Videogames: The Sims FreePlay - Language & Representations
Language / Gameplay analysis
Watch The Sims: FreePlay trailer and answer the following questions:
1) What elements of gameplay are shown?
Starting a family/marriage, raising animals, sporting activities such as swimming
2) What audience is the trailer targeting?
The trailer is targeting a wide audience consisting of anyone who may be interested in family life esq relaxing games.
3) What audience pleasures are suggested by the trailer?
Diversion with personal identity
Now watch this walk-through of the beginning of The Sims FreePlay and answer the following questions:
1) How is the game constructed?
In the game you create your own first character and then buy a small beginning house meant for further expansion as you play the game more and more, and the same rule applies for the rest of town where you get more and more buildings as you play more.
2) What audience is this game targeting?
a primarily younger audience through the way the trailer is portrayed.
3) What audience pleasures does the game provide?
diversion, personal relationship, personal identity, surveillance.
4) How does the game encourage in-app purchases?
Through premium currency where it can be used to do things such as speed up tasks or purchase premium or hard to get content.
Representations
Re-watch some of the expansion pack trailers and answer the following questions:
1) How do the expansion pack (DLC) trailers reinforce or challenge dominant ideologies?
a typical stereotype of where all youthful teenagers aspire to be a somewhat rebellious persona/ rockstar.
2) What stereotypes have you identified in The Sims FreePlay?
typical boy and girl roles through ballet and martial arts, and where woman are only seen in stores implying their out buying things for their family.
3) What media theories can you apply to representations in The Sims FreePlay?
Van Zoonen - Gender Stereotypes, Gauntlet - Fluidity of identity, Bell Hooks - Power structure in society
1) How do the expansion pack (DLC) trailers reinforce or challenge dominant ideologies?
a typical stereotype of where all youthful teenagers aspire to be a somewhat rebellious persona/ rockstar.
2) What stereotypes have you identified in The Sims FreePlay?
typical boy and girl roles through ballet and martial arts, and where woman are only seen in stores implying their out buying things for their family.
3) What media theories can you apply to representations in The Sims FreePlay?
Van Zoonen - Gender Stereotypes, Gauntlet - Fluidity of identity, Bell Hooks - Power structure in society
.
Representation reading
Read this Forbes article on gender and racism in The Sims franchise and answer the following questions:
1) How realistic does The Sims intend to be?
It tries to be as realistic as possible in the creating a family, work life and relationship aspects, however there are aspects which completely throw this out the window with futuristic styles housing and robotic pets.
2) How has The Sims tried to create more realistic representations of ethnicity?
Through the sim creation system there are options for any race youd like to create without highlighting anything specific about each one, just giving the option for a regular look.
3) How has The Sims responded to racism and sexism in society?
“Our game is kind of a caricature of life. We don’t really have a message—there’s no racism message, there’s no tolerance message. We have same-sex marriage in our game. Our Sims will not discriminate based on gender preference whatsoever"
4) What is The Sims perspective on gender fluidity and identity?
One notable thing is the fact that there has never been an option for gender fluidity, only the set two genders of male and female.
5) How does The Sims reinforce the dominant capitalist ideologies of American culture?
Reality, postmodernism and The Sims
Read this Paste Magazine feature on reality and The Sims franchise. Answer the following questions:
1) What does the article suggest about the representation of real life in The Sims 4?
This premise, however, takes on a blurry and convoluted role when you consider The Sims. How do you escape “real life” when you’re playing a virtual version of it? In previous instalments, the answer to that was some of The Sims’ more imaginative expansions. Escapism, after all, is often about living the life you don’t lead, and that means removing certain barriers and limitations we experience in reality.
2) What audience pleasures did the writer previously find in The Sims franchise?
Escapism
3) Why the does the writer mention an example of a washer and dryer as additional DLC?
I was discussing The Sims 3 with some folks on Twitter once and I remember talking about one of the later additions to the game, the washer and dryer, which I never wound up using. At the time I had no interest in adding yet another maintenance ritual to my Sim’s daily routine, but also, as I told my fellow Sims fans, it was almost an act of defiance. I have no desire to do laundry in real life, why would I do it in a Sims game after so many years of not having to at all?
4) In your opinion, has The Sims made an error in trying to make the franchise too realistic?
Not at all, I think the sims maintains a strong boundry between whats real and whats fake. for example the processes of starting a family are all quite realistic, whereas dating the grim reaper adds a sort if funny unique quirk and charm to the game which you wont find anywhere else.
5) How does this representation of reality link to Baudrillard’s theory of hyperreality - the increasingly blurred line between real and constructed?
With the constant links to reality and fiction it creates a large wall between whats real and constructed.
Representation reading
Read this Forbes article on gender and racism in The Sims franchise and answer the following questions:
1) How realistic does The Sims intend to be?
It tries to be as realistic as possible in the creating a family, work life and relationship aspects, however there are aspects which completely throw this out the window with futuristic styles housing and robotic pets.
2) How has The Sims tried to create more realistic representations of ethnicity?
Through the sim creation system there are options for any race youd like to create without highlighting anything specific about each one, just giving the option for a regular look.
3) How has The Sims responded to racism and sexism in society?
