Assignment 1: Task 1 - Video Game Industry Structure and Ownership

Video Game Industry

Structure and Ownership 

Research

My Research: Here is the research that I gathered for the structure and ownership of the game industry.

Developing top of the range computer games titles now involves large teams of people and costs millions of pounds. It begins with market research and development in national and international operations.

Teams of people then work to produce design documents from which all the elements that make up the final game are drawn and which sets down all possible paths the games can take players and any of the mechanics of actual game play that are relevant. If the game has story or narrative elements scripting and story-boarding also takes place.

Video Game Industry:
Video game industry is also referred to as Interactive Entertainment Industry.
The video game industry has grown since the mid-1970's from focused markets to mainstream markets.

Interactive Entertainment: The phrase interactive entertainment refers to the business of producing and distributing products and services, of which the entertainment value (or outcomes) can be influenced by users through direct feedback.
The interactive media sector is worth several billion pounds, and employs over 34,000 people. Interactive media is increasingly becoming a part of everyday life

Game Industry Value Chain:

The game value chain is made up of six layers that are connected and distinct:

1. Capital & Publishing Layers: This part of the chain is involved in paying for the development of new game titles
2. Product & Talent: This layer includes the developers, designers and the artists of the games who may have individual contracts or are part of an in-house development team.
3. Production & Tools Layer: This layer focuses on the generation of production tools, game development, custom game engines and production management tools.
4. Distribution Layer: This layer is involved in the generating and marketing of games for retail and online distribution.
5. Hardware Layer: This layer is the providers of the underlining platform.
6. End Users Layer: This is the users playing the game.

Practices In The UK: The UK game industry is the third largest in the world. Some of the companies in the UK have been bought out by other companies. Before the tax relief was introduced there was fear that the UK would fall behind on other leading games companies.

Video Game Companies:
The 5 main game companies are:

• Activision: American video game publishing company, founded October 1st 1979 and was the world's first independent developer and distributor of video games for games consoles.
• Electronic Arts: Electronic Arts, headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world's biggest interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the company develops, publishes and distributes software worldwide for PCs and consoles.
• Nintendo: Is a Japanese multinational consumer electronics company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. Nintendo is the world's largest video game company by revenue. Founded on September 23, 1889
• Sony: Its diversified business is primarily focused on the electronics, game, entertainment and financial services sectors. The company is one of the leading manufacturers of electronic products for the consumer and professional markets.
• Capcom: Is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million game series'.

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Video Game Development:
 Video game development is the process of creating a video game. Development is undertaken by a game developer, which may range from one person to a large business.
Around the 1990's, video games systems became more modernized and easier to use. Games became more complex and realistic looking because of better graphics technology.
Video games then became more popular with children. In the early 2000's, video games reached high popularity. Many games series' became popular cultural icons much like TV shows, such as Halo and Grand Theft Auto. Younger people started seeing video games as a regular activity to do like watching films is.

One of the most important sectors in media, some popular computer games have been recorded to break records in sales for entertainment products. The computer game industry is firmly established as a major part in the UK’s modern-day media landscape. It consists of just under 9,000 employees, with approximately 220 business classed as game developers.

There is many different areas in the gaming industry and a lot of job roles within these sections.

Some examples of these areas are:
There so many different areas in the Gaming industry and loads of job roles within each section, some examples of this would be; Game Designer sector has a range of jobs from Lead designer to Mao builder to Graphic designer, Art & Animation section ranges from Creative Manager to Concept Artist to 3-D Modeler,Programming section has roles ranging from Lead programmer to System Analyst, Server Architect.




http://georgeburrellunit7.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/task-1-understand-structure-and.html
http://prezi.com/zhetcguu5ujl/undersanding-the-structure-and-ownership-of-the-media-sector/
http://eedonh.blogspot.co.uk/p/lo1-understand-structure-and-ownership.html
http://twood95.wordpress.com/2011/11/25/structure-and-ownership-in-the-media-industries/






Partner's Research: Here is the research that my partner has gathered about certain areas of the game industry.

The video game industry starts off with the creators, who think of the ideas that go into the games. They then pass on those ideas to the designers, who make the game according to how the creators want it to be made, putting in their own 2 cents along the way. After the game is made, it will go onto the testers, who test the game and make sure there are no bugs or glitches in the game so when it goes on sale to the public, they can play the game according to how the creators intended.

The players are able to interact whilst playing some games. They will be able to take turns, play split screen on the same console, or play online in other houses and communicate using a wired/wireless headset.

The players are able to play on a wide range of consoles, all with their own accessories. If the player favours Xbox (made by Microsoft) they will be able to purchase the Xbox One, which comes with the Kinect motion sensor, which allows the player to play without using the controller (IE they are the controller). If the player favours PlayStation (made by Sony) they will be able to use the PlayStation Move feature, which allows the player to control what goes on the screen with a remote by pointing to the screen and guiding around. If the player prefers the Wii (made by Nintendo) they will have endless accessories such as the Wii U, Wii Fit, Dance Mat, Sing star microphones and the nunchuku add on.

