Fmp research

Research Intentions
My intentions for this project is to create an animated trailer for a videogame developed from my own ideas. This will de digitally
drawn in 2D via my Parblo Coast10 graphics tablet. In regard to software, I will utilise Adobe Photoshop for creating the drawings and
detailed animations, and Adobe After Effects for editing the clips together and moving the backgrounds around to create a sense of
movement. Additionally, I plan to use Adobe Premiere to assist in the editing process where need be. On top of my animation, I also
want to create an art/lore book displaying the many designs of different aspects of my game, as well as written work to give
information about them.
For this project, there are many different areas that I will need to research in order to ensure that I am sufficiently knowledgeable
come the planning stage.
One area that I plan to conduct research into is my target audience, as it is vital that I understand who I should be adhering my project
towards as well as how I can do so. For this, I plan to create online surveys that I will send out to a myriad of locations, including
Reddit forums and LinkedIn. I will accompany these with 1-to-1 interviews, which will allow me to ask more detailed questions as well
as follow up interesting answers with further questions. I will then be able to compare my results to improve reliability whilst also
looking for any trends.
Given the planned context of my project, it is also important that I look into existing video games, especially those within the
Metroidvania genre. I will be able to analyse the gameplay, art-style, character designs and level designs of games from different time
periods, ranging from older titles like Super Metroid in 1994 to more modern titles such as Ori and the Blind Forest in 2015. I will be
looking at actual gameplay, as well as sprite-sheets and interviews with the game developers. For my research into gameplay, I plan to
create a short video which displays the actual gameplay whilst I perform a scripted voice-over analysing different aspects of the
products. I believe that this will work well to give a clearer idea as to what I am trying to convey, whilst also helping what I am
discussing stand out more in my head later into the project. When looking at sprite sheets/character designs, I plan to find examples
online that I can then break down into individual areas, which I can then inspect to discover why certain features were designed in
the particular fashion.

Who is my
target
audience?
Age
Gender
Occupation
Preferences in the genre
Time spent with video game content
Psychograph
It is vital that I identify who the ideal audience for my product
is, as I will then be able to mould my production work to appeal
towards the group. When researching audiences, there are
many important factors to take into consideration, such as:

Online Surveys
• In order to gain a large number of replies from a range of
sources, I decided to send my survey out to various different
groups via social media.
• One of these social media sites was Reddit, which contains a
variety of forums available for posting surveys on. By being
able to send my survey out to specific groups, I was able to
ensure that the people I would get replies from was relevant
to my production context, whilst also being able to send my
surveys out to a variety of groups to make my data more
reliable.
• Another site that I may post my surveys to is LinkedIn, on
which I can create a post with a link to the survey for people
to discover. Whilst this site doesn’t allow for the specific
targeting of certain groups like Reddit does, the fact that it
simply waits for people to come across the link post could
result in answers from people I wouldn’t have been able to
reach via my Reddit survey posts. I plan to utilise LinkedIn if
my survey doesn’t get many responses on Reddit.

Online Surveys – Demographics
• I want to send my surveys out to different
demograpics to ensure that I am able to
get responses from a range of different
people. Additionally, by targeting focus
groups I will be able to gain more
feedback from people sharing a specific
trait, thus making my results regarding
them more reliable.
• One example of a specific demographic I
plan to target is the r/Metroidvania
forum on Reddit. This group will have a
high level of experience and
understanding of the Metroidvania
genre, meaning that results I acquire
from them will be more complex and
informed. However, targeting just this
group would heavily skew my results, as
the people on the forum will likely be big
fans of the genre and thus will generally
respond more positively to certain
questions (e.g. do you play Metroidvania
video games?). With this in mind, I will
ensure that I also send my surveys out to
different focus groups with different
factors in common.

Structuring the Survey
Achieving a GCSE in Statistics, as well as having previous experience with surveys through my other
Creative Media course projects, means that I have a good idea of how to structure a survey to ensure that
I ask relevant questions and have a high number of replies. To make sure I am knowledgeable about
creating these surveys, I have conducted additional research online into structuring them.
The following list includes important factors of an online survey:
• Non-overlapping Answer Boxes – When asking questions that require the respondent to tick a box, it is
vital that non of the options available overlap. For example, if a question asks for someone’s age, no
two boxes should show the same possible answer e.g. ‘1-18’ and ‘18-25’. This would give two possible
boxes to tick if the respondent is 18, possibly resulting in people of the same age selecting different
answers and thus making the results less clear.
• Don’t ask leading questions – If asking a question about someone’s opinion, ensure that the question
won’t persuade the respondent to answer in a certain way. Asking a question with a structure like ‘Do
you agree that…’ will subconsciously make people more likely to agree, thus making my results less
accurate.
• Limit open ended questions – The nature of online surveys means that people feel less pressure to
fully complete it, if they even start it in the first place. It is important that I lessen the amount of time
needed to answer the survey as much as possible to lower the chance of people getting bored and
leaving it. Utilising close ended questions means people will be able to simply tick a box or something
of a similar style to answer the question, making it far easier for them to answer and thus more likely
that they will fully complete the survey. I am aiming for my surveys to take no longer that three
minutes to answer.
• Make sure the questions asked are relevant – There is no point in getting answers for questions that
won’t be useful for my research. Additionally, these questions will extend the length of the survey and
thus make people more likely to get bored.

Online Surveys: Advantages and
DisadvantagesAdvantages
-Able to gather data from a broader range of sources quickly
-Respondents are able to reply to the survey at their own convenience, thus preventing the issue
of people being too busy to answer
-Easy to create a cohesive layout that makes answering the survey easier for the respondent
-The lack of me being there in person means people will feel less pressured to answer in a way
that would please me
-People will feel less embarrassed about answering certain questions e.g ‘What is your age?’
Disadvantages
-Respondents will feel less obligated to complete the survey than if I was there in person
-People may be more likely to answer the survey jokingly, thus making my results less reliable
-I will be forced to ask less complicated questions so people don’t feel confused when answering
them
-I will be unable to ask follow up questions based on the respondent’s answer
I overall believe that online surveys are a great way of gathering a lot of data in a relatively short
amount of time. Whilst the questions I ask will have to be more surface-level in order to heighten
the chance of people completing the surveys, by comparing my results with any interviews I
choose to conduct, I can increase the reliability and accuracy of the answers received.

