Question 1 and 2

1) What is an example of a vertically integrated company?

-Rockstar are an example of a vertically integrated company, because they can control the management of their games. As they run al the distribution and marketing themselves they have full control of what goes on, and how they do it. Nintendo are also a vertically integrated company, even though their views and games are completely different. They produce everything themselves, even their own consoles, this makes sure they have lots of control and lots of money coming in.

2) What has the impact of increased internet connectivity been on the media production, distribution and marketing process?

-The internet has worked well for the video games industry, as it has enabled them to distribute their products to a much wider audience. Via sites like play.com and GAME selling games online and distributing them by post. Similar to the mail order games started in the UK. Advertising has also became easier for the companies, allowing them to add websites about games, and even twitter feeds for fictional characters, splinter cell's conviction Sam Fisher had his own feed for the game,this is called viral marketing.

Ads can also be placed on the side of websites, and trailers can be placed on popular streaming sites like youtube. Companies like Valve have set up their own product for distributing games called Steam, companies like Rockstar publish their game on steam, where customers can download the games and pay via the internet, and download the game straight to their PC, It also allows updates and DLC straight onto their game for instant access.

Other games have online enabled play, Smash Bros. Brawl has this feature which allows the player to interact and battle other players who have the game from around the world, it also allows them to share pictures, footage and maps with one another. Rockstar have an online play feature that also allows players to fight each other online, the online features also allow the player to download content for the game like the two DLC's The Lost and Dammed and The Ballad Of Gay Tony, this adds a new campaign and allows the player to play as different characters.

Onlive is a new service on the internet, as like the video games industry it is always growing.

Onlive Ads and Disadvantages

Advantages

- No downloading, meaning less space taken up on the hardrive of the p.c.

- You can download loads of games meaning a big collection without all the discs.

- They can join lots of separate companies.

- They can cut out lots of retailers and have companies go straight to them, meaning more money for them.

Disadvantages

- Streaming with a bad connection can cause lag.

- Subscription fees may put people off the idea. Especially if you have to pay extra for games.

- They are challenging the 3 big guys in the business

- As it is on the internet hackers may be able to hack into your accounts.

Marketing - Super Smash Bros. Brawl

http://www.smashbros.com/en_uk/index.html

Kept getting updated every week or so with new music, characters or game modes being shown.

One of the original teaser trailers showing Sonic as a confirmed character for the first time. Due to this being the frst time Sonic and Mario, two of the biggest gaming figures met in one game.

This was obviously big news and increased the hype for the already popular series.

Super Smash Bros Brawl - Wii

We have decided to do our second case study on Super Smash Bros Brawl.

• Brawl is the third game of the Smash Bros series, the popular fighting game which involves nintendo characters from different game series all in one game fighting. The game was developed by Nintendo and HAL Laboratory.inc. This was the first Smash Bros game to include characters from other game series as cameo characters like Sonic and Solid Snake.
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Research of companies.

Zynga

- Zynga make applications for other sites like facebook, they made games like Farmville, Mafia Wars, Cafe World.

- Zynga is run by 9 people.

Capcom

- Founded in 1979 in Japan.

- They invented the very popular Resident Evil series.

Xbox LIVE Marketplace. (Braid)

- Braid is a game that manipulates physics, and time. It was popular due to this and game reviewers called inventive and new.

- Xbox live allows you to download games and content to increase this allows gamers to get more from their content.

Iphone Developer Programme

- This allows developers to design their own games for iphone and ipod touch game allowing you to manipulate the touch screen.

Second Party Games

Second Party Game
A game created exclusively for a specific console through a contract agreement with the console manufacturer. (The console manufacturer may own a percentage of the studio, but not enough to give it a controlling interest.)

GTA 4 IDEAS

Firstly they started collecting ideas. Locations, technology, gameplay, missions, basically everything and anything we want to include or do. We think about what we are trying to achieve in basic terms, we spend a bit of time sorting and discarding some of the initial ideas.

In terms of the art department, the character artists will start playing about with concepts, trying various main characters in the game, playing about with pushing the style a little, basically experimenting. The vehicle department will begin a first pass of every vehicle, the environment artists will lay out a road network and once we've all driven around on it for a bit will block in each city block roughly so we can start to see the skyline. The intention is that as soon as possible we have a very, very rough version of the game and then we begin to refine it. Like every other aspect of the game the artistic direction grows organically, we try stuff and things that work pull us in their direction and things that don't are changed.

Right at the start the ambient characters are blocked in, there is a first pass that gives us an initial version of them and as the style tightens and the artists become more confident with the tools we go over them again and again and tighten them up, add varieties and consistency. The main characters all wait for the script. We work from some initial biographies while the script is still in its early stages and then again push these further when the script evolves.

he story always comes a little later in the day. At the point when the characters are developed we tend to be working more from feel and a short biography. We know the kind of character the player is supposed to be and we know a little of his background but we still don't know what he is going to do and say. So in that sense we have to work with broad strokes. Niko's face looks like he's had a past, that he has done and seen things most people haven't and that this has affected him. That's a good basis to build on.

