Videogames: The Sims Freeplay CSP- Audience & Industries

Audience

Read this App Store description and the customer reviews for The Sims FreePlay and answer the following questions:  

1) What game information is provided on this page? Pick out three elements you think are important in terms of making the game appeal to an audience.

-Ratings and reviews of the game

-Pictures and videos of the gameplay 

-Current live events 

2) How does the game information on this page reflect the strong element of participatory culture in The Sims?

The events tab on the page reflects the strong element of participatory culture in the sims as gamers can participate in events and win exclusive prizes as well as visit their friends Sim towns and interact with their sims. 

3) Read a few of the user reviews. What do they suggest about the audience pleasures of the game? 

Most of the user's reviews are quite positive saying that they love the game as it gives them a form of escape (diversion) however there are some complaints about the wait time of tasks or certain bugs that need fixing. 

Participatory culture

Read this academic journal article - The Sims: A Participatory Culture 14 Years On. Answer the following questions:

1) What did The Sims designer Will Wright describe the game as?

Will Wright described the game as 'a train set or a doll’s house where each person comes to it with their own interest and picks their own goals'

2) Why was development company Maxis initially not interested in The Sims?

The development company Maxis initially were not interested in The Sims as Will Wright pitched the game concept as a 'doll house' to which the board of directors responded that 'doll houses were for girls, and girls didn't play video games.' 

3) What is ‘modding’?

Modding is when players are able to modify game assets by manipulating the game code with the sanction of the rights owners. 

4) How does ‘modding’ link to Henry Jenkins’ idea of ‘textual poaching’?

Modding links to Henry Jenkins idea of 'textual poaching' as gamers are able to share their new creations via personal websites and online on the official Sims page where an exchange centre was set up. 

5) Look specifically at p136. Note down key quotes from Jenkins, Pearce and Wright on this page.

Jenkins: digital communities are ‘held together through the mutual production and reciprocal exchange of knowledge’

Pearce: ‘The original Sims series has the most vibrant emergent fan culture of a single-player game in history’

Jenkins: ‘there were already more than fifty fan Web sites dedicated to The Sims. Today, there are thousands’

Wright: ‘We were probably responsible for the first million or so units sold but it was the community which really brought it to the next level’

6) What examples of intertextuality are discussed in relation to The Sims? (Look for “replicating works from popular culture”)

In The Sims, there were skins depicting characters from cult media such as 'Star Trek, Star Wars, The X-Files and Japanese anime and manga. Players seemed to display a gleeful desire to recreate the worlds of their favourite fandoms within The Sims. If one wished to recreate the Starship Enterprise from Star Trek, all one had to do was search the internet looking for the relevant website.

7) What is ‘transmedia storytelling’ and how does The Sims allow players to create it?

Transmedia storytelling is a process wherein the primary text encoded in an official commercial product could be dispersed over multiple media both digital and analogue in form. The Sims space provided a playground for cult media fans, a stage for enacting fannish stories which could later be shared (via the game’s in-built camera and photo album) with other game players who had similar interests.

8) How have Sims online communities developed over the last 20 years?

Sims online communities have developed over the last 20 years as in the beginning game players would create gamics, machinima and modding sites. These still exist to this day however now the Sims game is hopelessly outdated yet certain players still play. Sims communities have also developed in the way that highly skilled Sims creators would mentor others through positive feedback and interaction with the community on how to create a gamic or any mods that they would like to do. 

9) Why have conflicts sometimes developed within The Sims online communities?

In the past there have been conflicts between creators and non-creators; between creators who wish to charge money for their mods and those who wish to share them for free; even between players and Maxis/EA itself. Fans of The Sims are not homogeneous. Some fans have complained of fellow community members receiving more recognition and power because they can create things that others can’t – opportunities for participation do not necessarily imply an attendant equality. 

10) What does the writer suggest The Sims will be remembered for?

The writer suggests that The Sims will be remembered for the cult following that it engendered well beyond the usual lifespan of a popular computer game; and also for the culture of digital production it

helped to pioneer, one that remains such a staple of fan and game modding communities today.

Read this Henry Jenkins interview with James Paul Gee, writer of Woman as Gamers: The Sims and 21st Century Learning (2010).

1) How is ‘modding’ used in The Sims?

Modding in The Sims is used to build artistic, technical, social and emotional skills. 

2) Why does James Paul Gee see The Sims as an important game?

James Paul Gee sees The Sims as an important game as it is a game that is meant to take people beyond gaming. 

3) What does the designer of The Sims, Will Wright, want players to do with the game?

Will Wright wants players to think like designers, organise themselves around the game to learn new skills that extend beyond the game and to express their own creativity. 

4) Do you agree with the view that The Sims is not a game – but something else entirely?

I believe that The Sims is just a game where players can escape and indulge in their fantasies that they would like to live out as well as expressing their creativity however, I would say that it is just a creative game. 

5) How do you see the future of gaming? Do you agree with James Paul Gee that all games in the future will have the flexibility and interactivity of The Sims?

I believe that there will be more games in the future that have the flexibility and interactivity of The Sims as now certain players would like more control of what they're playing and to be more included/be part of a community like The Sims however, I still believe games where missions/ an end goal needs to be completed will still dominate the videogame industry and will still continue being more successful than games such as The Sims.  

Industries

Regulation – PEGI

Research the following using the VSC website PEGI page - look at the videos and Q&A section.

1) How does the VSC and PEGI ratings system work and how does it link to UK law?

The VSC and PEGI rating systems work by them labelling a game based on the age rating so that parents can be informed decisions on which games to purchase that are suitable for their children to play. 

