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Computer games trespass on the lives of everyone - whether we are avid gamers, or simply exposed to the aggressive marketing strategies of the major manufacturers and publishers via TV, print media, the Internet or billboard. Most people will agree that TV and the Internet are the most audience-hitting habitats for advertising. I'm going to focus on the adverts seen on television.
The X-box had vivid advertisements when it released, informing that we should "Play More", although not many adverts have appeared since. These ads were very strong and powerful. This, to me, suggests that the X-box is giving itself an image that attracts many of its target audience. It's target audience being males between the ages of 13 to 25. The reason for this selection is because these are the people that mostly play games. In research, a strong, powerful image is what men of these ages wish to acquire for themselves. So, advertising in this way will attract gamers wanting this image for them. Barbie's target audience are young girls and the adverts for Barbie are soft and "girly". So, Microsoft is aiming their console at a young generation who want to be seen as the more powerful gamer. These adverts also have a hidden meaning, in my opinion. The adverts are trying to suggest to us that the X-box itself is powerful in terms of performance.
Sony, when the Playstation 2 was released, had a lot of ads. "The next place" advertisements slowly, but surely, decreased. In these adverts, Sony was trying to advertise to the gamer that wanted something new and something different. By saying "the next place", they are saying that the word "next" means new, moving on, etc. So, it's saying that the Playstation 2 is the next place for gamers to be. When saying, "place", Sony are really trying to say console. Translated, the slogan "the next place" actually means "the new console" and, by that, they mean their own console. The name Playstation is a good idea, too. It also gives the impression that this is the place to play games.
Now, the GameCube is very different. They seem to keep a theme for their adverts. The Waverace: Bluestorm advert and the Luigi's Mansion advert are both very similar, as are most of the adverts for the GameCube. They hover around the cube theme. It shows a large cube with all the action, relating to the game, inside it. At the end of the advert, it cuts away to the small GameCube console itself. The point Nintendo are trying to make here is that it can get something big into something small. In other words, a lot into one disc; a lot into one game. The final part of the advert flashes up a larger version of the GameCube - probably a 3:1 scale or maybe more - to re-iterate the big-to-small theme. This is then followed by the slogan, "Life's a game". The slogan itself suggests something. It puts the idea that life is much like a computer game, with challenges, interaction and something you play as you go along. This idea, therefore, appeals to everyone. Something that Nintendo wanted to do was to appeal to everyone, not just the younger generation.
So, it seems that the X-box is trying to attract gamers by advertising itself as the strong, powerful type. The Playstation 2 is attracting gamers by advertising itself as the place to be. And Nintendo is advertising itself as the console for everyone.
In the past, Sony and Nintendo had different advertising strategies. A new company in the eyes of console buyers makes the X-box, so there is no past to compare it to. Sony, in the past, preferred to leave advertising to the games developers. Adverts would advertise the game and then, at the end of the advert, show the Playstation logo and slogan. However, when the Playstation was released, Sony had no experience of advertising consoles. Nintendo, however, are the longest running company in the console race. They have been able to learn from advertising the NES, the SNES, the GameBoys and the Nintendo 64. Looking only at the Nintendo 64, though, it's hard to see if Nintendo wanted to spend any money at all on advertising. The TV seldom witnessed many adverts for the Nintendo 64. This issue was raised many times by fans, wondering why Nintendo didn't advertise as much as they could. Nintendo said that they preferred to keep money for developing games and chose to advertise on a low scale.
So, following the trend of advertising consoles, adverts have now turned to advertising games instead. A wise move, too. It's no good just advertising a console if you don't know about any games for it. However, sometimes, adverts don't do enough justice to games. They may often leave the gamer thinking "is that it?" Let's look at 3 adverts:
1). Crash Bandicoot for the X-box. This advert represents the game well. It shows off the graphics, the sound and the game play. It doesn't leave anything out and shows the gamer exactly what the want to see.
2). Medal Of Honour: Frontline for the Playstation 2. This adverts focuses mainly on the game play. It talks through the idea of the game, whilst showing off the graphics with some sound. Just enough for the gamer to know what to expect.
