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Hello I am doing English Language AS level and I have been asked to compare two different magazines/newspapers/programs etc. I opted for comparing the language in PSW and OPS2 magazines. This is only my first draft since the final thing dont have to be in till 15th Feb or something. I would love to hear what you think about it and possibly suggest how I can improve that. Remember you may get me a better grade and I will be very grateful for that ;)
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Introduction
For my English Language coursework I am going to analyse two computer games reviews from two specialist magazines, Playstation World (PSW) which is an independent unofficial Playstation 2 magazine and Official Playstation 2 magazine (OPS2) which is an official magazine which got an approval from the makers of the PS2 games console, Sony. I am going to examine how language differs in both publications. In order to do that I have chosen a review from each magazine for the same computer game. This will help me to spot the differences in the language used in the reviews and hopefully make some conclusions regarding the language and the style of writing used. I decided to analyse the reviews for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 (THPS3), which is a skateboarding simulation for PS2. The game was released on 30th November 2001 so the reviews are fairly recent and reflect perfectly on the appeal of the given game (sometimes games are given lower scores few months or years after the original release because it is not up to the standards of the other games on the market).
Hypothesis
The two magazines that I have chosen to analyse are similar in the way that they both specialise in computer games but there is a reason why I have chosen these particular publications. PSW is an independent magazine, which means that the writers can say exactly what they want without a fear of getting sued by the game developers for being negative about their games. OPS2 on the other hand is an official magazine, meaning that they have a proper license and an approval of Sony and other major companies. They have to be more careful about what they say but like any other magazine in this field they have a right to tell the public what is good and what isn’t.
I will be trying to prove that OPS2 is a more serious publication than PSW and that the language will differ significantly. In my view the language in PSW will be more colloquial and will be suited to entertain the reader as well as inform them. While OPS2 has an emphasis on the specialist terminology and the purpose of the magazine is to inform and cram in as much information about the games as possible, it still manages to squeeze in some puns and jokes making the reader feel more at home.
Description
The two texts I am going to analyse are from different magazines but are of the same genre. Both are reviews of the same game for the Playstation 2.
PSW is aimed more at young males aged 16 – 25 due to the amount of “silly” jokes inside and slang appearing in almost all the articles.
OPS2 is aimed at a wider audience. The magazine has something for everyone and the target audience of the magazine are again males 16 – 40. Due to the many features in the magazine, which relate to latest releases, interviews with game developers, tips sections and competitions the reader can find a lot of useful information and also “interact” with the magazine by sending in letters or emails asking questions or suggesting improvements to the magazine. The readers are often rewarded for contributing.
Both texts have similar purposes – to inform and entertain (even though entertaining is more PSW’s objective). The reviews mainly describe the game’s graphics, gameplay, sound, lifespan and background information on the title.
Graphology and Layout
Since both texts are reviews there are no headlines as such in either magazines. Title of the game stands out in both reviews so that the reader can easily spot what game is being reviewed.
PSW uses a white background with large blue mastheads for all the reviews, which distinguishes that part of the magazine from other sections. All the subheadings are also in blue, which makes them, stand out and attract the readers’ attention. There are also separate sections in most reviews, which describe some of the levels in the game or the background info on the game such as its price, publisher and the release date. These sections also use the blue colour in order to make them look as a part of the review. Same goes for OPS2 – the background of the masthead is also a homage to all the other parts of the review. Different colours for each section of the magazine make it look more professional and do not confuse the reader.
OPS2 also uses white background for most of its material but the review section is again different from the rest of the magazine. The masthead uses a different green – grass background. Whereas the writing doesn’t stand out that background makes the title stand out. Each review uses a different colour background to look different.
PSW uses a question in the sub – headline “Evolution or more of the same?” This makes the reader want to know what the answer to that question will be and encourages them to read on. Immediately the sub – headline uses informal language to make the reader feel more relaxed – “It’s Tony on PS2 – who the hell cares? It’s here! It’s only bloody here”.
Both reviews use photographs, or as they are called in the gaming world – “screenshots”. These are photos of in-game footage and are specifically picked by the editor to show off the game and make the reader want to buy it. All the screenshots have captions underneath. These may be humorous snippets, which describe the action in the screenshot and usually contain sarcasm and irony. For example a screenshot in OPS2 sees a skater grind his way in the airport. The writing on the screen proclaims “Football? Soccer?” And the caption says, “Visit new countries and get stereotypes thrown at you. Cheers Neversoft…” All the screenshots are taken by a group of professional photographers that try and take the best possible pictures. Screenshots help the readers see for themselves what the game offers. They can read the review and then look at the shots which will carry the proof of what the review describes.
