Horizon Forbidden West: Audience and Industry

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?

• PlayStation 5 (71% male vs. 29% female)
• Xbox Series X|S (68% male vs. 32% female)
• Nintendo Switch (54% male vs. 46% female)
• PC (61% male vs. 39% female)

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

• Hardcore gamers are those who take video games seriously or play competitively while casual gamers play games to relax and unwind, I think HFW would mostly be played by casual gamers as there aren't many competitive elements to the game, however the different difficulty settings also allows for people looking for a challenge to also enjoy the game

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

• Apply:
• 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 do something I cant in real life
• To have an emotional connection to a story
• To gain a mastery of something within the game
• Don't generally apply
• To interact with gamers from around the world
• Out of habit
• To create a world of my own

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

1) How is the game promoted to an audience?

• Art depicting the game
• Reviews
• Gameplay trailers
• Game overview + synopsis of story
• In game screenshots

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

• Price
• Release date
• Internet compatibility
• Console its available on
• PEGI rating

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

• Explore distant lands, fight bigger and more awe-inspiring machines, and encounter astonishing new tribes as you return to the far-future, post-apocalyptic world of Horizon.
• The land is dying. Vicious storms and an unstoppable blight ravage the scattered remnants of humanity, while fearsome new machines prowl their borders. Life on Earth is hurtling towards another extinction, and no one knows why.
• It's up to Aloy to uncover the secrets behind these threats and restore order and balance to the world. Along the way, she must reunite with old friends, forge alliances with warring new factions and unravel the legacy of the ancient past – all the while trying to stay one step ahead of a seemingly undefeatable new enemy.

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

• Burning shores DLC expansion
• In game outfits for Aloy
• In game weapons for Aloy
• Digital art book

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?  

• There is a section introducing the characters present in the game which can help audiences to become attached to them leading to them wanting to create and share content relating to their favourite characters.
• Cosplay guide to help fans create the outfits present in the game
• Papercraft guides to help audiences create the robots present in the game - this can be shared online helping to cultivate an audience.

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?

• (Article isn't letting me read it)

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

• (Article isn't letting me read it)

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

• (Article isn't letting me read it)

Industries

Industry research

1) Research Sony PlayStation Studios. 

• This organisation has defined gaming for generations. Our collective of studios and teams span the globe – and together – advance gaming and the positive impact it has on people’s lives.

2) What studios are part of Sony PlayStation Studios?

• Team asobi
• Bend Studio
• Bluepoint
• Firesprite
• Housemarque
• Guerilla
• Haven
• Insomniac
• Media Molecule
• Naughty Dog
• nixxes
• Polyphony digital
• San Diego studio
• Santa Monica studio
• Sucker Punch
• Valkyrie entertainment
• XDEV

3) What notable games have they produced? 

• Marvel Spider-man
• God of war
• The last of us
• Uncharted
• horizon

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? 

• Guerrilla Games is a subsidiary of Sony interactive Entertainment Europe, this reflects how in the modern day gaming industry smaller indie companies are typically bought by larger conglomerates in order to take their expertise and experience.

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?

• Big Brother: The Game, Studios Hermen Hulst, Lost Boys Games, Killzone, Shellshock: Nam ‘67. 

3) How did Guerrilla maximise the Killzone franchise? 

• There was a hype for Killzone before its release, and so over a million copies were sold which then allowed it to get Sony to draw up a first-party contract for Guerrilla Games.

4) What did Sony sign with Guerrilla in 2004? 

• A first-party contract with Guerrilla games ensuring that from 2004 onwards, all the titles that they would develop would be only on PlayStation Consoles.

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

• The article suggests that Horizon Forbidden West is a totally different atmosphere. It also suggests that Aloy's journey in the game shows a different, soft side to Guerrilla Games. A new project, which would be VR and partnered with Firesprite called 'Horizon: Call of The Mountain' is in the future for the franchise.

Regulation and PEGI

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

• HFW is rated PEGI 16 which I believe is a reasonable age rating as the game heavily features non graphic violence.

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

• Regulating videogames in the digital age is difficult as people can easily get around the simple restrictions placed as they are usually not thorough enough to actually stop someone under the age from viewing or playing the game.

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

• It's becoming exceedingly difficult to regulate video games because you don't know what people like and don't like, and many people have different opinions. Attitudes towards media content and regulations are also changing a lot because many games are becoming normalised and played by people of different ages, and many children are playing games that they shouldn't be playing.