MINECRAFT - LESSON 4: AUDIENCES
AUDIENCE PROFILE:
C - C2DE
A - 10-20 (average of 23)
G - 75% male, 24% female, 1% non-binary
E - International
O - 72% core gamers, 11% casual gamers, 16% hardcore gamers.
Most interested in Community (69%), Discovery and Design (both 56%)
Least interested in Story (40% and Challenge (41%)
Majority play it 6-7 days of the week (53%)
COMPARISON TO BASELINE GAMERS:
//Higher proportion of women
//Younger than average
//Similar gamer types
//Players play it more often in the week
OWNERSHIP:
//When ownership changed from Mojang to Microsoft, Minecraft could synergise with large companies, like Nintendo, so the game is accessible on more platforms for a wider audience.
//Diversification means that there are new ways of playing the game to enlarge audiences to those who like other aspects of games like storytelling
TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE:
//Due to the original nature of the game, most players simply logged in to play Minecraft and didn't need a physical copy of the game, which removed the financial barrier and so increases audience but still those established in the PC/gaming culture.
//Cross-media convergence adds more ways to play the game and interact with the brand through things like Lego, movies and experiencing it in VR.
REGULATION:
//Mojang regulate Minecraft Realms, so gamers can play as part of a community.
//There is an online marketplace to regulate the trading of maps and skins, meaning that people can interact with other gamers and feel part of a community in a safe space for younger gamers.
SPECIALISED INDUSTRY:
//Youtubers create prosumer videos which advertises the game on a mainstream platform, subsequently bringing new gamers to play it.
//The Java language enables the game to be accessible to those with a leniency towards certain console systems.
//The easy-to-play and ruleless mature of the game appeals to masses as they can create their own world specific to them.
HOW DID MOJANG TARGET ITS AUDIENCE?
//Simple gameplay.
//Initially more of a niche product for players with expert knowledge of computers and programming but now a much wider, mass market interested in community and design.
//Different modes.
//It is multi-platform so newer gamers can use mobile and handheld devices which are currently driving sales of Minecraft, for example, the release of Playstation Vita increased Minecraft sales by 79%.
//Word of mouth 'advertising'.
//Fandom and participatory culture:
Heavy use of YouTube with watching others play is as popular as actually playing the game. Participatory media means that everyone is sharing things on different platforms beyond the people they know. Minecraft videos are shared on YouTube easily. People add their own variants and layers to the fandom: if something doesn't spread, it's dead. Consumers engage other consumers with products.
HOW DID MICROSOFT DEVELOP TARGETING ITS AUDIENCE?
//Merchandise and the online store, along with cross-media convergence.
//As a conglomerate, more vertical integration and traditional corporate distribution.
//Trailers:
A trailer for a new update (April 2019) is alike to a film trailer amd is animated to share the same house style as the game and Website.
//Website:
The website has links to merchandise, fan builds and to buys gaming systems that host Minecraft, decorated to look like a block from the game. They have articles, updates and stories from Minecon along with new announcements.
//Livestreams:
They post livestreams from Minecon (2018) to advertise what fans would have missed if they didn't go to the convention, hopefully to make them want to go next year, along with distributing new announcements to get people talking about it through web 2.0 and sharing it across the internet.
//Cultural references, e.g. in the Simpsons.
//Synergy and Tie-ins
HOW DO AUDIENCES INTERPRET, INTERACT WITH OR RESPOND TO MINECRAFT?
//Originally, Minecraft was important for the modding scene, allowing them to customise the game to their liking.
//Then:
Minecraft mods are independant, user-made modifications to the game. There are thousands that users can download for free. This creates a new gaming experience and the Minecraft community is one of the most active communities in gaming. They are available for computer and mobile versions.
//Now:
There are less and less mods being made for Minecraft. Why?
Clarification - Mods have become underappreciated as time progresses. Some are still being updated, but not frequently, so people assume that they have died.
Consistent changes - Minecraft will 'never be finished' so modders have to keep updating their mods for the new versions, otherwise the game may crash , Mojang don't cater to the modders.
Not worth the effort - Modders may use them for themselves, but not everyone is using the mods.
Boredom - It becomes bland over time.
Command blocks - Creators use these instead of mods for instant effects in-game and are easier to use with Vanilla Minecraft.
Mods aren't dead, but some are disappearing and are not able to use with current versions of Minecraft.
//Most users interact with the game in a creative manner.
In the past, what used to be important to audiences, when listening to the radio or attending the cinema was the time schedules set by the media to structure their lives around. You used to need big recording devices and cameras. The audience used to be the little people, with the media companies being like Gods up in the heavens feeding content down. Now, we are progressively moving from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0, from everyone being separately consuming media to now contributing to one big media source collaboratively.
