18 months for A Level Media in preparing for these exams - terminology, theory and CSPs. Good luck!

Videogames: Horizon Forbidden West - Audience and Industry

The final part of our Horizon Forbidden West case study focuses on Audience and Industry.

This requires us to research the companies that produced the game and also consider how the videogames audience is changing. 

Audience

Target audience

Does Horizon Forbidden West really target a female audience? Or is the console gaming audience still male dominated? Research by YouGov in 2022 suggests that console gamers are still majority male:

 

YouGov show that the major console audience is still male dominated - 71% male for PS5 and 68% for Xbox. However, the Nintendo Switch demonstrates that the videogame market is changing and perhaps games like Horizon Forbidden West are also pushing that change.

Postmodern pleasures

Horizon Forbidden West is a good example of the blurring of 'high' and 'low' culture that Strinati identifies as a key convention of postmodernism. We can see this in the game where the character Tilda's vault contains real exhibits from the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Henry Jenkins suggested videogames as the "art form for the 21st century". Is HFW the evidence of this? 

This collaboration is also a good example of Baudrillard's hyperreality - the increasing difficulty in telling what is real in a media-saturated world. The works of art in HFW are real - but the game is entirely constructed. Do audiences now enjoy greater pleasures from 'real' media products? 

Industries

Guerrilla Games is the result of a merger of three earlier companies (starting in 1993) which reflects gaming’s origins in small independent companies in contrast to its current status as a global, billion-dollar industry.

The structure of Guerrilla Games and its parent company (Sony) is an example of contemporary media practice in maintaining control of production, distribution and circulation. This is also a case study in vertical integration.

20 years of Guerrilla Games - Killzone and Horizon

Working at Guerrilla Games: behind the scenes

Does this behind the scenes video challenge Hesmondhalgh’s theory regarding the lack of diversity in the cultural industries? It also links to the global nature of the multibillion dollar videogames industry.

Horizon Forbidden West: Audience and Industry blog tasks

Create a blogpost called 'Horizon Forbidden West: Audience and Industry' and work through the following tasks.

Audience

Look at this YouGov blog on the console gaming audience and answer the following questions:

1) What statistics can you find for the number of male / female players for the major consoles?

2) What is the difference between 'hardcore' and 'casual' gamers - and which do you think would play Horizon Forbidden West?

3) What are the different reasons YouGov researched for why players play games? Which of these would apply to Horizon Forbidden West?

Look at the PlayStation website page for Horizon Forbidden West. Complete the following tasks: 

1) How is the game promoted to an audience?

2) What are the key features for the game listed on the site?

3) What information does the website offer players about the game world and characters? Give a few examples.

4) What spin-offs and additional content are available as part of the Horizon franchise?  

5) Applying Henry Jenkins's work on fandom, what aspects of the website (you may need to scroll down) encourage fan activity and engagement with online Horizon communities?  

Read this Wired feature on Horizon Forbidden West's open world design. Answer the following questions: 

1) Why did the writer enjoy Horizon Forbidden West?

2) How is Horizon Forbidden West structured for players when they first start the game?

3) Why does the writer feel HFW created a more successful open world game than The Witcher 3?

Industries

Industry research

1) Research Sony PlayStation Studios. 

2) What studios are part of Sony PlayStation Studios?

3) What notable games have they produced? 

4) Now research Guerrilla Games. Look at the 'Explore' page in particular. Who owns Guerrilla Games and how does it reflect the modern videogames industry? 

5) Choose one of the 'Guerrilla Spotlight' features and write three things you learn about the videogames industry and/or Guerrilla Games from the interview.

Read this USA Today feature on Guerrilla Games. Answer the following questions: 

1) Which three companies merged to become Guerrilla Games?

2) What other games and franchises were created by Guerrilla Games?

3) How did Guerrilla maximise the Killzone franchise? 

4) What did Sony sign with Guerrilla in 2004? 

5) How is Horizon Forbidden West described in the article and what is the next stage for the franchise?  


Regulation and PEGI

1) What is HFW's PEGI rating and what age rating do you feel would be appropriate? Why?

2) Why is regulating videogames difficult in the digital age?

3) Are attitudes towards media content and regulation changing as a result of the internet? Explain your answer.

Due date: on Google Classroom

A/A* extension tasks

Read this fantastic GQ feature on Horizon Forbidden West - it takes in the history of the franchise, audience pleasures and also gender appeal and videogames. This is the kind of article that will make you an expert on the CSP and help you form opinions on the big media theories and debates. GQ is also another one of our in-depth CSPs too! 