3). Super Smash Bros. Melee for the GameCube. This advert, lies in with the same theme as other GameCube titles. However, for most of the advert, you don't see the actual game. Nintendo are using a different tactic here. They are showing the gamer just enough for them to want to see more, but also to be satisfied and excited by what they have seen. Where are they going to get this? By buying the game, of course.
Are these good ideas for adverts, though? Is it wise to encourage gamers to buy games in this way? Are some adverts not as good as they could be? Do some adverts demote a game, rather than promote them? All these questions are always asked, and the answers always given follow the "it's best to try and bring in as many gamers as possible" trend. In other words, the companies think that advertising is worth it, both in the short and long term. For the short term, gamers will buy their games. In the long term, as Nintendo may well know, gamers will have them down as a trusted company and a recognized company.
But, again, people always ask the questions because they are concerned. If not for the good of their entertainment, then for the good of the companies themselves. So, it's over to you. How exactly are computer games represented in these promotional formats? Are they portrayed well, or do they give the games industry a bad name? Are advertisements even a good idea? The games industry says that ads are a good idea, even though they do cost money. And yes, games are portrayed well. We are the target audience, though. What do we think?
SD
The X-box had vivid advertisements when it released, informing that we should "Play More", although not many adverts have appeared since. These ads were very strong and powerful. This, to me, suggests that the X-box is giving itself an image that attracts many of its target audience. It's target audience being males between the ages of 13 to 25. The reason for this selection is because these are the people that mostly play games. In research, a strong, powerful image is what men of these ages wish to acquire for themselves. So, advertising in this way will attract gamers wanting this image for them. Barbie's target audience are young girls and the adverts for Barbie are soft and "girly". So, Microsoft is aiming their console at a young generation who want to be seen as the more powerful gamer. These adverts also have a hidden meaning, in my opinion. The adverts are trying to suggest to us that the X-box itself is powerful in terms of performance.
Sony, when the Playstation 2 was released, had a lot of ads. "The next place" advertisements slowly, but surely, decreased. In these adverts, Sony was trying to advertise to the gamer that wanted something new and something different. By saying "the next place", they are saying that the word "next" means new, moving on, etc. So, it's saying that the Playstation 2 is the next place for gamers to be. When saying, "place", Sony are really trying to say console. Translated, the slogan "the next place" actually means "the new console" and, by that, they mean their own console. The name Playstation is a good idea, too. It also gives the impression that this is the place to play games.
Now, the GameCube is very different. They seem to keep a theme for their adverts. The Waverace: Bluestorm advert and the Luigi's Mansion advert are both very similar, as are most of the adverts for the GameCube. They hover around the cube theme. It shows a large cube with all the action, relating to the game, inside it. At the end of the advert, it cuts away to the small GameCube console itself. The point Nintendo are trying to make here is that it can get something big into something small. In other words, a lot into one disc; a lot into one game. The final part of the advert flashes up a larger version of the GameCube - probably a 3:1 scale or maybe more - to re-iterate the big-to-small theme. This is then followed by the slogan, "Life's a game". The slogan itself suggests something. It puts the idea that life is much like a computer game, with challenges, interaction and something you play as you go along. This idea, therefore, appeals to everyone. Something that Nintendo wanted to do was to appeal to everyone, not just the younger generation.
So, it seems that the X-box is trying to attract gamers by advertising itself as the strong, powerful type. The Playstation 2 is attracting gamers by advertising itself as the place to be. And Nintendo is advertising itself as the console for everyone.
In the past, Sony and Nintendo had different advertising strategies. A new company in the eyes of console buyers makes the X-box, so there is no past to compare it to. Sony, in the past, preferred to leave advertising to the games developers. Adverts would advertise the game and then, at the end of the advert, show the Playstation logo and slogan. However, when the Playstation was released, Sony had no experience of advertising consoles. Nintendo, however, are the longest running company in the console race. They have been able to learn from advertising the NES, the SNES, the GameBoys and the Nintendo 64. Looking only at the Nintendo 64, though, it's hard to see if Nintendo wanted to spend any money at all on advertising. The TV seldom witnessed many adverts for the Nintendo 64. This issue was raised many times by fans, wondering why Nintendo didn't advertise as much as they could. Nintendo said that they preferred to keep money for developing games and chose to advertise on a low scale.
