Glossary for Key Terms

Publisher - The people that sell the game and market it.

Developer/Producer - The people who make video games.
Marketing Films and audio can be advertised and transferred onto the internet easily.
It's how they attract their audience to purchase their product(s)
Such as Synergy and interacting directly with the consumer; Files, information and stories can come in digitized form so it can be shared easily. Audiences can interact with the game via Facebook/Twitter pages and user generated websites like Fansites.

Commericals - Are advertisments shown during breaks in TV programmes.
Point-of-sale - The place where goods or services are purchased
Target Audience - The primary group of people tha a product or service is aimed at
Billboard / Hoarding - Large outdoor advertising board usually found in high-volume traffic areas
Celebrity Endorsement - The use of well-known public figure to commend a product or service
Launch - Introducing a new product or service onto the marketplace
Word-of-mouth - An informal communication by e-mail, text message or speech from one person to another; a form of viral marketing.
Slogan - A catchy phrase that idenifies a product or company.
Logo - A symbol, emblem or graphic device relating to a company or product.
Free Samples (freebies) - Examples of a product or service allowing the consumer to try before buying.
Hype - Excessive publicity, often exaggerated and misleading.
Buzz - Anticipation and excitement about a product that reinforces the original marketing message.
Gloss-over - To avoid dealing with something properly
Product Placement - When a product is used or talked about in a film, TV programme or oher media source.

Digitisation - Turning analogue data/media/information into a digital format.

Distrubtion - Way to give out the product such as the internet, the shops and download games.

DLC - Downloadable Content - Features for a game that allows users to download content they may not be able to purchase.

Institution - An establishment or organisation devoted to the promotion of a particular video game, concepet, idea or product.

Industry - The aggregate of manufacturing or technically productive enterprises in a particular field, often named after its principal product: (The video games industry)

PEGI

Pegi stands for Pan-European Game Information. It's an age-rated system which helps people decide if the game is suitable. It uses icons representing features of a game that may be used, and helps decide what is appropiate for the consumer, depending on how old the person is purchasing wants.All games have ratings to confirm what age is suitable to be able to play the game, apart from being put on computer games, this age-rated system is also used on film, dvds, videos.

PEGI is supported by the manufacturers of the consoles; Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft. And many other publishers and developers over Europe.

These descriptors are seen on game cover packages, indiciating why a game has received the certain age rating following with either of the 8 descriptors listed below;

Bad Language
Containing verbal language inappropiate to some such as swear words.

Discrimination

Containing material that may encourage discrimination of race etc.

Drugs
The game may refer to or the use of drug taking.

Fear
Frightening or scary content that may affect children.

Gambling
Games which encourge or teach gambling.

Sex
Games with sexual behaviour or references and nudity.

Violence
Commonly known in games, containing agression/ fighting.

Online Gameplay
Contains the feature that the game can be played online.


Suitable for all groups. The characters on the game should be all fantasy. There is no frightening content and no sexual content included.

Similar to Age rated 3 (above) however, can contain frightening scenes. Also, partial nudity but none related in a sexual way.


These games contain violence of a more graphic nature towards the character and/or non violence to human and animal looking characters. Bad language must be mild here, as well as nudity is kept at a low.

Sexual content and violence is applied that looks realistic. Extremely bad language and uses of tobacco/alcohol and also assorted with criminal activities.


When violence reaches a certain stage where it becomes gross violence. Also, including specific types. It would make the viewer feel a sense of revlusion.

Call Of Duty Modern Warfare 3

Call of Duty MW3 is a first-person shooter and an online multiplayer game. It was released on the 8th November (last week.) This game has made headlines throughout the week predicting sales to break records for a video game launch, and it did so! The game is £38.97 on Amazon, no doubt similar prices online and perhaps more in shops.

Storyline and Setting The earlier games in the series were based on World War II, starting with Modern Warfare, set in modern times, the series has focused away from this and also featured the Cold War. Generally, focusing on the modern times throughout. Modern Warfare 3 is evolved on World War III. Basically, the players are soldiers in war and are able to run around and shoot enemies as many games consist of nowadays. The main countries the game is set in is Paris, Berlin and London as this is where chemical weapons have been despatched to via following Makarov's trail to an arms deal in Sierra Leone and a warlord in Somalia. Affecting a London family which kills them from the chemicals. There are agreements assigned in the game but some go not according to plan by members of groups hijacking other people's property, areas being with rigged with explosives, kidnapping occurs and mass murders are found in this game. This causes suspense and a well laid-out storyline for players to easily follow along with in able for them to get a grasp of the game. No doubt, the players have played the previous versions of Modern Warfare or just Call of Duty, gaining a familar outline of the story and what to expect.                   

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Gameplay
The gameplay consists of campaign; allowing single player campaign varying characters throughout and changing perspective.
The player's character's health is shown on the screen by how much blood is splattered, however their health regenerates throughout time. The player's are given distance and directions of what objectives they need to accomplish. Generally, defeating enemies using various techniques to carry on with the game.
Another feature is Co-operative, which is Survival Mode. Either one or two players are constantly defeating enemies and the difficulty increases throughout from easy to hard. This allows players access to 'cash', so they are able to purchase weapons, ammo, health and equipment etc. This is available in the Multiplayer mode.
Finally, the Multiplayer version allows players to have 'killstreaks,' which are now called 'pointstreaks.' Capturing flags from the other team or completing objectives such as 'Search and Destroy,' by planting bombs on the enemies camps etc. These are organised into three different "strike packages." Allowing the player's primary weapon to level up and also, activiating freely "The Prestige Shop," allows players to buy features double XP points and extra custom weapon class. The tasks consist such of one called; "Kill confirmed", finding floating dog-tags from corpses of enemies. However, this can be overtaken by the opponent so it's a competition of how many the team can collect. Also, "Team Defender," requesting both teams to capture the opponent's flags, gaining double points, plus killing enemies to gain access to the other side. Another feature is that player's have access to Private matches consisting of pre-made game modes. 
                                 
