GTA V

Video Games – Case Study

Today you will LEARN:

To research and develop a focus on the

importance of Institutions in Video Games, with

specific reference to ‘GTA V’.

Why ? To improve your research and presentation skills and reflect on your knowledge of a key concept relating to the games industry.

You can …….evaluate the usefulness of your research into institutions, contrast it to case studies when selecting material to plan an essay response.

.

Progress will be demonstrated by showing

You can …….researchand identify the key features of institutions in relation to contemporary video games.

You can …….evaluatethe usefulness of your research into games institutions & that of the case studies in creating your own sophisticated written response to the industry / games issue.

GTA V – What do you know?

• Watch the various videos.

1. What do you think the various genres are that the game employs?

2. What makes the narrative of this game different from previous games, and others in this genre?

3. From the extracts what can you say about representation issues?

GTA V - Background

• Official Trailer:• http://youtu.be/hvoD7ehZPcM

• Gameplay Trailer:• http://youtu.be/N-xHcvug3WI

• History of the GTA Franchise• http://youtu.be/6xhY9LSGbNk

• GTA V – First Heist Walkthrough• GTA V First heist playthrough video

GTA V – What do you know?

4. What can you say about the game’s production values from the videos?

5. As a form of marketing, how important do you think these videos are?

6. What is significant about this being number 5 in a franchise?

7. Who do you think is the target audience for GTA 5? What makes you say this?

Today you will LEARN:

To research and develop a focus on the

importance of Institutions in Video Games, with

specific reference to ‘GTA V’.

Why ? To improve your research and presentation skills and reflect on your knowledge of a key concept relating to the games industry.

You can …….evaluate the usefulness of your research into institutions, contrast it to case studies when selecting material to plan an essay response.

.

Progress will be demonstrated by showing

You can …….researchand identify the key features of institutions in relation to contemporary video games.

You can …….evaluatethe usefulness of your research into games institutions & that of the case studies in creating your own sophisticated written response to the industry / games issue.

GTA V - Background

• Grand Theft Auto is one of the most famous / infamous game franchises in the recent history of video games.

• It is made by Rockstar North, a UK game company who have branched out across the world due to the success of this franchise.

• GTA is applauded for its freeform gameplay, its attention to detail and how much fun it is to play.

• It is also infamous for its misogynistic representation of women, racism, and its casual attitude to violence.

GTA V – background.

• Since its launch in 2001 the GTA franchise has been set in fictional settings modelled on American cities, usually either Liberty City, Vice City, or San Andreas, which are stand-ins for New York City, Miami, and Southern California. The current game is set in Los Santos, based on Los Angeles.

• The franchise games are based on the main characters having to rise in the criminal underworld in order to overcome events in their past. The gameplay revolves around combat, racing and criminal activities.

• To date the franchise has sold over 150 million copies of its games across a range of platforms.

GTA V - Genre

• GTA V is a third person action-adventure game. It is frequently referred to as a sandbox game as the gameplay allows you, and encourages you to free-roam around the environment.

• The game relies heavily on the crime genre for its flavour, with robberies, drug dealing, street racing and gun battles being typical elements of the gameplay.

GTA V – Genre

• The game differs from others in the franchise, in that you are not restricted to a single player. You play one of three protagonists who work together. The game prompts you to switch characters in order to progress, and you can elect to change character when it suits you.

• Like a roleplaying game, character progression and skill development is an integral part of the game.

GTA V - Narrative

• GTA V uses familiar Rockstar narrative devices, past misdeeds catching up with the player forcing them back into a life of crime. Antagonists range from rival criminals to manipulative government agencies.

• The characters are involved in increasingly difficult missions until they are forced into a showdown, either against each other, or the forces manipulating them.

GTA V - Narrative

• GTA V also allows the characters to create their own narratives.

• You can avoid the linear narrative, which also encourages you to explore the world and indulge your own interests.

• You can also cooperatively create narratives with other players, either via co-op campaign or via GTA Online, and play with others.

Today you will LEARN:

To research and develop a focus on the

importance of Institutions in Video Games, with

specific reference to ‘GTA V’.

Why ? To improve your research and presentation skills and reflect on your knowledge of a key concept relating to the games industry.

You can …….evaluate the usefulness of your research into institutions, contrast it to case studies when selecting material to plan an essay response.

.

Progress will be demonstrated by showing

You can …….researchand identify the key features of institutions in relation to contemporary video games.

You can …….evaluatethe usefulness of your research into games institutions & that of the case studies in creating your own sophisticated written response to the industry / games issue.

Representation

• What issues surround this franchise and this game in particular in relation to representation?