Read Factsheet 258 - Exploring the consumption of computer games. Look particularly at the application of media theory on the last two pages. You can find it in our Media Factsheet archive.

Videogames: Horizon Forbidden West - Language & Representations

Our second videogames CSP is Horizon Forbidden West (2022).

This is another in-depth CSP so will require two detailed blog tasks over the next couple of weeks. We'll start with an introduction alongside language and representation contexts.

Horizon Forbidden West: introduction

• Released in February 2022 as a sequel to the highly successful Horizon Zero Dawn (2017). 
• Available on PS4, PS5 and Windows platforms.
• Horizon Forbidden West sold over 8 million copies in its first year.
• Excellent reviews including 9/10 on IGN.
• Developed by studio Guerrilla Games which is based in Amsterdam and owned by Sony. 

 

Background and media language

• Genres: Action adventure / Action role playing / Sandbox / Open world
• Protagonist/avatar (character player controls): Aloy 
• Setting: Post-apocalyptic future version of USA following extinction event caused by a robot swarm. 
• Gameplay: Exploring open world, completing quests using weapons against hostile machine creatures.

Official release trailer: 

Official gameplay trailer: 

Representation: social and cultural contexts

Horizon Forbidden West has been both praised and criticised for the representations of different groups. Driven by a strong, independent female protagonist in Aloy, the game has been held up as an example of how gender in videogames is changing.

Horizon Forbidden West also has an LGBT storyline which can be seen as further evidence of Gauntlett’s view of the liberalising influence of the mass media, particularly in recent years.

However, the game has also been criticised for its representation of indigenous populations and Asian Americans with the accusation of lazy stereotypical tropes.

Key scene analysis

Watch the key scene where Aloy’s love interest storyline develops and think about how representations of gender and sexuality are constructed:

Edward Said: Orientalism 

Edward Said (1935-2003) was a Palestinian-American cultural theorist and academic best known for his 1978 book Orientalism.

In it, he argued that the west – particularly colonising Europe – constructed a meaning of the east that suggested it was exotic, dangerous and uncivilised.

East v West

Edward Said argues that the Europeans divided the world into two parts: the east and the west or the civilized and the uncivilized. This was a totally artificial boundary; and it was laid on the basis of the concept of ‘them and us’ or ‘theirs and ours’.

The Europeans defined themselves as the ‘superior race’ and they justified their colonisation by this concept. Media to this day contains particular tropes associated with these views.

Horizon Forbidden West & racial tropes

Videogames website Polygon has highlighted racial tropes in Horizon Forbidden West: 

“A plethora of racist tropes emerge within Forbidden West’s world. There’s a stereotypical angry Black woman named Regalla, for example, who leads a rebel army and would rather die than seek peace. There’s also constant belittling between tribes, who call each other “savage” or “uncivilized” — terms loaded with racial undertones. There’s also plenty of Orientalism.”

Horizon Forbidden West: Language and Representation blog tasks

Create a blogpost called 'Horizon Forbidden West: Language and Representation' and work through the following tasks.

Language

Introduction

Read this review of Horizon Forbidden West in the Financial Times (should be non-paywalled but you can read the text of article here if needed). Answer the following questions:

1) Why does Guerrilla Games have 'a serious case of bad timing'? 

2) What is the narrative for the original game Horizon Zero Dawn? 

3) How is the central character Aloy described? 

4) What is the narrative and setting for sequel Horizon Forbidden West?

5) What does the review say about animation and graphics?

6) What do we learn about the gameplay and activities in Horizon Forbidden West? 

Close textual analysis

Watch the trailer for Horizon Forbidden West:

Answer the following questions:

1) How is narrative, character and setting introduced in the trailer?

2) How is the game's open world / sandbox genre shown in the trailer? 

3) What representations can you find in the trailer? 

AQA recommends watching the following gameplay trailer in their CSP booklet:

Watch the gameplay video and answer the following questions:

1) How does the game use media language to communicate ideas about narrative and genre?

2) What representations of people, places or groups can you find in the gameplay video?

3) What audience pleasures are suggested by this gameplay trailer?

Narrative and genre

Read this excellent Den of Geek article that addresses elements of narrative and genre. You can find the article text here if the link is blocked. Answer the following questions: 

1) Read the opening to the article. How can we apply Steve Neale's genre theory to Horizon Forbidden West?

2) How many copies did the Horizon Zero Dawn sell and why did this influence the design of the sequel?