Metroidvania
Survey
The nature of this survey leads it to be more suitable to those who
are more knowledgeable of videogames. With this in mind, I decided
to post it on the r/Metroidvania, r/Videogames and r/Gaming forums
on Reddit. This allowed me to structure the survey to ask more
complicated questions about the genre, such as people’s favourite
instalments. Due to the specific questions asked in the survey, I didn’t
send it on LinkedIn, as I felt that the respondents wouldn’t be
knowledgeable about the genre and therefore the replies I got
wouldn’t be representative of my target audience.
A potential downside of doing this is that I will limit the type of
people that I will be getting results from. However, if this is the case,
then that in of itself would give me data about the target
demographic for my project. For example, if these forums are
dominated by young adults, then that shows that videogames and the
Metroidvania genre are popular with this age group.

Survey Results
• I ended up obtaining 209 responses for my Metroidvania survey, the largest
number of respondents I have gotten from any survey I have sent out during this
course. I believe that this was likely due to me sending the survey out to the
r/Metroidvania forum on Reddit. The size of this forum is roughly 20,000 people,
which is large enough that a good number of people will respond, but not so
large that my survey goes completely unnoticed due to the huge number of posts
being uploaded. My post on this subreddit got the most upvotes and comments
out of all the posts I uploaded the survey with, backing up this theory.
• Unfortunately, Survey Monkey, the website that I made the survey on, only allows
for 100 responses to be seen unless you upgrade to a paid plan. Whilst this is still
a sufficient number of responses to analyse, this issue essentially halves the
reliability of my results. However, I still believe that what I was able to obtain will
allow for an informative analysis which will help me to better understand my
target audience.

Survey Results – Question 1
Why did I ask this Question?
Different age ranges show different trends in their opinions on various subjects – videogames included. It is important that I can see what age range the Metroidvania genre is
most popular with so that I can tailor my production towards the group.
Observation
The age group with the largest populous of those surveyed was the 25-40 age range, which made up 66%. The second largest, with a much smaller percentage of 32%, was the 18-
24 age range. The other three groups were far smaller than these main two, with each making up less than 7%.
What can I take from this?
Taking into context that the majority of my replies seem to be from the r/Metroidvania forum, as well as comparing these results with those of my other questions – these results
seem to suggest that the Metroidvania genre is by far the most popular with those within the 25-40 age range, and so logic would dictate that I adhere my production towards this
demographic. In my market research, I found that video game related content was most popular with 18-29 year olds, which was followed by 30-49 year olds. The 25-40 range
discussed falls somewhere in the middle of these two groups, which reinforces the accuracy of my data and further suggesting that I should target this group.
How will this effect my production?
I will tailor my production towards the 25-40 year old age range, taking more inspiration from games from the genre that were popular whilst the people within this age range
were younger. Furthermore, one of my later questions asks people what their favourite installment in the genre is, and so I can look at various people’s answers for each question
to find these popular games.

Why did I ask this question?
Like with age ranges, different genders show different trends in what appeals to them. It is important that I am able to see who the Metroidvania genre appeals to the most so that I can
tailor my product towards their likes.
Observation
Men by far made up the largest proportion of those surveyed, making up 94% of those surveyed.
The Metroidvania genre is by far most popular with males. It could be argued that this overwhelming majority is a bit strange, as Metroid – one of the two games that act as the
namesakes for the genre, has a female protagonist, which could potentially lead to more females feeling that the game is orientated towards them. However, the results from this
question obviously don’t show this. However, this could also suggest that males don’t really care about the gender of the player character, and so I don’t need to worry about having to
have a male lead in my game.
I will need to create aesthetics that appeal more towards a male audience in order to have my game be more popular with the demographic. As previously mentioned, the results could
suggest that the gender of the player character is irrelevant to the player’s enjoyment of the game, and so I have no limitations in that regard.

As I was questioning members of forums related to gaming, and mainly the Metroidvania genre specifically, the answer to this question was always going to be heavily skewed in the favour
of ‘yes’. The reason I asked this question was so that I could say without a doubt that my answers to the other questions would be related to the audience demographic that is popular with
the genre, rather than those who dislike it. For example, without this question I wouldn’t know for certain if the most popular age range of 25-49 actually enjoy Metroidvanias, or simply
happened to make up the largest proportion of those who answered the survey.
Observation
Everybody questioned enjoys playing Metroidvania games.
As previously mentioned, the only information I really get from this is data to support that the popular demographics in my previous questions actually enjoy the genre.
This question specifically will have no effect on my production, as knowing that everyone asked enjoys the genre gives me no additional information about what elements I should or
shouldn’t include in the gameplay. It does, however, reinforce my decision to make a Metroidvania-esque game, as it shows there is very much a solid audience for the genre.

With the genre being a culmination of two different game series, different installments will vary in which game they are more inspired by. By asking this question, I am able to find out
which namesake game is more popular with audiences, and therefore which one I should take more inspiration from for my production.
Observation
The Metroid series showed to be the most popular of the two, obtaining 40% of responses in its favour. However, the Castlevania series is still popular with the genre’s audience, having
33% of the overall vote. 27% had no preference between the two.
These results suggest that whilst the Metroid series is more popular, I shouldn’t completely disregard the Castlevania series as a source of inspiration, as many people still prefer it.
Additionally, the fact that 27% of people had no preference suggests that I should incorporate elements from both series to allow for my game to appeal to fans of both series.
I will primarily take inspiration from the Metroid series, utilising a more colourful aesthetic as well as more dynamic character movements. However, I will still implement ideas inspired
by the Castlevania genre. This could include a levelling system for the player, or homages to enemies in the game series.