Assignment 1: Task 1 - Film Industry Structure and Ownership Research

The Big Six:

1. Disney: Disney owns: Touchstone, Miramax, Pixar Animation Studios, Buena Vista International, Marvel, Lucasfilm. Worldwide. Founded October 16 1923. Owns many radios, TV Channels.
2. General Electric (GE)/Vivendi: Owns: Universal, Working Title. Biggest music producer in the world, worked with Katy Perry. Online. Universal Theme Park and Universal Studios, receive large amount of revenue. Money from rides promotes films. Jaws, ET. Working Title: Comedy films. Notting Hill, Hot Fuzz.
3. Viacom: Owns: Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks, Paramount Classics, MTV Films, Nickelodeon Movies, Paramount Home Entertainment. Created in December 2005 as a spin-off of CBS. 5th largest broadcasting cable company. 7 Million subscribers. Short for Video, Audio communication.
4. Time Warner: Owns: Warner Bros. Pictures, HBO, AOL, CNN, New Line Cinema, Castle Rock, Warner Bros. International Cinemas, Time Magazine, DC Comics, NME, In Style Magazine. Harry Potter, Looney Toons, Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit. Proposed a merge with Comcast, Buys up many small things to build itself up. Jeff Bukes: Chairman, Chief Executive.
5. CBS: Owns no distinct film companies, however, you may recognise CBS as distributers for CSI and Everybody Loves Raymond.
6. News Corp: Owns: Fox Searchlight Pictures, 20th Century Fox Entertainment, Fox Music, Various other Fox branches across the World including: The Sun, The Times, The New York Post, 7.5% of ITV, 39.1% of SKY Rupert Murdock started in the Newspaper industry and bought more then went into TV.

CBS

CBS stands for Columbia Broadcasting System
Broadcast, radio and television network
National broadcaster (Broadcasts everywhere in America)
Slogan: "America's Most Watched Network"
Headquarters: CBS Building- New York City
Current Owner CBS Corporation
Leslie Moonves (Chairman of CBS)
Launch date: 1927
Motto: "Only CBS"
Former Names: United Independent Broadcasters (1927)
Columbia Phonographic Broadcasting System (1927–1928)
Columbia Broadcasting System (1928–1995 in official usage)



Media Ownership:
Whereby less and less companies/media giants own more and more of the market share of the media. Where companies grow through mergers or buying smaller or struggling companies out, they effectively create an oligopoly in the media industry.


The good side of Media Ownership is that if a certain film wants to use a song from someone in the same company then the film company would be able to use this song without having to pay the person who sang this song. For example if Universal wanted a Katy Perry song they could used it if they were both part of Universal or General Electric. Another good example is Time Warner owning DC Comics which gives them the rights to make a film without needing permission. Also if a film is bad then a newspaper or magazine from the same company can make the film sound good and make people watch the movie giving the company more money.


The bad side of Media Ownership is if a newspaper does something bad then other newspapers could go down with the newspaper just as bad because they are both linked together which could have a huge money drop for these companies. An example of this is News of the World, when it had problems these may have affected the company that owns it and the other newspapers that the same company owned. Another bad thing is that The other companies could lose the money that they need to get people to trust them again.


Conglomerates:
Giant companies owning others (through mergers or purchases) in a wide range of industries and maintaining a commercial edge in doing so. A corporation that is made up of a number of different, seemingly unrelated businesses. In a conglomerate, one company owns a controlling stake in a number of smaller companies, which conduct business separately. Each of a conglomerate's subsidiary businesses runs independently of the other business divisions, but the subsidiaries' management reports to senior management at the parent company.


The Old Hollywood Big 5 & The Studio Era:
The old big 5 of Hollywood was

1. Fox Film Corporation.
2. Loew's/ MGM
3. Paramount Pictures
4. RKO Radio Pictures
5. Warner Bros.

These 5 companies were also involved in the studio era. The studio era was when there was a studio system that involved the distribution of films by the big 5, these films were distributed by creating advertisements for the films.


Vertical and Horizontal Integration:
Vertical integration is when a company owns it's own supply chain when the supply chain is several different companies. These companies are able to get resources and other things from the other company without having to worry about buying these resources as they already own the companies. Horizontal integration is when a company is allowed to share it's resources with another company that may be different or similar but as long as it is on the same level as the other company.


An example of Vertical and Horizontal Integration





Distribution:
One of the most important parts of the film industry. It concerns the film's entry and life in the marketplace. In US usually operates under vertical integration. In UK more focus on marketing and holding onto the film as a product in home markets.