“Our game is kind of a caricature of life. We don’t really have a message—there’s no racism message, there’s no tolerance message. We have same-sex marriage in our game. Our Sims will not discriminate based on gender preference whatsoever"
4) What is The Sims perspective on gender fluidity and identity?
One notable thing is the fact that there has never been an option for gender fluidity, only the set two genders of male and female.
5) How does The Sims reinforce the dominant capitalist ideologies of American culture?
It’s a fair and familiar point, but it’s still strange that we're made so uncomfortable by simulations of racist thought given how omnipresent it is in American culture and politics. It's not that hatred and real, damaging social phenomena have been written out of the game.
Read this New Normative feature on LGBTQ representation in The Sims franchise (the website link no longer works but that will take you to the text of the article - you'll need your Greenford Google login to access). Answer the following questions:
1) How did same-sex relationships unexpectedly help the original Sims game to be a success?
Same sex marriages created a new environment for members of the lgbt community as they hadnt ever been given that sense of freedom in a videogame before, creating a large new fanbase for the game.
2) How is sexuality now represented in The Sims?
Anyone can be married to anyone no matter gender or sexuality without any consequences.
3) Why have fans praised the inclusion of LGBTQ relationships in The Sims franchise?
It wasnt typically seen in videogames and therefore praise was given as they created a new inclusive environment.
4) Why did the Sims run into regulatory difficulties with American regulator the ESRB? How did EA respond?
They gave the sims an M rating for the same sex marriages and EA responded by taking legal action an fighting hard to persuade them to give the T rating back.
5) How is sexuality represented in the wider videogames industry today?
Sexuality in the modern age of gaming is largely represented through different relationships with main characters and stories in general, a new perspective on what was the norm in gaming 20 years ago.
Reality, postmodernism and The Sims
Read this Paste Magazine feature on reality and The Sims franchise. Answer the following questions:
1) What does the article suggest about the representation of real life in The Sims 4?
This premise, however, takes on a blurry and convoluted role when you consider The Sims. How do you escape “real life” when you’re playing a virtual version of it? In previous instalments, the answer to that was some of The Sims’ more imaginative expansions. Escapism, after all, is often about living the life you don’t lead, and that means removing certain barriers and limitations we experience in reality.
2) What audience pleasures did the writer previously find in The Sims franchise?
Escapism
3) Why the does the writer mention an example of a washer and dryer as additional DLC?
I was discussing The Sims 3 with some folks on Twitter once and I remember talking about one of the later additions to the game, the washer and dryer, which I never wound up using. At the time I had no interest in adding yet another maintenance ritual to my Sim’s daily routine, but also, as I told my fellow Sims fans, it was almost an act of defiance. I have no desire to do laundry in real life, why would I do it in a Sims game after so many years of not having to at all?
4) In your opinion, has The Sims made an error in trying to make the franchise too realistic?
Not at all, I think the sims maintains a strong boundry between whats real and whats fake. for example the processes of starting a family are all quite realistic, whereas dating the grim reaper adds a sort if funny unique quirk and charm to the game which you wont find anywhere else.
5) How does this representation of reality link to Baudrillard’s theory of hyperreality - the increasingly blurred line between real and constructed?
With the constant links to reality and fiction it creates a large wall between whats real and constructed.
The Sims FreePlay social media analysis
Analyse The Sims FreePlay Facebook page and Twitter feed and answer the following questions:
1) What is the purpose of The Sims FreePlay social media channels?
For fans to communicate with one another and also speak to developers to make game changing suggestions or improvements.
2) Choose three posts (from either Twitter or Facebook) and make a note of what they are and how they encourage audience interaction or response.
Adding hijabs for children by creating a new headwear section, highlighting the inclusive nature of the game, Creating a post dedicated to nurses during the covid 19 pandemic, showing their care for the real world communities. and a year long celebration for pride again highlighting their inclusivity.
Analyse The Sims FreePlay Facebook page and Twitter feed and answer the following questions:
1) What is the purpose of The Sims FreePlay social media channels?
For fans to communicate with one another and also speak to developers to make game changing suggestions or improvements.
2) Choose three posts (from either Twitter or Facebook) and make a note of what they are and how they encourage audience interaction or response.
Adding hijabs for children by creating a new headwear section, highlighting the inclusive nature of the game, Creating a post dedicated to nurses during the covid 19 pandemic, showing their care for the real world communities. and a year long celebration for pride again highlighting their inclusivity.
3) Scroll down the Facebook feed briefly. How many requests for new content can you find from players? Why is this such as an important part of the appeal for The Sims FreePlay?
There are numerous posts regarding additions that are being suggested, for example the pricing range on cosmetics. This is an important part of the games appeal as it shows the game has a good team of developers who care about their player base, which is sought out after a lot by gamers in this day and age.
4) What tweets can you find in the Twitter feed that refer to additional content or other revenue streams for EA?
There are numerous posts regarding additions that are being suggested, for example the pricing range on cosmetics. This is an important part of the games appeal as it shows the game has a good team of developers who care about their player base, which is sought out after a lot by gamers in this day and age.
4) What tweets can you find in the Twitter feed that refer to additional content or other revenue streams for EA?
Optional in game purchases.
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