This question builds on the previous one, asking for more specific answers about what type of games people like in the genre. This allows me to get a more accurate idea of what
games I should be taking inspiration from.
Observation
Hollow Knight was by far the most popular game, obtaining 32 votes out of the 100 I am able to see the responses of. The second most popular was Castlevania: Symphony of the
Night, which obtained 17 votes. This was then followed by Super Metroid with 11 votes. Bloodstained in next place with a far smaller result of 5,whilst every other game obtained 3
votes or less.
Hollow Knight has been able to not only be by far the most popular of recent Metroidvania titles (released in 2017), but has also overtaken Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and
Super Metroid, the two games that were seen to have started the genre. This without a doubt points towards Hollow Knight as being a suitable source of inspiration for my production.
Something interesting is that whilst my previous question had the Metroid series be more popular as a style for Metroidvania games as a whole, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
was more popular than any Metroid games as an individual installment. My following question allows me to find out why this is.
Tally
Hollow Knight – 32
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night – 17
Super Metroid – 11
Bloodstained – 5
Environmental Station Alpha – 3
Metroid Fusion - 3
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow - 2
Metroid Prime – 2
Ori and the Blind Forest – 2
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon – 1
Etc. – 20
Skip - 2

This question will allow me to gain a better understanding as to why people selected certain games as their favourites. This means I can take inspiration from specific features of
games rather than random aspects from the whole product.
Observation
Hollow Knight is generally popular mainly due to its open world, level design, music and aesthetic. People enjoy how they are able to make their own way through the game,
choosing their own routes and even being able to skip entire sections or upgrades as they are not necessarily required. Additionally, people seem to enjoy the high difficulty.
In regard to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, whilst nostalgia does play a part, it is the design of Dracula’s castle, the lore, the replay value and the progression system that
made the game initially popular and ensured it retained its high praise even today. For Super Metroid, people enjoy the intricate movement and the work progressively opening
up as you play.
Level design is an extremely important factor as a high quality Metroidvania game, as is the setting and aesthetic of the piece. Furthermore, an effective upgrade/progression
system keeps the game enjoyable and interesting.
I will put more emphasis into the aforementioned aspects of the genre, ensuring that my level design is fluid and that the different areas are all aesthetically pleasing.
Additionally, I will show off different abilities that the player can use as well as examples of the upgrade system e.g. weapons upgrades.

Survey Results – Question 7 Tally
Hollow Knight: Silksong – 42
Metroid Prime 4 – 10
Ori and the Will of the Wisps – 8
Axiom Verge 2 - 5
Etc / N/A - 35
Asking about popular upcoming titles will allow me to look up their announcements/trailers so I can see how they were able to successfully captivate an audience. I can then
take what I learn and apply it to my own work.
Observation
Hollow Knight: Silksong was by far the most anticipated upcoming game, achieving 42 votes out of 100. This was distantly followed by Metroid Prime 4, which obtained 10 votes,
and then Ori and the Will of the Wisps with 8.
Given Hollow Knight’s popularity in question 5, it is no surprise that its sequel had the most votes in this poll. Whilst we can attribute part of this to the first game’s success, the
trailer for the sequel will have also being an important factor, and so I can analyse it to learn how I can captivate an audience of my own. With no new installment being
announced in the Castlevania series, it makes sense that Metroid Prime 4 had the second most votes. An interesting difference is that in this poll, Ori and the Will of the Wisps
managed to achieve the third most votes with 8, whilst its predecessor, Ori and the Blind Forest only got 2 votes in question 5. With this in mind, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to
associate the sequels ability to intrigue an audience with its trailer, and so I will make sure to analyse it thoroughly.
My game trailer will make sure to show off Metroidvania game features that the trailers for these upcoming titles also promote. Whilst I won’t simply copy the exact abilities
and movements, I will come up with things that are in the same general vein as to what is in these trailers (e.g. the trailer for Hollow Knight: Silksong shows off an air dash at
one point. I could also show of an acrobatic movement through a slide animation, for example. This would be a completely different movement which still shows what these
trailers prove to be a popular feature of Metroidvanias – exhilarating manoeuvrability.

It is important that I understand what specific features of a Metroidvania game most appeal to the audience, as this will allow me to focus on showing these features off in my trailer whilst also putting extra
time into ensuring they are of high quality. For this question, I allowed for people to select multiple options and I felt that people would believe that multiple features are important for a Metroidvania to be
good.
Observation
Level design was by far the most popular option, reaching 79.80% of the overall vote. The game’s upgrade system was far behind in second place, with 43.43%. Art style/aesthetic was show to also be popular,
reaching 3rd place with 34.34%. Story was not seen as being very important, achieving only 9.09% of the vote, the same as the ‘other’ option. Combat and Platforming were seen to be equally important to one
another, sharing 31.31% of the vote each.
The level design of a Metroidvania is seen to be the most important factor of the game. This is supported by what I found in Question 6, where many people reasoned their favourite game by mentioning its
level design. Whilst combat and platforming aren’t seen to be the most important features, they are both important enough that they need to be solidly built for the game to thrive. Upgrade systems are
important for players to feel a sense of progression and powering up, something which is very common across the genre.
I will put a lot of emphasis into the level design of the game my trailer is based around, as well as the aesthetic of the world. Level design goes hand-in-hand with platforming, as the movements of the player
will be based on the layout of the world. Therefore, by putting more emphasis on one of them, I can also improve the other at the same time. The combat and upgrade system also work well together, as
unlocking new abilities can allow for new ways to battle enemies. However, upgrades can also play a part in expanding exploration, and so by showing off how the player can become stronger I can also further
show off the aforementioned features. Additionally, this poll shows that I don’t need to put much focus on the story of the game in the trailer. I could instead expand on this in the concept art book that I hope
to create alongside my animation.

