The Sims FreePlay - Industries blog tasks

 The Sims FreePlay - Industries blog tasks

Create a new blogpost called 'The Sims FreePlay case study part 2 - Industries' and complete the following tasks.

Regulation – PEGI

Research the following using the PEGI website.

1) What is the VSC and how does it link to UK law? 

VSC was appointed by the government as a statutory body that is responsible for the age ratings for videogames in the UK. 

2) Note down the key statistics on the homepage.

The key statistics 13938+ games rated, 1702 members on board, 15411+ mobile games rated, as well as being 30+ years in operation. 

3) What is the purpose of PEGI?

The purpose of PEGI is the rating system that is stamped on video-games in the UK, this is  because they want buyers to understand what type of content is included in the games they buy.

4) Click on the PEGI Rating tab in the top menu. What are the age ratings and what do they include?

The PEGI age ratings includes - 3, 7, 12, 16, 18.

They each have these age ratings because they let you know what the certain content these games have i.e violence, sexual tones, sex, drugs, alcohol etc. 

5) Scroll down to look at the ‘How games are examined’ infographic. What is the PEGI process for rating a game?

The ‘Freemium’ gaming model

Read this Lifewire feature on freemium gaming and answer the following questions:

1) How does the freemium model work?

The freemium model is an app you can download for free however they make revenue through in-app purchasing. 

2) Why do some gamers believe freemium is ruining games?

This is because may free-to-play games are poorly executed and with many free games on the market people are becoming more used to it and won't pay for actual games. 

3) What are the positives of the freemium model for gaming?

The positives would be it centres the game on "longevity" which many gamers like as well as players working through the game to rack up on points/money to which they reinvest into the game. 

Now read this Business Insider feature on freemium gaming and multiplayer games. Answer the following questions:

1) Note the key statistics in the first paragraph.

The key statistic would be; 

- Freemium games account for 70/80% of the $10 billion dollar or more in IOS revenue each year. 

2) Why does the freemium model incentivise game developers to create better and longer games?

This is because Plott states that "If developers don't have a strong monetary incentive, it's difficult for them to constantly improve the game experience."

3) What does the article suggest regarding the possibilities and risks to the freemium model in future?

The possibilities for freemium model would be that developers can improve features in the game to help keep players interested. However, the risks would be that players would spend lots on in-app purchase that they don't realise how much they've spent.

Children are more vulnerable to this.  

Read this New York Times feature on freemium gaming and answer the following questions:

1) Why did Temple Run use the freemium model?

Temple run used the freemium model because it allowed many people to download the game.

2) The bigger gaming studios like Electronic Arts used to avoid the freemium model. Why are they now embracing it?

EA are now embracing the freemium model - with The Sims - because it is more profitable and it can be accessed by a wider range of people. 

3) Why does Peter Farago suggest independent game makers benefit more from the freemium model than the major publishers like EA?

This is because major publishers always relied on charging buyers for their games and changing that incentive would would be hard, and he stated that “Freemium is a weapon against the establishment,”

Electronic Arts

Read this Pocket Gamer interview with EA’s Amanda Schofield, Senior Producer on The Sims FreePlay at EA's Melbourne-based Firemonkeys studio. Answer the following questions:

1) How has The Sims FreePlay evolved since launch?

The Sims have evolved since the launch as players can choose from variety of different features such as career paths, their communities, pets, housing exterior and interior, even social agendas. 

2) Why does Amanda Schofield suggest ‘games aren’t products any more’?

This is because Ms Schofield believes that players and developers are in active communication with each-other, playing a part in how features are run or added. 

3) What does she say about The Sims gaming community?

The Sims gaming community is in close contact with developers of the game as they address any issues they have and this would be dealt with. 

4) How has EA kept the game fresh and maintained the active player base?

EA has kept the game fresh and maintained an active player base through adding new features and creating a more exciting experience for players. 

5) How many times has the game been installed and how much game time in years have players spent playing the game? These could be great introductory statistics in an exam essay on this topic.

The game has been installed 200 million times as well as players the game 78,000 game-time played in years. 

Finally, read this blog on how EA is ruining the franchise (or not) due to its downloadable content. Answer the following questions:

1) What audience pleasures for The Sims are discussed at the beginning of the blog?

The audience pleasures discussed for The Sims would be Diversion, Personal relationship as well as personal identity. 

2) What examples of downloadable content are presented?

The downloadable content available would be "extension packs" in the game where players can add new features that weren't available in the inventory before. 

3) How did Electronic Arts enrage The Sims online communities with expansion packs and DLC?

This is because players were paying extra for things that they believed should have been the game for them as they see it as "cash grab" by the developers. 

4) What innovations have appeared in various versions of The Sims over the years?

The innovations that have appeared in various versions would be;

- allowing players to create multi-generational legacies.

-  the capability to travel between multiple neighbourhoods, download other players’ creations within seconds through the “Gallery” and customize gender options to improve the level of diversity present in the game 

5) In your opinion, do expansion packs like these exploit a loyal audience or is it simply EA responding to customer demand?

I believe that these expansion packs do exploit a loyal audience, this is because they're keeping certain features and making players pay for it when it should have been a part of the update or game in the first place. This shows that the game is just there for monetary incentive rather than caring about the needs of their loyal players.