Task 4 - Analysis of a Game Genre

Critical Approaches to Creative Media Products

Selected Genre: Stealth Action Adventure.

Stealth action adventure games typically contain elements from three of the main game Genres, games within the stealth Genre may contain swift movements under the radar containing a secret organization with a purpose. Games within the action genre will typically contain fast paced combat sequences, destruction loud firearms and a protagonist which possesses better knowledge or experience than the rest of their type. Games titled Adventure may contain a wide open environment and a hero's journey involving motivation, risks puzzles and a unique series of events.

The following games are labeled Stealth action adventure because they contain one or more aspects of each of these genre's, i have chosen these titles as i believe they are the best of their kind from Success in the market to an overall brilliant gaming experience.

Dishonored

Dishonored places you in control of Corvo Attano a royal body guard framed for the murder of his empress and sentenced  to death. Upon escape of the prison Corvo is proclaimed the infamous assassin responsible for the death of his master. With an arsenal of unusual gadgets and an array of paranormal abilities it is your job to take back your homeland and rid the world of the ones who betrayed you.

In Game Elements

When producing the game Arkane Studio's chose not to include dialogue for the player character as they wanted the player to be immersed and could project their own image of what the character should sound like.

Similar to most games of the stealth action adventure Genre, the game provides you with many unique gadgets and upgrades that will enhance your gaming experience, another game which shares a similar system is Assassins creed.

The visual elements of Dishonored are diverse as their are two sides to the world, the paranormal and sinister dream world and place of rest for Corvo, and then there is your homeland reconstructed and armored to the teeth protecting the General who's death you seek. For the most part everything is either deteriorating or broken, this displays what the former royal bodyguard has been reduced to and what has slipped from his grasp.

The sound produced for Dishonored is a stereotypical example of a stealth action based title, the movements are very discreet and the ambience are looming and mysterious, which when accompanied with the assassin like structure makes for the perfect stealth action title.

Each of my chosen games contain a lot of the same elements but it's how they display those elements which make them unique to one another, in the dishonored play-through for the most part the player remains on the ground, the reason this is attainable is because the character can manipulate the environment around him possessing creatures and rendering himself invisible to the naked eye, when this is compared to the Assassins Creed game play Ubisoft take the opposite approach of stealth and obscurity which is to blend around with the surrounding using the population as a means of being unnoticed when on foot and using parkour elements when approaching from above.

Assassins Creed

The first of the chosen titles Assassins Creed is a long running series projecting an ancient rivalry between two secret societies the Assassins and knights Templar's. The games alternate a cross timeline open world the first places the user in control of a seemingly modern casual bartender by the name of Desmond miles, growing up as an assassin Desmond chose to flee from his homeland to seek the life of the casual man, unfortunately the Templar's learned of his relation to the prominent assassins and planned to capture and kill Desmond among the discovery that he possesses the knowledge of secret long forgotten artifacts a secret organization known as Abstergo capture Desmond in an attempt for him to reveal the information they seek.

In Game Elements 

Through the creation of the animus a device which renders genetic memories in three dimensions, the player can revisit points in history placing them in control of their many ancestors. One of the things that makes this title unique is the ability to link the two timelines together with reason, the animus system allows Ubisoft to place the character in some of the historical points in time without the game being solely around that era.

Assassins Creed games tend to have many traditional elements of the year in which the player is synced into, such as in the first assassins creed you are placed in control of Altaïr at the masyaf, so the equipment is fairly limited as are resources, the player has limited flexibility ranging from the basic tools of the trade such as the sword and cleaver for combat and horse and foot for travel, of course their were the unique elements of the game which were the infamous Hidden blade and apple of eden.

Throughout the course of the series Ubisoft has kept the games purpose true and unique to the others before it, one of the most recent releases Assassins creed 3 places you at the front of the american revolution as one of Desmond ancestors this time a lot further down the timeline the game offers a wide range of gadgets and maneuvers such as the tomahawk, pistol, musket, war club poison dart, bow and arrow. As well as all these game exclusives the player is able to upgrade how much they have available to them and the upgrades available to their arsenal.