I wanted to ensure that a Metoridvania game would still be able to be popular even with the surge of new releases in the genre.
Observation
The majority of people were more than happy about the huge number of new releases. A couple expressed concerns that the genre may become oversaturated.
I don’t need to worry about designing a game based on the Metroidvania genre, as these results show that the genre is still very popular today.
I will continue to develop the concept for a Metroidvania game with the reinforced confidence that it won’t suffer from being a part of the genre.

Who makes up the videogame industry
demographic?
By analysing this graph, we can decipher what demographics the video game industry is most popular with. We will later be
able to cross-reference these statistics with my results for the survey I previously sent out in order to increase the accuracy and
reliability of the data. This data has been obtained from WePC, with the link to the website being found here:
https://www.wepc.com/news/video-game-statistics/#gamers-demographic.

Gender
Observation
• Beginning with gender, we can see that the industry is slightly more popular with men, with 24% of adults who often play
video games being made up of the group. Women, on the other hand, make up only 19% of adults who play often, leaving
a 5% difference between the two. Whilst the difference between those who only sometimes play videogames is less, with
only a 2% difference between males and females, the data again shows that men make up a larger proportion of the
audience.
What does this mean?
• Based solely on the data shown in this graph, we can come to the conclusion that videogames are more popular with men.
Additionally, these results suggest that men who play videogames tend to dedicate more time to playing them, although
the 1% difference shows that this is only slightly.
• These results could suggest that I should adhere my product towards males, as they make up a larger proportion of the
general gaming demographic and so could potentially make up the majority of my audience. However, it is important to
note that different videogame genres are more popular amongst different audiences. Given that this data doesn’t give any
specific details about the popularity of these genres, I cannot say without a doubt that men will make up the majority of
my audience. In order to tackle this uncertainty, I will compare the results of the survey I sent out, which specifically
targeted the audience of the Metroidvania genre of video games, to see how popularity based on gender differs (if at all).

Age
Observation
Videogames are most popular with young adults, with 29% of adults who play often being within the 18-29 age demographic. This is followed extremely closely by the 30-39 year old range, which makes up 28%.
However, the difference within these two groups for those who only play sometimes is far greater, with the 18-29 range making up 31% whilst the 30-49 range only makes up 25%, leaving a 6% difference
between the two. There is a great decline in percentage when looking at the next two groups, as the 50-64 age range makes up only 15% of adults who play often, and 17% of those who play sometimes. This
decrease is only further shown when looking at the 65+ range, of which 11% of adults who play videogames often are apart of and 13% who play sometimes are.
What does this mean?
Something of interest that I noticed is that for the 18-29 age range, more people only play videogames sometimes, with 2% more fitting into this sub-group than those who play often. It could be argued that this
is due to people within this age range being inn full-time education and lower-level positions in jobs, which would require them to dedicate more hours to their work. The results for the 30-49 age range could be
interpreted as supporting this theory, as the percentage of adults who play often for this group is 28%, which is 3% more than those who only play sometimes. Given their age, people within this group could
potentially be in more comfortable and secure positions in their jobs, thus leaving more time for playing videogames. However, the even results for percentages made up by those is high school and those in
college, as shown below, suggest that being in education potentially has no effect on how often people play videogames.
For the two eldest age ranges, it could be argued that the reason for them making up a lower proportion of those who play videogames is that the industry became popular after they had grown up, thus leaving
them with insufficient exposure to the medium. According to Chickhani, the release of games like Pong in the 1970s was what really started to make the market grow. This would explain why those in the 65+
range might have missed the explosion of popularity that videogame had. The industry has only become larger over time, with 1.5 billion people with internet access playing videogames in 2015 (Chickhani,
2015). This could explain why popularity increased as the age ranges get younger.
Whilst will of course have to compare these results with those of my survey to ensure what I learn is accurate to my target demographic, the fact that this data shows just how far the 18-29 and 30-49 age
ranges dominate the industry dictate that I should tailor my project generally towards these two groups. This will effect the art-style I choose to use as well as the overall tone of the piece and the style of
gameplay shown.

Demand on Social Media – Streaming
Platform Popularity throughout the year
Chart obtained from We PC: https://www.wepc.com/news/video-game-
statistics/#gamers-demographic
• According to We PC, there was a global number of
video game content viewers of 666 million in
2017, with 44% of these being found on YouTube.
Looking at the graph to the left, we can see how
popular streaming platforms were during 2017.
The data shown for both Twitch and YouTube
Gaming Live show similar trends throughout the
year, with the number of viewers for both
platforms slightly decreasing during Q3 before
increasing in number in Q4. It could be argued
that the reason for the lowest number of viewers
being during Q3 is due to this quarter occurring
during Summer, where the weather is typically
nicer and many people may take the opportunity
to perform outdoor activities as opposed to
online ones. This could also explain why Twitch
has its largest concurrent viewership during Q4,
as this is around Wintertime and therefore during
colder weather.

Demand on Social Media – YouTube vs Twitch
Something of interest that I noticed by comparing these two graphs is that whilst YouTube is far more popular
that Twitch for viewing video games, with the former making up 44% of viewers in 2017 whilst the latter makes
up only 16%, Twitch is far more popular as a streaming service. It could be argued that this is potentially
attributed to how the two platforms present themselves, as it could be said that more people know Twitch as a
streaming service that YouTube. However, Twitch is overall the larger platform for viewing video game related
content, as shown by it brining in 54% of video game content platform revenue in 2017. Furthermore, 65% of
viewers on Twitch are male, which could support targeting my project towards the gender.
According to We PC, 80% of teenage gamers in the U.S use YouTube as a platform for viewing video game
content. This supports the decision to upload my trailer to YouTube in order for it to gain the largest viewership

Demand on Social Media – Trailer Popularity
on YouTube
• In 2018, the most popular videogame trailers was the announcement
for Season Five of Fortnite, which boasted 48.6 million views in under
6 months. This was followed by the trailers for Fallout 76 and Read
Dead Redemption II, which had 33.8 million views and 27.9 million
views respectively over similar time frames.
• These huge numbers work as evidence that suggests video game
trailers are widely popular on social media platforms. This suggests
that when I complete my video, I should upload it to YouTube as a
means of reaching a suitable audience.