We found this on http://features.cgsociety.org/story_custom.php?story_id=4499

An interview on their first ideas of GTA 4 with Aaron -Art director of GTA

Adobe is to stop making software tools that allow Apple's iPhone and iPad to use its popular Flash technology.

The decision reverses an earlier pledge in which it said it would help get Flash working on the gadgets.

Flash is very widely used on the web and many sites use it to power animations, media players and other multimedia elements.

Despite this, Apple's products do not support Flash and it has made public statements criticising the technology.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8616274.stm

Flash moves on to smart phones

By Jonathan Fildes Technology reporter, BBC News One of the most common technologies for watching video on a computer will soon be available for most smartphones. Flash software is used to deliver around 75% of online video and is the key technology that underpins websites such as YouTube and Google Video. Until now, many smartphones and netbooks have used a "light" version of the program, because of the limited processing power of the devices. The new software is intended to work as well on a smartphone as a desktop PC.

Write up of gaming session.

Red Dead Revolver - Xbox
1) The game was simple to play, although the shooting was a little unaccurate. But the game had quite a good mix of platformer and shooter.
2) Due to the rating of the game and the blood and guns, the game is aimed at adults, particuly those who enjoy watching western movies, due to the references throughout the game.
3) The levels were rather bland and repetitive, walking down the same train for two levels got boring.
4) The game takes many refereces from early western films.

Table Tennis - Xbox 360
1) The controls were simple due to most buttons making you hit the ball, with either spins, curls, low and high.
2) This game would appeal to families who enjoy more casual gaming to hardcore gaming, or people who are really big fans of the sport, but have no room for a tennis table.
3) The experience of the game isn't wide enough or fun enough to make me want to go back and play more.
4) There are ads on billboards on the side of the arena, a bit like you would get in a real sport event, also the characters are real people who are famous in the sport.

Midnight Club LA - Playstation 3
1) The speed and the amount of damage you can do to your car is over the top and over dramatic, however this is the kind of racing games that I find fun, track racing is dull, but mind blowing speed and over the top tricks are exciting.
2) This game is aimed more at people who like fast cars, but prefer messing about in their own sandbox world.
3) There were a lot of choices of car (Although we had no money to buy any), so you will go back to unlock more faster models later on.
4) The music playing out of the car radio is from real bands.

Grand Theft Auto Vice City - Playstation 2
1)Although their is a main story in GTA games, they never seem to draw me in, all i ever did and still do on GTA is open up the cheatbook and spawn as many vehicles and weapons i can untill the game becomes fun. However i like the freedom to do this and the world that is built for you to explore.
2) This game is aimed at adults, and adult gaming. However many younger children play this game and enjoy it much more just because of the amount of freedom and variety they get with it.
3) As i said in 1 only fun for me when using cheats.
4) The radio has real songs from bands of the 80's, and the adverts inbetween the songs mock real adverts to give the player a laugh.

Bully - Playstation 2
1) Very much like GTA but with a younger protagonist, and a very slightly more innocent story, as there are no guns or stealing vehicles this time, however beating the crap out of the nearest passer by is still perfectly acceptable.
2) This game is aimed for fans of the GTA series, and people who are too young to go oout and buy GTA but want the same experience, also for people who really don't like their school, playing it means you can pretend to get revenge on your own school. Just without the possibility of getting expelled.
3) The minigames, like button pressing sequences are a good way of adding variety into the game.
4) Billboards and radios simmilar to the way in GTA.

T1-12 looking at video games

1What was the first ever game you played?
2What games did you used to enjoy playing and what did you like about them?
3What games do you play now and what do you like about them?
4What consoles have you bought and why?
5Do you play games online? If yes, what games and where do you play them?

1
Luke Swann & Hev Oglesby
-Sonic the Hedgehog, Sega Mega Drive
-Chris Dye
Command & Conquer Pc
-Thea Field
Tomb Raider Playstation
2
Golden Axe, Streets Of RAAAAAAAAAAGE, Doom, Goldeneye, Legend of Zelda, All the Sonics, Casper, Medievil, Colin mcray rally, Abes Odyssey, Spyro 1-3, Crash Bandicoot, Crash Bash, CTR, Tekken, Command & Conquer, Tomb Raider, Street Fighter, Super Smash Bros, Mortal Kombat Worms Croc, Driver, Pokemon, Rayman, DOOM, Tarzan, Toy Story, THEY ARE AWESOME
3
LEFT 4 DEAD! 1 + 2 Its SWEET, TF2, FF ALL Of them but not 12, or 11. WE DISAGREE FROM NOW ON FIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT Devil May Cry, Dynasty Warriors, Battlefield, Halo 3, Splinter Cell Assassins Creed 1 and 2 not bloodlines. GOW!!!! Crisis Core NOM, kingdom hearts. Borderlands Need for speed, Portal, Medal of Honor, AVP,
4
Nes, Snes, Megadrive, N64, Playstation 1,2. PSP, DS, Xbox 360, Xbox, Gamecube, Wii, Gameboy advance, colour, original, SP, PC, MAC
5
Yes, xbox live, and all valve games cause they love their community.




sony
nintendo
sega
value
microsoft
bandai
bandai namco
spike
square enix
infintry ward
activision
ubisoft
rebellion
EA
MAXI
Namco
Capcom
Tecmo