Video Games: Lara Croft Go CSP

Language

1) When did Lara Croft first appear in a videogame?

Lara Croft first appeared in the game Tomb Raider in 1996, under Eidos.

2) What classic films influenced the creation of Lara Croft and the Tomb Raider games?

The creation of Lara Croft and the Tomb Raider franchise was inspired by Indiana Jones, alongside other adventure and action films.

3) How has Lara Croft and Tomb Raider moved beyond just being a videogame?

Lara Croft and the Tomb Raider franchise as a whole has moved beyond vide games through the character being featured in films (played by Angelina Jolie, Alicia Vikander, Sophie Turner, Hayley Atwell, etc.), on magazine covers (more times than any supermodel), alongside comic books, merchandise and other spin-offs.

4) What devices can you play Lara Croft Go on?

Lara Croft Go can be played on any mobile device, such as a phone or tablet.

5) What type of game is Lara Croft Go?

Lara Croft Go is a turn-based puzzle game with Action Adventure elements, including bypassing enemies and progressively unlocking paths.

6) How does Lara Croft Go use narrative (storyline) to make the game enjoyable for the audience?

Lara Croft has a three-act narrative structure, from an orientation stage, through multiple issues and obstacles, to a simple resolution (applies to Todorov's narrative equilibrium theory: equilibrium -> disruption -> new equilibrium), making the game more enjoyable.

7) What iconography can be found in Lara Croft Go? How does this help communicate the genre of the game? Think about mise-en-scene and setting here.

Lara Croft Go includes multiple examples of iconography: Lara Croft's outfit of a blue tank top with light brown shorts and boots is emblematic of an adventurer and acts as an iconic symbol, with her outfit staying consistent in almost every medium she is placed in; accessories and props, such as gloves, backpacks, utility belts, dual pistols which are indicative of adventure and items needed for archaeology; use of adventure items in order to represent different options on the menu screen; use of a treasure map as the loading screen, making the game seem more action-adventure-like, etc. This is also done through the settings of dangerous areas that Lara Croft explores, such as jungles and caverns which are highly conventional in the action-adventure genre.

8) What other characters or enemies feature in the game?

Aside from Lara Croft herself, there are multiple enemies such as lizards, snakes and large spiders which the player has to fight or bypass in order to progress through the narrative.

9) What is the setting for Lara Croft Go? How does this compare to previous Lara Croft or Tomb Raider games?

Lara Croft Go is set in multiple different locations, centred around her exploration of the ruins of an ancient Amazonian civilisation. This parallels other Tomb Raider games, which have her explore areas such as old excavation sites and different ancient ruins.

10) Read this BBC article on the history of Lara Croft and Tomb Raider. How has the character of Lara Croft evolved over the last 25 years?

Lara Croft ultimately began as a sex symbol - although she was iconic, her proportions were much exaggerated and a lot of her clothing was incredibly revealing in order to market to the generally male audience. However, she was also considered inspirational and still subverted many stereotypes in being a powerful female protagonist, especially in a time where the video game scene was dominated by male characters. 25 years later, much of her sexualisation has disappeared, with her figure becoming substantially more realistic and her clothing much more practical for exploration and adventure.

Representations

1) How are women usually represented in videogames?

Generally, women are often represented as objects of sexual desire, with exaggerated body features and revealing clothing in order to appeal to the male gaze. More nuanced female characters have begun to be released in recent times (such as Ellie from 'The Last of Us'), however, the over-sexualised representation of women is still rampant.

2) How does the character of Lara Croft reinforce female stereotypes in the media?

Lara Croft reinforces female stereotypes through her (initial) representation as an object of sexual desire - her features were exaggerated and she was 'scantily-clad' (less-clothed) to appeal to a male audience, as most male characters would see practical designs suited to their narrative, whereas female characters were limited to expressing overt sexuality regardless of their in-game situations. She essentially has every feature deemed attractive by a heterosexual male audience.

3) How does the character of Lara Croft subvert female stereotypes in the media?

Despite her reinforcing of some stereotypes, Lara Croft does subvert stereotypes in that she is an action hero, which is typically a male-dominated character trope. She is an empowered female heroine, which was extremely rare in the gaming industry at the time.

4) Why do some people believe the videogames industry is sexist and needs to change?