3) How does the article criticise the story in Horizon Forbidden West? 

4) What do we learn about the gameplay? 

5) What is the article's overall summary of the game?

Representations

Read this fascinating Polygon feature on why Horizon Forbidden West isn't post-racial and answer the following questions: 

1) How does Horizon Forbidden West use narrative to create a fully diverse cast of characters?

2) What is orientalism? 

3) How does the article suggest orientalism applies to Horizon Forbidden West? 

4) Who is the player encouraged to identify with in the game and how does this influence how representations are constructed?  

5) Finally, what did the writer of the article (an Asian American) feel when playing the game?

Focusing on Aloy and the representation of women in videogames, read this Forbes feature on the topic. Answer the following questions:

1) What is the debate regarding Aloy in Horizon Forbidden West? 

2) What examples are provided of other female characters and representations in videogames?

3) What are the issues facing the videogame industry in terms of gender?  

Due date: on Google Classroom

A/A* extension tasks

Read this interesting CBC article on indigenous representation in Horizon Forbidden West. How does it present issues regarding representations of Indigenous people both in terms of in-game and in the inudstry?

OSP: Final index

Having reached the end of our Online, Social and Participatory media unit we need to create an index to ensure we haven't missed any of the content. 

Creating an index is a great way to start your revision for the January mock exams as well as ensuring you haven't missed anything. 

Online, Social and Participatory index

Your index should include the following:

1) OSP: Clay Shirky - End of Audience blog tasks
2) OSP: Influencers and celebrity culture

3) OSP: Zendaya CSP - Language and Representations

4) OSP: Zendaya CSP - Audience and Industries 
5) OSP: Postcolonial theory - Gilroy and diasporic identity
6) Baseline Assessment learner response

7) OSP: The Voice - blog case study

For your index, the text should link to YOUR corresponding blogpost so you can access your work on each aspect of the case study quickly and easily. This also means you if you have missed anything you can catch up with the work and notes and won't underperform in assessments due to gaps in your knowledge. 

Index due date: next exam lesson.

Videogames: Women in videogames & Further feminist theory

Our second CSP gives us the opportunity to explore the representation and role of women in videogames.

Women in videogames: an introduction

The representation of women in videogames has long been considered sexist. Female characters are rarely playable and usually reinforce traditional gender stereotypes. Games that did feature female characters presented them as damsels in distress or sex objects.

Lara Croft of the Tomb Raider series is one of the most iconic characters in videogame history. But while she is a strong, independent playable character, her appearance and costume turned her into a digital sex object. In contrast, the character of Aloy in Horizon Forbidden West could be a sign of progress.

Tropes vs Women in Video Games

Vlogger and gaming expert Anita Sarkeesian has produced two series of YouTube videos documenting the representation of women in videogames.

Vlogging as Feminist Frequency, the series are an important example of digital feminism (and a superb resource for Media students). However, as a result, she has been a target for online abuse and threats – most notably as part of the #gamergate controversy.

Further feminist theory

We have looked at a range of feminist ideas earlier in the course including Laura Mulvey, Judith Butler, Liesbet van Zoonen, the concept of post- or fourth-wave feminism and more. We now need to explore this further with a deeper understanding of bell hooks and van Zoonen.

Notes from the lesson

Watch this short extract from Orange is the New Black star Laverne Cox interviewing bell hooks at The New School in New York:



bell hooks is a highly influential radical black feminist.

She sees feminism as a struggle to end patriarchal oppression - it should be a serious political commitment rather than a fashionable lifestyle choice: “Feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation and oppression”.

bell hooks also points to the importance of race and class when studying oppression.

Intersectionality

Intersectionality is defined as the common point of two forms of oppression and how they work against a particular group of people. For example, black feminism addresses both gender and race discrimination.

bell hooks suggests that race is so significant that the experiences of gender, class or sexuality-based discrimination cannot be fully understood without also considering race.

This is important when analysing power in society. For example, men generally have more power then women – but white, middle class western women generally have much more power than women from non-white backgrounds.

Liesbet van Zoonen

Liesbet van Zoonen is an influential feminist academic and linked gender roles and the media explicitly in her 1994 book Feminist Media Studies. Some of her key ideas:

• Gender is constructed through media language
• These constructions reflect cultural and historical contexts
• The objectification of the female body is a key construct of western culture (building on Mulvey – male gaze)
• If women have to be like men to be treated equally, then equality itself is repressive

You can find the further notes on van Zoonen in this Google document (you'll need your Greenford Google login to access).

