Videogame advertising: Institution

Videogame advertising: Institution

Game developer: creates and designs game
Game publisher: manufactures the game, sells copies to retailers, pays for advertising and marketing.
Advertising agency: creates the marketing campaign for the game.
Regulator: gives the game a rating and addresses complaints or concerns. 

 Task 1: developers and publishers

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Rockstar Games
Background: New York City, New York, United States, 1998.
Owner/founder: Sam Houser, Dan Houser, Terry Donovan, Jamie King and Gary Foreman.
Most successful games: Grand Theft Auto, Max Payne, L.A. Noire, The Warriors, Bully, Manhunt, Midnight Club, State of Emergency.
Interesting fact about the institution: Critics concurred that Grand Theft Auto V was one of the best games of the seventh generation era of video game consoles.

EA (Electronic Arts)
Background: Redwood City, California, USA, 1982.
Owner/founder: Trip Hawkins.
Most successful games: Madden NFL, FIFA, NHL, Battlefield, Need for Speed, The Sims, Medal of Honor.
Interesting fact about the institution: THE CEO of Electronic Arts resigned from his position.

Zynga
Background: San Francisco, California, USA, 2007.
Owner/founder: Mark Pincus.
Most successful games: FarmVille 2, Texas HoldEm Poker.
Interesting fact about the institution: 80 percent of Zynga's revenue comes from Facebook users

Nintendo
Background: Kyoto, Japan, 1889.
Owner/founder: Fusajiro Yamauchi.
Most successful games: Super Mario Bros., one of the best-selling video games of all time.
Interesting fact about the institution: Nintendo was founded as a card company in late 1889, originally named Nintendo Koppai.

Sony Computer Entertainment
Background: Tokyo, Japan, 1993.
Owner/founder: Steve Race
Most successful games: Killzone series, Infamous series.
Interesting fact about the institution: Sony's first wide home console release, the PlayStation (codenamed "PSX" during development, currently "PSone"), was initially designed to be a CD-ROM drive add-on for Nintendo's Super Nintendo Entertainment System.

Task 2: Advertising agencies

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W+K Amsterdam

What do the letters stand for? Wieden + Kennedy

What brands have W+K Amsterdam advertised? Nike, Powerade, Heineken.

In your opinion, what is the most creative campaign on their website? “Heineken, The Odyssey”

What videogame campaigns have they created? EA FIFA14.

What additional information can you find out about the FIFA14 advertising campaign? In-depth explanation for the metaphors implied on the campaigns as well as tech-detail.

Rokkan

How long has the Rokkan advertising agency been around for? 14 years (launched in 2000)

Where is Rokkan based? New Jersey.

What brands have Rokkan advertised? Chipotle, SHARP, Nestlé.

Why was Rokkan's campaign for the videogame 'Dishonored' so successful? The innovative idea of creating a fully integrated 360°campaign to introduce the new game.

Who was the publisher for 'Dishonored'? Bethesda

Task 3: Regulatory bodies

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PEGI

What is PEGI and where is PEGI based? Pan European Game Information (PEGI) is a European video game content rating system established to help European consumers make informed decisions on buying computer games with logos on games' boxes.

How does PEGI rate games, what are the age classifications used by PEGI and what are the seven aspects that PEGI look for when giving a game a rating (e.g. violence)?

3: Suitable for all ages. May contain mild violence in an appropriate context for younger children, but no explicit language is allowed.

7: Suitable for ages 7 and older. May contain mild, cartoon violence, sports, or elements that can be frightening to younger children.

12: Suitable for ages 12 and older. May contain violence in a fantasy setting, coarse language, mild sexual references or innuendo, or gambling.

16: Suitable for ages 16 and older. May contain explicit violence, strong language, sexual references or content, gambling, or drug use (encouragement).

18: Suitable for ages 18 and older. May contain graphic violence, including "violence towards defenseless people" and "multiple, motiveless killing", strong language, strong sexual content, gambling, drug use (glamorisation), or discrimination.

What is PEGI online? What does PEGI online regulate? An addition to the PEGI system for online games and aims to give young people in Europe improved protection against unsuitable online gaming content and to educate parents on how to ensure safe online play.

ASA

What is the ASA's mission? “To ensure that advertising in all media is legal, decent, honest and truthful, to the benefit of consumers, business and society.”

What are the ASA's values? To be:

·          Consistent and proportionate

·          Reliable and ethical

·          Fair and respectful to all

·          Accessible and helpful

·          Intelligent and thorough, but also timely and proportionate

·          Open and accountable, acting with integrity and never being afraid to admit when we’re wrong

·          An excellent team, inspiring excellence in each other

Rulings section of the website. This is where the ASA reports on recent complaints and whether they upheld the complaint or rejected it.

The company that was advertising: Marlow Foods Ltd

Why someone complained: The complainant challenged whether the comparative nutrition claim "80% less saturated fat" complied with the EU Register of Health and Nutrition Claims for Foods.

Whether the complaint was upheld and why: Not upheld because Marlow Foods had intended the claim to be understood as a comparison between Quorn mince and lean beef mince. It was considered that the purpose of the Quorn mince featured in the ad, as the main part of a meal, meant it was an alternative to meat, and so it was valid to compare its nutritional properties to meat.