Demand on Social Media – Platform
Demographics
In regard to age, the most popular group for YouTube is those within the 16-24 age
range, which makes up 37% of viewers. This is very closely followed by 25-34 year
olds, who make up another 36%. After this point, the percentage of viewers greatly
decreases, dropping to 18% for 35-41 year old and 9% for 45-64 year olds. Twitch
holds an extremely similar pattern, with the most popular group once again being
16-24 year olds, who yet again make up 37% of viewers. Whilst the second most
popular age group is still 25-34 year olds, they only make up 34% here, 2% less than
the equivalent group in YouTube’s statistics.
Looking at this data on its own, it would seem that adhering my projects towards
those between the ages of 16 and 34 would be the optimal strategy. Additionally,
by comparing this information with the results from my Metroidvania survey,
where my largest audience was within the 25-40 age range, I can come to the
conclusion that it would be best to upload my trailer to Youtube rather than Twitch,
supporting my decision I made earlier to do so.

Market Revenue
Looking at the left graph, we can see how the video game industry has continued to grow in popularity over time.
Between 2016 and 2019, a global increase in revenue of 1.5 million U.S dollars can be seen. The growth between each
year is $0.6 billion, $0.4 billion and $0.5 billion respectively, showing a gradual increase that suggests the overall growth
wasn’t because of a particular boost in popularity, but rather a consistent trend.
The right graph shows us more specific information about revenue, detailing what aspects of the industry bring in the
most money. We can see that advertising dominates this area, bringing in 2,800 million U.S.D in 2017. For comparison,
the second highest area is donations, which only brought in 793 million U.S.D, approximately $2000 dollars less. This
heavily reinforces my decision to make a videogame trailer, as it is a form of advertisement. I am, of course, not actually
looking to sell a product, but in the context of the industry my trailer would be an area of upmost importance.

Market Revenue
Looking at this graph, we can see how the popularity of videogames
has changed over the past decade (included forecasted sales) and
how this translates over to revenue. In 2012, console and PC games
brought in ~7 billion U.S Dollars, whilst in 2017 they made ~$13
billion. Due to this data being obtained in 2017, all the dates listed
afterwards are forecasted.

Market Research Summary
• Through my market research, I have been able to look at financial trends, video game
demographics, relations to social media and more. The statistics that I have analysed
suggest show that the video game industry has only continued to grow over time, with
revenue from the industry showing a gradual growth. Furthermore, what I have
discovered supports my decision to focus on making a trailer for my video game idea, as
the statistics show that advertising plays a huge part in making a product financially
successful.
• My research also shows that whilst Twitch is the superior platform for livestream-style
video game content, YouTube is more suited for uploaded videos. With this in mind, what
I have discovered suggests that I would be better to upload my trailer to YouTube in
order for it to gain the largest possible viewership
• In regard to video game content demographics, the data shows that whilst the medium is
most popular with those in the 18-29 age range, it is still very much a popular industry
with those in the 30-49 range. We can also see that video game content is fairly more
popular with males than it is with females, and that of these two groups more men claim
to play videogames ‘often’ than ‘sometimes’, with the opposite being true for women.

Existing Product
Research
• I have decided to create a short video for my product
research which uses visuals and a voiceover to look at
various existing games that have influenced me with
the aim of discovering what I should include in my
trailer to make the gameplay feel authentic. Within
this PowerPoint is a list of sources that I used to
gather information about the products.

Animation/Character
Design Research

Character/Enemy
Designs & Sprites

Character/Enemy Designs & Sprites
It is important that character and enemy designs are both unique whilst also fitting in
with the general art-style, as well as the theme of their respective locations. Unique
designs are important for keeping each enemy feeling new and refreshing to the
player. Furthermore, the designs need to give the viewer an immediate
understanding of what to expect. For example, a slow moving enemy that uses big
heavy attacks could have a large body that dominates its design as well as the screen,
whilst a nimble enemy would be smaller and possibly leaner in structure. We can
look at existing videogames to discover how concept artists ensure that these
necessities are met.

Example 1: Hollow Knight
A big, round body that dominates the design makes it
immediately obvious that this enemy is slow and bulky.
Disproportionately small limbs help to emphasise the
bulkiness of the main body, in turn emphasising the
enemy’s powerful disposition.
A big club as a weapon tells the player that this enemy will
likely have a big slam attack. Additionally, by having the club
be the only part of the design not hugely dwarfed by the main
body, the player recognises its huge size.
The sharp and angular edges of this design emphasise
this enemy’s agility and dangerousness.
The long, sleek and sharp design of this enemy’s weapon
tells the player that their attacks are likely to be swift.
Additionally, it gives the enemy a sort of elegant aura.
The thin and angular design of this enemy makes it
immediately obvious that they are likely to be an agile
fighter that will attack quickly and suddenly.