C - C2DE
A - 10-20 (average of 23)
G - 75% male, 24% female, 1% non-binary
E - International
O - 72% core gamers, 11% casual gamers, 16% hardcore gamers.
Most interested in Community (69%), Discovery and Design (both 56%)
Least interested in Story (40% and Challenge (41%)
Majority play it 6-7 days of the week (53%)
COMPARISON TO BASELINE GAMERS:
//Higher proportion of women
//Younger than average
//Similar gamer types
//Players play it more often in the week
OWNERSHIP:
//When ownership changed from Mojang to Microsoft, Minecraft could synergise with large companies, like Nintendo, so the game is accessible on more platforms for a wider audience.
//Diversification means that there are new ways of playing the game to enlarge audiences to those who like other aspects of games like storytelling
TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE:
//Due to the original nature of the game, most players simply logged in to play Minecraft and didn't need a physical copy of the game, which removed the financial barrier and so increases audience but still those established in the PC/gaming culture.
//Cross-media convergence adds more ways to play the game and interact with the brand through things like Lego, movies and experiencing it in VR.
REGULATION:
//Mojang regulate Minecraft Realms, so gamers can play as part of a community.
//There is an online marketplace to regulate the trading of maps and skins, meaning that people can interact with other gamers and feel part of a community in a safe space for younger gamers.
SPECIALISED INDUSTRY:
//Youtubers create prosumer videos which advertises the game on a mainstream platform, subsequently bringing new gamers to play it.
//The Java language enables the game to be accessible to those with a leniency towards certain console systems.
//The easy-to-play and ruleless mature of the game appeals to masses as they can create their own world specific to them.
HOW DID MOJANG TARGET ITS AUDIENCE?
//Simple gameplay.
//Initially more of a niche product for players with expert knowledge of computers and programming but now a much wider, mass market interested in community and design.
//Different modes.
//It is multi-platform so newer gamers can use mobile and handheld devices which are currently driving sales of Minecraft, for example, the release of Playstation Vita increased Minecraft sales by 79%.
//Word of mouth 'advertising'.
//Fandom and participatory culture:
Heavy use of YouTube with watching others play is as popular as actually playing the game. Participatory media means that everyone is sharing things on different platforms beyond the people they know. Minecraft videos are shared on YouTube easily. People add their own variants and layers to the fandom: if something doesn't spread, it's dead. Consumers engage other consumers with products.
HOW DID MICROSOFT DEVELOP TARGETING ITS AUDIENCE?
//Merchandise and the online store, along with cross-media convergence.
//As a conglomerate, more vertical integration and traditional corporate distribution.
//Trailers:
A trailer for a new update (April 2019) is alike to a film trailer amd is animated to share the same house style as the game and Website.
//Website:
The website has links to merchandise, fan builds and to buys gaming systems that host Minecraft, decorated to look like a block from the game. They have articles, updates and stories from Minecon along with new announcements.
//Livestreams:
They post livestreams from Minecon (2018) to advertise what fans would have missed if they didn't go to the convention, hopefully to make them want to go next year, along with distributing new announcements to get people talking about it through web 2.0 and sharing it across the internet.
//Cultural references, e.g. in the Simpsons.
//Synergy and Tie-ins
HOW DO AUDIENCES INTERPRET, INTERACT WITH OR RESPOND TO MINECRAFT?
//Originally, Minecraft was important for the modding scene, allowing them to customise the game to their liking.
//Then:
Minecraft mods are independant, user-made modifications to the game. There are thousands that users can download for free. This creates a new gaming experience and the Minecraft community is one of the most active communities in gaming. They are available for computer and mobile versions.
//Now:
There are less and less mods being made for Minecraft. Why?
Clarification - Mods have become underappreciated as time progresses. Some are still being updated, but not frequently, so people assume that they have died.
Consistent changes - Minecraft will 'never be finished' so modders have to keep updating their mods for the new versions, otherwise the game may crash , Mojang don't cater to the modders.
Not worth the effort - Modders may use them for themselves, but not everyone is using the mods.
Boredom - It becomes bland over time.
Command blocks - Creators use these instead of mods for instant effects in-game and are easier to use with Vanilla Minecraft.
Mods aren't dead, but some are disappearing and are not able to use with current versions of Minecraft.
//Most users interact with the game in a creative manner.
In the past, what used to be important to audiences, when listening to the radio or attending the cinema was the time schedules set by the media to structure their lives around. You used to need big recording devices and cameras. The audience used to be the little people, with the media companies being like Gods up in the heavens feeding content down. Now, we are progressively moving from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0, from everyone being separately consuming media to now contributing to one big media source collaboratively.
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