Minecraft Fact Sheet
Digitally Convergent Media:
Video game consoles are an example of a digitally convergent device, you can not only play games, but access to social media, surf the internet, stream films and TV content an upload content into cloud based servers. Cross-media content helps maximize profits and also improve reach to new customers.
Production:
All the phases of designing, developing and making the media product
Distribution:
The processes linked to delivering the media product to audiences both through tangible (disc) and digital (cloud based) media.
Consumption:
Explores the way in which media text is used by audiences for pleasure but also explores the rise of user generated content across several platforms
Media Industries:
A recent report by the UKIE suggests that the global games market is now worth in excess of US $100 billion a year
In comparison to traditional media like film, radio, print and television, video games are much younger, exponentially growing since the 1970s. This era was referred to as the golden age of the video game industry, peaking between 1978 and 1983 when the combined revenue of US arcade and home video games was worth US $11.8 billion
Over three decades later, the industry is enjoying a resurgence with new types of 'gamer' and much tighter regulation, aided by key developments in internet speeds and accessibility.
Minecraft is a sandbox game, created and developed by Swedish based Mojang Studios. The game has been described as a virtual world of lego that involves following simple instructions in order to play it.
Minecraft is now a multi-platform game which is not only just for PC gamers but those who own smartphones, Microsoft consoles, PlayStation 3,4 and PS Vita, and more recently nintendo consoles like, Wii U and hand-held devices, nintendo switch etc- all of which open up new markets of profitability and incresed exposure to new and existing audiences.
Modern versions of the game, notably Minecraft: Story Mode, follow more of the recognisable institutional conventions of game development including tutorials on how to play the game, something the original minecraft series never had.
In a global context, the purchase of Mojang by Microsoft studios for US $2.5 Billion is a testament to the lucrative industry and global appeal of such a game across different platforms
Physical copies are usually released 6 months after the downloadable version, most likely as a way to limit the impact of piracy, hacking and file sharing
Budgets for games vary and Minecraft is a good example of a game that was made and developed using readily available open source software within the gaming community ; creating the original Minecraft using Java gave it the advantage of being cross-platform. This can be compared to other mainstream games that require entire teams of programmers,artists and engineers to make video games that have budgets equal or exceeding that of mainstream films.
Minecraft realms are hosted on specialised servers by Mojang. The terms and conditions are extensive and bring into debate issues of ownership of intellectual content and the disclaimers that now have to be issued by media industries
In 2017 'cross-play' was introduced, meaning there was less emphasis on showing brand loyalty to either console.
There is evidence to suggest that mobile and hand-held devices are really driving the sales of minecraft forward. For example; the release of the PlayStation Vita version of Minecraft boosted sales by 79% outselling PS3 and PS4 releases and making it the largest launch on a PlayStation console. The appeal is being fuelled by a new generation of gamers who prefer hand-held devices over traditional consoles.
The continued development of fan-made media across social media platforms means there is an active community of gamers who share a common interest linked to minecraft.
Regulation- Livingstone and Lunt
New technologies open up opportunities and risks that complicate regulation
Cultural Industries- David Hesmondhalgh
cultural industries attempt to minimise risk and maximise audiences
Identity- David Gauntlett
How people build a stronger sense of self-identity through creative practices
Fandom- Henry Jenkins
Video games offer social experiences as well as communities outside the core game experience
Video game consoles are an example of a digitally convergent device, you can not only play games, but access to social media, surf the internet, stream films and TV content an upload content into cloud based servers. Cross-media content helps maximize profits and also improve reach to new customers.
Production:
All the phases of designing, developing and making the media product
Distribution:
The processes linked to delivering the media product to audiences both through tangible (disc) and digital (cloud based) media.
Consumption:
Explores the way in which media text is used by audiences for pleasure but also explores the rise of user generated content across several platforms
Media Industries:
A recent report by the UKIE suggests that the global games market is now worth in excess of US $100 billion a year
In comparison to traditional media like film, radio, print and television, video games are much younger, exponentially growing since the 1970s. This era was referred to as the golden age of the video game industry, peaking between 1978 and 1983 when the combined revenue of US arcade and home video games was worth US $11.8 billion
Over three decades later, the industry is enjoying a resurgence with new types of 'gamer' and much tighter regulation, aided by key developments in internet speeds and accessibility.
Minecraft is a sandbox game, created and developed by Swedish based Mojang Studios. The game has been described as a virtual world of lego that involves following simple instructions in order to play it.
Minecraft is now a multi-platform game which is not only just for PC gamers but those who own smartphones, Microsoft consoles, PlayStation 3,4 and PS Vita, and more recently nintendo consoles like, Wii U and hand-held devices, nintendo switch etc- all of which open up new markets of profitability and incresed exposure to new and existing audiences.
Modern versions of the game, notably Minecraft: Story Mode, follow more of the recognisable institutional conventions of game development including tutorials on how to play the game, something the original minecraft series never had.
In a global context, the purchase of Mojang by Microsoft studios for US $2.5 Billion is a testament to the lucrative industry and global appeal of such a game across different platforms
Physical copies are usually released 6 months after the downloadable version, most likely as a way to limit the impact of piracy, hacking and file sharing
Budgets for games vary and Minecraft is a good example of a game that was made and developed using readily available open source software within the gaming community ; creating the original Minecraft using Java gave it the advantage of being cross-platform. This can be compared to other mainstream games that require entire teams of programmers,artists and engineers to make video games that have budgets equal or exceeding that of mainstream films.
Minecraft realms are hosted on specialised servers by Mojang. The terms and conditions are extensive and bring into debate issues of ownership of intellectual content and the disclaimers that now have to be issued by media industries
In 2017 'cross-play' was introduced, meaning there was less emphasis on showing brand loyalty to either console.
There is evidence to suggest that mobile and hand-held devices are really driving the sales of minecraft forward. For example; the release of the PlayStation Vita version of Minecraft boosted sales by 79% outselling PS3 and PS4 releases and making it the largest launch on a PlayStation console. The appeal is being fuelled by a new generation of gamers who prefer hand-held devices over traditional consoles.
The continued development of fan-made media across social media platforms means there is an active community of gamers who share a common interest linked to minecraft.
Regulation- Livingstone and Lunt
New technologies open up opportunities and risks that complicate regulation
Cultural Industries- David Hesmondhalgh
cultural industries attempt to minimise risk and maximise audiences
Identity- David Gauntlett
How people build a stronger sense of self-identity through creative practices
Fandom- Henry Jenkins
Video games offer social experiences as well as communities outside the core game experience
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