All of the games in the Assassins creed series contain a few key stealth aspects, these are the unusual Eagle vision, hidden blade and parkour elements of the game, unlike the splinter Cell and Dishonored titles the player needs to use every obstacle and situation to their advantage to achieve success. An example of this is that in every creed released so far the player is given the task of gaining access or following a certain individual, when the game places you in these situations unlike Splinter Cell and dishonored where the game gives you the option to manipulate your surrounding to work to your advantage the player character in assassins creed needs to use the over populated crowd scenes as their means of being undiscovered.

Unlike the other titles assassins creed alternates between various different points in time so the visuals differ throughout the players journey, although staying true to the stealth action adventure Genre when in control of the more fluid traditional  assassin the player is surrounded by building with many edges and points enabling the player to attain a godlike view of their surroundings unlocking more secrets of their location for them to use to their advantage.

When playing as the modern age protagonist Desmond the visuals are sleek official and almost futuristic for the most part, the areas tend to consist of shiny metal or a digital hologram displaying a form of information.

The sound used in assassins creed stays true to the Genre when in the Animus in control of the ancient assassins, swift fluent and mysterious for the most part as well as ambience exclusive to the time in which the world is set in such as an Italian rhythm accompanying the player when undetected followed by a more sinister theme when face in combat.  

Splinter Cell: Conviction

The final of my chosen titles the very recent Splinter Cell Conviction takes on a whole new approach from the previously mentioned and is what would be described as a modern stereotypical stealth action game where the character is provided with an arsenal of suppressed weapons and gadgets such as heat sensors and night vision goggles which they will use against the target to eliminate them without any suspicions, this is similar to a modern take on the Assassins creed hidden blade and assassinations.

Conviction Places you in control of former agent Sam fisher Discovering the reason behind his daughter Sarah's death whilst being targeted by various hit men.

Alike the previously discusses titles the Splinter cell titles offers a wide range of equipment and upgrades to enhance your gaming experience, the unlock and upgrade system is a common trait in most stealth action games whether it be a modern take or historical old fashioned world the character is placed in.

The visual elements to the Splinter cell titles consist mainly of darkened areas for the player to remain unseen throughout their story, the game also features obstacles and edges placed in certain points of the game allowing the character access to higher ground for a better view. Any other visual aspects of the game do not directly relate to the other titles as they would be the government and military style structures and agent bases consisting of modern agent tactical equipment.

Although the game is titled Action adventure stealth their are more than a fair dose of public confrontations throughout the game, when playing as the suited government agent the sounds like one would assume tend to be quite similar to other games of the trade, featuring calm flowing ambience in the background and suppressed gunfire when eliminating the target.


I chose the above titles for the analysis due to the similarities of the in game elements and motives of their development, each hold key elements of the classic stealth action game with their own unique twists ranging from Advanced Electronic disabling tactical equipment to the possession of the surrounding wildlife.

Task 3 - Creating Products for Audiences

The Last of Us

The last of us is a third person, Action/Adventure/horror survival game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony computer entertainment.

Content - The style of the last of us text is very bold & gritty, just by looking at box the cover for the game i can already see a few of the main features in the game.

The font is very up front and stretched  to a height which  is taller than the characters reach.
Their are hints of dust or dirt covering the title, this can symbolize that the characters are not going to survive without getting their hands dirty or having any harm done to them.

The look on Ellie's face is that of a person who has seen things that give her a different opinion on life, more specifically she seems to have given up hope & from this image and the weapon that we can see on her back, she thinks she is the solution to this problem.

The environment on the cover is on an angle this can can symbolize that things are out of balance and not as they should be, which seems only right considering the setting of the game and the threat which they are up against.

Finally the last key aspects i can point out from this cover are

• The buildings in this image are covered with ivy which gives you a clue as to what the infection is based off, the infection is a spore based fungus that mutates humans into unbearable disfigured creatures that eat the flesh of the remaining survivors.

