Videogames: The Sims FreePlay part 2 - Industries

Regulation – PEGI

Research the following using the PEGI website.

1) What is the VSC and how does it link to UK law?
It monitors the contents of particular medias within the UK to make sure they're able to be sold to the appropriate ages.

2) Note down the key statistics on the homepage.
12,000+ Games Rated, 8000+ Apps rated, 1987 Number of Member Outlets, 30 Years in Operation.

3) What is the purpose of PEGI?
Provide information about a game about the contents of a game.

4) Click on the PEGI Rating tab in the top menu. What are the age ratings and what do they include?
Ages 3, 7, 12, 16 And 18. The higher the age the more adult content, such as violence, swearing, drug abuse, sexual content.

5) Scroll down to look at the ‘How games are examined’ infographic. What is the PEGI process for rating a game?
Initially a game producer rates the game themselves. Anything from violence to strong language to sexual content must be monitored before applying the PEGI rating. The game developer then sends this application with proof of all this content + a copy of the game so that all these things can be checked and so that anything that could have been missed or misinterpreted can be found and added to the list. The game is then marked again and put out for sale.


The ‘Freemium’ gaming model

Read this Lifewire feature on freemium gaming and answer the following questions:

1) How does the freemium model work?
A game is initially free, but then contains several in app purchases that can grant buffs and perks for a player. This can range from cosmetics that add little to nothing, or items that grant a player certain advantages. 

2) Why do some gamers believe freemium is ruining games?
Because a game that seems somewhat good, will require a player to spend ridiculous amounts of money through constantly updating the game and dishing out better content which will be overpriced meaning there is no way a player can keep up without spending any money.


3) What are the positives of the freemium model for gaming?
Means everyone can experience games without having to pay full price for them.

Now read this Business Insider feature on freemium gaming and multiplayer games. Answer the following questions:

1) Note the key statistics in the first paragraph.
"freemium" games and their in-app purchases account for about 70-80% of the $10 billion or more in iOS revenue each year.


2) Why does the freemium model incentivise game developers to create better and longer games?
Because players constantly pay more and more money for the same game, this creates an incentive for game developers to continuously update the game and make improvements as they know players will continue returning to the game.

3) What does the article suggest regarding the possibilities and risks to the freemium model in future?



Read this New York Times feature on freemium gaming and answer the following questions:

1) Why did Temple Run use the freemium model?
Because people didn't want to pay 99 cents for a game, but once the game became free to play many people downloaded it, and instead the couple added extra features that can only be unlocked through actually paying for the game.

2) The bigger gaming studios like Electronic Arts used to avoid the freemium model. Why are they now embracing it?
Because they realise that there's a lot of money to be made and people who are dedicated to the game will pay for extra features even if they aren't worth the price.

3) Why does Peter Farago suggest independent game makers benefit more from the freemium model than the major publishers like EA?
Because people recognise that free games made by EA such as the Sims Freeplay, have very good and worthwhile alternatives, such as Sims 4/3, where they offer more features with constant updates, but you only pay once and get more than you would if you poured money into the Sims Freeplay. So smaller game developers create free games that they know people will want to pay and additional content seems more like an option rather than a must.


Electronic Arts

Read this Pocket Gamer interview with EA’s Amanda Schofield, Senior Producer on The Sims FreePlay at EA's Melbourne-based Firemonkeys studio. Answer the following questions:

1) How has The Sims FreePlay evolved since launch?
They've added a lot of features that added to what was already there such as more pets and more versatility within relationships.

2) Why does Amanda Schofield suggest ‘games aren’t products any more’?
Because games such as Sims Freeplay act more as a service which you pay for repeatedly to get new things, this is similar to how a service would work.

3) What does she say about The Sims gaming community?


4) How has EA kept the game fresh and maintained the active player base?

5) How many times has the game been installed and how much game time in years have players spent playing the game? These could be great introductory statistics in an exam essay on this topic.


Finally, read this blog on how EA is ruining the franchise (or not) due to its downloadable content. Answer the following questions:

1) What audience pleasures for The Sims are discussed at the beginning of the blog?

2) What examples of downloadable content are presented?

3) How did Electronic Arts enrage The Sims online communities with expansion packs and DLC?

4) What innovations have appeared in various versions of The Sims over the years?

5) In your opinion, do expansion packs like these exploit a loyal audience or is it simply EA responding to customer demand?

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