Videogames: Horizon Forbidden West - Audience and Industry

 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?

• PS5 have a 71% male vs 29% female audience whilst Xbox series X|S has 68% vs 32%. PC has 61% vs 39%, and switch has a 54% vs 46%.
• Assassins Creed - 70% vs 30%, Halo - 73% vs 27%.
• Animal Crossing - 39% vs 61%, Mario - 45% vs 55%.

2) What is the difference between 'hardcore' and 'casual' gamers - and which do you think would play Horizon Forbidden West?
Hardcore gamers play play competitively, either playing an offline game to a very strict ruleset or an online game in a ranking system, where casual gamers play purely for fun.
3) What are the different reasons YouGov researched for why players play games? Which of these would apply to Horizon Forbidden West?
Relax and wind down, pass the time, escape from reality for a while, challenge myself, complete challenges and puzzles,

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

1) How is the game promoted to an audience?

A variety of different trailers and gameplay, advertisements in the real world such as billboards and buses.

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

Different settings and characters, robots.

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

How much the settings vary in regards to overall location and what inhabits them.

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

Horizon Zero dawn which is the original game, The new Lego Horizon game, Multiple DLC packs.

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?  

Guides for different types of cosplays and guides for certain DIY crafts such as cardboard or paper cut outs.

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?

The open world aspects enabled the writer to feel lost in the game.

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

Sets up the narrative and creates a structure of the games layout from that point onwards.

3) Why does the writer feel HFW created a more successful open world game than The Witcher 3?
Things in the witcher take much longer in comparison to HFW, such as travelling and quests.

Industries

Industry research

1) Research Sony PlayStation Studios. 
Playstation is a videogame company which is a division of Sony interactive entertainment who were established in 2005.
2) What studios are part of Sony PlayStation Studios?

Asobi, Bend Studio ,Bluepoint Games, Firewalk Studios , Guerrilla Games, Haven Studios, Insomniac , London Studio , Media Molecule , Santa Monica Studio , Valkyrie Entertainment

3) What notable games have they produced? 

Spiderman 1 and 2 + Miles Morales, Uncharted franchise, God of war franchise, Horizon franchise.

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? 

Its a subsidiary of Sony who employ more than 350 people from 50 different countries, highlighting diversity.

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.

In order to get into the industry the idea first needs to make sense from a technical standpoint, if the game is actually possible to create, Having a good team in order to make the game and also Knowing your audience.

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

1) Which three companies merged to become Guerrilla Games?
Orange Games, Digital Infinity and Formula Game Development.
2) What other games and franchises were created by Guerrilla Games?

Yooka laylee, Killzone, Horizon franchise, Deathbound

3) How did Guerrilla maximise the Killzone franchise? 

There was a hype for Killzone before its release, and so over a million copies were sold which then allowed it to get Sony to draw up a first-party contract for Guerrilla Games.

4) What did Sony sign with Guerrilla in 2004? 

First party contract

5) How is Horizon Forbidden West described in the article and what is the next stage for the franchise?  
A soft side to guerilla games, and the next stage being a new virtual reality game calles Horizon call of the mountain.

Regulation and PEGI

1) What is HFW's PEGI rating and what age rating do you feel would be appropriate? Why?
16, I think this is accurate to the violence and romance
2) Why is regulating videogames difficult in the digital age?
Its easy to gain access to something innapropriate through fake accounts and other people pretending to be you.
3) Are attitudes towards media content and regulation changing as a result of the internet? Explain your answer.

I think attitudes are drastically changing due to the internet and i think this due to the fact that the internet lacks regulation in general, meaning people who are young can still be exposed to more adult content and become desensitised to it, meaning the age ratings have little to no effect as whats deemed inappropriate to them may not seem as bad to them.