• The burst of light which get's brighter the closer to the centre of the image, this can symbolize that their is a ray of light, some hope still left and that is the way Joel and Ellie.

                                                                  http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9e/TheLastOfUs.jpg

The game places you in control of a ruthless survivor named Joel who during the early parts of the game does nothing but sell contraband for a high price.

Throughout the whole of the game the player would see very gritty & gory signs of violence and regret.
The scenes in the game are not recommended for anyone below the 18 year age limit, due to the realism put into the game to captivate the player which brings a better gaming experience.

During someones play-through of the game the times they are inside the wrecked buildings and structures, the lights tend to be very dimly lit or flickering, this is used in many games to show the events that have taken place and the damage that has been done in the environment. The darkness in the rooms are most likely due to the developers wanting you to use a small light source such as a flashlight or the darkness is used to add a sense of  worry, not sure what lurks around the corner, which would typically lead to an enemy, in this instance an infected human leaping out forcing you to close range melee or shoot it.

Some of the common codes of survival horror games which are present in this game are as followed:


Camera Control - Doesn't show the whole room, focus's on certain points which limits your sense of vision causing more worry that you may be attacked at any second, example: in resident evil 6 the two beginning characters become damaged and the female wounded and need medical equipment to survive and when the main character Leon returns with the medication a triggered event happens when he is healing his comrade a zombie comes from out of the darkness and you need to quickly eliminate it with a shot to the head.

Character Control - Third person with wide view of the area surrounding you, but at the same time confined and unsure of what is not in sight. due to the camera focusing mainly on where the torch is directed, the player can quickly become unaware of what might happen next, this shows a sense of both worry and mystery.

• How someone has control of their equipment & what directions they must follow and what buttons or triggers they must press to check what weapons are available in their arsenal, example: in resident evil 6  the player presses a certain button (Which can differ depending on the layout of the controls and console which it is played on.) that brings up an equipment and weapons wheel which you can choose whichever arm you wish and then once you move the stick onto the desired weapon/equipment the wheel will close and the item you chose will be in your possession.

• Another common code of most horror/survival games are events that mentally scar the character, in the last of us this would be the death of Joel's daughter Sarah.  

Multiplayer - This mode has become more common in the past 2-3 years, horror/survival games such as resident evil & uncharted follow the same guidelines.

• Like resident evil,  in the last of us uses similar tactics, which is bringing elements from single player and placing you in control of a common enemy doing the opposite role of that you would in the your play-through of the single player game mode.

Atmospheric Music/SFX - One of the most common elements of a survival horror game is the sound effects which change the mood of the game and add suspense, fear or emotion, an example of this in the last of us is, between the first infected appearance and the death of Sarah, there is a constant looming wind & a sound similar to a recorder or flute type instrument which seems to become louder whenever the infected are nearby, this is used to add a sense of fear and to make the player feel uneasy and considerate about his/her next move.

Common SFX used in horror games:

• Explosion - Buildings being destroyed, Cars setting on fire, any signs of help being extinguished.
• Screaming - When they are faced with the enemy they shout for help and beg to be spared.
• panicking - people rushing around in terror oblivious to what is happening and why.
• Gunshot's or ballistics depending on the time in which the game was set.

The common way in which someone would expect things to play out in games such as this would begin with a natural sequence in which a character is undergoing a usual task, anything from waking up from a sleep to a visit to a relative, the next stage would be with someone of great importance being infected or sustaining a fatal injury which leads to some dramatic scene which affects the main character in a dramatic way.

After the sudden fatal or severe injury, the player will reach a point where they come into contacts with a hybrid or directions to a vaccine which will stop the invasion, after this there is usually a hostile leader who was behind the outbreak.  shortly after confrontation with him or her, the player would continue up until a point where some would assume the infection had been cured, then in the aftermath there will be a glimpse of a surviving enemy/infected or a new kind of  parasite with a unique twist.

Just Dance

Just dance is a party/ rhythm game developed and published by Ubisoft. 