Traditional Distribution Departments:
Film Sales: This is the role of booking films into cinemas.
Print Department: This is the role of making copies of the film of the cinema. Nowadays these are on hard drives.
Marketing: Are responsible for launching a film.

Traditional Distribution Methods:
One of the main distribution methods that is no longer commonly used is film reel. This is where all the images for the film are placed on a strip and then reeled around a film reel. This is then transported to the cinemas via a truck or if it is for another country it may be flown over. Nowadays films are distributed, usually, through having the film as a downloadable file to be sent to film companies so that it can be shown.

The Box Office:
Distributer works out a budget to consider how much money will be spent on distributing a film based on the following:

• Box Office Figures of US release.
• Estimated Rentals.
• Audience Research.
• Cast & Crew Of Film
• Certification.
• Distributer's Experience.
• Timing of UK Release.
• Number of Film Prints to Exhibitor.

Unique Selling Point:
Unique selling point is a benefit of using a product that is different from the competing brands and gives its buyers a reason to prefer it over other brands. Unique Selling Point is often an important component for promoting a theme around which an advertising campaign is built.
Marketing:
Divided into 3 areas:

• Advertising: (Above the line cost)
• Publicity: (Below The Line Costs)
  Promotions: (Below the line costs)

Convergence:
Media technologies coming together (i.e. using a mobile phone as a still camera, a video camera, a device to watch films/media on, an MP3 player, a sound recorder, access to the internet... etc.)
Technological convergence refers to the process where new technology is moving towards single platforms delivering multiple media outputs that can be used to reach audiences, for example, a PS3′s primary function is video gaming but you can download and watch movies from Lovefilm.com on it and also watch catch up TV and music videos.

Synergy:
This is the promotion and selling of a product within various areas of a media conglomerates. For example films, video games and soundtracks.
Synergy basically means working together to achieve an objective that couldn’t be achieved independently. Cross-media convergence can help with synergy if companies are wise enough to take advantage of the links that they have forged. Disney is an obvious example of a synergistic company from the top down from Film Studio to Kids’ TV Channel (where it further plays and promotes its films) to the Disney Store (in the street and online) where your kids can pester you to buy all the merchandise and DVDs/CDs they’ve seen on the TV/Web or in the cinema.





http://mediachs.edublogs.org/the-importance-of-cross-media-convergence-and-synergy-in-production-distribution-and-marketing/
http://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/conglomerate.asp

Introduction to Different Industries

Television (UK):
There are nine so-called terrestrial broadcasters in the UK, whose output is broadcast through land-based transmitters. They include the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Five S4C, SMG and UTV. These companies are also called Public Service Broadcasters with a range of obligations set out in their licenses, and in the case of the BBC in its Charter.



Radio:
The industry has been growing steadily in recent years and now employs more than 22,000 people (more than terrestrial TV) in a wide range of occupations. Employers range in size from the BBC and larger commercial radio groups to not-for-profit community radio stations run mainly by volunteers.
These operators fall into three broad categories: Publicly-funded radio, commercial radio and the community and voluntary radio sector - from well-established student and hospital radio to the most recently licensed community radio stations.



Film:
When we talk about the film industry, we're referring to its six different component parts: Development, Production, Facilities, Distribution, Exhibition and Export. Current research shows there are around 400 'permanent' (i.e. registered) companies in the UK film industry, this figure varies depending on the number of productions being worked on at any one time.



Animation
The animation industry in the UK consists of a workforce that stretches across many of the sectors in the creative media industries. You will find animated content of television, in feature films, commercials, websites and computer or video games. Just over 4,700 people work in animation in the UK.


The animation sector can be roughly divided into four main disciplines:

• 2-D drawn or traditional
• 2-D computer generated
• Stop frame/ Stop motion
• 3-D computer generated

Computer Games

Developing top of the range computer games titles now involves large teams of people and costs millions of pounds. It begins with market research and development in national and international operations.

Teams of people then work to produce design documents from which all the elements that make up the final game are drawn and which sets down all possible paths the games can take players and any of the mechanics of actual game play  that are relevant. If the game has story or narrative elements scripting and storyboarding also takes place.

Publishing Press

Publishing is made up of a divers industry including books, directories and mailing, lists, journals, magazines and business media, newspapers, news agencies and other information services.

From the printed word to online, the occupations and roles involved are many and varied. Whether a journalist, commissioning editor, designer or an advertising executive, multimedia formats mean the industry is at an exciting time and subject to rapid change.



Connections Between Different Sectors:

Television & Film: The television and film sectors are connected by the fact hat TV channels often play films. There are also many TV channels that are dedicated purely to showing films, such as Sky Movies.


Films are also mainly advertised on TV, both the cinema and DVD releases.



Animation & TV & Film
Animation is used in many television programmes and films such as cartoons and can also be used in many television adverts.