So, following the trend of advertising consoles, adverts have now turned to advertising games instead. A wise move, too. It's no good just advertising a console if you don't know about any games for it. However, sometimes, adverts don't do enough justice to games. They may often leave the gamer thinking "is that it?" Let's look at 3 adverts:
1). Crash Bandicoot for the X-box. This advert represents the game well. It shows off the graphics, the sound and the game play. It doesn't leave anything out and shows the gamer exactly what the want to see.
2). Medal Of Honour: Frontline for the Playstation 2. This adverts focuses mainly on the game play. It talks through the idea of the game, whilst showing off the graphics with some sound. Just enough for the gamer to know what to expect.
3). Super Smash Bros. Melee for the GameCube. This advert, lies in with the same theme as other GameCube titles. However, for most of the advert, you don't see the actual game. Nintendo are using a different tactic here. They are showing the gamer just enough for them to want to see more, but also to be satisfied and excited by what they have seen. Where are they going to get this? By buying the game, of course.
Are these good ideas for adverts, though? Is it wise to encourage gamers to buy games in this way? Are some adverts not as good as they could be? Do some adverts demote a game, rather than promote them? All these questions are always asked, and the answers always given follow the "it's best to try and bring in as many gamers as possible" trend. In other words, the companies think that advertising is worth it, both in the short and long term. For the short term, gamers will buy their games. In the long term, as Nintendo may well know, gamers will have them down as a trusted company and a recognized company.
But, again, people always ask the questions because they are concerned. If not for the good of their entertainment, then for the good of the companies themselves. So, it's over to you. How exactly are computer games represented in these promotional formats? Are they portrayed well, or do they give the games industry a bad name? Are advertisements even a good idea? The games industry says that ads are a good idea, even though they do cost money. And yes, games are portrayed well. We are the target audience, though. What do we think?
SD
Page:
Bad idea
The third place is whatever you want it to be. Somthin along the lines of the gap between reality and gaming. er...somthin like that...
Wasn't the Playstation slogan "the third place" not the next place
and what does the third place mean anyway....I could never work that out
and what does the third place mean anyway....I could never work that out
Computer games trespass on the lives of everyone - whether we are avid gamers, or simply exposed to the aggressive marketing strategies of the major manufacturers and publishers via TV, print media, the Internet or billboard. Most people will agree that TV and the Internet are the most audience-hitting habitats for advertising. I'm going to focus on the adverts seen on television.
The X-box had vivid advertisements when it released, informing that we should "Play More", although not many adverts have appeared since. These ads were very strong and powerful. This, to me, suggests that the X-box is giving itself an image that attracts many of its target audience. It's target audience being males between the ages of 13 to 25. The reason for this selection is because these are the people that mostly play games. In research, a strong, powerful image is what men of these ages wish to acquire for themselves. So, advertising in this way will attract gamers wanting this image for them. Barbie's target audience are young girls and the adverts for Barbie are soft and "girly". So, Microsoft is aiming their console at a young generation who want to be seen as the more powerful gamer. These adverts also have a hidden meaning, in my opinion. The adverts are trying to suggest to us that the X-box itself is powerful in terms of performance.
Sony, when the Playstation 2 was released, had a lot of ads. "The next place" advertisements slowly, but surely, decreased. In these adverts, Sony was trying to advertise to the gamer that wanted something new and something different. By saying "the next place", they are saying that the word "next" means new, moving on, etc. So, it's saying that the Playstation 2 is the next place for gamers to be. When saying, "place", Sony are really trying to say console. Translated, the slogan "the next place" actually means "the new console" and, by that, they mean their own console. The name Playstation is a good idea, too. It also gives the impression that this is the place to play games.