The articles are broken down into headings to make the text easier to read. They also grab the attention of the reader – for example OPS2 has a headline saying “People Powered” which uses alliteration to a great effect.
Register (the language used)
PSW uses a lot of slang and informal language such as “Unless you only slightly botch the landing” or “The Canadian track is a right old mixed bag though” This kind of language makes the reader feel more relaxed and believe that the reviewers are down to earth and funny. The reviewer basically keeps the review as informative as possible but doesn’t flood the reader with loads of unnecessary terminology and therefore the review is fun to read and it may even get a laugh or two out of the reader. Speaking of laughter, the review also includes a number of funny sentences which lighten up the atmosphere – “Graffiti will keep you and a friend entertained as long as there is electricity and humans haven’t evolved away their thumbs” and “ So it looks good, sounds good, plays like a gift carried down from god between the moistened thighs of Kylie Minogue…” That suggests that reviewers are just all normal people – they love Kylie because she has earned herself a reputation of a sex symbol over the years. The whole review is littered with such phrases. A text like that makes you nod at times – such as the precision with which the reviewers spot all the things in life that you spot too. In my opinion this is what makes a successful magazine.
OPS2 takes the matter much more seriously. The language used very formal and the number of jokes is cut down to minimum but the magazine still remains “user – friendly” and is a pleasure to read. OPS2 needs to be very informative because of the number of people relying on the magazine to tell them everything they need to know. Many people buy games because it got a good score in the magazine. It uses many formal words such as “permutations”, “disassemble” and commendable”. These make the review look very professional and make the reader believe that the reviewers know what they are talking about.
Lexis and Semantics
The denotation of both reviews is that they both describe the game, its good and bad points and tell you WHY you should or should not buy the game. The connotation here is that every review suggests that you should or should not buy the game all the way throughout a review. It is very easy to spot whether the game is being praised (in which case its definitely worth the money) or is being put down.
Both magazines make use of shortening some words, so for example you are likely to see “you’ll” instead of “you will” in both magazines but PSW seem to use that technique more frequently then OPS2.
Both magazines use terminology and phrases that only gamers may understand. The magazines are written so that everyone can pick them up and have a good read, but at times it does make references to the past issues or other incidents and expects the reader to pick up the meaning and understand what the reviewer is talking about.
Grammar
Both reviews use a lot of adjectives because there is a need to describe different features of the game such as the locations and the sound. “Subtle lines”, “brilliantly expressed” are some of the examples of that.
Since there is a lot to go through in any review, both PSW and OPS2 never go into too much detail about one particular feature. They do try to make use of adjectives in order to cram in as much detail as possible without boring the reader with unnecessary facts and taking up too much space in the magazine.
PSW uses a lot of pronouns in its reviews in order to remind the reader that they are too real people. A frequent use of we, they and our, is noticeable. OPS2 though prefer to use proper nouns such as Tony or Mr. Benjamin.
Both magazines use declarative sentences since they are giving the reader the facts, so the sentences are not really open to much debate. Although there are times when personal opinions are being expresses, and then it is up to the reader whether to trust the person or look elsewhere. Compound and complex sentences are mostly used in order to describe the game but there are some minor sentences visible to the naked eye “Tricks are as demanding as ever-PSW”.
One of the most important things I noticed is the use of non-finite verbs in both reviews. They very rarely suggest the time when something is happening –e.g. will, “once playing” etc. In most cases we are left with phrases such as “when playing the warehouse level from Tony 1” We are not sure when that actually happens.
If we look at the sentence above-“when playing the warehouse level from Tony 1” we can spot another important grammatical feature-ellipsis. This means omission of certain words because it is implied that the reader will know what is being mentioned. “Tony 1” is obviously short for the original game “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater” and the reviewer believes that readers will know what it means hence he manages to continue using that phrase rather than mentioning the full name of the game every time.
Conclusion
In the beginning I have stated in my hypothesis that the language in OPS2 is more formal than in PSW and that it is intended to be a more serious and informative publication.
My hypothesis proved to be correct as I proved with examples from both magazines that PSW relies more on slang and humour while OPS2 uses formal language and complex sentences to pass on the information to its readers.
Both magazines still used descriptive sentences and were very informative. The readers will get all the information they need plus they will enjoy reading either of the publications but PSW does edge it in the sarcasm department.
I would like to state that both magazines seem to be aimed at similar audiences but the difference in the language and the style of writing makes OPS2 seem like a more mature publication.
Both magazines have a very good structure and the reviews are very enticing to read.
Ultimately both magazines write well about the subject of computer games, they know what their audiences prefer and both magazines are interesting and informative to read.