Some people believe that the video games industry is sexist as much of it is centred around appealing to a male demographic. This means that male characters are often fleshed-out and have distinct personalities, with outfits and costumes that are practical for the narrative they are in (e.g. a male knight would wear heavy armour), whereas female characters are often forced into being there purely for sexual desire - the search for sexual appeal usually overrides a character's personality or narrative (e.g. a female knight would wear extremely non-practical revealing armour, perhaps with holes to 'show off' certain features despite the fact that it would make her easier to stab).

5) Do you think Lara Croft is an empowering feminist icon or just another objectified woman designed to appeal to male gamers?

I think that Lara Croft is ultimately an empowering feminist icon rather than an objectified women; although it is true that she was first designed to appeal to the male gaze through her sexualisation, she has now evolved into being more of a powerful character, with more focus being placed on her overcoming tough situations rather than her physical features (for example, she isn't used in print advertising as much due to her shift in representation).

Industries

1) What does PEGI stand for?

PEGI stands for Pan European Game Information.

2) What is PEGI's job?

PEGI's job is to regulate video games, rating them with age ratings and content descriptors in order to help consumers make informed decisions. They are a self-regulating body, meaning that they were formed by video game developers rather than the government themselves.

3) Which company created Lara Croft Go?

Lara Croft Go was created by Square Enix, who own the Lara Croft franchise. It was formerly owned by Eidos Interactive, but was changed after Square Enix acquired Eidos in 2009.

4) What two popular videogame franchises were combined to create Lara Croft Go?

Lara Croft Go was the combination of Tomb Raider and the Hitman Go mobile game franchises.

5) What else is part of the Lara Croft/Tomb Raider franchise?

The Lara Croft / Tomb Raider franchise also includes multiple movies and video games.

Audience

1) Why might an audience enjoy playing Lara Croft Go?

An audience might enjoy playing Lara Croft Go due to liking the character Lara Croft, or enjoying the Hitman Go or Tomb Raider franchises. They may also enjoy the strategy and puzzle aspects of the game in that they offer diversion.

2) Where and when might an audience play a game like Lara Croft Go? Think about the device it is played on and the times of the day someone might want to play the game.

An audience may play a mobile game like Lara Croft Go in their spare time, or if they have time to kill. This might be at night in bed, or in the early morning.

3) How did Square Enix design Lara Croft to make it appealing to an audience?

Square Enix made Lara Croft more low-poly, with adventure-like settings such as jungles and caves in order to appeal to fans of Hitman Go, as Lara Croft Go has a similar design to it, and also to fans of the Tomb Raider series through the adventure iconography.

4) Which of Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory might apply to Lara Croft Go?

Diversion: Dangerous settings and large enemies allow for audiences to escape their real-life issues, alongside the strategy and puzzle aspects which force them to focus on different problems.

Personal Identity: Someone may identify with the archaeology or adventure aspect of the video game.

Personal Relationship: Lara Croft Go would appeal to fans of Hitman Go or the Tomb Raider franchise, as the game is inspired by both. Fans of the character Lara Croft herself would also enjoy the game as it has a central focus on her rather than the act of adventuring itself (through the title of the game). 

5) Who is the target audience for Lara Croft Go? How does brand loyalty contribute to this target audience?

The target audience for Lara Croft go would be from a range of different ages and genders, as the Tomb Raider franchise itself has appeal to older audiences through nostalgia but also to younger audiences through Lara Croft herself being a quite empowering figure, alongside the release of video games and movies that may entice younger audiences as well. The game would appeal to both men and women, as both would enjoy the puzzle and strategy aspects of the game. However, the game itself may target a more female demographic considering that puzzle and strategy games are played more by women than men, alongside the fact that Lara Croft has become less of an object of male sexual desire but more of a figure of female empowerment, attracting women to the game. Brand loyalty would contribute to this target audience through the idea that prior fans of the Tomb Raider and Hitman Go franchises would want to play the game as it is a fusion of both.

Video Games: Introduction

1) What were the first videogames like?

The first video games were built on post-war mainframes, and were extremely simple - for example, in 1958, one of the video games made was Tennis For Two, a simple two-player tennis simulation built for an analogue machine. During the 1970s, these turned into arcade games, which consisted of mass-produced, self-contained units which operated based off of coins and were quite rudimentary and simple. Pong, released in 1972, became the first commercially successful game.

2) How have videogames changed over time?

Video games have become increasingly complex over time, exploring different genres such as shooters, puzzle, strategy, simulation, fighting, and more. Graphics became more complex as well, from 8-bit to 16-bit, 32-bit, etc. Narratives within video games have also increased in quality, with narratives now including multiple characters and plot points for audiences to attach themselves to.

3) What do the most successful games have in common? Answer this in as much detail as you can. Think about audience pleasures - what do people like about playing videogames?

Most successful games feature different aspects that cater towards diversion in Blumler and Katz' Uses and Gratifications Theory. Specifically, games that feature progression-based levels, such as Assassin's Creed, which help audiences feel part of a narrative and therefore link to their personal identity. This is also done through the goal-driven aspects, which make audiences achieve quests, including games such as Mario Kart on the Nintendo Switch, further catering to personal identity. Moreover, successful games also often feature a complex narrative that allows audiences to have emotional responses, through their parasocial relationships or identification with characters in the video games that they play. These games will often include high-quality music, graphics and cinematography in order to look more like real life, making it easier for audiences to sympathise with characters, although there are also games that achieve this effect without mimicking real life. Successful vide games also target the personal relationships that audiences have through creating team-based games, with quests and interaction with friends online. This includes most shooter games, such as Overwatch or Fortnite, but also games like Terraria or Minecraft which also feature multiplayer options. Some successful games focus on the ability to teach audiences new knowledge, such as in building or simulation games where audiences learn by doing new things.

4) What criticisms have been made towards videogames?

There are a multitude of criticisms which have been made towards video games, such as concerns on health, behaviour and social development as a result of spending too much time indoors rather than outside; concerns over addiction to specific video games; concerns of violent content, such as in shooters or hack-and-slash games, in that they may influence audiences to act out similarly; concerns over reduced academic performance in spending time playing video games rather than studying, etc.

5) At the time of the article, how many Fortnite players were there worldwide? (Bonus question - how many are there now? Try Googling it.)

At the time of the article, there were 200 million players worldwide. As of now, Fortnite has over 650 million registered users.

6) Why is it so popular? What are the audience pleasures of the game?

The game is popular due to the multiple audience pleasures it offers. It offers diversion, in its "offbeat sense of humour" and general items, alongside its cartoon-like graphics and items like space suits and dinosaur outfits which draw players outside of the real world. This is also done through the fact that it is a shooter game, giving audiences a sense of escapism through placing them in a fictional world and allowing them to carry out acts which they (normally) wouldn't. Fortnite also caters towards personal identity and parasocial relationships through its monetisation - it often features items, outfits and dances from pop culture, such as the floss, or more recently, aspects from things like K-Pop Demon Hunters, Avatar: The Last Airbender, as well as popular celebrities such as Chappell Roan. The game itself also creates personal relationships in audiences through the popular youtubers who play the game, such as Ninja (cited at the time of the article, yet does not have a large viewing as of now).

7) Why might some people criticise Fortnite?

Some people may criticise Fortnite due to the fact that it is a shooter game - its inclusion of weapons and violence may incur criticisms from those worried that it will influence the actions of its users, in that it may make them similarly violent. There might also be worries that people play too much, perhaps leading to reduced productivity, social skills, etc.

8) Copy and paste two comments from 'below the line' of the Guardian article - these are comments written by Guardian readers in response to the feature. Select one comment you agree with and one you disagree with and explain why.

Agree:

"Nice article that will help my (non-gaming) wife understand what our kids are up to. What's missing here is some reference to on-line chat as a "risk" as well as the violence and graphics. When the kids play in a squad they likely have their friends and friends of friends so the language can get a bit unsuitable for our younger (10-12) kids.

This ability to interact and talk to one another as a squad is critical for the game (both to success and enjoyment) and it's the hardest to control."

I mostly agree with this - I disagree with the concern on "violence and graphics" as Fortnite itself does not feature much blood or gore, and is very much cartoon-like and therefore not likely to impact users as much. However, I agree heavily with the concern on online chat - children are exposed to a wide plethora of users, some of whom are much, much older than Fortnite's target age and may negatively impact children, through introducing them to harmful content or language, alongside the more serious risk of grooming or exposure to sexual content (e.g. "it was discovered he had been using children's video games to befriend and privately message them")

Disagree: 

"Computer games represent everything wrong with society. Kids should be outside drinking White Lightning and smashing up bus shelters, not sat on their arses fiddling with Xstations and PC boxes."

Children should definitely not be doing any of the actions mentioned. Video games are a much safer way for children to carry out any curiosity that they have on fictional characters, where no real people will be impacted by the actions that they decide to take. 

 

 

Newspaper: Final Index

1) Newspaper: Introduction

2) Newspaper: Daily Mirror - Language and Representations

3) Newspaper: Daily Mirror - Audience and Industries

4) Newspaper: The Times - Introduction

5) Newspaper: The Times - Language and Representations

6) Newspaper: The Times - Audience and Industries

Newspaper: The Times - Audience and Industries

Audience

1) What are the main audience demographics for The Times newspaper? Add as much detail as you can.

The main audience demographics for the Times newspaper consists of an older audience, with over half being aged 55 and over. 62% are from social groups AB, meaning that the Times' target audience is mostly in the ABC1 social classes, making them likely to be professionals, managers or company owners. Overall, they are likely to be in the Succeeder psychographic group (people who prefer established, premium brands that signify status and quality).

2) What aspects of the front page of the Times CSP edition suggest that their readers are likely to be more educated and interested in hard news rather than entertainment?

On the front page, the Post Office scandal is not framed as being incredibly dramatic or shocking, merely being referenced as a "scandal" with the focus being on Paula Vennells and her CBE. This places emphasis on the politics side of the story, a central aspect of hard news, showing that their readers are more likely to be interested in hard news rather than entertainment. Moreover, there is less of a colour scheme in general as there is an high text-to-image ratio, suggesting that the Times' readers are likely to be more educated as they would be more willing to read large sections of text in order to learn new information.

3) Times readers are mostly over 55 years old. Why is this and how is this reflected or challenged by the design and news stories in the CSP pages we have studied?  

This is reflected through the extremely conventional layout of the Times' pages - it is laid out in separate, distinct columns, without much experimentation, paralleling the preferences of the older generation who would be more used to newspapers with traditional layouts as they grew up reading them. This is also illustrated through the lack of colour and high text-to-image ratio, mirroring the older generations' tendency to read more and seek surveillance and education rather than diversion. The news story itself is highly political and also reflects the older generation, as much of Fujitsu is closely intertwined with the conservative party through Simon Blagden (ex-chief), and people over 55 are likely to be conservative and traditionalist, leading them to be more interested in the story and reflecting the actual audience of the Times.

4) What are the main audience pleasures offered by the Times? Use Blumler & Katz Uses and Gratifications theory.

The main audience pleasures offered include: surveillance - the Times' readership can educate themselves and learn more about the Post Office scandal, and the causes and repercussions surrounding it; personal relationships - readers may have relations to subpostmasters affected by the scandal and therefore have more connection to it; personal identity - readers may be subpostmasters themselves. In this case, diversion doesn't apply heavily as the story is highly negative and occurred in real life - most readers would therefore be unable to find escapism within it as the consequences and scandal itself are not fictional.

5) Why might a reader enjoy this CSP edition of the Times? Use Blumler & Katz Uses and Gratifications theory categories and write as detailed an analysis as you can.

A reader might enjoy this CSP edition of the Times as it provides: surveillance - through the high text-to-image ratio, the Times is able to provide a considerably large amount of information on the Post Office scandal itself, allowing their readership to learn more about what occurred and the political ties to the scandal (as many political parties are mentioned in the newspaper); personal relationships and personal identity - through the fact that some readers may have connections to subpostmasters negatively affected by the faulty IT system, leading them to feel more closely connected to the scandal itself and wanting to know more about what happened and why it did, or they may be subpostmasters themselves, thus amplifying these effects. Diversion (defined as an activity that diverts the mind from tedious or serious concerns; a recreation or pastime) would be less likely to apply in this CSP edition of the Times as the scandal affects real people - however, those who have no close links to the scandal at all would perhaps be able to find diversion in the fact that it draws their mind away from the problems that they face, by allowing them to focus on the problems of other people on a wider scale.

