Horizon: Forbidden West - Audience + Industries

Audience

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 - 71% male to 29% female

Xbox Series X/S - 68% male to 32% female

Nintendo Switch - 54% male to 46% female

PC - 61% male to 39% female

2) What is the difference between 'hardcore' and 'casual' gamers - and which do you think would play Horizon Forbidden West?

The difference between "hardcore" and "casual" is how seriously the gamer in question is taking the game. A casual gamer, as the name implies, is a person who plays games casually, while a hardcore gamer takes games more seriously and plays more intensively.

3) What are the different reasons YouGov researched for why players play games? Which of these would apply to Horizon Forbidden West?

To relax and wind down

To pass the time

To escape from reality for a while

To challenge myself

To complete challenges and puzzles

To interact with gamers from around the world

To do something I can't in real life

To have an emotional connection to a story

To gain mastery of something within the game

Out of habit

To create a world of my own

For Horizon Forbidden West, the game would be an escape from reality and something you can't do in real life.


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

1) How is the game promoted to an audience?

The game is promoted to an audience with it's unique and vibrant imagery as well as its description. The game presents things such as exploring "distant lands" and confronting "new dangers", which promotes escapism.

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

"Brave an expansive open world", "A majestic frontier", "Confront new dangers", and "Unravel startling mysteries".

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

The game showcases picture and description of the game world and features several bios on the page that tell you more about the characters and enemies.

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

There is DLC available for the game. Additionally, there is a PSVR2 spin-off.

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?  

The cosplay and papercraft guides. It encourages audiences to create and interact with the game and its community.


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 writer enjoys Horizon Forbidden West because of its vast open world and narrative.

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

The game pulls you into its narrative for a couple of hours before letting you roam free.

3) Why does the writer feel HFW created a more successful open world game than The Witcher 3?

HFW feels more approachable and easier to grasp than the Witcher 3, which felt too overwhelming, despite how expansive that game was.


Industries

Industry research

1) Research Sony PlayStation Studios. 

PlayStation Studios is a collective of studios that produce exclusive games for the PlayStation brand.

2) What studios are part of Sony PlayStation Studios?

Housemarque, Guerrila Games, Haven Studios, Insomniac, Media Molecule, Naughty Dog, Nixxes, Polyphony Digital, San Diego Studio, Santa Monica Studio, Sucker Punch, Valkyrie Entertainment and XDEV.

3) What notable games have they produced? 

The Marvel's Spider-Man games, Ratchet and Clank, Helldivers II, Horizon franchise, Gran Turismo, Little Big Planet, God of War, The Last of Us, and Astro Bot.

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? 

Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe. It reflects the modern videogames industry as most game companies are subsidiaries nowadays.

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.


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?

Killzone and Jazz Jackrabbit.

3) How did Guerrilla maximise the Killzone franchise? 

They drew up as much hype for the game as they possibly could.

4) What did Sony sign with Guerrilla in 2004? 

Sony signed a first-party contract with them so that from 2004 onwards, all their games would only appear on PlayStation consoles.

5) How is Horizon Forbidden West described in the article and what is the next stage for the franchise?  

"Soft-touch storytellers and exceptional world-builders, as well as masters of squeezing the most out of PlayStation hardware". The next stage for the franchise is VR.


Regulation and PEGI

1) What is HFW's PEGI rating and what age rating do you feel would be appropriate? Why?

PEGI 16. I feel as if this age rating is appropriate due to the mature nature of the game.

2) Why is regulating videogames difficult in the digital age?

Regualting videogames is difficult due to how accessible games are to young children.

3) Are attitudes towards media content and regulation changing as a result of the internet? Explain your answer.

Yes, as more people get exposed to different things in the current day. Attitudes towards media content and regulation have changed significantly over the years.

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