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Introduction
For my English Language coursework I am going to analyse two computer games reviews from two specialist magazines, Playstation World (PSW) which is an independent unofficial Playstation 2 magazine and Official Playstation 2 magazine (OPS2) which is an official magazine which got an approval from the makers of the PS2 games console, Sony. I am going to examine how language differs in both publications. In order to do that I have chosen a review from each magazine for the same computer game. This will help me to spot the differences in the language used in the reviews and hopefully make some conclusions regarding the language and the style of writing used. I decided to analyse the reviews for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 (THPS3), which is a skateboarding simulation for PS2. The game was released on 30th November 2001 so the reviews are fairly recent and reflect perfectly on the appeal of the given game (sometimes games are given lower scores few months or years after the original release because it is not up to the standards of the other games on the market).
Hypothesis
The two magazines that I have chosen to analyse are similar in the way that they both specialise in computer games but there is a reason why I have chosen these particular publications. PSW is an independent magazine, which means that the writers can say exactly what they want without a fear of getting sued by the game developers for being negative about their games. OPS2 on the other hand is an official magazine, meaning that they have a proper license and an approval of Sony and other major companies. They have to be more careful about what they say but like any other magazine in this field they have a right to tell the public what is good and what isn’t.
I will be trying to prove that OPS2 is a more serious publication than PSW and that the language will differ significantly. In my view the language in PSW will be more colloquial and will be suited to entertain the reader as well as inform them. While OPS2 has an emphasis on the specialist terminology and the purpose of the magazine is to inform and cram in as much information about the games as possible, it still manages to squeeze in some puns and jokes making the reader feel more at home.
Description
The two texts I am going to analyse are from different magazines but are of the same genre. Both are reviews of the same game for the Playstation 2.
PSW is aimed more at young males aged 16 – 25 due to the amount of “silly” jokes inside and slang appearing in almost all the articles.
OPS2 is aimed at a wider audience. The magazine has something for everyone and the target audience of the magazine are again males 16 – 40. Due to the many features in the magazine, which relate to latest releases, interviews with game developers, tips sections and competitions the reader can find a lot of useful information and also “interact” with the magazine by sending in letters or emails asking questions or suggesting improvements to the magazine. The readers are often rewarded for contributing.
Both texts have similar purposes – to inform and entertain (even though entertaining is more PSW’s objective). The reviews mainly describe the game’s graphics, gameplay, sound, lifespan and background information on the title.
Graphology and Layout
Since both texts are reviews there are no headlines as such in either magazines. Title of the game stands out in both reviews so that the reader can easily spot what game is being reviewed.
PSW uses a white background with large blue mastheads for all the reviews, which distinguishes that part of the magazine from other sections. All the subheadings are also in blue, which makes them, stand out and attract the readers’ attention. There are also separate sections in most reviews, which describe some of the levels in the game or the background info on the game such as its price, publisher and the release date. These sections also use the blue colour in order to make them look as a part of the review. Same goes for OPS2 – the background of the masthead is also a homage to all the other parts of the review. Different colours for each section of the magazine make it look more professional and do not confuse the reader.
OPS2 also uses white background for most of its material but the review section is again different from the rest of the magazine. The masthead uses a different green – grass background. Whereas the writing doesn’t stand out that background makes the title stand out. Each review uses a different colour background to look different.
PSW uses a question in the sub – headline “Evolution or more of the same?” This makes the reader want to know what the answer to that question will be and encourages them to read on. Immediately the sub – headline uses informal language to make the reader feel more relaxed – “It’s Tony on PS2 – who the hell cares? It’s here! It’s only bloody here”.
Both reviews use photographs, or as they are called in the gaming world – “screenshots”. These are photos of in-game footage and are specifically picked by the editor to show off the game and make the reader want to buy it. All the screenshots have captions underneath. These may be humorous snippets, which describe the action in the screenshot and usually contain sarcasm and irony. For example a screenshot in OPS2 sees a skater grind his way in the airport. The writing on the screen proclaims “Football? Soccer?” And the caption says, “Visit new countries and get stereotypes thrown at you. Cheers Neversoft…” All the screenshots are taken by a group of professional photographers that try and take the best possible pictures. Screenshots help the readers see for themselves what the game offers. They can read the review and then look at the shots which will carry the proof of what the review describes.
The articles are broken down into headings to make the text easier to read. They also grab the attention of the reader – for example OPS2 has a headline saying “People Powered” which uses alliteration to a great effect.
