Video Game Research and Interviews

1. Research
Abbie

2. Existing Product- The Plague
The Plague is a video game where the player controls a plague that has infected the world. You can choose from various
different pathogens and bacteria to spread to kill as many people as possible. You are timed because otherwise humans
will find a cure to treat the diseases. It was released on iOS on the 26th May 2012. The developers are Ndemic creations.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdU7uYQuo3I
= Game play video
Ndemic creations is a UK based independent game studio. The image is an ariel
view where you can see a map of the world with colours and lines of where
the disease is travelling to. The colour scheme on the image is mainly red
which has connotations to danger and death. The more red on the screen, the
larger the area of disease and more amount of deaths. There are no bright
colours on the screen which highlights that the game revolves around death
and is not a game that is light hearted. The artistic style of the game is photo
realism because the graphics look extremely realistic and have biology
elements of close ups of bacteria and fungi.
The Plague was made for the mobile market to be an
adult game competing against Angry Birds and Flappy
Birds. There is a console version titled The Plague
Inc.: Evolved. The game has been downloaded over
85 millions times. It was the 15th most downloaded
paid iPhone game of 2012 in the US and the 5th most
downloaded in 2013.
The lighting throughout the entire game is very dark and has a prominent red
colour scheme. Because there are no avatars in the game, there are no
costumes. The Plague only features images of different bacteria, viruses and
fungi. The font is bold and always white, however the font is simple and basic.
The font style could be changed to connote to something more creepy and
mysterious looking. The location is set on in our world and is based in present
day as it explains how quickly diseases can spread without the money and
medicine to control them. The only props in the game are the diseases that you
can name yourself and choose where to spread.
There is background music of tense fast music as the disease spreads more worldwide. This influences the game to
be more dramatic and heighten the tension. As more people die, there are sound effects as it spreads to the next
country. The sound effect sounds like a travelling noise such as an engine. The Plague inflicts you to play the game
because you can create your own disease, call it what you want and spread it where you want. Because the game
can be played on your phone, it is so much easier to download, purchase and play instead of how going to go out
and purchase a box.
The game appeals to the target audience of young males, (YouGov), because it is a race against time to spread the
disease as much as possible. It is competitive against the humans which heightens the tension and interests the
audience.

3. Existing Product- Tom Clancy’s The Division
Tom Clancy’s The Division was released on the 8th March 2016. The developers are Massive Entertainment and the game can be played on
PlayStation 4, XBOX One and Microsoft Windows. It is set in the future in New York City in the aftermath of a smallpox pandemic. You have
to help a group rebuild its operation to investigate the nature of the out break. You can play single player or multi player. The genre is
survival game to help contain the disease and stop it from spreading. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b80ShWk_Aro
= Game Play
The location of the game is set in the near future in New York City. A disease has
spread and it is the players job to find how it was spread and how to contain it
before it spreads and kills anymore. Because the game is set in a city, it influences
the game to feel more realistic and likely to happen in the future. I would like to
copy this location and set my video game in a city so that it is more realistic.
Throughout the game, there are several different angles. There is ariel view over
the city, highlighting how run down and damaged the city is. The game is played in
a third persons perspective where you can see your character. The lighting is dark
throughout the entire game which highlights the dystopian world that New York
has become due to the disease out break. The game sold more copies in the first
24 hours than any game in Ubisoft’s history. The head quarters of Massive
Entertainment are in Malmo Sweden. The game was released to show to the
audience what could happen to the world in the future and how our planet could
become a dystopian world. The game incorporates the guns and other weapons
but is not like every other war game released now; it is about terrorists and
disease, a modern day issue.
There is not any background music throughout the game, however there are lots of
sound effects which fill the lack of music. There are car alarms, gun shots and
different avatars talking to each other explaining what the mission is and what the
opponent is doing.
The game is photo realistic which influences you to purchase the game as it is a
possibility of what our future could look like. Another reason you want to play the
game is because it is a similar type game ,( action survival ) as other successful
video games, however it has an interesting narrative that makes it stand out. The
game can be played on various different platforms which further interests the
audience because it is easy accessible to whatever console they have.
There is a map in the top left of the screen which
shows where your avatar is in New York. You play one
avatar that is dressed very casually with big warm
coats to keep warm in winter (when it is set). There
are several props in the game which are weapons. You
can choose between 3 guns during the game and can
also choose different clothes to wear throughout the
game. There is a lack of colour during the game as it is
mainly dark grey and black, however when you get
hurt or shot, the screen becomes a dark red colour
signifying blood. The font on the screen is orange
which stands out against the dark background and is
easy to read. However, the font is extremely small and
not clearly bold.

