Assassin's Creed: Valhalla Flashcards
(73 cards)
1
Q
What is the video game doing that is unlike any other industry? (film,magazine)
A
Rapidly expanding
2
Q
Where are video games most culturally and financially significant
A
Japan, Europe,USA
3
Q
In 2021 what was the valued estimate for the video games market? what was it in 2012
A
2021=$138.4 billion
2012=$52.8 billion
4
Q
What is the fasted growing area of videogames
A
mobile gaming
5
Q
Whats the only form of gaming dominated by female players
A
mobile gaming 53% of players
6
Q
What do 44% of console gamers have
A
children- console is the hub of the family home used for gaming on watching content
7
Q
what is the global games market worth?
A
$365 billion in 2023
8
Q
whats there a growth of
A
mobile games free to play revenue model
9
Q
how many global assassin’s creed purchases were there in 2021
A
155 million
10
Q
How many games did AC Valhalla sell its its first week
A
November 2020- 1.7 million
11
Q
Where could AC be played
A
Playstation 4 and 5 and a PC Xbox
12
Q
when was AC valhalla released worldwide
A
10th November 2020
13
Q
What year is AC Valhalla Set?
A
873 AD- Viking invasion of England
14
Q
was AC a previously successful franchise- what does this offer
A
Yes- a pre sold audience
15
Q
Other historical settings that AC has had
A
Ancient Greece, Ancient Roman Empire, Third Crusade
16
Q
what is AC Valhalla regarding major installment and releases
A
13th Major Installment
22nd release
17
Q
How is Valhalla the first AC game to reach the ‘new generation’
A
first AC game on the PS5 and Xbox Series X
18
Q
what did AC Valhalla do
A
sell more copies on it’s first week of release than any other AC game
19
Q
What is the approx budget for AC Valhalla
A
£500 million
20
Q
how many copies is it est to have sold in it’s first week alone
A
1.7 million
21
Q
how many studios and how many ppl worked on it
A
14 studios
over 1000 people
22
Q
what is a triple A
A
High production values, larger budgets- distributed by a mid size or major publisher
23
Q
what was AC vALAHHA developed by
A
Ubisoft Montreal
24
Q
What is Ac Valahhhla
A
Open world, stealth, action adventure
25
where does AC rank in the top 50 highest grossing global franchise
29th- $4 billion
26
how has digital technology shaped the landscape of video game development
crowdfunding- players of a videogame pay to back the developers efforts of a game- alternative method
27
what have spin off games been created for? Name a few
Nindendo DS, Playstation Portable, Playstation Vita, Windows Phone Platforms, IOS
28
who have spin off games been developed by
gameloft, cryptonite studios, ubisoft montreal
29
what has the video game series been expanded to
film, comics and novels, all take place in the same community as the original games
30
how does industry ownership effect video game production
domination of the big 10- Oligopoly limits indie game developers and competition
31
what do dominant game developers have
high budgets and high production values
32
What does being part of multinationals with many subsidiaries result in
- keeps production 'in house' and part of a vertical structure, products are produced across the multinational subsidiaries
33
what does dominance limit
creativity- the AC titles are formulaic
34
what do large values have the ability to work with
major platforms- Sony, Microsoft to utilise synergetic relationships through digital convergence
35
what do Indie producers need to do
utilise different strategies to target a niche audience before they find their place in the Industry- EG Minecraft
36
Marketing- Valhalla social media art reveal
Marketing began on Ubisoft's Twitter- Ubisoft on it's social media platform announced fans could tune into a livestream on 30th April 2020. To see the live reveal of the next AC game setting
The reveal was in the style of an 8 hour long art demonstration- an innovative and creative way of showing fans the next AC setting
37
how did uBISOFT follow standard marketing practices
realsed various cinematic and gameplay trailors
38
How many veiws did the cinematic world release rack up in 10 days
100 million on YT
39
what did the gameplay trailor introduce
female protaganist
40
why was the cinematic trailer re release
to feature the female protagonist
41
what happened alongside these trailers
lots of other videos were published in connection with various gaming websites such as IGN.com
These often features Q and As with members of the development team or focused on one aspect of the game such as the soundtrack
42
what did social media platforms present producers and developers with
Opportunities to quickly engage with small, niche pockets of their target audience-
Put up posts for animal fans and ran a greetings from England series to appeal to a British Audience
43
what did Sony state in 2020
51% of PS4 game sales in 2020 were digital
44