2) Click on the PEGI Rating tab in the top menu. What are the age ratings and what content guidance do they include?

In the PEGI rating tab there is:

PEGI 3- Do not contain issues that require a content warning, suitable for all age groups, may be mild/ unrealistic violence in a child-like setting and may contain in-app purchases.

PEGI 7- May contain unrealistic violence, may contain elements/ sounds that are frightening or scary to younger children, may also contain in-app purchases. 

PEGI 12- May contain more detailed and realistic-looking violence towards fantasy characters, must not be any sight of blood or injuries or an emphasis on pain, during violence towards humans. There may be moderate horror sequences, such as jumpscares, characters in danger, disturbing images, sight of injuries/dead bodies. Mild forms of swearing may be present but not the strongest terms. There may be sexual innuendo and sexual activity can be implied. Also contain in-game purchases. 

PEGI 16- May contain more realistic and sustained violence against human characters including sight of blood and injuries. Stronger forms of violence, such as torture and pain. 

PEGI 18- May contain all sorts of violence, sex, nudity, explicit language etc. 

3) What is the PEGI process for rating a game? 

1. The developer declares in detail what is in the game.
2. Evidence is given to PEGI with video footage and a copy of the game.
3. The footage is examined.
4. The game is tested to see if the declarations were correctly done.
5. The examination takes around 4-10 days. The developer is given a formal license, detailing the rating symbols and the content labels displayed.

The ‘Freemium’ gaming model

Read this Lifewire feature on freemium gaming and answer the following questions:

1) How does the freemium model work?

The freemium model works by being an app that you can download for free but includes in-app purchases to produce revenue. However, gamers do not have to purchase any of the in-app purchases if they choose not to. 

2) Why do some gamers believe freemium is ruining games?

Some gamers believe freemium is ruining games as it seems as if the developers are trying to 'nickel-and-dime them to death'. As well as the fact when an initially good game turns into a freemium game that just ruins all aspects of the game. 

3) What are the positives of the freemium model for gaming?

The positives of the freemium model for gaming is that gamers get the ability to download a game and try it for free. Players can earn the premium content by working through the game and building up in-game currency. The model also emphasises on longevity which is a popular game with an existing fan base that continues to add premium content to keep the game fresh and maintain loyal players. 

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.

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?

As in freemium games players are continuously spending money on the game, developers are incentivised to put that stream of revenue directly back into the game to improve it. "If people are playing your game and there is something they are frustrated with, the developers can fix it and make the players happy, and the players will continue to stay on the product," says Plott.

3) What does the article suggest regarding the possibilities and risks to the freemium model in future?

-Traditional console games splitting their products between single-player games, which would cost a flat fee, and multiplayer games, which are free-to-play.

-How game developers will use the freemium model to grow without alienating a large share of the gaming community. 

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 had initial success in the beginning when being priced for 99 cents however it started to lose traction very quickly therefore the game developers changed the game to a freemium model and promoted it through 'Free App a Day', Temple Run immediately saw a spike in downloads and gained popularity. It now has over 40 million downloads and about 13 million people play it at least once a day. 

2) The bigger gaming studios like Electronic Arts used to avoid the freemium model. Why are they now embracing it?

As EA saw the success of Sims Freeplay being a freemium game. 

3) Why does Peter Farago suggest independent game makers benefit more from the freemium model than the major publishers like EA?

Peter 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 Sims Freeplay has evolved from being a basic game where you could control 16 sims, have a pet dog and a career to 5 years later being able to let your sims get married, have children, have puppies, kittens, dragons and fairies as pets and near infinite ways to design and decorate homes. 

2) Why does Amanda Schofield suggest ‘games aren’t products any more’?

Schofield states that games are 'services built in a partnership with our players' therefore it is critical that they know what their players are saying about the newest update so that they can quickly respond to any problems that arise. 

3) What does she say about The Sims gaming community?

Schofield says that The Sims gaming community is very active and always hungry to see more features and content in the game. 

4) How has EA kept the game fresh and maintained the active player base?

Whenever EA finds systems that are exciting to their players, they tend to focus their efforts on building that section a little more. In addition, they add more tools to the game to allow players to have more freedom within the game for example being able to build houses of their dreams. 

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 200 million installs of the Sims Freeplay. 

-78,000 of amount of game time in years their players have spent in the game.

Finally, read this blog on how EA is ruining the franchise (or not) due to its downloadable content. Answer the following questions:

1) What audience pleasures for The Sims are discussed at the beginning of the blog?

The Sims Freeplay is described as a roller-coaster of emotions that players can experiment in allowing them a form of escapism. 

2) What examples of downloadable content are presented?

Various expansion packs such as new gameplay features, new clothing, furniture and house items. 

3) How did Electronic Arts enrage The Sims online communities with expansion packs and DLC?

EA created an expansion pack for $9.99 however fans made online petitions to make the DLC free and to donate the $9.99 to a local animal shelter instead. 

4) What innovations have appeared in various versions of The Sims over the years?

-Virtual families allowing players to create multi-generational legacies. 

-Given full access to players for a hyper-realistic world.

-The ability to travel between multiple neighbourhoods.

-Download other players creations from the 'Gallery'. 

-Customise gender options. 

5) In your opinion, do expansion packs like these exploit a loyal audience or is it simply EA responding to customer demand?

I believe that these expansion packs exploit a loyal audience as the base game content restricts players from being able to do certain things and and players may become bored with the same limited options therefore it persuades players into purchasing DLC packs to make their game more interesting and be able to fulfil their wishes leading to EA earning more money through this.