Example 2: Ori and the Blind Forest

Example 2: Ori and the Blind Forest
This round belly looks far more soft and ‘plump’
than the one mentioned in Example 1, giving a
character a more friendly, approachable feel. The
heavy use of cool colours portrays this character as
being less spry, fitting of their large frame.
The small head puts further emphasis on the large round
structure of the main body. Additionally, the circular white
face adds to the soft feel of the character, further building
a friendly demeanour. The contrast between the bright
white and the dark black and blues elsewhere in the design
adds additional contrast, making the design more appealing
whilst also drawing the viewer’s eyes towards the
character’s face.
By having the arms be far larger than the legs,
the viewer’s eyes are immediately drawn to the
character’s upper body
The red found in this enemy’s design makes it immediately
obvious that they are an enemy. The grotesque look of the
‘bulge’ only emphasises this.
Spikes found all over the body give the creature a more
threatening appearance, fitting for an enemy character.
The simple, non-human looking eyes make this creature
appear unintelligent and less human-like, making the
player associate less with it and therefore more willing to
quickly accept it as an enemy.

Example 3: Castlevania:
Symphony of the Night

Example 3: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
An extremely muscly upper body tells the player this
enemy is going to be a big hitter that attacks with heavy
swings.
The bull-esque design is reminiscent of the Minotaur
myth, and so the player immediately associates this
design as threatening.
The green and brown design contrast heavily with the reds and
blacks that are common in other enemies of the game. This
creates a clear difference between this enemy, which is a basic
area enemy, and more threatening foes such as the bat-like
boss enemy also on this slide.
The enemy’s large hands act as obvious indicators that
the boss is likely to attack the player with its claws.
The bat-like wings, in conjunction with the black and red
design, are extremely associable with Dracula, which in
the context of the game lets the player know that it is one
of his minions.
The heads on its body give off an extremely ominous
vibe, resulting in the player feeling off-put and
potentially even spooked by the design.

Example 4: Super Metroid
The greens and yellows in the design are traditionally
symbolic of poison or disease, giving the enemy a
dangerous feel.
The red eyes not only provide contrast in the design, but
also help to give the enemy a threatening and evil look,
making it immediately obvious to the player that this is an
enemy.
The bulky body, accompanied by small legs, gives this enemy
an incredibly heavy feeling. It is obvious to the player that this
enemy isn’t going to be moving much from its spot, instead
pointing the player’s attention to the monster’s upper body.
Purple and red provide an aesthetic of poison and
hostility, which alongside the spikes on the monster’s
head make it immediately obvious that this is a
dangerous enemy.
Mechanical body parts makes this enemy feel less human,
and their combination with flesh gives the monster a
grotesque aesthetic – immediately making the player
hostile towards it.
By having its head lean forwards, it is obvious that this
enemy is likely to attack from this area, and so the
player can combat it accordingly.

Example 5: Bloodstained: Ritual
of the Night

Animation Frames / Sprites
Manoeuvrability is an incredibly important aspect of game in the
Metroidvania genre, and so it is vital that I am able to convey many
different movements in my animation. By looking at sprite sheets of
existing games, we are able to gain insight into not only what types of
movement are popular within the genre, but also how the games
portray the movements within their gameplay.

Example 1: Castlevania: Symphony of the
Night

Example 2: Super Metroid
The limited movement in the jump animation frames accurately portrays the weight of
Samus’ armour. Additionally, by including frames where the jump motion is built-up, the
movement feels less abrupt and more realistic. The same can be said for the landing part of
the animation, as the bending of the knees realistically demonstrates the crumple-part of
the human body making contact with a surface.
In-between frames of Samus turning around help to give the movement a smoother motion.
Additionally, this helps to add a sense of depth to the 2D game, thus making the player feel more
involved in the environment.
Emphasis on the leg movements whilst running emphasises the power behind
each step taken. Additionally, how far the legs move represents the speed that
Samus is running at.
Different designs for different attacks allow the player to visualise what type of
blast they are shooting. Additionally, the size and colours of the attacks act as a
clear indicator of the attack’s power
Samus’ signature ball roll manoeuvre adds the necessary mobility that the
gameplay desires. Additionally, being able to roll up into a ball allows for extra
mobility that makes sense in the context of Samus’ bulky suit.

Why 2D Animation?
I have decided to create my animation in 2D as this is the style that I have had the
most experience with. This is in part due to me owning the required software for
2D animation (Photoshop) for longer than I have had 3D software (Blender).
Additionally, I personally prefer Metroidvania games that are done in 2D, as I find
the aesthetic to be more appealing than that of many 3D Metroidvanias.
2D is also far more realistic considering the limited amount of time that I have. To
quote Ari Gibson, who I looked at in the Theory research:
‘In 2D you just draw a picture on a whiteboard and if it makes you laugh you’re like
cool, alright – that’s in and two days later you’ve animated it’.
As Ari mentions, 2D animation allows for swift development from concept art to
animation frames. This will be extremely important for my project, as it will feature
many designs that will only be present for a few seconds, and so it is important that
I am able to quickly animate them so that I can move onto other areas of the
animation.

2D Animation in the Modern World
• Whilst 3D animation seemed to dominate the industry in the early 2000s (Ball, 2003), 2D animation has
since regained a lot of popularity through TV shows, video games and more. Additionally, the medium has
shown to retain popularity in advertising, (Ball, 2003) and can be seen in commercials for many brands, such
as Confused.com (Cantimule, 2010).
• One extremely important skill for animating in 2D is being able to convey the characters through various
emotions and body-actions. It can be argued that these play some of the most prominent parts in displaying
a character’s personality. This background work for this is typically covered during pre-production, where
people will typically develop storyboards, character sheets, animatics and short animation experiments in
order to develop the basic idea behind the animated piece. On the other hand, post-production involves
editing the piece together to allow the creators to develop the finalised look of the piece. Audio will also be
implemented at this point.
• Typically, animators will work in teams, including both people from within the same group and well as
outsourced workers. Whilst I will be creating the animation by myself, I plan to commission somebody to
develop the backing track for the trailer, and so my project will in part follow a similar structure to how
professionals work.
• As working in animations entails a huge variety of different tasks, professionals will often specialise in
different areas. Whilst this can include just animators with a specific focus (e.g. character animation), this
also often entails working on different areas of the project (e.g. as a storyboard artist). As this project will
entail me working on all these different areas myself, I will be able to gain experience in a variety of fields
and thus will be able to develop a greater understanding of what area of animation I want to specialise in.