4. Existing Product- Ninja Blade
Ninja Blade is a video game where unknown creatures attack a city and the survivors are transferred to a facility where they are monitored,
however they develop unusual symptoms. It was developed by FromSoftware in 2009 on XBOX 360. It was later released on Microsoft
Windows in 2010. It is a fantasy game with fantasy creatures, however the video game is set in Tokyo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CszqUvG1HUA
= Game Play
Ninja Blade was created by FromSoftware with its head quarters in Tokyo Japan.
There are various different game perspectives throughout the game such as ariel
view over the city, third person where your avatar is visible and 3D graphics. The
game is photo realistic however the graphics are not as clear and realistic as games
released today. Once again, the lighting throughout the game is very dark with barely
any colour except green. When you kill a creature or get hurt, red appears on the
screen signifying blood loss which is a reoccurring theme throughout video games.
The concept of Ninja Blade came from Hollywood action films. It is only developed
for Microsoft Windows and XBOX 360 in 2009. The font is written in a specific style
where it has connotations to ninja’s and swords because it is slanted and bold as well
as written in grey font with a reflective top. This connects with the sword shining in
the sunlight. It is bold and grabs your attention as it stands out against the sky
scrapers in the background.
Throughout the entire game, there is background music which heightens the tension.
When the music gets faster, it signifies that you are in danger or a new creature is
going to appear ready for battle. As the warrior attacks the creatures, there are
several sound effects. For example, as the sword cuts the creature, there is a sword
slicing sound effect. In Ninja Blade, there are lots of cut scenes explaining the
narrative clearly. During these scenes there is lots of dialogue as the warriors and
citizens communicate and explain the mission. The unknown creatures also make
strange animal noises that sound like roars, which highlights to the player that you
must kill the creatures as they are extremely unsafe in the city.
The lighting is very dark throughout the video game,
which is a reoccurring theme due to the subject of
death and pain. At the top right of the screen there
is the gun you are using and in the top right how
much power you have. The avatar you play is
dressed in a specific costume of a warrior. They are
carrying a sword to defeat the creatures. You can
select other weapons as well such as knives, a
machine gun and a slayer blade.
Ninja Blade appeals to the target audience of the
younger male demographic by incorporating new
creative creatures that you must defeat to win the
game. There is a competitive element which
influences the player to want to complete the game
as they want to win. The game mode is only in
single player which means that the players can
compare results against each other and determine
who is better at the game.

5. Existing Product- Zombies Ate My
Neighbour's
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0tBqLu_yk0
= Game Play
Zombies Ate My Neighbour’s is a video game where you have to rescue neighbours in a community from horror movie monsters such as
zombies, vampires and werewolves. Once you have saved all the neighbours, you are given a key which takes you to the next level. Overall
there are 48 stages in the game. The developers of the game are LucasArts and the game was released on virtual console in 2009. The genre
of the video game is run and gun.
The style of game is cell shading with 2D graphics. The graphics are very simple and basic and
appear to be created on Pixel Art. The terrain in the game varies, however you are mainly
walking around on grass, (neighbours lawns), with hedges and trees surrounding you. There are
different locations such as by the sea, in towns, in the desert etc. You can collect various
different interactive objects such as flame throwers and bazookas. The game mode is only single
player, however you can play the video game with a non-playable character to help you along
the way. The game perspective is 2D graphics with arial view. This means that you can see your
environment and your avatar clearly. There is not a prominent colour scheme throughout the
game, however there is mainly green and brown to imitate real life scenery. The lighting varies
as the game changes from day to night. During the day, the colours are brighter and more
colourful, however at night the colours are more dull and subdued. The amount of bullets you
have used is placed at the top left side of the page as well as other counters. Once you reach
the next level the page goes black with text explaining how many bonuses you collected. You
have a choice between 2 avatars which you want to play: male or female. Both avatars are
dressed casually in normal clothes. The zombies are a grey/green skin colour with worn,
damaged clothes. The fonts throughout the game are written in the iconic horror font with the
words dripping like blood.
The game appeals to the audience because you can choose from different weapons to kill the
monsters. There is also a selection of different monsters that appear from classic horror films
which interests the player the see what the scary monsters look like in pixel form. As the
progress through the game, it becomes harder and harder which means there is a competitive
element to complete the game. To make the audience buy it now, the developers should release
an updated version with better graphics.
LucasArts based the monsters on classic
horror movies such as Texas Chainsaw
Massacre. The head quarters are in San
Francisco, California.
There is background music throughout the
game which changes on each level to fit
with the scene. The music sounds like 8 BIT
or 16 BIT. There are various sound effects
throughout the game; every time you kill a
monster or save a neighbour. The sound
effects signify whether you are succeeding
at the game or failing.

6. Research Analysis
• What common features do the researched
products have?
A common feature throughout the games I have researched is a reoccurring theme of death and
disease taking over the world. There is a monster in each game that must be defeated otherwise
you lose. This means the aim of the game is similar, however the narrative is different. Another
common feature is the colour scheme of dull colours which enhances the red and green to signify
danger and death. All the games have hundreds of sound effects throughout as well as
background music to heighten the tension.
• What aspects of the research will you include
within your on work?
One aspect I will incorporate into my game, is the composition that nearly all the video games
researched used: a counter at the top left side of the screen to help the player know how many
bullets used etc. I will also include a cell shading cartoon- like game so that my game stands out
from other photo realistic games released today. Finally, I will have one avatar in the game that is
controlled by the player; other characters and monsters can not be controlled.

