Introduction
In this task I am going to explain how star wars battlefront addresses their audience by analysing the game genre, selection of content, construction of content, codes and conventions and the modes of their address. I am beginning this task by doing a simple mind map to help analyse each heading and then I am going to comprehensively explain each individual heading. In video games the developers have to think about what the game audience wants and how will they react to certain things in the game. For instance, I am doing the video game star wars battlefront. This game is going to have high standards from star wars fans so the developers had to create the game for what they want. The game genre, selection of content, construction of content, codes and conventions and the modes of their address will influence who plays the game and are a big factor in the mode of address.
Game genre
The game genre of star wars battlefront is a first person and third person shooter. The game involves a lot of action and is based around SCI-FI; just like the movie franchise star wars. Because the game genre is FPS it typically means the player can usually see the protagonists arms carrying the weapon, the player must move the avatar throughout the game. FPS try and make the game as realistic as possible, for instance they might include footsteps, breathing as well as additional sounds to make the game sound as real as possible.The game itself is addressing the player as if they were the actual character within the game. Because it is in first person perspective it helps create a personal connection to the game. This allows the player to see the game from the characters point of view, feeling their thoughts and feelings. In battlefront you are able to switch from FPS to third person shooter. Some players prefer switching into third person shooter because it allows you to tell which direction you are being shot instead of having to rely on the damage indicator and it also allows you to see the surroundings around your character. But does playing in third person shooter change the way the game address's the player? Third person shooter is where the player can see the full character instead of just seeing the arm and the weapon. The player’s perspective can make a massive difference on how the game is addressing the player. For instance with first person shooter, you are seeing the player in the players point of view. You can see what the player sees so it does make it more realistic and tensed but third person shooter allows you to have a wider field of vision and the player is more aware of the character in the game because with First person shooter you might be focusing more on the environment around you. Knowing the game genre is important to find out how the game is addressing their audience for instance if you understand the genre you are more likely going to understand the codes and conventions video game uses which is a main factor of finding out how the game is addressing the audience.
Selection of content
The content in the game is extremely detailed and has a sort of 'polished' modern Sci-Fi appearance. The colour theme in the game depends on the missions you pick, for instance if you pick a level which is based around ice or snow you will get levels which have colours like grey, black, blue, white but if you played a level where you are riding in the forest you will see colours such as green, brown, black. There isn't much content with bright colours, In fact even the enemy seems to 'blend' in with the contents of the level because they wear white/grey suits. The star wars film franchise used a similar theme with their colour, they didn't use much bright colours in the scene, and this is mostly because they wanted the tensed, modern sci-fi look. Because of this battlefront has captured the same unique star wars feeling you got whilst watching the films. Although because the player’s main weapon on mission mode is guns, they have added TIE-fighters, thermals and lightsaber's into the content of the game to add more of a fantasy, sci-fi feel. This game was designed to address the same audience which watched the star wars movies. Although every aspect of battlefronts design is designed to be casual for instance it’s easy to kill the enemy's, there is no blood or gore and everything on the map is easy to access. This means that star wars battlefront is trying to address an audience of both young and old age so that they have more potential players.
Starwars battlefront anchorages its content at their target audience by using specific text, audio and images in its main advertising image which you can see below.
The image uses the specific Starwars text and logo to attract the same Starwars fans which loved the film franchise. Slightly below the Starwars logo there is a text which says 'Battlefront' This text uses a formal font which stands out. Because the text stands out and looks 'strong, bold and formal'. I personally think this means the game itself is going to be a formal game with strong and bold elements in the game just by decoding the text.The Starwars poster is very symmetric; in the centre of the poser behind the logo there is an AA walker which is the main attention of the image. This particular AA walker is big and strong which shows the enemies as being difficult and protective. On either side of the big AA walker there are slightly smaller AA walkers and Tie fighters in the air which are shooting at the Starwars troops. In the centre of the poster, just under the big AA walker there is a Starwars troop stood up looking fierce, strong and determined to fight the big AA walker. I think this anchorages a bit more to the competitive players in the audience, its showing that the enemy's are going to be difficult but if you are brave enough and skilled enough the enemy can be challenged and killed. In the bottom right hand corner of the image there is blood being splattered. This also anchorages towards the older, competitive players who want to see blood and gore however in the actual game play there is no blood and it has minimal violence. The layout and colours the poster uses is mainly different shades of blue-gray with red blood, fire and lasers as its most eye catching colour. Because of the different colours and the way the layout is for example the way the enemy's are coming towards you shooting it is anchoring more for the Starwars fans and the hard-core, competitive players. For instance in the Starwars film they use a similar colour theme as well as the modern, metal looking sci-fi robots. The colours of the poster also make the game look gloomy and bitter.
Construction of content
The content in star wars battlefront is constructed in a certain way so it can address its wide range of audience. For example, battlefront has attracted the usual players who play action and FPS as well as an audience with different ages and the typical audience who watch the star wars movies. To address an audience this big, the game content had to be constructed in an effective way. The developer of the game will denote something by having different angles or lighting which the audience will then decode when playing the game although each player will get a decode it in a different way. This is called polysemic which means that it will have a different effect on different individuals it depends how they decode it.