what is DLC Referred to As
advanced pre-order bonuses such as season passes
45
Benefits for audiences for digital purchases
easily accessible, instant after purchase
46
different editions were made available
hesmondhalg- minimise risk and maximise profit
can access different games depending on budget- collectors edition for a niche edition whereas standard and gold for the mainstream player
47
what does the AC Valhalla website have
'build your own viking' 'photomode' and the option to buy the game, links to social media- navigation bar- news and videos
48
Echoes of Valhalla- Podcast
offers first immersive historical documentary podcast- comedians and expects re construct scenes retelling stories of vikings to listen to on spotify
49
what did AC Valhalla have a synergy with
Rebook 'like a viking'
50
what was there option to win the AC and Reebok synergy
R4 000 X Reebok Hamper X and X Box Series X
51
what are ubisoft's familar tropes that are familiar to the brand
- historical setting
- fantasy cover art
-familiar fonts- similar regulation of PEGI 18
52
WHO USED TO REGULATE VIDEO GAMES BEFORE 2012
BBFC
53
WHO NOW REGULATES VIDEO GAMES
Pan European Game Information
54
Forms of physical marketing for AC Val
- soundtrack EP release
- Shoes
- T-shirts
- tie in graphic novels
- collectable art statues
- AC Valhalla stickers in the Ubisoft store
55
How does the marketing campaign for Valhalla minimise risk and maximise profit
- repitition
repetition to the franchise- repetition of generic elements. White Background, faded mise en scene and a hooded protagonist
56
How does the marketing campaign for V minimise risk and maximise profit- gameplay
The gameplay trailer- the stealth, based action game. Neither cinematic nor gameplay indicate any major changes. Employs convention of action films and a strong film-like narrative that will appeal to mass audiences
57
How does the marketing campaign for V minimise risk and maximise profit- Intertextual references
strong references to the Amazon series
'THE VIKINGS'
58
where can you play Valhalla- what does it do
minimise risk and maximise profit
- Valhalla can be played on a variety of platforms PC, PS4, PS5, X BOX 1, X BOX series X
59
what niche audience does it appeal to
previous AC fans
60
what does the marketing of 'all new missions' achieve?
minimise risk and maximise profit
allow superfans who have bought previous games to have an incentive to purchase Valhalla
61
What is it common industry practice to do
re release games to more popular consoles
multi-platform release minimises risk but also limits exclusivity
62
what elements suggest a high production value achieved through a high budget
minimise risk and maximise profit
- trailer shares conventions of a high budget hollywood film
- Extra diegetic voice over narration
- action codes
- high quality orchestral soundtrack
- high quality graphics/locations/animations
63
what have Ubisoft Montreal done previously
developed successful AC games
64
what are video games ratings under UK Law
MANDATORY
65
What is the GRA and what do they do
Games rating authority- which is part of the video standards council rates games using a PEGI system. Games which carry a rating above 12, 16 or 18 cannot be sold to persons below that bar
66
what did 2015 UKIE study reveal
only 2 out of 5 parents buy their children age appropriate games meaning over half of the adults surveyed bought their children age appropriate games
-
67
what else did the 2015 UKIE
24% of parents did not check/examen ratings as they believed all games/ game content should be suitable for children
68
what criteria are games rated on via PEGI
- Discrimination
- Violence
- Bad Language
- drugs
-gambling
- sex
-in game purchases
- fear
69
age ratings
3,7,12,16,18
70
Why is AC Valhalla an 18
- players use stealth to discreetly kill human targets- sometimes without a motive
- players use swords, axes, arrows and siege weapons to kill multiple enemies ( soldiers or mythic boss characters) in frenetic melee style combat
- combat is highlighted by screams of pain, decapitation, blood splatters with organs, limbs- zoomed in sequences from the players blade
- players can engage in a drinking contest
- reference to psychedelics- sequences of on screen colour distortion and impaired movements after character consumes mushrooms or fumes and dialogue that matches ' I may still be buzzing from these mushrooms
71
why is AC Valhalla an 18- continued
- sexual content: mission taking place in a brothel, topless women straddling men
- a character agreeing to 'laywith' a man- kissing occurs before the screen goes black
- frequent strong language
- characters tortured while they are unable to escape
72
livingstone and lunt
Media is difficult to regulate in the online age- downloadable content
- risk of user addition
-protecting children from vulnerable content
- breach of regulations
73