Now, the GameCube is very different. They seem to keep a theme for their adverts. The Waverace: Bluestorm advert and the Luigi's Mansion advert are both very similar, as are most of the adverts for the GameCube. They hover around the cube theme. It shows a large cube with all the action, relating to the game, inside it. At the end of the advert, it cuts away to the small GameCube console itself. The point Nintendo are trying to make here is that it can get something big into something small. In other words, a lot into one disc; a lot into one game. The final part of the advert flashes up a larger version of the GameCube - probably a 3:1 scale or maybe more - to re-iterate the big-to-small theme. This is then followed by the slogan, "Life's a game". The slogan itself suggests something. It puts the idea that life is much like a computer game, with challenges, interaction and something you play as you go along. This idea, therefore, appeals to everyone. Something that Nintendo wanted to do was to appeal to everyone, not just the younger generation.
So, it seems that the X-box is trying to attract gamers by advertising itself as the strong, powerful type. The Playstation 2 is attracting gamers by advertising itself as the place to be. And Nintendo is advertising itself as the console for everyone.
In the past, Sony and Nintendo had different advertising strategies. A new company in the eyes of console buyers makes the X-box, so there is no past to compare it to. Sony, in the past, preferred to leave advertising to the games developers. Adverts would advertise the game and then, at the end of the advert, show the Playstation logo and slogan. However, when the Playstation was released, Sony had no experience of advertising consoles. Nintendo, however, are the longest running company in the console race. They have been able to learn from advertising the NES, the SNES, the GameBoys and the Nintendo 64. Looking only at the Nintendo 64, though, it's hard to see if Nintendo wanted to spend any money at all on advertising. The TV seldom witnessed many adverts for the Nintendo 64. This issue was raised many times by fans, wondering why Nintendo didn't advertise as much as they could. Nintendo said that they preferred to keep money for developing games and chose to advertise on a low scale.
So, following the trend of advertising consoles, adverts have now turned to advertising games instead. A wise move, too. It's no good just advertising a console if you don't know about any games for it. However, sometimes, adverts don't do enough justice to games. They may often leave the gamer thinking "is that it?" Let's look at 3 adverts:
1). Crash Bandicoot for the X-box. This advert represents the game well. It shows off the graphics, the sound and the game play. It doesn't leave anything out and shows the gamer exactly what the want to see.
2). Medal Of Honour: Frontline for the Playstation 2. This adverts focuses mainly on the game play. It talks through the idea of the game, whilst showing off the graphics with some sound. Just enough for the gamer to know what to expect.
3). Super Smash Bros. Melee for the GameCube. This advert, lies in with the same theme as other GameCube titles. However, for most of the advert, you don't see the actual game. Nintendo are using a different tactic here. They are showing the gamer just enough for them to want to see more, but also to be satisfied and excited by what they have seen. Where are they going to get this? By buying the game, of course.
Are these good ideas for adverts, though? Is it wise to encourage gamers to buy games in this way? Are some adverts not as good as they could be? Do some adverts demote a game, rather than promote them? All these questions are always asked, and the answers always given follow the "it's best to try and bring in as many gamers as possible" trend. In other words, the companies think that advertising is worth it, both in the short and long term. For the short term, gamers will buy their games. In the long term, as Nintendo may well know, gamers will have them down as a trusted company and a recognized company.
But, again, people always ask the questions because they are concerned. If not for the good of their entertainment, then for the good of the companies themselves. So, it's over to you. How exactly are computer games represented in these promotional formats? Are they portrayed well, or do they give the games industry a bad name? Are advertisements even a good idea? The games industry says that ads are a good idea, even though they do cost money. And yes, games are portrayed well. We are the target audience, though. What do we think?
SD
The X-box had vivid advertisements when it released, informing that we should "Play More", although not many adverts have appeared since. These ads were very strong and powerful. This, to me, suggests that the X-box is giving itself an image that attracts many of its target audience. It's target audience being males between the ages of 13 to 25. The reason for this selection is because these are the people that mostly play games. In research, a strong, powerful image is what men of these ages wish to acquire for themselves. So, advertising in this way will attract gamers wanting this image for them. Barbie's target audience are young girls and the adverts for Barbie are soft and "girly". So, Microsoft is aiming their console at a young generation who want to be seen as the more powerful gamer. These adverts also have a hidden meaning, in my opinion. The adverts are trying to suggest to us that the X-box itself is powerful in terms of performance.