Women and videogames: blog tasks

Work through the following blog tasks to complete our work on women in videogames and further feminist theory.

Part 1: Reading - Is Female Representation in Video Games Finally Changing?

Read this short Medium feature on whether female representation in videogames is finally changing. Answer the following questions:

1) How have women traditionally been represented in videogames and what percentage of the video game audience is female?

2) What recent games have signalled a change in the industry and what qualities do the female protagonists offer?

3) Do you agree with the idea that audiences reject media products if they feel they are misrepresented within them?


And now read this short Protocol feature on Anita Sarkeesian's talk to the Game Developers Conference in 2022. This covered the progress in gender representation in videogames and references Horizon Zero Dawn and Forbidden West. Answer the following questions:

1) How does Sarkeesian say things have changed in the videogames industry in the last 10 years? 

2) Why is gaming still male dominated? Make sure your answer here includes the statistics quoted in the article. 

3) How has the conversation shifted on representation in videogames? 

Part 2: Further Feminist Theory: Media Factsheet

Use our Media Factsheet archive on the M: drive Media Shared (M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets) or here using your Greenford Google login. Find Media Factsheet #169 Further Feminist Theory, read the whole of the Factsheet and answer the following questions:

1) What definitions are offered by the factsheet for ‘feminism ‘and ‘patriarchy’?

2) Why did bell hooks publish her 1984 book ‘Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center’?

3) What aspects of feminism and oppression are the focus for a lot of bell hooks’s work?

4) What is intersectionality and what does hooks argue regarding this?

5) What did Liesbet van Zoonen conclude regarding the relationship between gender roles and the mass media?

6) Liesbet van Zoonen sees gender as socially constructed. What does this mean and which other media theorist we have studied does this link to?

7) How do feminists view women’s lifestyle magazines in different ways? Which view do you agree with?

8) In looking at the history of the colours pink and blue, van Zoonen suggests ideas gender ideas can evolve over time. Which other media theorist we have studied argues things evolve over time and do you agree that gender roles are in a process of constant change? Can you suggest examples to support your view?

9) What are the five aspects van Zoonen suggests are significant in determining the influence of the media?

10) What other media theorist can be linked to van Zoonen’s readings of the media?

11) Van Zoonen discusses ‘transmission models of communication’. She suggests women are oppressed by the dominant culture and therefore take in representations that do not reflect their view of the world. What other theory and idea (that we have studied recently) can this be linked to?

12) Finally, van Zoonen has built on the work of bell hooks by exploring power and feminism. She suggests that power is not a binary male/female issue but reflects the “multiplicity of relations of subordination”. How does this link to bell hooks?

A/A* Extension tasks: TED talk

Finally, if you’re interested in some of these ideas, there is plenty more reading and watching you can do. For example, watch this TEDx talk by renowned Nigerian/American novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie ‘We should all be feminists’:

A/A* Extension tasks: Anita Sarkeesian Gamespot interview

If you're interested in this topic and aiming for a top grade, read this Gamespot interview with Anita Sarkeesian of Feminist Frequency and think about some of the following questions:

What reaction did Anita Sarkeesian receive when she published her videos on women in videogames? You can find more information on this on Sarkeesian’s Kickstarter fundraising page.

How does Sarkeesian summarise feminism?

How has the videogame landscape changed with regards to the representation of women?

What is the impact of the videogames industry being male-dominated?

Finally, to find out more about the online backlash and #gamergate, this Guardian feature links the online abuse to the American alt-right movement also credited with electing Donald Trump.

Deadline: Complete for homework - due date on Google Classroom.

Videogames: The Sims FreePlay - Audience and Industries

The second aspect of our in-depth case study on The Sims FreePlay focuses on the audience and industries key concepts.

We need to know how videogames audiences have changed, how the industry is regulated and also the companies behind the game. However, the most significant aspect of this concept is the 'freemium' model that The Sims FreePlay uses.

Notes from the lesson: Audience

The Sims FreePlay: Audience

• The Sims franchise has demonstrated there is a strong and lucrative market in female gamers.
• When The Sims was first pitched by creator Will Wright he described it as a ‘doll house’. 
• The development company Maxis weren’t keen because ‘doll houses were for girls, and girls didn’t play videogames’. EA then bought Maxis, saw potential in the idea and one of the most successful ever videogame franchises was born.
• Expansion packs available for The Sims FreePlay reinforce the view that the target audience is predominantly female.

