Minecraft & Marketing

Synergy - The interaction of two or more forces working together to create a greater impact than what would be created individually e.g Lion King movie > toys, music cds, etc

Cross platform gaming reading.

1. Give a definition of cross-platform gaming: 

When you can play a game on different platforms such as on Xbox, PC, mobile, etc 

2. Why is Microsoft's "Better Together" update so exciting for the gaming world?

It's exciting for the gaming world and for the users because it's different versions of Minecraft being consolidated into one master version, with the same features, functionality and content. So, the console versions of Minecraft on Xbox One will now run the same version of Minecraft as PCs, mobile and VR. It's also exciting because creating a single version of Minecraft across all these platforms is that cross-play will be possible between these Minecraft games. 

3. Why might there be concerns over online child protection? kids would be exposed to older and different types of people maybe

4. cross-platform gaming, pros and cons: 

• You will reach a broader audience and most likely get a bigger fan base than you already had.
• You can most likely reuse a large quantity of your code and artwork.
• You will save time and money by working on an already finished product.
• You get experience in creating games on different platforms which is great to have in your portfolio.
• It is a great way to advertise yourself and your abilities as well as you game.

The cons:

• It will be expensive and time consuming to design on multiple platforms. (But less expensive and time consuming than making entirely new games)
• The framework you are using may not support every feature of every operating system. If for instance iOS, Android or Windows Phone get a new feature, you will have to update the framework to support the changes.

The Little Mermaid Plan.

The Little Mermaid:

- outline social media strategy - snapchat filters, events, twitter hashtags, facebook pages, etc

A mermaid-like snapchat filter which turns the person into a mermaid looking creature. A summer event in a waterpark, a mermaid dance show(synchronised swimming show) and a stall where the mermaid actors sell mermaid tails and show how to use them and give tips on how to swim with them more easily

- licensed products plan, what and why: I'd use dolls and costumes for the Little Mermaid's merchandise(licensed products) because the movie is aimed at little girls, and I think having dolls, toys and costumes that are associated with The Little Mermaid would be significant because it'd make them feel like they're mermaids and that they're a part of The Little Mermaid's world.

- brand partnerships - who with and why - they could work with Fiji water and they could advertise the Fiji water bottles and encourage people to buy them more

Written Case Study: Black Panther

Black Panther.

Black Panther: After the death of his father, T'Challa returns home to the African nation of Wakanda to take his rightful place as king. When a powerful enemy suddenly reappears, T'Challa's mettle as king -- and as Black Panther -- gets tested when he's drawn into a conflict that puts the fate of Wakanda and the entire world at risk. Faced with treachery and danger, the young king must rally his allies and release the full power of Black Panther to defeat his foes and secure the safety of his people.

Black Panther is a 2018 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. The production company is Marvel Studios, which  is an American motion picture studio based at The Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, famous for the1937 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, as well as other animated movies. The movie consists of a black cast, which is synergistic to 'Black Panther', this is because it is believed that there aren't enough movies with a black cast, and they decided they're going to make more movies that have more Asian superheroes and more from India. They didn't feel like TV was diverse enough, in terms of race. Moreover, the movie's budget was $200 million, this is due to the expenditure of costumes, make-up, special effects, props and much more. Further, the superhero movie had various ways of marketing, for example, SuCh Charles, a 32-year-old singer and songwriter from Denver, saw a trailer for Black Panther, she was moved to organize an event to bring together Denver’s black community, to celebrate the first Marvel movie that featured a black protagonist; "“I needed to do something in which it brings the community together, especially in the political times that we’re in,”. They've also released trailers so that the media can access them through whatever:

https://youtu.be/dxWvtMOGAhw

This movie is said to soon be the biggest hit, and perhaps a blockbuster movie, which could possibly beat Wonder Woman's record, which was also a hit. Further, the movie has already released its own licensed products, such as toys(figurines), clothes and many other things;

They've also had branded partnerships, here is an example:

Gaming Documentary by Kevin, Honey and Neila.

Walt Disney Studios

Walt Disney Studios

Founded by Walt and his brother in 1923

Started by making short animations to be shown as part of a cinema programme

1928 Steamboat Willie (1st Mickey Mouse)

1937 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1st feature length animation) Distributed by RKO

Snow White 1937 

Jealous of Snow White's beauty, the wicked queen orders the murder of her innocent stepdaughter, but later discovers that Snow White is still alive and hiding in a cottage with seven friendly little miners. Disguising herself as a hag, the queen brings a poisoned apple to Snow White, who falls into a death-like sleep that can be broken only by a kiss from the prince.