Battlefront does not include single player and can only be played in multiplayer either online or in a local co-op (Split screen.). Because the game can only be played in multiplayer and not in single player there is not really a story line. The game missions consists of having 15 waves in total and in each wave the player has to fight storm troopers, AT-ST's and other enemies. Some missions on star wars battlefront makes the player defend a pod which will eventually give you a 'power up' for instance it could give you a blaster cannon to help keep the enemies at bay. Although the power up can be over-whelming, in fact even the most casual players can use the power up and defeat a wave. Other contents have been constructed to be 'casual' and 'easy'. For example on star wars battle front the player does not have to worry about collecting ammo because the guns have unlimited ammo and only get over heated. There is No penalty for dying, if the player dies they get a choice to either spend a life which can be collected around the map or wait till the other players completes the wave. Once the wave is completed the player is instantly brought back to life with no consequences.
The game is so casual because it is addressing the younger audience and even though you are able to unlock weapons they are extremely easy to unlock and there are not many available. In fact the game is almost thin on its content, it’s lacking in depth and even though it is an entertaining FPS and is in fact trying to addressing a wide range of audience it is not a game that will satisfy hardcore players.
Although the game does try and address the more hardcore gamers by adding harder difficulties to the missions and being able to play star war heroes online. Online is mostly where the game is addressing the hardcore, action gamers because players online are a lot more competitive and challenging. The game address the star wars fans by obviously keeping the content of the game as similar as the content in the star war films, for example they tried keeping the colour theme the same, they have storm troopers, light saber's and other important contents to help keep the 'star wars' atmosphere.
Codes and conventions
There are two different types of common codes; there is technical code and symbolic code. Technical code is how the camera angles in the game is moving and symbolic code is something 'minor' like how the character is moving which will help you understand the characters feelings. A narrative convention is something you'd expect to happen.In star wars battlefront some of the codes and conventions for a FPS include good vs evil, collectables, and a strong focus on multiplayer and the genre usually involves guns, violence, and a hero persona. Star wars battle front actually includes all of these codes and conventions for instance good vs evil is the player verse the storm troopers, the collectables include extra life and charge. Star wars battle front is also strongly focused on multiplayer because there is no single player available. Many players have started to dislike FPS because they feel like every FPS game do follow the same code and conventions and are becoming repetitive. Although In most first person shooters like Call of duty involve heavy violence and blood whilst star wars battlefront does not include any blood and does have minimal violence. Star wars battlefront is based on the movie franchise star wars which includes science fiction, action, fantasy and Sci-fi. The film has an in-depth, interesting and extremely long story line that it is spread across eleven movies in the franchise. Because of this, I think everyone expected a First person shooter with an amazing story line but instead the game has zero story lines.
Star wars battlefront is a game with mixed genres for instance it includes action, sci-fi, First person and third person shooter. Because of this, the game is going to have different expectations of codes and conventions. An example of this is that even though the game has matched many of the code and conventions for the FPS it is still going to match some code and conventions for action and sci-fi. For instance the game also fits into some of the stereotype for the SCI-FI genre. These include; having visuals of being in another world, having new technology, conflict between good and evil and futuristic elements.
The way audio is used in Starwars battlefront is done in a smart way. The background noise makes you sound like you are in actual space or in the Starwars films. For example when the player is flying an X-wing you are able to hear the engines move whilst in space as well as an airy effect when hearing lasers being fired and a warning alarm when being hit and nearly being destroyed. Usually when the player is completing the mission the background music becomes more aggressive and more analytical which means it becomes more upbeat and you can almost hear the classic Starwars theme tune being played. This creates a more tensed, competitive effect it makes the player want to compete in a more upbeat way. When explaining the Linguistic in the game it is a classical, contextual and technical language which means the language in the game is classic, formal and uses technical words such as 'imperial' which only Starwars fans will understand. In the video below you can hear the different background noises such as the shooting of lasers, bombings and the vocal audio such as orders and shouting.
Modes of the address
Language is a big part on how the audience is addressed for example you wouldn't address a 11 year old with 'swearing' words because it would be inappropriate so battlefront isn't going to use 'swearing' as a language to address its audience because their young target audience would be massively effected. Instead Battle front uses a formal mode of address and talks to the player as if they are the character and they are all communicating to each other. For instance if a player goes down the game will say "Player is down" to the rest of the players in a formal tone, almost like they are the actual character. They are spoken to like they are in actual 'war'. The game doesn't involve a tutorial or 'talk down' to the player; this makes the player learn by them self although learning the control's and the different weapons is easy enough to not have a tutorial. So it’s almost like the game is addressing the players in a mature way, it expects them to take the game serious. For instance when the game tells the player a wave is coming; it expects the players to prepare for the wave of enemies. The game also uses 'closed text' when telling the player to do something like having to defend the Pods. Closed text basically means that the player has to respond in the way the game is telling it to. When the player is told they have to defend the pods they have no choice but to defend the pods or fail the mission.Links
http://www.slideshare.net/Nikchik89/science-fiction-conventions
http://egmr.net/2015/09/this-aint-your-previous-generations-star-wars-battlefront/
http://www.gamezone.com/news/star-wars-battlefront-co-op-screenshot-shows-off-1st-and-3rd-person-views-3416400