Register (the language used)
PSW uses a lot of slang and informal language such as “Unless you only slightly botch the landing” or “The Canadian track is a right old mixed bag though” This kind of language makes the reader feel more relaxed and believe that the reviewers are down to earth and funny. The reviewer basically keeps the review as informative as possible but doesn’t flood the reader with loads of unnecessary terminology and therefore the review is fun to read and it may even get a laugh or two out of the reader. Speaking of laughter, the review also includes a number of funny sentences which lighten up the atmosphere – “Graffiti will keep you and a friend entertained as long as there is electricity and humans haven’t evolved away their thumbs” and “ So it looks good, sounds good, plays like a gift carried down from god between the moistened thighs of Kylie Minogue…” That suggests that reviewers are just all normal people – they love Kylie because she has earned herself a reputation of a sex symbol over the years. The whole review is littered with such phrases. A text like that makes you nod at times – such as the precision with which the reviewers spot all the things in life that you spot too. In my opinion this is what makes a successful magazine.
OPS2 takes the matter much more seriously. The language used very formal and the number of jokes is cut down to minimum but the magazine still remains “user – friendly” and is a pleasure to read. OPS2 needs to be very informative because of the number of people relying on the magazine to tell them everything they need to know. Many people buy games because it got a good score in the magazine. It uses many formal words such as “permutations”, “disassemble” and commendable”. These make the review look very professional and make the reader believe that the reviewers know what they are talking about.
Lexis and Semantics
The denotation of both reviews is that they both describe the game, its good and bad points and tell you WHY you should or should not buy the game. The connotation here is that every review suggests that you should or should not buy the game all the way throughout a review. It is very easy to spot whether the game is being praised (in which case its definitely worth the money) or is being put down.
Both magazines make use of shortening some words, so for example you are likely to see “you’ll” instead of “you will” in both magazines but PSW seem to use that technique more frequently then OPS2.
Both magazines use terminology and phrases that only gamers may understand. The magazines are written so that everyone can pick them up and have a good read, but at times it does make references to the past issues or other incidents and expects the reader to pick up the meaning and understand what the reviewer is talking about.
Grammar
Both reviews use a lot of adjectives because there is a need to describe different features of the game such as the locations and the sound. “Subtle lines”, “brilliantly expressed” are some of the examples of that.
Since there is a lot to go through in any review, both PSW and OPS2 never go into too much detail about one particular feature. They do try to make use of adjectives in order to cram in as much detail as possible without boring the reader with unnecessary facts and taking up too much space in the magazine.
PSW uses a lot of pronouns in its reviews in order to remind the reader that they are too real people. A frequent use of we, they and our, is noticeable. OPS2 though prefer to use proper nouns such as Tony or Mr. Benjamin.
Both magazines use declarative sentences since they are giving the reader the facts, so the sentences are not really open to much debate. Although there are times when personal opinions are being expresses, and then it is up to the reader whether to trust the person or look elsewhere. Compound and complex sentences are mostly used in order to describe the game but there are some minor sentences visible to the naked eye “Tricks are as demanding as ever-PSW”.
One of the most important things I noticed is the use of non-finite verbs in both reviews. They very rarely suggest the time when something is happening –e.g. will, “once playing” etc. In most cases we are left with phrases such as “when playing the warehouse level from Tony 1” We are not sure when that actually happens.
If we look at the sentence above-“when playing the warehouse level from Tony 1” we can spot another important grammatical feature-ellipsis. This means omission of certain words because it is implied that the reader will know what is being mentioned. “Tony 1” is obviously short for the original game “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater” and the reviewer believes that readers will know what it means hence he manages to continue using that phrase rather than mentioning the full name of the game every time.
Conclusion
In the beginning I have stated in my hypothesis that the language in OPS2 is more formal than in PSW and that it is intended to be a more serious and informative publication.
My hypothesis proved to be correct as I proved with examples from both magazines that PSW relies more on slang and humour while OPS2 uses formal language and complex sentences to pass on the information to its readers.
Both magazines still used descriptive sentences and were very informative. The readers will get all the information they need plus they will enjoy reading either of the publications but PSW does edge it in the sarcasm department.
I would like to state that both magazines seem to be aimed at similar audiences but the difference in the language and the style of writing makes OPS2 seem like a more mature publication.
Both magazines have a very good structure and the reviews are very enticing to read.
Ultimately both magazines write well about the subject of computer games, they know what their audiences prefer and both magazines are interesting and informative to read.
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Thats excellent advice! I have exams that start in 17 days. I`ve left it way too late... again... as I have to learn pretty much the whole course from scratch!
Yeah I know there are loads of littl emistakes but I have a month and a half to sort them out so thats ok. As long as the core is alright, I am happy.
ANything else you reckon I should add?
