This document provides information about video game promotion and marketing for a GCSE Media Studies exam. It discusses several theories about how media affects audiences: 1) The Hypodermic Needle Model argues that audiences passively accept all messages in media like a drug. This fits how advertising could influence people to buy games. 2) The Two-Step Flow Model says opinion leaders influence passive audiences. Game reviews influence passive buyers' decisions. 3) Theories on the effects of playing video games include: temperament theory which says media doesn't change people, just reveals traits; desensitization theory which argues violent media desensitizes people; and social learning theory where people learn behaviors from media models.

1. AQA GCSE Media Studies
Unit 1 Investigating the Media
Exam Topic: Promotion and Marketing
of Video Games
Photocopiable/digital resources may only be copied by the purchasing institution on a single site and for their own use
© ZigZag Education, 2013 1

2. Starter
If there were no video games at all, what would you do in
your spare time?
You have 1 minute to discuss this with a partner.
Join up with another pair.
You have 2 minutes to discuss this in your group.
Select a spokesperson for your group
who will feed back to the rest of the class
on the activities you would do.
2

3. Video games provide hours of entertainment for their users and, even
during a recession, still sell in bulk numbers to make this a very
competitive and successful business for all the video-game publishers
and their hardware that the games are played on.
But there are questions to be asked:
Is playing video games bad for us?
Are advertising techniques tricking us into buying things we don’t
need?
As always, there are different theories as to the impact of advertising
and playing video games too.
Audience
3

4. The Hypodermic Needle Model
This theory states that people watch/read media texts and
they
believe every part of every media message they are told.
They consume it like a drug straight into the brain.
It is the effect of brainwashing someone.
If the Hypodermic Needle model is to be believed,
then audiences are passive.
Audience Effects Theories
4

5. The Hypodermic Needle Model
This theory fits well into the concept of advertising.
'Could this be the world’s greatest fighter game?'
'Hardcore players only!'
'Not for casuals!'
'The best game you will ever play!'
If these concepts are reinforced during adverts (print or TV
platform) then people will believe they need them and
therefore buy the products.
Audience Effects Theories
5

6. The Two-Step Flow Model
The two-step flow model details that there are opinion leaders in
society.
Opinion leaders are people who have seen the media text and
have been able to make up their own mind about its qualities
and messages.
These opinion leaders are active; however, except for deciding
which opinion leaders to believe, the rest of the audience are
passive.
Audience Effects Theories
6

7. The Two-Step Flow Model
This theory fits the concept of game reviews and game
magazines; people who write for these magazines are
highly
respected for their opinions.
They will decide whether a game is worth buying and
‘simplify’ the content and qualities of the game, helping
passive people to make a decision about whether or not
to buy it.
Audience Effects Theories
7

8. Passive or Active?
Are you a passive buyer?
You buy a game because of a review, advertising or
someone recommends it.
OR
Are you an active buyer?
You decide to buy a game of your own choice with no
influence whatsoever.
Why?
8

9. Passive or Active?
Either way, you are still
influenced.
Even when browsing for a game,
there are always ‘teasers’ on the
front of the game cover!
'Unlike anything else you will
play this year – 9/10’
9

10. The Effects of Playing
Computer Games
There are several different arguments put forward into the
debate about how playing video games can actually affect
us.
The three we will look at are:
1. Temperament theory
2. Desensitisation theory
3. Social learning theory
10

11. The Temperament Theory
The temperament theory comes from the ancient
Greeks.
‘Temperament’ is the part of our personality that is
genetically based.
Hans Eysenck identified four types of people.
He believed that if they experienced the same trauma or event they
would all
react differently due to their genetic differences – their individual
nature.
The event/trauma would not change who they are.
11

12. Eysenck’s four types were:
Neurotics tend to develop phobias / have panic attacks
Extroverts have no fear or real memory of a traumatic experience
Introverts are unlikely to put themselves in a similar situation
again
Psychotics may feel a connection to the negativity and get
obsessed about it, perhaps wanting to recreate it
again and again
12

13. The Temperament Theory
If applied to playing video games, the temperament theory explains that people
will
not generally be affected or traumatised by violent games unless it is generally
in their
nature to do so in the first place.
PROBLEM:
The theory does not take into consideration the ‘nature v nurture’ theory,
i.e. you can be born like it or exposed to it when growing up (desensitised).
13

14. The Desensitisation Theory
Desensitisation means becoming accustomed to something so that it
no longer provokes a reaction.
On 14th December 2012, 20-year-old Adam Lanza fatally shot 20 children
and six adult staff members in a mass murder at Sandy Hook Elementary
School in the village of Sandy Hook in Newtown, Connecticut. Before
driving to the school, Lanza shot and killed his mother Nancy at their
Newtown home. As first responders arrived, he committed suicide by
shooting himself in the head.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandy_Hook_Elementary_School_shooting.
Watch this news report discussing the effect of violent video games:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7_XDYWs-08 14