OpinionsBasically, all of the players like the game series, the players enjoyed having the ability to kill people, escaping from realism. As well as the levels being appealing, passing a level is a triumph and unlocks more missions and gains access to features the player may not have been able to see before. On the other hand, a few players found that there was so much hype and buzz, it appealed to people extremely but to others it unfortunately didn't and some were disappointed in the game's outcome.
As well, some players disliked the graphics and compared their features towards a newly released game also, called Battlefield 3. Despite this, games are featuring the online mode, this enables a community and allows players to socialise with strangers or friends. However, people have experienced difficulties accessing online mode, perhaps from crashing or generally not being able to afford it. This is positive feedback mostly throughout, however, the price of the actual game is average as most people struggle to obtain £40 at least. If not then players need more money if they want a limited edition version etc.

Downloadable Content If ordering the game, you gained a new avatar of a solider from the game. You could simply download it off the Xbox Marketplace and redeem your code given. Despite this being minimal, it has appealed to many and no doubt their characters are customised based on their favourite or recently played games.

Rating:     4/5

Modern Warfare 3 has been successful, despite negative feedback included. Overall, you can't beat the Call Of Duty/Modern Warfare series being a smash-hit.

Comparing Games - Fable 2 VS Elder Scrolls

Fable 2
An action role-play game; developed by Lionhead Studios. Taking place in the fictional land of Albion, containing large cities and castles. The storyline is twins; Sparrow and Rose, one of them gets murdered by Lord Lucien and the other escapes via jumping out of a window. Lord Lucien is now rebuilding a Tatter Spire, gaining himself enormous strength and power. The character that survives depending on the chosen storyline the player picks, discovers they are a descendent hero and are destined to bring Lucien's downfall.   The gameplay constists of many cutscenes, both interactive and non-interactive. Your character becomes companions with a dog, which cannot be killed but can be injured. However, there are no other animals which have been noticed by many players, especially odd sighting of carriages without horses.
The game allows you to reproduce and build relationships, depending on what your character is aiming to achieve. Characters can morph becoming good citizens or bad. This builds throughout the game depending on what morals they achieve throughout the levels.  They can also adapt their skills by selecting the abilities they want, doing this by killing enemies. Such as gaining "shock" magical powers to temporarily defeat the enemy or also, building up a tougher physique so they will survive longer in battle. However, it's possible the character can be both and corrupt with one another.

Marketing was used such as 'Online Competitions' allowed users to name a title for part of the game. Which enables players to unlock the content to gain access to it. Also, producing appropiate artwork that could be used in the game. Furthermore, video diaries were released on the internet monthly featuring aspects of the game such as character's emotions, abilities and locations you will be in the game. Downloadable content is also featured, mainly allowing players to customise or ressurect their pet dog (one of the main characters featured in the game.)

The Elder Scrolls IV:OblivionAlso, an action role-play game, developed by Bethesda Softworks. The game is set in Cyrodiil, a province of Tamriel, along with the other game series is set in. The main storyline is that the character's aim is to thwart a fanaticial cult that plans to open the gates to a place called Oblivion. A cult take over and murder the Emperor and his three sons, they rely upon the prisoner which is the player's character, entrusting him with the "Amulet of Kings," which the Emperor of Tamriel wore. The character's can select a human or a anthropomorphic races. These all come with natural abilities but can also customise the character's appearance. The players are given seven main skills which they can level up by killing enemies and improve their attributes. Gaining powers such as such as "blade" or "destruction" or also, "strength" and "willpower." The magic skills enable them to defeat or "shock" enemies temporarily to escape, also for healing and generally affecting others. Health can be restored by spells, potions, or resting; the loss of all health results in death. Throughout the world are a variety of enemies, including standard fantasy monsters like imps and goblins and animals like bears and wolves. NPC's were designed to make choices, rather than complete scripted routines. The manner in which goals such as eating, sleeping, reading, and speaking to others are fulfilled is dependent upon the environment, the choices of other NPCs, and programmed personality values. E.g. someone finding food may resolve into stealing from others. This allowed players to explore and go to various places without error. Downloadable content was available starting with various armour for their horses. Other features included buildings of homes, dungeon areas and magical potions that you weren't able to gain. Also, the Elder Scrolls IV: Knights of the Nine is an official plug-in for Oblivion, the expansion content was based on the PS3 platform but then featured on Xbox 360 and PC. It was judged by viewers to be a polished addition the game's main plot.
Overall:I think the games were accidental to become similar due to the genre. They are based round the same time in the past, featuring similar features such as animals; horses, dogs etc and generally, the wilderness. Both of the downloadable content, featured animals which seem prior to the game, fitting in the storyline, being seen as useful. Either featuring the dog (a main character in Fable 2,) or a common transport used, the horse.(The Elder Scrolls IV) They both feature a mystical power side, allowing players to gain and improve their abilities in able to conquer enemies and continue the game. Such as magical powers to heal themselves, stop enemies or generally improving the characteristics of their character for battle.
The Elder Scrolls IV:Oblivion - Trailer

Fable 2 Trailer -