Participatory culture

• The Sims franchise is one of the best examples of Henry Jenkins’ concept of participatory culture.
• Since the very first game in the franchise, online communities have created, suggested and shared content for the game.
• ‘Modding’ – short for modifications – is a huge part of the appeal of the game. Modding changes aspects of the gameplay – anything from the strength of coffee to incorporating ghosts or even sexual content.

Notes from the lesson: Industries

Regulation: PEGI

• The videogames industry is regulated by PEGI – Pan European Game Information.
• In the UK, the Video Standards Council is responsible for regulating game content. In 2012, PEGI was introduced to UK law to make the age ratings legally enforceable.
• It is illegal to sell games to people below the age of the rating.
• The Sims FreePlay is rated 12+ due to mild references to alcohol, sexual content and similar adult themes.

Electronic Arts

• The Sims franchise is owned by Electronic Arts (EA), a huge name in the videogames industry.
• The Sims FreePlay was developed by Firemonkeys Studios, EA’s Australian subsidiary.
• The franchise was originally developed by Maxis after EA acquired the company.
• EA is famous for big-budget console games such as the FIFA series but has moved more into mobile gaming in recent years.

The 'freemium' model

• The Sims FreePlay uses the ‘freemium’ model – free to download and play but with in-app purchases. 
• Although initially more popular with smaller, independent game developers, the freemium model is now a huge revenue generator for major publishers like EA.

The Sims FreePlay CSP - Audience and Industries blog tasks

Create a new blogpost called 'The Sims FreePlay CSP - Audience and Industries blog tasks' and complete the following tasks.

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.

2) How does the game information on this page reflect the strong element of participatory culture in The Sims?

3) Read a few of the user reviews. What do they suggest about the audience pleasures of the game? 

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?

2) Why was development company Maxis initially not interested in The Sims?

3) What is ‘modding’?

4) How does ‘modding’ link to Henry Jenkins’ idea of ‘textual poaching’?

5) Look specifically at p136. Note down key quotes from Jenkins, Pearce and Wright on this page.

6) What examples of intertextuality are discussed in relation to The Sims? (Look for “replicating works from popular culture”)

7) What is ‘transmedia storytelling’ and how does The Sims allow players to create it?

8) How have Sims online communities developed over the last 20 years?

9) Why have conflicts sometimes developed within The Sims online communities?

10) What does the writer suggest The Sims will be remembered for?

Read this Henry Jenkins interview with James Paul Gee, writer of Woman as Gamers: The Sims and 21st Century Learning (2010).

1) How is ‘modding’ used in The Sims?

2) Why does James Paul Gee see The Sims as an important game?

3) What does the designer of The Sims, Will Wright, want players to do with the game?

4) Do you agree with the view that The Sims is not a game – but something else entirely?

5) How do you see the future of gaming? Do you agree with James Paul Gee that all games in the future will have the flexibility and interactivity of The Sims?

Industries

Regulation – PEGI

Research the following using the VSC website PEGI page - look at the videos and Q&A section.

1) How does the VSC and PEGI ratings system work and how does it link to UK law?

2) Click on the PEGI Rating tab in the top menu. What are the age ratings and what content guidance do they include?

3) What is the PEGI process for rating a game? 

The ‘Freemium’ gaming model

Read this Lifewire feature on freemium gaming and answer the following questions:

1) How does the freemium model work?

2) Why do some gamers believe freemium is ruining games?

3) What are the positives of the freemium model for gaming?

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.

2) Why does the freemium model incentivise game developers to create better and longer games?

3) What does the article suggest regarding the possibilities and risks to the freemium model in future?

Read this New York Times feature on freemium gaming and answer the following questions:

1) Why did Temple Run use the freemium model?

2) The bigger gaming studios like Electronic Arts used to avoid the freemium model. Why are they now embracing it?

3) Why does Peter Farago suggest independent game makers benefit more from the freemium model than the major publishers like EA?

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?

2) Why does Amanda Schofield suggest ‘games aren’t products any more’?

3) What does she say about The Sims gaming community?

4) How has EA kept the game fresh and maintained the active player base?

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.

Finally, read this blog on how EA is ruining the franchise (or not) due to its downloadable content. Answer the following questions:

1) What audience pleasures for The Sims are discussed at the beginning of the blog?

2) What examples of downloadable content are presented?

3) How did Electronic Arts enrage The Sims online communities with expansion packs and DLC?

4) What innovations have appeared in various versions of The Sims over the years?

5) In your opinion, do expansion packs like these exploit a loyal audience or is it simply EA responding to customer demand?

Complete for homework: due date on Google Classroom.