THE ESSAY!!

For the essay I decided to do the 3rd question in regards to 'Professionals' versus amateurs and the challenges that 'Professionals' face when amateurs are able to create digital content that was once a job left to 'Professionals'. I chose to do it on Video Games.


The production of video games was once a job left to professionals but the Internet has enabled everyday users to access the tools needed to create a reasonable gaming experience that anyone can enjoy. With the speed of the Internet, a cost effective, easy-to-make game can turn into a social phenomenon that can have millions of people playing worldwide within minutes. This raises questions about where professionals of game design for consoles, such as the Play Station 3 (PS3), are left when amateurs produce content quickly and cost effectively, with a larger audience of players. This essay will explore the effects that cheap online games have on the consumption of large budget games made for consoles, starting with the price of games.

As the prices of games get more expensive consumers are expected to pay more for their games, but this does not mean companies are bringing in more profits. (Richtel 2009) Free or low cost online games have millions of player’s everyday (Richtel 2009) which are taking valuable customers away from the retail games that are available. A study conducted by GFK Australia showed that Australians bought 15.4 million video games in 2007 (Australians spend 1.3 billion on games 2008) . But this is a small comparison compared to the amount of people who play online games, a staggering 217 million people worldwide (Comscore 2007). This is a problem for companies who spend millions of dollars to create a visually enticing game that no one will buy because they are able to play games online for a fraction of the price. The average cost to make a game for consoles like the PS3 and Xbox 360 is now about $26 million.(Richtel 2009) This is a huge price considering that the average game can go for around $65.The price of purchasing retail games is a big reason why players tend to play more games online.

Free or low cost online games can take from as little as an hour to make. (Instructables 2008) This is a tiny fraction of the time that it takes to produce a large budget game that has been worked on by professionals for hours. It is hard to establish the average amount of time and money that is put into games made for expensive consoles but figures like three years and five million dollars may sound about right. (Bethke 2003, p.261) In 2007 ‘forty-five businesses in Australia involved in game design made $136.9 million and incurred costs of $128.5 million.” (Australian Bureau of Statistics Releases Data on Local Games Industry 2008) This meant a very small margin of profit for the game designers. Over two-thirds of the amount spent on producing the game went on the hiring of employees (Australian Bureau of Statistics Releases Data on Local Games Industry 2008). Game designing is a time consuming job that may not pay what it is worth and there is no way to raise paychecks if the industry is finding it hard to profit.

The video games equal violent children debate has now been disagreed by many, as most consumers are considered to be adults who play games that can improve ‘problem solving skills, team-building skills and better communication skills.’ (Chappell et al 2004, p.1) This shows that adults, who have choice to play what they feel, are more likely to buy games from stores. But statistics have shown that the controlling of youth by parents and guardians may have an effect on the games that are actually purchased in stores. (Martin & Oppenheim 2007, p.2) A study in America found that over half of adolescents are restricted to play games found suitable by their parents. (Martin & Oppenheim 2007, p.2)This can have a decreasing effect on the games that are purchased from stores. It can also cause adolescents to play more games online as parents don’t have as much control over what they do while they are on the computer.

It is interesting why those who are interested in games would rather play a game with hardly any narrative and a poor gaming experience then the professionally made games that offer an excellent game experience that sometimes stimulates real life. One reason that Choi and Kim offer is because customer’s practice ‘customer loyalty.’ (Choi & Kim 2004, p. 12) Customer loyalty is when customers return to games made by the same company as they are loyal to that particular brand. This can be evident with games from brands such as Zynga and Playfish. These brands have released numerous games since they were established which shows customer awareness to that brand. These brands incorporate ‘social interaction’ in their games, where people are able to meet and interact with others playing the same game. (Choi & Kim 2004, p. 14) Linking these games to Facebook offers a closer social interaction as they enable users to play with people they are friends with. Although game consoles like the PS3 and Xbox 360 offer online play it is less personal as many of the games don’t offer a personalized avatar and the gaming experience can remain anonymous for most.

The point to make about video games is that it is just another form of entertainment that is a different experience for different people. (Poole 2000, p.13). Whether or not it is made by an amateur game designer or a million dollar company the point is that the programs available have made it easier for people to create something that others can enjoy. As long as the professional’s talents are recognized, as there is a huge difference in the quality of the final product, then there should be no problem with people having a go at designing a game that will bring joy to someone’s life, or in some cases do the opposite. Although the game industry has been threatened by cheaper computer games the more expensive consoles will always offer a better gaming experience, as well as a more Professional standard of gaming, which will stabilize their place in the gaming world.

