1. Learning Objectives:
• Understand what to revise and how to
revise it for the ‘Institutions and
Audiences’ section of the exam.

2. How to answer a question
• Plan: Aim for 5 paragraphs, including an
introductions and conclusion.
• Make sure you include a variety of different
games to support your points/ ideas: LA Noire,
Red Dead Redemption; Just Dance 1/2/3;
GTA; Manhunt; iPhone games; Other game(s)
of your choice. Two games is an absolute
minimum.
• Intro: Explain which industry and which
institutions you are going to discuss in a brief
introduction. (e.g. videogames, Ubisoft and
Rockstar).

3. 1. Link your response to the question. Use key words
from the question throughout – especially at the start
of each paragraph.
3. Use a wide range of technical terms (convergence,
synergy, vertical and horizontal integration, streaming,
social networking, etc).
5. Mention specific audiences and how they are targeted
-through age/ gender/ time era/ taste/ lifestyle/ location
-do British audiences prefer British media? Is this a
misconception? Consider differences in advertising.
7. Mention the threat of digital technology to all
institutions: Growth of internet; Downloading/ live
streaming/ file sharing; Piracy; DLC; Cost/ inflation/
credit crunch

4. Key question areas
• Media ownership
• Recent technology
• Audiences
• Advertising/ Marketing
• Hardware

5. Media ownership
• Budgets allow companies to reach a larger audience
through marketing.
• Low- budget, low- quality, home produced games have
become incredibly successful in recent years – zero
distribution costs mean that low selling costs can still
mean high profits.
• Institutions’ profits are at risk from piracy.
• Large institutions are under threat from cheap, low- fi,
downloadable games.
• Large institutions at risk of being sued (e.g. Jack
Thompson suing Rockstar for pretty much every single
game they released.).
• Large institutions also responsible for censorship issues
(e.g. Manhunt 2 had to be cut so it would be released,
Hot Coffee and $28m loss)

6. Recent technology
• Graphics and production values have improved. (e.g.
RAGE).
• Latest software is used heavily in marketing (e.g. for
designing high-concept film posters and trailers, phone
apps., online marketing, facebook, etc.)
• The internet: File-sharing and piracy are growing issues
because the software exists to take the protective
encryption off games. Internet enables people to make
and share copies easily. Worldwide release dates are
getting closer to each other to counteract piracy.
• The internet is also key in building up a sense of
audience community: You Tube, answering videos,
audience participation.
• iPhones / iPads etc. and their impact on gaming.

7. Audiences
• How do you consume videogames?
(Socially, either via console networks or
physically with someone, individually, etc.)
• How do you access/ purchase games?
• Do you use streaming sites, etc?
• Identify trends and consider where the
audience trends are going in the near
future.

8. Advertising/ Marketing
• Impact of technology
• Differences in UK/ US advertising
• Note that ‘Just Dance’ ads are significantly
different, whereas ‘Red Dead’ cinema trailers
were the same. What does this suggest about
audiences?
• Increase in ‘trailer style’ cinema ads.
• Use of social networking sites (e.g. Just Dance
facebook group) to access key audiences.

9. Hardware
• Improved hardware to allow for better graphics,
internet connections and DLC.
• X-Box Kinect goes further – massive disk space
required to remember you.
• Improved hardware means greater cost,
potentially alienating audiences.
• Issues with hardware can be devastating (e.g.
PS3 launched late due to problems, lots of faults
in units. Sales have never caught up with X-Box.
Still no launch date for PS4.
• Cheaper hardware with multiple purposes (e.g.
phones) opens up gaming to new markets.

10. Essay plan – spend 4 minutes
considering how you would approach the
following question.
Remember – 5 paragraphs, including an
intro and conclusion.
To what extent is production,
marketing and distribution
important for an institution's
success in the British
marketplace?

11. 2. Production
- Hardware production – timing, quality – e.g. PS3. Impact on sales
– failure to recover. Continued impact (e.g. delayed PS4)
- Software – impact on production – e.g Red Dead Revolver
unsuccessful due to poor production values. Red Dead
Redemption delayed until better technology developed (RAGE)
and was consequently a critical and commercial success.
Similarly, appeal of other Rockstar games is the verisimilitude.
3. Marketing
- Red Dead and cinema trailers / billboards – presented the game
as cinematic. Appeal to a mature, masculine audience.
Emphasis on impressive graphics and immersive experience.
Same in US and UK.
- Conversely, Just Dance advertising focuses on experience, with
little focus on gameplay (poor quality graphics). UK ads for Just
Dance 2 presented game as mixed- gender, grown- up fun.
(Compare to US ads) Online advertising more aimed at
younger, female audience – establishing community, uploading
videos.
4. Distribution
- massive distribution costs for physical product. Reduced by DLC –
institutions can charge similar price for not a physical product –
massively increased profit margins.
- Also seen in success and profits of simple iPhone games.

12. Now complete another 5-part plan
for the following question.
You have 5 minutes.
• Explore some of the ways in which new
technologies have had an impact on a media
industry you have studied.
• What has the impact of increased connectivity
been on the media production, distribution and
exhibition process?
• How important is technological convergence for
institutions and audiences within a media area
which you have studied?