• Is the controversy a positive or negative factor in relation to its success?

GTA V - Representation

• Much has been said about the representation of the characters.

• All of the leads are male, prone to violence, deceit and are said to glamorous criminal life styles.

• The representation of women has often been commented on with one apt quote saying: "every female in the game exists solely to be sneered, leered or laughed at“.

GTA V - Production

• Rockstar North began to develop Grand Theft Auto V in 2009, following the release of Grand Theft Auto IV and included a team of more than 1,000 people.

• The game runs on the Rockstar Advanced Game Engine (RAGE), along with Euphoria and Bullet software which give the game its superior look and feel.

• The game was released at the end of 2013 , with analyst estimations placing the game's combined development and marketing budget at more than £170 million (US $265 million), which would make it the most expensive game ever made at that time.

GTA V - Production

• Rockstar North continued to make more content for the game with a range of DLC coming out in 2014.

• Later in 2014 a re-mastered version was released for the PS4 and Xbox One, with better quality graphics, and greater attention to detail. A similar re-mastered version was released for the PC in 2015.

GTA V – Distribution & Exhibition• Within one day, Grand Theft Auto V made over $800 million in

worldwide revenue. Three days after release, the game had surpassed one billion dollars in sales, making it the fastest selling entertainment product in history.

• On 7 October 2013, the game became the best-selling digital release on PlayStation Store for PlayStation 3, breaking the previous record set by The Last of Us.

• A digital version was released on 18 October for the Xbox 360,which went on to become the highest grossing day-one and week-one release on Xbox Live.

• It broke many records for fastest selling game to get to $1 billion etc. In August 2014, the game had sold over 34 million copies for PS3 and Xbox 360. As of 2016 it has sold over 60 million copies and generated over $2 billion.

GTA V – Marketing & Promotion

• Rockstar spent an estimated $265 million on production and marketing GTA V.

• The company funded a massive mainstream marketing campaign that produced a lot of high profile mainstream marketing to hit a wider audience than its target audience of hardcoregamers and GTA fans.

• A massive viral campaign.• Read the attached article “Rockstar Games – GTA

5 Guerrilla Marketing” and feedback on what were the key techniques that were employed.

GTA V – Marketing & PromotionHigh Visibility Marketing

Front page adverts on leading console & PC magazines. Opinion Leaders.

GTA V – Marketing & Promotion

• Rockstar spent an estimated $265 million on production and marketing GTA V.

• Massive viral campaign was employed that employed parodies of social media companies that they were employing themselves, in a “knowing”, nudge-nudge manner: Facebook / LifeInvader and Twitter / Bleeter.

• The game’s online community was directly addressed via YouTube trailers and via the Rockstarwebsite, the Social Club, and also in the game’s crossover websites.

GTA V & Social MediaFacebook & Twitter

Life Invader & Bleeter

Engaging the online gaming community

http://www.rockstargames.com/videos/video/8001

Engaging the online gaming community

GTA V - Regulation

• Rockstar games had courted controversy and with a hefty slice of adult content, violence and criminal activity, GTA V got its Certificate 18 rating and M for mature rating in the States firmly fixing it as an adult game.

• That said, its audience / players were often notoriously under that age.

• Does this rating negatively impact on game sales?

GTA V – Global Impact

• Massive hit that broke most records associated with video games, the GTA franchise continues to build on its successes, and looks set to continue to perform massively well around the world.

• Does this success build success? If so how?

Target Audience

• Build a target audience profile and try to bring in as many audience theories as possible.

GTA V – Target Audience

• With its sexist tag, its use of violence and fascination with crime, strip clubs and fast cars, the game is firmly aimed at male gamers.

• To some degree the game fits into the stereotypical hardcore gamer audience, with its sandbox play-style, but it also fits into the current fascination for gangster culture that is popular in music, film and television too.

GTA V – Audience Positioning

• The audience are given a choice as to who they most associate with.

• With three criminals, one Michael De Santa, a family man in a Witness Protection Programme;

• Another, Trevor Phillips, a burnt-out middle aged psychopath;

• Another, Franklin Clinton, a 20 year old African-American wanting to make it big and escape the ‘hood;

• The players are given a range of characters to identify with. Notable is the lack of female protagonists.

GTA V – Interaction & Debates

• The game has sparked a massive debate about Sexism. As ever Rockstar are not apologetic saying that’s the world the game is set in.

• Torture is another aspect of the game that has caused controversy.

• Many in game Characters are said to have been based on real people (like Lindsay Lohan) who have complained and tried to sue Rockstar.

• What have been the results of these controversies?