2D Animation in the Modern World
• The industry-standard software for 2D-animation is Toon Boom
Harmony, a software that is unfortunately incompatible with my
graphics tablet. However, Photoshop, which I plan to use, is also
commonly utilised by professionals.
• With 2D animation having a huge burst of titles through various
medias, it is clearly still a viable area for animated productions. As Ari
Gibson mentions in the interview previously discussed, 2D animation
is far more friendly towards small group projects than 3D, which
includes heightened efficiency between pre-production and
production. Taking all of this into account, I believe that my want to
create a 2D animation is extremely viable.

Why am I looking at trailers?
Whilst the video game context of this project is important for creating
an authentic feeling, I will also need to understand how to develop a
trailer that is able to entice my target audience in order to bring
positive attention to the product. With this in mind, I plan to look at a
variety of trailers from both video games and films in order to obtain
knowledge of a range of skills and techniques utilised by professionals
to build an audience.

Example 1: Ori and the Will
of the Wisps

Example 1: Ori and the Will of the Wisps
The trailer begins by showing off a spider travelling down a canyon, its
surrounding covered in silk. This immediately gives the viewer an
understanding of the environment’s theme whilst also being
aesthetically pleasing. The music here is quiet and somewhat
melancholic, giving off a calm feel.
The player character, Ori, enters the video, showing the viewer that
they will once again be controlling the character for this sequel game.
A glowing spider egg can be seen in the background, making the
viewer ask questions about what it could be and therefore pulling
their intrigue into the game’s narrative. The calm music from before
begins to turn to a more threatening turn, with a violin continuously
increasing in pitch being introduced to the audio.
The built-up threat is introduced as the viewer watches the spider
emerge from the background to stand over Ori. The bright greens not
only emphasise the spider’s hostility, but also heavily contrast with
the dark blacks seen elsewhere in its design. This contrast helps to
give the spider a more aesthetically pleasing look, although the sharp
legs and angled eyes ensure that this look still feels threatening.
Additionally, its huge stature dwarves Ori, increasing the danger the
viewer feels Ori, and by extension themselves, to be in.

The spider attacks Ori as the player character runs away from the
spewed venom. He climbs a wall and returns an attack, giving the
viewer their first feel of this game’s combat whilst also releasing
the built-up tension by exploding into adrenaline-filled combat. It
can be argued that by doing this, the trailer emphasises the
excitement that the viewer feels, thus making the trailer appeal
more to its audience.
The next shot takes us to a different location, with the bright oranges of the
background giving the area a very different feel to the previous one shown.
The large bird-esque creature shown maintains the sense of danger and
action that we saw with the spider. However, by showing Ori hiding instead
of fighting the creature, the trailer ensures that it doesn’t overwhelm the
viewer with fast action. It can be argued that doing this makes the high-
paced combat feel more impactful with he viewer when it is shown.
This shot shows yet another large creatures threatening Ori. The trailer does
this a lot, seemingly to not only emphasise the threat Ori in under in the game,
but potentially to also imprint the designs of these boss enemies in the viewer’s
head, thus making them remember the trailer more.
Whilst this area also uses oranges, the darker tone gives it a more ominous feel.
The lighting here is especially beautiful, with the magmatic oranges reflecting
off the darker stones to create contrast. One small detail which really
emphasises the beauty of this area is when the worm creature roars, as the
bright orange now seen in its mouth can actually be seen making the
environment a little bit brighter.

In this shot, where Ori is being chased by yet another
creature, we see him use an ability to grapple onto an
object from afar and pull himself towards it. This shows
off one of the abilities that Ori could obtain through the
game, giving the viewer an idea of the game’s upgrade
system, something that my research showed to be a very
important feature of a Metroidvania game.
After showing off some more action-chase scenes,
the trailer cuts to black, followed by the title card
for the game. The style is simple yet effective,
being aesthetically pleasing whilst allowing itself
to stick in the viewer’s head.
The trailer ends with the sun rising in the background,
giving the viewer a feeling of hope that they can overcome
the threats shown throughout the trailer. The game’s
planned release date is shown on screen. It can be argued
that the trailer ends with this so that the release date
doesn’t get lost and forgotten in all of the action in the
trailer, and so through this method the viewer is more likely
to remember to pick up the game when it is release.

What have we
learnt from
Ori and the
Will of the
Wisps’ trailer?
It is extremely important to show off level-design and aesthetic in order to make the
viewer feel a connection to the game’s world. Additionally, an appealing look can work
to simply make the viewer like the game’s aesthetic more, and therefore be more likely
to try the game out.
The viewer needs to get a feel for the conflict present in the game. This can be done
through showing threatening enemies that the player needs to overcome. The design
of these creatures is vital, as the player needs to not only feel threatened, but also
needs to have a general understanding of how the enemy will function. For example,
the worm boss shown in the trailer opens its mouth wide as its inside glows, which
gives the player an impression that the monster will likely attack from its mouth.
A sense of action works to excite the viewer about the game, and so it important that
a Metroidvania game trailer is able to convey this. This can be done in conjunction
with showing off threatening enemies by having them engage in combat with the
player character.
The title card and release date for the game need to stick in the viewer’s head, and so
it is important that they are not only aesthetically pleasing and stylised, but also are
placed at a point in the trailer where they are not going to be overwhelmed by the
other shots.

Example 2: The Legend of
Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Example 2: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The trailer begins with some establishing shots of various locations
throughout the game. This gives the viewer an idea of the games
open nature and focus on exploration. This is further emphasised by
the variety shown in the different location’s designs, such as the
somewhat tropical coastline and the warm orange desert.
Additionally, the aesthetically pleasing shots and calm music give the
viewer a somewhat melancholic feel, emphasising the beauty of the
world seen on the screen.
This shot puts heavy focus on the Master Sword, an important and
iconic item from the game series. The light shining onto the sword
from above emphasises its importance and godlike status. This
makes the viewer immediately recognise the game being shown
before them as being a Zelda game, whilst also appealing to nostalgia
through its use of an item present in previous titles.
Within the new few shots, the viewer is introduced to
the player character, Link, and his new design. We see
him climbing up cliffs and running through fields,
emphasising the open nature of the game to he viewer.

