Marketing and Games: It's Everywhere

  Marketing is a key component to every firms ability to communicate with their target market. From billboards to commercials to ads in magazines, marketing can be seen in various media outlets. So, how do video game companies market?
   Video game companies market their product (the game itself) and they also market other products and organizations.
  Marketing the product is done via television, social media, store posters, labels and billboards. This is a good way for the company to market their next big hit, especially AAA titles and upgraded systems during the holidays. Here is the trailer for a AAA title:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7Te5fcnrUA
  This is just as reputable as a movie trailer, and brings out the emotion of the game experience to fans of the franchise. This is something that will be seen online and maybe on television. If you are not watching television or browsing the web, it is still possible to be exposed to marketing of games. If you stop in your local gas station you may see this
:
  This is Pepsi marketing their "game fuel" series of Mountain Dew. Although this looks like regular Mountain Dew and Mountain Dew: Code Red, they actually have different flavors. They are even available for purchase at the Rhode Island College student union convenience store.
  I have been playing video games for many years, yet I have not really seen much marketing of other products. Maybe it is so subtle I have not noticed, or maybe I am not playing the titles that actually market other products. The closest thing that I have seen to marketing of products in my experience is playing the Forza Motorsport series where you drive replicas of actual licensed vehicles.
  After exploring the marketing of other products more, it is apparent that Microsoft (the only current generation console I have experience with) markets their own products within the inside cover of the case of the game. It may be an Xbox live sale, or a coupon for a Turtle Beach headset with the MW3 logo on it. It is hard to spot marketing of other products in actual gameplay but within the packaging of the game itself you can usually find some sort of other merchandise advertised.
  When thinking of organizations that are marketed when it comes to video games, the military really stands out the most. This is especially apparent with the America's Army franchise. This franchise has exciting FPS gameplay all while marketing everything the U.S. Army stands for. Here is a clip that shows you how realistic to the army they try to make it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxAHhXAw870
 
   This markets the army as an organization that reaches out to people who may be interested in the army and connects with potential candidates. I will take an educated guess that the target market for this game are young men ages 17-23, the prime age group for entering the military.
   Marketing video games is a way to reach out to fans and potential new players. It is a creative endeavor that involves movie preview like game trailers, labels on some of young peoples' favorite drinks, and positive organizational promotion. Marketing is an important part of the industry and I believe that video games as a product are marketed better than most products in the world.

Panic and Video Games: Is It Over?

   Ever since I have been playing video games, I have known that there has been public outrage over the content in some of these games. As part of the gaming community, we can all remember the Grand Theft Auto III media panic that ensued when the game was released. Looking back and playing GTA III again, I can hardly play it as the graphics are sub-par when compared to today's titles. The graphics make the game lose its realistic touch. Video games are so realistic now you could mistake Madden for a real football game or war video games for movies. But, with this level of realism, why have we not seen huge cases of media panic in a while? Are we desensitized? Has the media realized there is no link between video games and violence unless someone is predisposed to that type of behavior? Will there ever be another title to push the boundaries?
   After examining cases of media panic involving games from when I was growing up, it is clear that the first instances of gore, guns, and "realistic" depictions of death worried parents and the media. Maybe this is so because this was the tail end of the arcade era and some of these games were showcased there, such as Mortal Kombat I. If the arcade was still popular, I wonder if Mortal Kombat 9 would cause outrage. We will now take a look at Mortal Kombat  and the trouble it stirred.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOEUKBQIpjk

   In the 90's, this game caused much parental and media outrage. In my opinion, it was groundbreaking and gave birth to the serious fighting game. Without the immense popularity of Mortal Kombat, fighting games may not be around today and I would not be a fan of the genre.
   I owned Mortal Kombat in the Super Nintendo era, and it never bothered my parents and the media outrage soon died down. This makes me wonder if Mortal Kombat 9 was the first in the franchise, what would have happened? How would Fox News have reacted to this?
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FYI0-TF6uo
   Maybe as a culture we are desensitized to graphic violence, or maybe the media has realized that the video game industry is a key component to our failing economy and to disrupt the flow would be a bad idea. Or maybe the media is satisfied with the ratings system or just feels powerless in the situation since video games are so popular.
 
   In my opinion, there will eventually be a video game that pushes the boundaries but not until the next generation of consoles. I feel that the next game will not push the boundaries with graphics, but with content, just like in the mid 90's and early 2000's. Whether it is interactivity (such as the potential for built in social media and full web browsing) or just disturbing content, the boundary will eventually be pushed again. But who will do it and how?
 

Symbols

  Every time you turn on your video game console or computer and enter the game world you are preparing to enter another realm filled with its own symbols and meanings. People give meaning to symbols and those meanings control those people. A symbol can communicate to a player how to act, what to do, or it can convey deeper social meanings withing the game such as racism or government.
  Many games enable the player to select a "class" or "race" such as an elf, recon soldier, ork, or sniper. Avid game players can tell you, even before playing a game, what an elf or ork looks like and if they are evil or noble. They can also tell you what type of weapons or powers each of these characters possess. The "symbol" of these characters, or the way they look, controls the player and makes them behave in a certain way. For example, being a sniper in Call of Duty lets your team know the role that you will play. Your character will not be on the front lines, it will suppress enemies that are firing at you out in the open, and it will kill with precision. If you cannot conform to the role of the sniper in Call of Duty, you may be ostracized by getting voted out of the game.
   Symbols that are not character related also have meanings. For example:


   This is a prestige medal icon chart. This represents the times that you have "prestiged" or climbed through the character ranks in Call of Duty. To an ordinary person, this may look like war medals. To a player, this represents hundreds of hours of gameplay. It can also convey status and give other players predetermined notions about the player with the level 10 prestige badge. For example, playing against this level 10 prestige person may change the game-plan or tactics of the team. This person will be thought to have excellent game skills and thought to be elite. This symbol alone represents much more than the medal that it appears to be.
   Symbols also convey meaning within the game. For example:

 
   This is a Gears of War photo. If you ask an ordinary person, they may say that this is a soldier holding a chain, a necklace, or some sort of dog tag. They would only be partially correct. To the players of this game, these dog tags (COG tags as they are known in the game) represent the last hope of humanity. These symbols represent mankind, hope, and despair all at once.
   Symbols, whether in the form of what a character looks like, an icon, or a part of a soldiers gear, all have meanings known only to the gamer community. These symbols are understood and give the player identity and  create a culture within the game world that is only understood if you are part of that culture.
   

Exploring Audio in Video Games

   It takes many positives for a game to be considered great. Very rarely we read a game magazine and see that a new video game receives a rating of 10 out of 10. This goes to show that fans and the people who rate these games are very picky, much like movie critics. In order for a game to be considered great or to receive that 10 out of 10, it must have excellent audio elements along with excellent gameplay. These audio elements include voice acting, musical score, sound effects, and ambient effects.
   Think of the many classic sounds that you know by heart. Can you whistle or hum any of the tunes from Super Mario Brothers? Do you remember the noise an enemy in Donkey Kong Country makes when you jump on its head? Those are just some of the many classic sounds that you remember, this is because they fit perfectly into the game.
  What happens when sounds don't fit into the game? What happens if voice acting is terrible or the audio is sub-par? When audio elements are not handled with care, it changes how we feel about a game. It may mean the difference between a game becoming a heralded classic or just another title. If a game is excellent, what audio aspects make it great? Does great audio lead to higher levels of immersion and realism?  We will now explore some game audio and experience the bad as well as the good.
   Bad voice acting: Since video game sound is trying to increase the feeling of realism, the player has ideas of what characters should sound like based on the plot of the game or the scenario you are put into. If you are playing a WWII game and are overhearing a Nazi soldier speaking, he should not possess a Jamaican accent. If you are speaking to a dying friend on the battlefield, he should not be upbeat and speaking fluidly. If you were completely immersed in a WWII game and came upon audio that didn't match up, this would ruin the experience. Here is an example of bad voice acting in video games that ruins your level of immersion: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRhDmUzWuBI
   Excellent ambient sounds: Most video games take place in areas or worlds that have unique and identifiable sounds. From the cities in Grand Theft Auto to the battlefield in Call Of Duty, these games have believable and realistic ambient sounds. Ambiance adds to your level of immersion. Hearing explosions in the northeast sector of a building make it more believable that you are actually in a war-zone. Here is a link that lets you experience the sounds of a battlefield in Call of Duty. The distant gunshots, crackling of fire, and ringing of alarms makes it a realistic battlefield audio experience. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVi612cEf4I
  So, after hearing unrealistic bad audio and realistic good audio, it is clear that audio does matter. Audio can make the game an all around immersive experience, or pull the player out of their state of immersion by lack of good or realistic audio. Some examples of recent releases that have great audio elements are Fallout: New Vegas, Bioshock 2, and Batman: Arkham City. All of these games are highly respected titles.