Sony, when the Playstation 2 was released, had a lot of ads. "The next place" advertisements slowly, but surely, decreased. In these adverts, Sony was trying to advertise to the gamer that wanted something new and something different. By saying "the next place", they are saying that the word "next" means new, moving on, etc. So, it's saying that the Playstation 2 is the next place for gamers to be. When saying, "place", Sony are really trying to say console. Translated, the slogan "the next place" actually means "the new console" and, by that, they mean their own console. The name Playstation is a good idea, too. It also gives the impression that this is the place to play games.
Now, the GameCube is very different. They seem to keep a theme for their adverts. The Waverace: Bluestorm advert and the Luigi's Mansion advert are both very similar, as are most of the adverts for the GameCube. They hover around the cube theme. It shows a large cube with all the action, relating to the game, inside it. At the end of the advert, it cuts away to the small GameCube console itself. The point Nintendo are trying to make here is that it can get something big into something small. In other words, a lot into one disc; a lot into one game. The final part of the advert flashes up a larger version of the GameCube - probably a 3:1 scale or maybe more - to re-iterate the big-to-small theme. This is then followed by the slogan, "Life's a game". The slogan itself suggests something. It puts the idea that life is much like a computer game, with challenges, interaction and something you play as you go along. This idea, therefore, appeals to everyone. Something that Nintendo wanted to do was to appeal to everyone, not just the younger generation.
So, it seems that the X-box is trying to attract gamers by advertising itself as the strong, powerful type. The Playstation 2 is attracting gamers by advertising itself as the place to be. And Nintendo is advertising itself as the console for everyone.
In the past, Sony and Nintendo had different advertising strategies. A new company in the eyes of console buyers makes the X-box, so there is no past to compare it to. Sony, in the past, preferred to leave advertising to the games developers. Adverts would advertise the game and then, at the end of the advert, show the Playstation logo and slogan. However, when the Playstation was released, Sony had no experience of advertising consoles. Nintendo, however, are the longest running company in the console race. They have been able to learn from advertising the NES, the SNES, the GameBoys and the Nintendo 64. Looking only at the Nintendo 64, though, it's hard to see if Nintendo wanted to spend any money at all on advertising. The TV seldom witnessed many adverts for the Nintendo 64. This issue was raised many times by fans, wondering why Nintendo didn't advertise as much as they could. Nintendo said that they preferred to keep money for developing games and chose to advertise on a low scale.
So, following the trend of advertising consoles, adverts have now turned to advertising games instead. A wise move, too. It's no good just advertising a console if you don't know about any games for it. However, sometimes, adverts don't do enough justice to games. They may often leave the gamer thinking "is that it?" Let's look at 3 adverts:
1). Crash Bandicoot for the X-box. This advert represents the game well. It shows off the graphics, the sound and the game play. It doesn't leave anything out and shows the gamer exactly what the want to see.
2). Medal Of Honour: Frontline for the Playstation 2. This adverts focuses mainly on the game play. It talks through the idea of the game, whilst showing off the graphics with some sound. Just enough for the gamer to know what to expect.
3). Super Smash Bros. Melee for the GameCube. This advert, lies in with the same theme as other GameCube titles. However, for most of the advert, you don't see the actual game. Nintendo are using a different tactic here. They are showing the gamer just enough for them to want to see more, but also to be satisfied and excited by what they have seen. Where are they going to get this? By buying the game, of course.
Are these good ideas for adverts, though? Is it wise to encourage gamers to buy games in this way? Are some adverts not as good as they could be? Do some adverts demote a game, rather than promote them? All these questions are always asked, and the answers always given follow the "it's best to try and bring in as many gamers as possible" trend. In other words, the companies think that advertising is worth it, both in the short and long term. For the short term, gamers will buy their games. In the long term, as Nintendo may well know, gamers will have them down as a trusted company and a recognized company.
But, again, people always ask the questions because they are concerned. If not for the good of their entertainment, then for the good of the companies themselves. So, it's over to you. How exactly are computer games represented in these promotional formats? Are they portrayed well, or do they give the games industry a bad name? Are advertisements even a good idea? The games industry says that ads are a good idea, even though they do cost money. And yes, games are portrayed well. We are the target audience, though. What do we think?
SD
Page: