Who is the target audience of LA Noire?
LA Noire is aimed at adults over 18. This is evident in both the gameplay elements and the game’s rating.
What enjoyment do audiences get from playing LA Noire?
Audiences get an interactive experience by playing the game, and also a sense of accomplishment as they progress through the game with Phelps.
How does Rockstar encourage their audience to interact with both the game and the institution?
Rockstar encourages the audience to interact with the game by having moral choices, and as many interactive portions of the game as possible. The only way the game could be made more interactive is if the cut scenes had interactive portions. Players are also encouraged to join the Rockstar Social Club.
How does the game appeal to a wider demographic?
The game appeals to a wider demographic because of the different elements it utilizes, from the graphics, to the gameplay, to the story and the setting. For example, graphics and gameplay are more likely to appeal to the younger audiences, yet story and setting is something older audiences prefer.
To what extent are audiences beneficiaries or victims of change within the video games industry?
With consoles constantly updating, audiences have to buy the newer consoles to compete with the rising requirement to play games. Although some consoles can be guaranteed to be still producing games even after the next generation console has been released (e.g. the PS2, where games for the console were still being released 3 years after it’s successor was on the shelves) this means audiences are very much victims of change, although now with PS2 games being so cheap, certain audiences are beneficiaries, able to buy much more than the one £40 new release game on PS3.
What are the wider issues audience issues surrounding video games – consider media affects theories.
Discuss the pros and cons of gatekeeping?
The good thing about gatekeeping is that younger children won’t be exposed to vulgar or harmful content; problems with this include people who can’t buy DLC because their account is considered too young, even if parents have given express permission. For Rockstar, this means that they’ll lose certain sales.
