Videogames: The Sims FreePlay part 2 - Industries
The Sims FreePlay - Industries blog tasks
Regulation – PEGI
Research the following using the PEGI website.
1) What is the VSC and how does it link to UK law?
The Video Standards Council (VSC), also known as the VSC Rating Board, is an administrator of the PEGI system of age rating for video games. It was established in 1989, and has been responsible for the age ratings of video games sold in the United Kingdom since 2012. It links to the UK law because in the UK, PEGI 12, 16 and 18 rated games supplied in physical form, such as discs and cartridges, are legally enforceable and therefore, cannot be sold or rented to anyone under those ages.
2) Note down the key statistics on the homepage.
- 12000+ games rated
- 8000+ apps rated
- 1987 member outlets
- 30 years in operation
3) What is the purpose of PEGI?
They supply detailed consumer information surrounding the content of the game and what is featured. This helps the consumer know if the game is appropriate for their age demographic.
4) Click on the PEGI Rating tab in the top menu. What are the age ratings and what do they include?
The Age ratings for PEGI include:
- 3- Contains nothing that warrants a content warning - suitable for all age groups. Nudity may be shown in a non-sexual/natural manner (i.e. breast feeding)
- 7- Everything featured in PEGI 3, but may include a little bit more violence. Unrealistic violence, typically directed towards fantasy characters
- 12- More graphic violence but still targeted towards fantasy character. Trivial injury is allowed; however, any other violence towards humans must be unrealistic
- 16- More mature themes and scenes of violence. Sexual scenes - no visible genitalia. More realistic violence, may feature heavier images of death and injury to humans. Explicit language, sexual expletives and use of drugs/tobacco/illegal substances may be shown
- 18- may feature sexual violence and threat. Gross levels of violence: meaning that there are horrific methods of severe injury, torture, decapitation etc. Sexual activity with visible genitalia/nudity
5) Scroll down to look at the ‘How games are examined’ infographic. What is the PEGI process for rating a game?
- Content declaration assessment- The game developer declares in detail what the game contains. This covers elements such as violence, bad language and sex and drug use.
- Submission materials- The developer provides us with evidence for their assessment answers which includes video footage and a copy of the game.
- Video footage examination- The video footage is then analysed and assessed to see if there was anything missed or misinterpreted from the questionnaire, before examining the game itself.
- Game examination- The final stage is the examination of the game itself eg. investigating the physical effects of different weapons or exploring all the ways in which the character could be harmed.
- Receiving the PEGI license- Developers are sent their formal license.
The ‘Freemium’ gaming model
Read this Lifewire feature on freemium gaming and answer the following questions:
1) How does the freemium model work?
The idea behind the freemium model is that free apps are downloaded more than paid ones. When users like the app, they want to continue to use it and some of them are willing to pay for upgrades. Others continue to use it for free but the number of in-app purchases exceeds what could be earned by making people pay to download.
2) Why do some gamers believe freemium is ruining games?
Many gamers believe that the freemium models are ruining the experience of having a consistently good gaming franchise. Gamers believe that so many franchises have turned to focus on how they can monetise the game rather than making the game reflect the best features of it. The fact that more customers have become accustomed to downloading content for free is detrimental to the gaming industry as it reduces the likelihood of gamers then paying for games in the future.
3) What are the positives of the freemium model for gaming?
- Can 'sample' and test out the game's content without having to commit to an initial financial investment
- Easier to maintain longevity - the game can easily be updated which helps to retain the gamer's interest etc.
Now read this Business Insider feature on freemium gaming and multiplayer games. Answer the following questions:
1) Note the key statistics in the first paragraph.
From Candy Crush Saga to Clash of Clans, “freemium” games and their in-app purchases account for about 70-80% of the $10 billion or more in iOS revenue each year.
2) Why does the freemium model incentivise game developers to create better and longer games?
With freemium games, players are continuously spending money on the game, as opposed to paying once and forgetting about it. Developers are then incentivised to put that stream of revenue directly back into the game to improve it.