Player Culture

    Everyone has a different level of gaming. Some people play everyday, some people play once in a while. Some people refer to themselves as hardcore gamers, others do not. I find that my friends and I tend to enjoy game related things beyond the game itself. This includes forums and YouTube videos as well as magazines. For others, there might be an even deeper connection to the game.
   When thinking about video game players, you must understand that games are not just played for fun. On varying levels, gaming becomes a sort of lifestyle. The casual player may play a few online matches with Madden, where the hardcore player may enter competitions, read strategy online, study football, and practice for hours on end. Regardless of the level of gamer that you are, chances are you have been exposed to player culture.
   Player culture has two forms: Game communities, and Metaculture. Game communities are within the game, such as groups or teams in MMORPG's. Metaculture is around and beyond the game, and refers to forums, sites, and other aspects.
   One can think of Game communities like a real community. To be accepted in a community you must understand the norms, social standards, and shared values. An example of a community is the community within World of Warcraft. WoW players have a deep seeded gamer culture. Although never having played the game, one only needs to browse the internet or talk to other gamers to get a grasp on just how involved these players are.
  Membership: In order to play this game, you must pay a membership fee. It ranges from $13 to $15 per month when you consider the various packages. Once you pay for your membership, you become part of the community.
   Commitment: Personally, I have never played a game that has a community atmosphere. It takes an incredible amount of time and dedication.  I do not feel I have hundreds of hours of free time to devote to developing a character, and fear addiction. It is common practice to be committed to a "guild" or to spend time helping new players level up and complete quests. This is a social standard in online MMORPG communities.
    If you don't think addiction exists, watch the link to the video I posted below. This is about a girlfriend who deletes her boyfriends WoW account. Warning: there is some cursing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l99nfgols4E

   The player was so involved in this game community, that he let the deletion of his account affect his personal life. One must ask, how much time was he putting into this game for his girlfriend to feel the need to delete it? This shows that the massive time he spent playing was ruining or disrupting their relationship. It was interrupting real life.
   Metaculture involves everything around and beyond the game. As a lifelong gamer, my experiences have expanded beyond the television many times. I receive game informer magazine and regularly visit IGN.com. I am also an avid user of walk-through's, especially when open world games become too confusing or I cannot find something I need. For example, this walk-through involves a particular quest that shows how to steal a bunch of great items from a store:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOVUUvhKdhI
   Metaculture has many other aspects, but this is the farthest I have ventured into it. I do not consider myself a "hardcore" gamer, yet I have experienced metaculture. Video games are ever expanding and to just play a game is to not get the full experience. Whether it is immersing yourself in a community or exploring game aspects beyond the television or computer screen, player culture is a part of many gamers' lives.