Industries

1) Who owns the Times? Write the name of the company AND the billionaire who owns the company.

The Times is owned by News UK, a subsidiary of News Corporation. News Corporation is a conglomerate owned mostly by Rupert Murdoch, an Australian media mogul with business links worldwide (e.g. the Fox network in the US, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Post, 20th Century Studios, etc.) Overall, him and his sons are estimated to have a net worth of £17.6 billion.

2) What was the The Times's circulation in 2019? How many papers did the Times used to sell back in the 1990s? You can find all of these statistics in the blogpost above.

While the Times' circulation was 800,000 in the 1990s, this has since decreased in 2019 to 376,000 - a drop of 12%.

3) How has the Times reacted to the decline in print sales and the growth of the internet? Watch the two videos above for more on this.

The Times has, in response, moved towards a multi-platform landscape, meaning that it publishes and synchronises across its print, desktop and mobile platforms. The Times also has a paywall on their content, simultaneously bringing in a small amount of profit, yet also excluding much of the working class who do not have dispensable money in order to access their content. However, the Times does experiment with making their content available for free. The Times has also promoted themselves on different platforms, such as on the Times Radio, and on a phone app - their own app, and also Apple News Plus, allowing any user with an Apple device to access their content through a subscription.

4) What does IPSO stand for and what is IPSO's job?

IPSO stands for the Independent Press Standards Organisation. Their role is to regulate 1500 print and 1100 online titles, to listen to complaints about press behaviour and help with unwanted press attention, advise publication editors, provide information to the public, and provide a journalist whistleblowing hotline (a space for people who have important secrets to tell them to journalists in order for them to be published). They replaced the PCC (Press Complaints Commission), a voluntary regulatory body for British printed newspapers and magazines, on Monday the 8th of September 2014 after criticism following the phone hacking affair.

5) Why do some people want stronger regulation of British newspapers? Look at the information above on newspaper regulation to find out more on this.

Some people want stronger regulation of British newspapers as they believe that they cannot be trusted to regulate themself using IPSO, and that stronger regulation should therefore be introduced instead.

Newspaper: The Times - Language and Representations

Language

1) What is the main story on the front cover of the Times CSP edition and why does it appeal to Times readers?

The main story on the front cover is the Fujitsu Post Office scandal, where thousands of innocent subpostmasters (people who operate independent branches of the Post Office) were wrongly prosecuted for false financial issues created by Horizon, an IT system owned by the company Fujitsu. This would appeal to Times readers as it is hard news - it is closely involved with politics and business due to Fujitsu being a company and also Simon Blagden's (ex-chief of the company) ties to the Conservative party.

2) How is the presentation of this story different to how the Daily Mirror presents it? 

The presentation is different as the "retired IT experts" are painted as the villain instead of Fujitsu themselves, with the paparazzi photo of Gareth Jenkins beside the anchorage text of them knowing about "secret bugs in the system." Conversely, the Daily Mirror presents Fujitsu themselves as the villain, utilising a smug central image of Simon Blagden with negative connotations to reinforce this idea. However, both newspapers present the victims of the scandal as unfortunate, innocent people.

3) How is the Times front page designed to reflect broadsheet newspaper conventions?

The Times reflects broadsheet conventions through its lack of colour scheme, with it mostly being black and white (besides the images). Moreover, the headline of "Post Office chief to give up her CBE over scandal" is extremely impartial and shows almost no bias, reflecting the formal, objective tone of most broadsheet newspapers. The front cover is also comprised mostly of text, with only three images (two silhouettes and one central image), further mirroring broadsheets which often have a higher text to image ratio. The masthead is also in serif font, paralleling broadsheet newspapers which often represent themselves as being educated and informative by using serif fonts. Therefore, the Times is an extremely conventional broadsheet newspaper.

4) How can you tell the inside pages of the Times are a broadsheet newspaper? 

The inside pages of the Times are easily seen as being a broadsheet newspaper as there is a higher text to image ratio, and a lack of a colour scheme if the images are ignored. This reflects broadsheets which similarly have a small amount of images and almost no colour scheme, as they often aim to present themselves as being more informative and high-brow.

5) What does a close analysis of the news stories in the Times CSP edition suggest about the Times's political beliefs?

The choice of news stories suggests that the Times is a right-leaning newspaper (although they market themselves as being entirely unbiased), as Fujitsu is not presented as the villain - this is seen through the use of impartial language in the headline on the front cover ("Post Office chief to give up her CBE over scandal"), implying that the newspaper does not condemn the Post Office for the scandal, instead seeing it as not being their fault as the focus is put on the repercussions experienced by Paula Vennells, rather than the hugely negative impact on innocent subpostmasters. Moreover, this idea is exemplified through the newspaper's choice of language in the anchorage text in the inside cover ("Retired IT experts 'knew about secret bugs in the system'"), which implies that the entire Post Office scandal was the fault of IT experts who did not fix the issue, solidified through the paparazzi photo of Gareth Jenkins that has secretive connotations through body language, implying that the IT experts are guilty instead of Fujitsu themselves - the company who actually owned the IT system in the first place.

Representations

1) How does the Times represent the Post Office workers and Fujitsu in the CSP pages?

The Times doesn't have much representation of the Post Office workers themselves, with the newspaper focusing more on who is to blame for the scandal itself occurring. The IT experts, however, are presented as being guilty and shameful - the paparazzi image of Gareth Jenkins helps exemplify this due to its secretive connotations, redirecting blame from Fujitsu onto the IT experts instead. This presents a lack of focus on Fujitsu who have government ties and contracts, instead giving Gareth Jenkins and Anne Chambers as a targe for people's hatred.

2) What representation of the Conservative Party can be found in the CSP pages of the Times?

The Conservative Party is perhaps represented as being heroic and helpful through the heading of "MPs could pass emergency law to quash postmasters' convictions" alleviating blame and hatred from the Conservative Party by painting them as heroes, preparing to save those who lost money from the scandal. Moreover, in the bottom half of the paper below the subheading "Vennells faces..." the newspaper mentions the Lib Dems (Liberal Democrats) Party, shifting blame to the opposing side as the scandal began under a coalition government, not under exclusive conservative rule. The usage of the colour blue at the top also reinforces their connection to the conservative party as it matches their colour scheme.

3) Consider the subheading about Vennells "Vennells faces call..." - How does this newspaper present her involvement in this story? 

The subheading "Vennells faces call to return £2.2m bonuses as well as CBE" illustrates the Times taking an objective stance - there is no call to action from the newspaper to rescind her role as the Times isn't saying she should relinquish her CBE herself. This, therefore, presents her as having a small amount of involvement in the story, suggesting that she may have perhaps been wrongly dragged into the scandal through the fact that the text uses the conjunction "as well as," with the written code highlighting that it is a potentially unfair amount for her to give up (through the tedious repetition of "as" in "as well as").

4) What representation of Fujitsu can be found in the CSP pages of the Times? What does The Times journalist think of Fujitsu and Horizon's role in this scandal? 

There is overall a lack of focus on Fujitsu's role in the scandal as the newspaper focuses much more on the "IT experts" instead, painting them as the villain (Propp's Character Theory), shifting blame away from them and moving it onto the IT workers instead. The Times journalist perhaps thinks that Fujitsu was not to blame for the scandal as they had no control over what happened - the IT experts should have called out the bug and fixed it themselves (instead of relying on the company that actually owns it).

5) What opinion would Times readers be likely to have about Vennells, the Post Office workers and Fujitsu from reading these pages?

Concerning Paula Vennells, Times readers would likely have a positive opinion of her considering the shifting of blame from her onto the IT workers - the subheading "Vennells faces calls... " solidifies this idea that Vennells herself had almost no involvement in the scandal, and that expecting her to give up her CBE is far too harsh of a punishment. As the Times has given her a platform to speak through the caption on the cover image where she apologises from the scandal, Times readers may view her situation as being unfortunate and may feel sympathetic for her more than the subpostmasters themselves through the preferred reading pushed forward by the Times newspaper themselves.

Concerning Fujitsu, the Times overall has a lack of focus on the company, instead focusing more on the legal process the case took and shifting blame onto IT workers. Therefore, Times readers would view them as not being responsible for the scandal. Instead, readers would be much harsher on the IT workers through the subheading of them "kn[owing] about secret bugs in the system" alongside the paparazzi photo, painting them as being the true villains (Propp's Character Theory) behind the Post Office Scandal instead.