7. Interviews

8. Interview 1
• Do you prefer playing games with feedback interface and why?
• I prefer playing games with feedback interfaces because when playing games such as action,
having your controller vibrating when you’re shooting gives a more realistic feel to it.
• Would you prefer the game to be single or multiplayer and why?
• I prefer games to be multiplayer because this allows you to work together completing the
game compared to playing alone. This makes the game more fun as it allows for a social
element to the game/experience.
• Would you prefer the game to be realistic and appear photo realistic or would you prefer a
game that is set in another world and is cartoon-like? Why?
• I would prefer the game to be more realistic and appear more photo realistic compared to a
game that is set in another world because games which are more realistic allows the user to
relate compared to a cartoon styled game.

9. Interview 2
• Do you prefer playing games with feedback interface and why?
• Yes because I think it brings the game more to life and makes the game more exciting as it allows
the player to feel more involved.
• Would you prefer the game to be single or multiplayer and why?
• I would prefer to play a multiplayer game because I think playing games with others is more fun as
you can compete or play with each other, however I also enjoy playing single player games as well.
• Would you prefer the game to be realistic and appear photo realistic or would you prefer a game
that is set in another world and is cartoon-like? Why?
• I would prefer a game that is more realistic because it makes the game more exciting and
interesting, making the game seem more like real life, however it is difficult to make a game
realistic on pixel art, therefore making the game look more cartoon-like would probably be easier,
and it can give the game a old-fashioned retro feel to it.

10. Interview 3
• Do you prefer playing games with feedback interface and why?
• Yes, because it’s great as you understand what your character can do, for example you'll know how
much health the character your playing as and also how much ammo you'll have on your feedback
interface.
• Would you prefer the game to be single or multiplayer and why?
• I would prefer the game to be a multiplayer game, because in my opinion playing with your friends
is more fun, than playing the video game by yourself.
• Would you prefer the game to be realistic and appear photo realistic or would you prefer a game
that is set in another world and is cartoon-like? Why?
• I would prefer the game to be realistic as this will be immersive and also feel like your actually in
the game.

11. Interview 1- Observations
• Observation: They prefer to play multi player because it has a competitive feel to
it. They want feedback interface to make the game more tense and realistic like
shooting an actual gun. Finally, they want the game to be realistic and be set in our
world so the game is more relatable.
• What this says about my audience: The results from my questionnaire
highlight to me that this person would prefer to play a game with 3D photo
realistic graphics such as games like Call of duty. The audience like when the game
is more relatable so that it is more realistic and they feel like they are actually in
the game; a game that brings narrative and player more connected.
• How will your product appeal to this audience: I do not think my game will
appeal to this audience because my game is going to be 2D and be cartoon-like as I
can not draw well on Pixel Art for the graphics to appear photo realistic. However,
the narrative of the game is extremely realistic which may interest this audience.
To influence this audience to enjoy the game, I will incorporate feedback interface
by including sound effects so that the game feels more realistic.

12. Interview 2- Observations
• Observation: They would like the game to have feedback interface so that the
game is brought to life. They want the game to be multiplayer so that you can
compete against each other which makes the game more fun. They would prefer
the game to be realistic, however they understand that this will be difficult to
create and would also enjoy a cartoon video game because it feels more vintage.
• What this says about my audience: My results highlight to me that my
audience enjoy playing games when they are more competitive and you can play
with your friends so that the game is brought to life and you feel more involved.
The audience like the game to feel life-like and be realistic. This means they enjoy
feedback interface and photo realistic graphics. My audience would also enjoy a
cartoon game which highlights to me that they would like my video game.
• How will your product appeal to this audience: In my opinion, my product
will appeal to this audience because they enjoy cartoon 2D graphic games because
they are vintage. They would prefer the game to be more realistic, however my
game has an extremely realistic narrative which would appeal to this audience. My
video game is competitive because you have to kill the disease before it kills any
more people. It is you against the disease.

13. Interview 3- Observations
• Observation: They would prefer the game to have feedback interface so that you
have a better insight to your character. They would like the game to be multiplayer
so that it is more fun and competitive. Finally, they would like the game to be
realistic as it is more immersive.
• What this says about my audience: My results highlight to me that they enjoy
the game more when it is realistic as it is brought to life and it feels like you are in
the game because it is immersive.
• How will your product appeal to this audience: In my opinion, I do not think
that the video game will appeal to this audience because I do not have the
knowledge and artistic style to create a photo realistic game. Although, to
influence the audience to enjoy the game more, I will incorporate feedback
interface so that the product has a life-like element to interest this audience.
Initially, I wanted the game to be single player, however my results show me that
the audience would prefer it to be multiplayer. This means that I will make the
game multiplayer so that it is competitive and more fun for the audience.

14. Bibliography

15. Bibliography
1. Sumiah Rose. (2018) 16-19 years old Interviews (conducted on 27th
February)
2. Fraser Hardwick. (2018) 16-19 years old Interviews (conducted on 27th
February)
3. Henry Cooper. (2018) 16-19 years old Interviews (conducted on 27th
February)