COMPONENT 1, SECTION B: GAMING

‘POKÉMON GO’ (AUDIENCE)

Exam exemplar questions: Audiences

4. (a) What type of game is Pokémon Go? [1 Marks]

(b) Identify two different target audiences for Pokémon Go. [2 Marks]

(c) Choose one of these audiences. Briefly explain two marketing strategies the producers of Pokémon Go have used to target this audience. [4 Marks]

In Question 4(d), you will be rewarded for drawing together knowledge and understanding from across your full course of study, including different

areas of the theoretical framework and media contexts.

(d) Explain how players of Pokémon Go can be described as‘active audiences’. [11 Marks]

BAND 5 TERMS BANK:

Uses and gratificationsPick ‘N’ Mix theory

Active V Passive Audiences Convergence Theory

ABC1/ C2DEFandom

BAND 4 TERMS BANK:

AOGRESynergy

Cross- Media platformsMulti-platform media

Old MediaNew Media

BAND 3 TERMS BANK:

Platforms E-Media

Broadcast Print

Gamership

Initial thoughts/ Essay plan: Feel free to bullet point, draw or brainstorm your ideas!

POKÉMON GO FOR THAT LV9: REMEMBER, ON THE GCSE EXAM IT IS A MINUTE A MARK. QUESTIONS 4A, B, C AND D APPEAR ON

SECTION B OF THE EXAM. THERE ARE 18 MARKS UP FOR GRABS, SO YOU SHOULD SPEND 18 MINUTES ON THIS SECTION.

REMEMBER, POKEMON GO POPS UP IN SECTION B OF COMPONENT ONE.

THE FULL EXAM IS 1 HOUR AND 30 MINS. YOU ARE EXPECTED TO SPEND A MINUTE A

MARK ON EACH QUESTION!

GOTTA USE THEM ALL: USE THE MARK SCHEME AND INDICATIVE CONTENT TO INFORM YOUR NOTES AND

ULTIMATELY YOUR RESPONSE FOR THOSE HIGHER BAND QUESTIONS/ MARKS.

I have only given you the Indicative content and the

criteria for Questions 4C and 4D, as the criteria

gives away the exact answers.

If you need any additional help, feel free to use the Help File at the back but try

to stretch yourself!

4D Exemplar: Feel free to use this to help you but remember, unlike Pikachu and Ash, I will not be there to accompany you on

the day of the exam.

Explain how players of Pokémon Go can be described as ‘active audiences’. [11 Marks]

POINT= Firstly, one may argue that the Gamership of ‘Pokémon Go’ can be described as being active audiences, for a variety of

reasons.

EVIDENCE= For instance, the game by its very nature requires the user to be active as it is an Augmented Reality game that relies

upon GPS and movement. The gamer must interact with the App taking instructions and throwing Poke balls to catch various

Pokémon.

EXPLAIN= This juxtaposes other games on platforms such as gaming consoles, where it could be argued that although

audiences are engaging with the text, they are sat passively playing as opposed to the physical walking involved with that of ‘Pokémon Go’ and the mental concentration to decode encoded

commands presented within the game.Once you have planned your response using the above resources, write all four parts under timed conditions. You will have 18 minutes from start to

finish and I expect the holy trinity of Media critical analysis to be observed:

Connectives at the start of each paragraph cover your back (one may argue etc.) and inverted commas on ‘Pokémon Go’. Remember, 4A and 4B are

worth limited marks so only need a sentence or two. You will not need to write an extended response/ cover your back on these!

HELP FILE: IF THE ABOVE QUESTION HAS STUMPED YOU, USE THIS SLIDE AS A LAST RESORT. FOR ANY OF THE BAND

TERMS ON PAGE 1, USE THE MEDIA GLOSSARIES IN YOUR BOOK!

EXAMINER EXPECTATIONS

Video games: Pokémon Go Learners should have knowledge and understanding of Pokémon Go as a contemporary augmented reality game in terms of the relevant video games industry and

audience issues it illustrates. In order to develop this awareness, learners should consider selected key pages from the Pokémon website, including the homepage and at least two other pages

chosen by the centre. Extracts from the game may be considered to illustrate industry and audience issues.

BAND FIVE THEORIST ALERT: STUART HALL A passive audience is one that enters a film and simply seeks out the film for

entertainment. They see no deeper meaning or intended meaning from the director, with regards to the text. The film literally washes over them. For

example, when you walk out of a film and say, “Wow, the action was great in that film!”

An active audience will look deeper into how the film is constructed. They will most likely know a substantial amount about how the film was made, other films in the franchise, the director’s previous work, the genre to which the film belongs

to. They will look more at socio/political and historical contexts of the film and not simply see the film as a product made for mass consumption. For example,

“Did you notice the homages made to previous films in Jurassic World? I like how the film made reference to the previous films in the genre, yet stayed original”.

Young boys / young men Teenagers

18-24 year olds Fans of the Pokémon franchise in other media forms – the film for example

Fans of Nintendo Fans of mobile app games Fans of social networking

Fans of new technologies such as virtual reality Fans of brands linked to Pokémon Go as sponsored locations (such as McDonald’s)

Any valid target audiences should be credited. Valid responses should be credited for this part of the question regardless of whether the same audience is used for responses to part (c).

SOME HELP FROM THE EXAMINER MARKING CRITERIA THAT I DID NOT GIVE

YOU ON PAGE 2 FOR QUESTION 4B.