ANything else you reckon I should add?
ssxpro wrote:
The only thing I noticed was quite early on. The use
> of so many abbreviations... OPS2M, PSW, THPS3, PS2 etc... it became a little
> confusing, even to me, and I know what each of them are. To a reader who is
> unfamiliar with all these, it may become a little daunting. Whilst it is time
> consuming, perhaps it would be wise to simply write the whole lot out.
At Uni we have written only a few essays but abbreviations are ok. You must of course write out the full word the first time you use it and put the abbreviation in brackets. The only abbreviation I spotted that wasnt written out in full was PS2.
The only thing I noticed was quite early on. The use
> of so many abbreviations... OPS2M, PSW, THPS3, PS2 etc... it became a little
> confusing, even to me, and I know what each of them are. To a reader who is
> unfamiliar with all these, it may become a little daunting. Whilst it is time
> consuming, perhaps it would be wise to simply write the whole lot out.
At Uni we have written only a few essays but abbreviations are ok. You must of course write out the full word the first time you use it and put the abbreviation in brackets. The only abbreviation I spotted that wasnt written out in full was PS2.
ssxpro wrote:
> Is the 1500 a guide, or a strict limit?
Its a guide but our teacher kindly pointed out that 1800 would be about as far as we should go. The Intro and hypothesis dont count as the 1500 words by the way. Even without them I still managed 1700.
Thanks by the way for your kind words :)
> Is the 1500 a guide, or a strict limit?
Its a guide but our teacher kindly pointed out that 1800 would be about as far as we should go. The Intro and hypothesis dont count as the 1500 words by the way. Even without them I still managed 1700.
Thanks by the way for your kind words :)
Another thing to mention... anybody who still had dounts about what happened with copied reviews should now be completely convinced that Triple_H doesn`t need to copy to write a decent review. His English is probably amongst the best on the forums.
Is the 1500 a guide, or a strict limit?
Cheers for that!!
In my introduction I did put the abbreviation in brackets but I am gonna say something like "From now on I am going to use PSW etc"...
And If I do write the whole lot out, I will end up with like 3000 words. I am only allowed 1500 words and I am already well over the limit..
Thanx for the advice though. Ill try and fit that in somewhere.
In my introduction I did put the abbreviation in brackets but I am gonna say something like "From now on I am going to use PSW etc"...
And If I do write the whole lot out, I will end up with like 3000 words. I am only allowed 1500 words and I am already well over the limit..
Thanx for the advice though. Ill try and fit that in somewhere.
Seriously though...
I`m not really qualified to give advice. I stopped doing and using proper English at GCSE level, so AS is a bit out of my league.
The article from a mathematical point of view is beautifully put together, as its structure is well ordered, and easy for the reader. The comparisons used are gathered neatly into sections allowing the reader to take each point at a time... which is nice.
The only thing I noticed was quite early on. The use of so many abbreviations... OPS2M, PSW, THPS3, PS2 etc... it became a little confusing, even to me, and I know what each of them are. To a reader who is unfamiliar with all these, it may become a little daunting. Whilst it is time consuming, perhaps it would be wise to simply write the whole lot out.
The other thing was that inside your language used section, you could mention that some magazines try so hard to find good descriptive words that they end up making a complete mess of their wording. Ask Your Honour if he has anymore of those paragraphs he pulled out - I remember a while back he found a section in OPS2M I think it was, possibly about Jak and Daxter. He translated it, and made it look silly. This could be mentioned as a similarity, as it is a mistake many mags seem to make.
Apart from that... can`t think of anything. Its a better bit of writing than anything I`ve ever done!
I`m not really qualified to give advice. I stopped doing and using proper English at GCSE level, so AS is a bit out of my league.
The article from a mathematical point of view is beautifully put together, as its structure is well ordered, and easy for the reader. The comparisons used are gathered neatly into sections allowing the reader to take each point at a time... which is nice.
The only thing I noticed was quite early on. The use of so many abbreviations... OPS2M, PSW, THPS3, PS2 etc... it became a little confusing, even to me, and I know what each of them are. To a reader who is unfamiliar with all these, it may become a little daunting. Whilst it is time consuming, perhaps it would be wise to simply write the whole lot out.
The other thing was that inside your language used section, you could mention that some magazines try so hard to find good descriptive words that they end up making a complete mess of their wording. Ask Your Honour if he has anymore of those paragraphs he pulled out - I remember a while back he found a section in OPS2M I think it was, possibly about Jak and Daxter. He translated it, and made it look silly. This could be mentioned as a similarity, as it is a mistake many mags seem to make.
Apart from that... can`t think of anything. Its a better bit of writing than anything I`ve ever done!
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