TV & Radio & Interactive Media
Television and Radio shows often ask people to participate in the show through the use of Twitter hash tags or Facebook. Shows like the Million Pound Drop live also run interactive games alongside the actual show.

Interactive Media & Computer Games
Interactive media and computer games can sometimes ask people to like them on Facebook and get people involved with things, sometimes for advertising and other reasons. Interactive media can also make people buy/ play these computer games because they would be interesting to the people reading the information about games. Sharing achievements and trophies.

Film & Computer Games
Films and computer games are related by having certain story lines from films made into computer games or a storyline that follows after a story that may have happened in a film. Films can also sometimes advertise games in trailers or actually on film. Computer games can sometimes have adverts if the film is related to the game. Games can have spin-off movies. Cut scenes can also involve some movie actors.

Advertising & Photo Imaging
Advertising and Photo Imaging relates by showing images through advertising for certain products. An image that has been taken may be used to show of a product. An advertisement could show techniques for photo imaging and make people interested in looking at the photo images. Create paper based advertisements. Using Photoshop to enhance images. Image manipulation.

Interactive Media & Publishing Press
Publishing press and interactive media link together by having publishing companies have people like them on Facebook and even Twitter to show some news or even let people show their own opinions on the news of the world or around them. Sometimes opinions about newspapers can go online and be seen by many people. Newspapers often have websites, online forums and online polls where people can broadcast their opinions.

Assignment 1

Scenario:

For assessment of this unit, I will produce a careers guide to the media sector in blog form. The blog entry will have five sections. The blog for assignment 1 will cover structure and ownership of the media sector. And so on with the other sections.



Task 1:
Research the area that I need
Introduction to the creative media sector.
Working in groups of three: Learners will take two industries each and research their structure and ownership and other areas.



Task 2:
Groups will meet together, present and compare research collected by each member.



Task 3:
Individually, learners can add to research done by other group members. And individually gather and prepare their blog material (charts, illustrations, etc.) and produce a blog section on structure and ownership.

Introduction

Aims and Purpose:

• Give learners understanding of creative media sector
• Covers sectors of industries
• Ownership, legal and regulatory issues.
• Learners develop understanding of employment opportunities
• Working Conditions
• How to apply for media sector work

At end of this unit I should have a clear understanding of the creative media sector covering the different sectors of the industry, which are mainly ownership, legal and regulatory issues. I will also have developed an understanding of the employment opportunities in the sector including the working conditions and how to apply for a job in the media sector.

Unit Introduction:

• Media industries are expanding
• National and global level
• Recruitment has accelerated
• New professional opportunities
• More people working in media than any other sector
• Media is ever changing, industry has to keep up with this: New technology fuels new jobs
• Notable impact on media production, distribution
• Other developments include deregulation, debate over status and funding of public service broadcasting
• Ongoing developments in digital media technology
• Creating a highly mixed, competitive environment
• Developments will affect those seeking employment in media sector

In this unit I will understand that the media industry is widely expanding on a national and global level. I will also learn that in this sector recruitment for media related jobs have risen giving new professional opportunities as now more people are working in the media sector than any other. I will also understand that media is ever changing and because of this the industry has to keep up. New technology fuels new jobs. I will also understand the notable impact on media production and distribution. Other developments in this sector include: Deregulation, debate over status and funding of public service broadcastings. I will also develop an understanding of ongoing developments in digital media technology creating a highly mixed, competitive environment. These developments will affect those seeking employment in the media sector.

• Learners will develop understandings of professional practice essential to work in any media industry
• Learners will understand media industries are diverse and made of different organisational structures which operate at local, national and global levels
• Learners gain understanding of employment opportunities and job role in sector 
• Learners will gain understanding of job roles in the sector
• How I can become skilled and multi-skilled through training and professional development 
• Develop some knowledge of financial issues and owner ship trend 

I will also develop an understanding of professional practice essential to working in the media industry. I will understand media industries are diverse and made of different organisational structures that operate locally, nationally and on global levels. I should also gain an understanding of employment opportunities and job roles in the media sectors. I will also learn how I can become skilled and multi-skilled through training and professional development and develop some knowledge of financial issues and ownership trend.

• Enable learners to understand professional role within legal and ethical constraints
• learn about regulatory issues and organisations with relevance to media industries which will determine the scope of and limitations of professional practice.

By the end of this unit I will understand the professional role within legal and ethical constraints and learn about regulatory issues and organisations with relevance to media industries which will determine the scope and limitations of professional practice.

Learning Outcomes:

• When completing unit learner should

1. Understand structure and ownership of the media sector
2. Understand ethical and legal constraints within the media sector
3. understand the regulation of the media sector
4. Know about employment opportunities and job roles in the media sector
5. Be able to prepare personal career development material