1. Media Audiences
GTA4 : Applying the Uses and Gratifications Model

2.  Learning objectives: To have applied the Uses
and Gratifications Model (1974) to GTA4
 Learning outcomes: To have textual evidence to
support understanding

3.  What do we mean by demographic profile?
 What about psychographic profile?

5.  Reinforcing Personal Identity
 Companionship and interaction
 Information
 Entertainment and diversion

6.  Character of Nico Bellic is an ‘outsider’ (illegal
immigrant)
 A force of good in an evil world
 Doing the ‘right thing’
 Cynical view of consumerism and mindless
patriotism
 Police and authority as corrupt
 Living in a ‘broken’ society

7.  Identification with characters who have a similar
personality/role, ie. Nico
 Discussion with others over such a popular game.
Heavy marketing and media coverage of its
release and controversy guaranteed popularity (6
million copies sold world wide after first week of
release. £24.4 Million on day one in UK alone.
That was half the budget)

8.  America as a place of mass consumerism which
needs to be criticised
 Satire on American idealism: the dreams and
aspirations of Niko and Roman defeated by
Xenophobia, crime and consumerism.
e.g. Burger Shot (the ‘deadly’ effect of fast food),
Pisswasser imported beer (disregard for ‘non-
American’ products/ideas), Patriot Beer
(Nationalism)

9.  A release from the everyday pressures: freedom to
act in world without social and moral boundaries
 A narrative which borrows from cinema (another
‘escapist’ medium), in particular the ‘rise to power ‘
narrative found in gangster movies. Iconography in
the game also borrows from this genre. Intertextual
references to film, eg Goodfellas (1990) in marketing
and Heat (1995) during the bank robbery sequence.

10.  Question: Explain how audiences can respond
differently to the same media text

11. 1. Say what you are going to discuss (i.e video games, in particular
GTA4 (2008). You will also make reference to Manhunt 2 (2007)
and Red Dead Redemption (2010) (all Rockstar Games).
2. Provide some analysis of GTA4 making clear what the nature of
the game is and its stylistic influences (i.e. film genre). Use the
Uses and Gratifications model (1974) for this . The article from
The Observer will also help here.
3. Create an argument using the audience models for how the
target audience would respond.
4. Discuss Manhunt 2 and concerns raised about this game (refer
to the articles published by BBC News and Edge Magazine (both
2007).
5. Offer a conclusions which gives some of your own views
(informed by what you have learned).
REMEMBER! Always use media terminology when analysing texts.
MIGRAIN.