References


Australian Bureau of Statistics Releases Data On Local Games Industry 2008, Kotaku Australia Website, April 11
http://www.kotaku.com.au/2008/04/australian_bureau_of_statistics_releases_data_on_local_games_industry/

Australians Spend $1.3 Billion on Games 2008, News.com.au, January 22,
http://www.news.com.au/technology/story/0,25642,23089959-5014239,00.html

Bethke, Erin 2003, Game Development and Production, Wordware Publishing, US

Chappell, Darren Gri ffiths, Mark Wood, Richard, 'The Structural Characteristics of Video Games: A Psycho-Structural Analysis,' CYBERPSYCHOLOGY & BEHAVIOUR, vol 7, no. 1, pp. 1-10

Choi, Dongseong & Kim, Jinwoo 2004, 'Why People Continue to Play Online Games: In Search of Critical Design Factors to Increase Customer Loyalty,' CYBERPSYCHOLOGY & BEHAVIOUR, vol 7, no. 1, pp. 11-24

How to make real computer games 2008, Instructions on how to make a computer game in one hour, The Instructables Website, March 23,
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-simple-computer-games.

Martin, Suzanne & Oppenheim, 'Video Gaming: General and Pathological Use,' Trends and Tudes, vol 6, no.3, pp. 1-7

Poole, Steven 2000, Trigger Happy: Video Games and the Entertainment Evolution, online edition,
http://stevenpoole.net/blog/trigger-happier/

Richtel, Matt 2009, 'Video Game Makers Challenged by the Next Wave of Media,' New York Times, 29 March, 2009

Worldwide Online Gaming Community Reaches 217 Million People 2007, Comscore Website, Online Press Release, London, UK, July 10,
http://www.comscore.com/Press_Events/Press_Releases/2007/07/Worldwide_Online_Gaming_Grows

I have been trying to upload my video and it turns out that videos on my phone won't work on the computer! I had to do my story all over again! But here is my new one anyway. My sad attempt at a fake news story. Try to enjoy...

Clean Feed

The Clean feed topic is really interesting!

Although everyone would agree that they don't want children exposed to age-inappropriate material it is too hard to put a filter on the Internet. Many problems have been raised about the use of the Clean Feed system that will have a 2 tier system that involves a controlled blacklist of certain sites and an aggressive filter that removes all inappropriate material. One of the problems with introducing the system is that the government isn't sure if the problem is bad enough to spend so much money and time on a project like this one. Apart from the cost of the scheme the government is worried about the scheme being ineffective and bad for the connection and speed of the Internet. If the filters become active there will be a big problem with the speed and performance of the Internet which will cause major problems for nearly everyone.

As I use the Internet daily, sometimes all day, a decrease in Internet speed will be very time consuming, not to mention irritating and frustrating. A high-speed Internet connection is nearly vital in our everyday lives as we rely on the computer for almost everything eg. checking bus times, movie times, assessment! information, contacting friends and family, banking etc. Anything that even risks a slower Internet speed should not be accepted!

Rather then effecting every one's Internet connection maybe the government should bring in some kind of law about how parents and teachers etc. should be watching children while they are using the Internet. Parents should take responsibility and teach their children about how to use the Internet correctly. They should watch to ensure their child is safe and if their child stumbles across something inappropriate they should be there to explain it to them. Maybe if computers had their own blocker to block certain sites it would be better. But overall, parents need to watch their children!

Some other important points have also been brought up as well. What about the content on television which is more accessible then the Internet, as your computer can be locked. Have they decided to block any inappropriate television shows or any of the advertisements about receiving messages on your phone, I'm sure we all know the ones. When you stay up late to watch a movie and every add is about 'sexy Russian babes' or 'college girls.' This is very inappropriate and they are played when you could be watching a totally appropriate show or film.

If anyone has anything to say about this topic go to http://nocleanfeed.com/.. It has all kinds of links so that you can voice your opinion about the 'Clean Feed' eg. Blog and Twitter.

CRAZY CRAZY CRAZY website!

Jason's website is nuts! But I like it!

I really didn't understand the games. There was so much happening. What he calls his 'poetry' is harder to understand then real poetry written by poets hundreds of years ago. But a lot more fun then to try and decrypt the old poetry . His site has heaps of wacky games and gizmo's to play around with and I was left totally confused and I have no idea what the purpose of the games are. The different doomsday events were quite funny, so much imagination! I think he is just trying to express himself in a weird and wacky way. Maybe to be different? He is very creative with all his drawings in the background on the games. I think he may make all original sound effects as well. Which is good as that is a quality hard to find these days. He expresses himself through his work on his site and I think we are meant to be left with a feeling of Loss or Frustration.

This is How You Will Die!
Apparently I am going to die from forgetting to breath after a virus attacks my brain after I have got a role in a film. Hmmm. Doesn't sound like me.. But oh well.. Very interesting. Jason made a game out of his death fortune teller. If you die a certain way you get more goes at spinning the death wheel! My guess is that you get as many goes as you want. I mean, he would probably have to make it easy and accessible because its not very fun.

Doomsday Endings
The Doomsday Endings were representative of all those crappy horror movies that you watch and your like 'what a stupid story!' I think he is definitely on to something with his doomsday warning about how 3 mile long goldfish will mass produce and be soo big they can swallow cruise ships! He should really approach someone about it and make a film!