15. The Social Learning Theory
Albert Bandura believed that we learn new behaviours by copying the values and beliefs
of role models. In other words, we learn from watching or following the example of
others, i.e. our friends, our parents, our teachers.
Bandura theory has three models:
Live model in which a person carries out the preferred behaviour.
Verbal instruction in which someone describes the preferred behaviour in detail which
the person then carries out.
Symbolic in which a person will carry out the behaviour shown in the
media, by following the behaviour and actions of someone in films,
on television, on the Internet, in books, on the radio and even in
video games!
15

16. Opinion
What do you think about this comment?
'As a gamer myself, I have played loads of violent video games just like thousands
of other gamers. Out of these thousands of people, a few commit violent crimes
and so video games are said to have "violent effects on children". I have just
finished reading Bill Bryson's The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid, when
Bryson was younger, comics were blamed for violent acts, so people tried to ban
them, the same is happening to video games. It's stupid!'
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Violent-Video-Effects-Children-
Adolescents/dp/0195309839
16

17. Questions
What do you think about these theories?
Do you agree with any of them?
Can you think of any event that you first watched on TV or in a film which really
upset you, but which you now take for granted?
However, all theories are difficult to prove.
There is a general sense, however, that we believe that media does affect our
behaviours, and advertisers justify their fees by working on this assumption.
17

18. Using advertising
techniques to
target an
audience
Audience
Incentive
Incentive
Teaser
Teaser
Teaser
Teaser
Teaser – mode of address
is personal ‘you’
18

19. Using advertising
techniques to
target an
audience
Incentives
Features
Incentive
Incentive
Feature
Feature
Feature
19

20. Team Production Task
Get into groups of four and read the brief you are
going to be given.
Each group member should have a job assigned to
them, e.g. drawing the front cover, competitions,
games, freebies, ensuring the target audience
needs have been met.
20

21. Welcome to Gamer Publications’ first editorial meeting!
You are the editorial committee in charge of putting together the first issue of
our exciting brand new game publication.
On the table in front of you is the title of the magazine that you will be creating
and an outline of your target audience.
We need to ensure that our new magazine follows all of the conventions of the
magazine industry and that the needs of the target audience are met.
Most importantly, we need an eye-catching, colourful front page which features
interesting and engaging lead and support stories!
It is YOUR job to ensure that we produce a magazine that will fly off the shelves!
Team Production Task
21

22. Things to discuss:
What will the cover price be?
What lures will you include? Why?
Are you giving away any free gifts? What?
What conventional features must you include?
What game will be your main image? What will your splash headline be?
Why is this game appropriate?
What will your support games be? Why?
Team Production Task
22

23. Magazine title: GAME POWER!
Target audience: young girls and boys aged 9–14.
A weekly magazine which aims to meet the needs of young girls and boys. The target audience is of
school age and enjoys, in particular, apps and social networking site games. They would not normally
have access to much spending money, i.e. 99p apps are perfect!
Magazine Title: RETRO GAMZ!
Target audience: men (and some women) aged 30–40 years old.
A monthly magazine which aims to meet the needs of retro video-game fans. The target audience
dislike ‘modern’ games and enjoy meeting up and playing games on old video-game consoles. They
spend time on online retro gaming communities and take part in online competitions. They have a
disposable income of approximately £50 per month.
Team Production Scenarios
23

24. Magazine Title: HARDCORE MORE!
Target audience: 15–29-year-old hardcore gaming fans.
A fortnightly magazine which aims to meet the needs of young hardcore gaming fans. The target
audience like to play FPS or RPG games on games consoles, such as COD or Final Fantasy, and spend
most of their spare time playing these multiplayer games with other online players from across the
world. They spend £30–£50 per month on games, mostly on DLC (downloadable content) expansion
packs for their regular games.
Magazine Title: CASUAL GAMER GIRLS
Target audience: 13–16-year-old girls who enjoy casual games.
A monthly magazine aimed at young teenage girls who like to spend time online chatting with their
mates using social networking sites. They like to play games on these sites where they can play against
their friends. They like to play games like Sorority Life, Candy Crush Saga and FarmVille. They would
spend minimal money to play games, but would enjoy getting freebies of make-up on the magazine.
Team Production Scenarios
24

25. Speed Dating – Peer
Assessment
Half of your group should move over to the next
group’s table.
Your job is to make sure the group have all the
necessary features on their design and that they
have followed the brief given.
(Approx. 2 mins each table)
Move onto the next table.
25

26. Plenary
What about the good effects of playing video
games?
Are there any?
You have 5 minutes to list these in your exercise
books.
26

27. Plenary
Now watch this!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNycSARuGcE
27

28. Homework
Revise for a quiz next lesson on the things you
have learnt today!
28