Through looking at the cover art of just dance i can already see this is no dreary, gloomy or violent game, instead this is full of life, bursting with energy & bouncing around all over the place.

Content - The style of the Just dance text is very lively and modern and in a way alive, this gives a sense that there is a lot of moving around and with dance in the title, i wouldn't think otherwise.
Some of the text in the title fuse with one another, which can symbolize that it is not a game to be played in solitude, and is best played with friends or family for simple get together's or used in crazy parties to lift the mood.

 The figures on the cover are all very flimsy and not very still, this shows that the game is very interactive and that there is a lot of moving around in different styles.

The colours  for the background are very radiant and calm, others may think different as the colours seem very bright and differ from one another.

The colours on the figures are very bright and with a bright white highlight around them, symbolizing that they're the main attraction and so they should be considering they are the avatars the player used in game.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Just_Dance_2014_Official_NTSC_Cover_Art.jpg











Genre - simulator, group rhythmic, exercise, lively, just by looking

Content - Japanese fashion pop, in your face.

Construction - colorful, font jazzed up.

Narrative Conventions - Explosion of energy, very little interaction but control

Common Codes - Bright, well lit.

Task 2 - Audience Responce to Products

Audience Theory

Audience theory is a vital step in the creation of a game, which some may believe manipulate people and lead them to purchasing the game or some form of downloadable content.

Audience theory has been used for many years & through different media such as the radio, newspaper and advertisement.

The media or text its self has no meaning until it is read out or produced, which is usually by someone with great power or fame.

Hypodermic Needle Model

The hypodermic needle model originated in the 1920’s and is the first form of Audience theory which was an attempt to explain how audiences would respond to media over a large range of people.

The theory deduces that a mass audience can be injected with messages in favor of the desired media.History proves that this method is very powerful and effective, partly responsible for the swift rising of radio and television, advertisements and can even relate to Hitlers possession of the mass media during the second world war. 

Although effective this form is only known to effect an audience for a short amount of time.

Inoculation Model

The inoculation model is a theory that being exposed to media for a long enough amount of time will make you immune to what it is you are seeing & possibly make you want to try it out for yourself.

The audience for this form is passive.

Two-Step Flow Model

The two step model also known as the two step flow, was first introduced in a study in the year 1994, the study was focused on the process of decision making during an election campaign, the researchers did however not expect the results they had achieved and went on to develop the two step model as a form of mass communication.

The theory itself implies that data from the media interchanges, firstly opinion front runners who are devoted to the masses and its messages take in the information; the leaders then take into consideration the media and deduce their own way of presenting the information in addition to the evidence they have collected.

Uses and Gratifications Theory

The uses and gratifications theory looks at the incentives of the audience who use the media, and questions our reason for doing the things we do, for example, why we watch a certain program or for what reason we devote our time to watching a film series we enjoy, the main concept of this theory is to rather than asking the ways the media uses us, the theory focuses on how me use the media.

This theory supports the idea that a change in thinking and exposure to lot's of text enabled the audience to answer questions based on their experiences and knowledge.


                             

Reception Theory
The Reception theory originated in 1973, and was developed by a cultural studies scholar named Stuart Hall , the model was featured in his essay titled Encoding/Decoding model of communication.

Formerly known as audience reception this is the idea that someone reading a form of text will develop meaning of the information, observe it and then come to a final conclusion of what they believe it to represent.



Bibliography

http://www.rswebsites.co.uk/mediafilm/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/videogame-violence-300x295.jpg

http://lessonbucket.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/the-hypodermic-needle-theory.jpg

http://education-portal.com/cimages/videopreview/videopreview-small/theory_112632.png

http://www.utwente.nl/cw/theorieenoverzicht/theory%20clusters/mass%20media/two_step_flow_theory-1/Two_Step_Flow_Theory-1-1.png

http://www.emeraldinsight.com/content_images/fig/0070280803001.png

http://davis.foulger.info/papers/images/UnifiedModelOfCommunication2.gif

Task 1 - Defining Audience for Products

Ha6 Task 1 defining audience for products from Nathan_West