• 

• Box Office $7 million
• 1950 - First ‘live action’ films start
• 1950 - Starts working in TV
• 1955 - Mickey Mouse Club on TV
• 1955 - Disneyland opens
• 1964 - Mary Poppins released (nominated for Oscars)
• 1966 - Walt dies
• Snow White is in the top 10.
• Re-released: 1944, 1952, 1958, 1967, 1975, 1983, 1987 and 1993 
• It was the first blockbuster of the sound era
• 
  

• How does Disney make money?
• Media Networks(tv),
• Parks and Resorts(domestic and international) ,
• Studio Entertainment(theatrical distribution,
• home entertainment),
• Consumer goods(licensed products, retail),
• Interactive(games)
• 

vox pox

1. Are you a gamer?

2. If so, what types of games? Give examples?

3. Do you feel that games can influence people's behaviour or not?

4. Do you think that games could be positive?

5. Its said games can affect your mental health, do you believe this?

6. is there association between video games and aggression?

Groups of people: teachers = rob

students

Effects and Cultivation theory

Effects theory and the Hypodermic needle -


In effects theory, the media are powerful negative forces who control the masses. The media is seen as a hypodermic needle, injecting our helpless minds with messages. Media is seen as a drug. A child watches violence, and they replicate that violence.

Cultivation theory -  When the effect is negative and is repeated again and again; then it cultivates. Gerbner thinks that if people are too invested in media, then he thinks that they have the "mean world syndrome", the belief that the world is a dangerous and negative place, but it really isn't as bad.

Moral Panics - links to effects theory; media is powerful and media is passive, audience is controlled by the media. when a society creates or generates a buzz around a fear of something around in the media e.g shooting games influence people in a negative light, turning them into murderers.




Example:

Violent shooter video games really DO rot your brain: Frequent players have less grey matter, study reveals

• Scientists in Montreal got 100 people to play shooter games for 90 hours total
• They were also given non-violent video games from the Super Mario series
• Brain scans revealed people who played shooter games had less gray matter, which is essential for spatial awareness and memory
• But after playing Super Mario games the amount of gray matter grew 

I think the effects theory based on this article is making it out to look like gaming has a bad side to it, that it can affect your brain long-term; "The more depleted the hippocampus becomes, the more a person is at risk of developing brain illnesses ranging from depression to post-traumatic stress disorder" that it's perhaps trying to scare gamers, make them stay away from gaming, and wake them up from their virtual reality. Its message is to try and stop the gamers from playing their games. It's a support for refute effects - cultivation theory, because the effect is negative and is repeated again and again.

Is there an association between video games and aggression?

•  In the study, children at age 8/9 years were asked what type of computer games they had at home, and the answers were based on broad game genres
• 
  
• then identified a number of potential confounding factors - things which might have an impact on any potential association between game use and aggressive behaviour that we would need to take into account. These included factors like family history of mental health problems, maternal education and socioeconomic status, and whether the child at age 8 was a victim of bullying or had emotional problems.
• 
  
• results: there was a weak association between the genre of game played at age 8/9, and conduct disorder band at age 15. However, they compared three different ‘genres’ of game – shoot-em-ups, puzzles, and ‘does not play games’, and found that, per categorical change in ‘genre’, there was a 19% increase in risk of being in a higher conduct disorder band. 
• 
  
• 26 out of a total sample of 1815 children met the case status for the disorder. So in other words, there is an association between playing shoot-em-up games at a young age, and later aggressive behaviour. It’s just a weak association.

• Problems with genres of games - 1st person shooter like COD is v different from war strategy game. 
• Study: the author was not a neurologist 
• conduct disorder - stealing, fighting 
• 8-9 years over several years; 15 year olds
• the study does not look at social factors e.g existing mental health, conduct disorder.. 
• weak link between violent gaming and aggressive behaviour, but they say this might be competitiveness 

This article refutes effects theory, but counteracts moral panics, because it's putting gaming in a negative light and how it can affect people. It can also be seen that the article is creating a "buzz" giving the people things to talk about and possibly fear. 

Black Panther

Cover:

Marvel Studios' Black Panther - Official Trailer - YouTube

• Production Companies
• Casting - Who? Why? How much?
• Production budget - What might it have been spent on?
• Licensed Products
• Brand partnerships

Who are the production companies? Marvel Studios

Casting -

Production Budget - Money would have been spent on costumes, make up, special effects, setting, etc

Licensed Products -

Brand partnerships - 'Black Panther' Unveils Lexus Partnership Ahead of Comic-Con (Exclusive)