Game, game,game and again game

The 2nd level of this game was an interesting take on the Bible, it must be like Jason's personal Bible! As I am thinking he's probably a total computer junkie the things he wrote on this game could probably be his own crude version of a techno bible or something. I thought it was great how he used the 'Jesus Fish' as little pick-ups and had the various different 'contemporary verses' popping up everywhere. The splitting church in the middle is a bit weird. And the video is totally weird as well! Once again I was left confused but got stuck playing the game! I actually ended up finishing it after some minor setbacks! The finishing video, 'Possibly Evolution,' was Jason's evolution theory using potatoes, milk and 'capsule people.' Not to mention other crazy things. It is funny but I am once again left baffled!

Political Beliefs?

So I went online and wanted to discover how easy it is to voice my opinion online. And there were many avenues for me to somehow do this and find out about world leaders and what they are doing. It has now become easier for people around the world to voice their opinion to people who may actually care and feel similarly about certain issues. Here are some things I did and/or found out:

I had to sign an e-petition about Animal Welfare! I love animals and think that they all deserve a good environment to live in. So I went a bit crazy and signed a couple of e-petitions: Stop Animal Testing, Stop Animal Cruelty, Help Stop Animal Abuse etc... I was also tempted to sign the petition that was called THROWING PUPPIES OFF CLIFFS IS WRONG but when I read about it I decided not to because there wasn't much information about it. I feel bad now! But I did have more tasks to complete.

Soo.. What is our favourite president doing today?? As I am doing this late I believe that Barack Obama is giving a very 'inspirational' speech today. The speech is about the health reform in USA. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdU2dxJgNsM Watch it here! It is excellent quality for a YouTube video! Just keeps getting better and better.

Our favourite prime minister also had something to say online. 'First news I got having arrived in the states was that the Broncos had won. Terrific. Important work this week with UN & G20. KRudd' I'm sure all the twitter obsessed people would have felt satisfied with such a meaningful tweet. I like the fact that he discusses 'normal people' topics on his twitter. Much rather then the boring political stuff which shouldn't have such a big influence on twitter anyway. That is what they made the government websites for. Once again impressed about how open and available politicians are becoming!

Then to our Premier! On twitter she also had something very important to say! 'Congratulations Titans on a great year- making the finals in 3rd season is a terrific effort - better luck next year guys.' Well politicians sure do love their NRL! We have really good leaders in this country! But this kind of tweeting doesn't bother me at all as I would much rather read about their interests and likes then any boring political stuff!

Well I researched some of the questions and I have discovered that it is very easy to access political information and have a say online now. It is amazing how leaders and politicians are using the Internet as a source to promote themselves and it is awesome how we can have our say about them online! The Internet is being used to voice opinions about everything and politics is definitely an important issue where some are very passionate about.

The PM and Brack Obama talking about important things like Footy

Creative Commons and FLOSS

This lecture was about Creative Commons (CC) and FLOSS (Free/Libre Open Source Software).


In the first half of the lecture Adam talked about CC. He seemed very passionate about CC as he was wearing one of their t-shirts, as well as a LINUX hat (I Think). I suppose it is understandable to be passionate about something like CC. CC is a good answer to the problems that face many artists with Copyright. It is a great way to share your creations how you want to share them. You control the restrictions on your work and let people use it how you think is ethical. As Creative Commons is a free, not for profit organisation it is evident that they have designed it to benefit its users not themselves. Well I suppose it benefits them as well. I think it is an effective way to ensure control of the content that you are willing to share online.

FREE SOFTWARE!!
I have tried Mozilla FireFox before and had no problems with it at all. My mum uses it on her computer as her 'computer whiz' friend put it on there for her. She doesn't really know the difference between the two and neither do I. They both do the job and that's all that matters.

I have no problem with any of the free software I have tried. I downloaded the Open Office program and I thoroughly enjoyed using it. I just had a bit of a play with it and I found that it was pretty much as good as Microsoft Word. It doesn't have all the perks, like the layouts and word art that Microsoft has, but who can complain if its for free! It has heaps of fonts and various different bullet points, backgrounds and even sounds to experiment with. I had fun playing around with it. The download process had no problems at all. Which is good because I hate waiting too long for anything. Overall a good program! It is definitely worth the ..... downloading time!

Tutorial 6- Video

Okay. I have finally uploaded my video. I tried really hard and this is what I came up with. I started with an idea and then it just morphed into a mash-up of different things.


I found the experience fun and a bit challenging at times. I can't believe how hard it is to cut out the face off a picture and put it on a PowerPoint! But the experience was interesting and fun above all. It is quite easy to make a simple video and upload it. The only problem I had was uploading to YouTube. So instead of mucking around I uploaded it to another video sharing site, Vimeo. Not as good as YouTube but there were no troubles so I was pleased. I uploaded the video onto the page and added the link to the video on Vimeo as well. The video on here isn't very good quality so it may be better to watch it on Vimeo.

G.I Kehoe on Vimeo- http://www.vimeo.com/6571795