3) What does the article suggest regarding the possibilities and risks to the freemium model in future?
- Game developers may find themselves under more scrutiny surrounding how clear the premise of their games are - younger gamers may accidentally purchase apps without knowing.
- Developers may disregard the quality of the free/standard level content which would lead to boring games.
Read this New York Times feature on freemium gaming and answer the following questions:
1) Why did Temple Run use the freemium model?
Temple Run used the freemium model because they noticed that as soon as the game was free, there was a spike in the downloads. The freemium model helps to establish an addictiveness surrounding the game.
2) The bigger gaming studios like Electronic Arts used to avoid the freemium model. Why are they now embracing it?
The bigger gaming studios like Electronic Arts are not also embracing the freemium model because as it turns out, going freemium can, in the end, lead to bigger profits for the game makers.
3) Why does Peter Farago suggest independent game makers benefit more from the freemium model than the major publishers like EA?
"Mr. Farago said that the big companies had always relied on charging for games and that it would be difficult for them to change their makeup. When creating a free game with an online store associated with it, Mr. Farago added, game companies must devote staff and resources to maintaining it because it is a live service. Smaller companies are in a better position than the major ones to start from zero and focus on releasing and maintaining freemium products, he said."
Electronic Arts
Read this Pocket Gamer interview with EA’s Amanda Schofield, Senior Producer on The Sims FreePlay at EA's Melbourne-based Firemonkeys studio. Answer the following questions:
1) How has The Sims FreePlay evolved since launch?
The detailing surrounding the intricacy of each a Sim's construction and lifestyle is incredible. The Sims Freeplay is an example of all of the fantasies that can be turned into a reality via this game.
2) Why does Amanda Schofield suggest ‘games aren’t products any more’?
Schofield states: "Games aren’t products anymore, they’re services built in a partnership with our players." This means that functions like customer support and community management are a critical part of the game development process and must be embedded with our game teams so we not only know what our players are saying about the newest update, but we also can quickly respond to any problems that arise.
3) What does she say about The Sims gaming community?
"One of the most rewarding parts of working on this game is that our community is very active and always hungry to see more features and content in the game. We’ve not had to do much more than listen and build to keep the players engaged."
4) How has EA kept the game fresh and maintained the active player base?
The game constantly reinvents and designs itself around the changing desires pf the players and the targeted audiences. The audiences feel a sense of personal identification with the idealism surrounding the world that they have created; therefore are unlikely to leave this behind.
5) How many times has the game been installed and how much game time in years have players spent playing the game? These could be great introductory statistics in an exam essay on this topic.
- Over 200m installs of the Sims Freeplay
- 78,000 game time (in years)
Finally, read this blog on how EA is ruining the franchise (or not) due to its downloadable content. Answer the following questions:
- 'real life simulation' - diversion
- 'classic tale of love and heartbreak' - the investment into the franchise and the lives of the characters that are created
2) What examples of downloadable content are presented?
- characters in the Star Wars Battlefront II game
- Items/expansion packs in Sims 4: Cats and Dogs
3) How did Electronic Arts enrage The Sims online communities with expansion packs and DLC?
They removed a lot of the content that typically should have been included in the game and made it available as downloadable content - ready for purchase.
4) What innovations have appeared in various versions of The Sims over the years?
- Can create multi-generational legacies on Sims
- Developers gave gamers full-access to the "hyper-realistic" world of Sims 3 - the capability to travel between multiple neighbourhoods
- Customise gender options/increased diversity present in the game.
5) In your opinion, do expansion packs like these exploit a loyal audience or is it simply EA responding to customer demand?
I think this can be argued both ways. EA have a mission statement that thrives on outrageous thinking and targets an progressive audience, and so if this audience is supportive of the thesis of the Sims FreePlay, then these expansion packs should not exploit them and so they shouldn't change the game. But perhaps this may be exploitative of the loyal audiences as EA recognise that fans will invest in premium content regardless of the price, as they know that their audience will remain loyal to the franchise for the sake of accessing and continuing to play the game.
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