Example 2: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the
Wild
The trailer shows off the remains of an unknown entity, making the
viewer question what it could be and by it is destroyed. This intrigues
the viewer in regard to the game’s narrative, making them feel more
of a want to buy the game and discover it for themselves.
This shot shows the main antagonist of the game, Calamity
Ganon. This not only gives the viewer more context for the
story, but also sets up a threat for the player to overcome.
The blacks and purples/pinks in its design give it a sort of
poisonous aesthetic, emphasising the danger it presents.
By showing a settlement being burnt down, the trailer raises
the stakes of the narrative, making the viewer feel all the
more excited to play. This is further emphasised by the large
scale of the event, as the audience may likely want to be
involved in similar large scaled battles simply for the ‘cool’
factor of it.

Example 2: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the
Wild
Within this shot, the audience is able to see a large camel-like beast in the
background. The large stature and peculiarity of this creature not only
excites the viewer, but also makes them ask questions, such as who created
the beast and for what purpose. Additionally, we can see a member of the
Gerudo tribe in this shot, which makes fans of the series instantly
understand that this game is going to allow the player to travel all over
Hyrule, the country that the game series generally takes place in. This
further excites the viewer whilst again emphasising the game’s open
nature.
We see this game’s iteration of Zelda, a recurring title throughout the game
series. This excites the audience as they are able to see the newest version
of a character they have been familiar with for decades. Additionally, the
shots involving her give the viewer more insight into the story, further
adding to the audience’s excitement whilst making them feel more
personally connected to the game. This last point is further exaggerated
through the shot of Zelda turning to face the camera, which makes it seem
like she is directly addressing the viewer.
The trailer ends with the game’s title card and release date. By
placing these at the end of the trailer, they don’t get forgotten
within the rest of the footage shown. It is important that this info is
shown so that the viewer knows when to buy the game as well as
the title they should be searching for. This also makes it easier for
people to discuss the game before its release, thus adding to the
number of people it can reach.

What have we learnt from The
Legend of Zelda: Breath of the
Wild’s trailer?
• For this game, a lot of emphasis is put on the narrative. It can be argued that the game’s
reason for doing so is to make the viewer feel more personally connected to the events
occurring within the game, and thus more likely to want to buy it.
• This trailer repeatedly shows off returning items and characters from the game series,
appealing directly to existing fans of the series.
• A lot of emphasis is put on exploration foremost, with combat, whilst still being shown,
taking less of a prominent role.

How these trailers will effect my
product
• According to my Metroidvania survey, level design (and in conjunction, exploration) is the most important aspect of a Metroidvania game. With this in mind, I will
take more influence from Breath of the Wild over Ori. However, Breath of the Wild also has a lot of time dedicated to its story, which my survey showed to be the
least important feature of a Metroidvania. Therefore, I won’t be displaying much narrative in my trailer despite Breath of the Wild’s significant focus on it.
• Within both trailers, we see the player character using some sort of new ability in order to better manoeuvre about the area. In Ori it is his grapple, whilst in
Breath of the Wild it is the ice block. Both of these give the viewer an idea of the respective game’s upgrade system, which my survey showed to be the second
most important aspect of a Metroidvania game. With this in mind, I will take influence from both of the aforementioned trailers in order to better appeal towards
my audience. However, I want to put a little more emphasis into the actual act of upgrading the player character, and so I may add a shot of the player in a skill
upgrade menu or something of that regard. That being said, it is important that I show these upgrades actually in use, as this will make them appeal more to the
player than simply stating that you will be able to get upgrades. Furthermore, this will allow me to display the abilities both when the action is low (which is when I
would do the upgrade menu) and when the action is high (showing the practical use of the upgrades).
• The art style of the game, as well as the general aesthetic, are important area of Metroidvania design - according to my survey. Both of these trailers show very
distinct art styles in their gameplay. However, there isn’t really a particular way then can show art style off – the gameplay on its own just needs to have an
appealing design. However, trailers can put extra emphasis on aesthetic through scenic shots. Both the trailer for Ori and Breath of the Wild do this, with both of
the trailers beginning by using shots that immediately establish the environment to the viewer. With this in mind, I could create a similar opening for my own
trailer.

Bibliography
• Websites
• Anon. (2020). 2020 Video Game Industry Statistics, Trends & Data. Available: https://www.wepc.com/news/video-game-statistics/#gamers-demographic. Last accessed 6th Feb
2020.
• Ball, R. (2003). 2D Animation: Dead, Dying or Just Napping?. Available: https://www.animationmagazine.net/features/2d-animation-dead-dying-or-just-napping/. Last accessed
4th Feb 2020.
• Cantimule. (2010). [HD] Confused.com - Animated TV Commercial. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wfw8-ymYrOs. Last accessed 4th Feb 2020.
•
Chikhani, R. (2015). The History of Gaming: An Evolving Community. Available: https://techcrunch.com/2015/10/31/the-history-of-gaming-an-evolving-community/. Last accessed
6th Feb 2020.
• Taylor, H. (2018). Fortnite Season Five announcement most watched trailer on YouTube in 2018. Available: https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2018-12-17-fortnite-season-
five-announcement-most-watched-trailer-on-youtube-in-2018. Last accessed 11th Feb 2020.
• Games/Trailers
• Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997)
• Hollow Knight (2017)
• Ori and the Blind Forest (2015)
• Ori and the Will of the Wisps (2020)
• Super Metroid (1994)
• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017)

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