Videogames: The Sims FreePlay - Language & Representations
Reality, postmodernism and The Sims
Read this Paste Magazine feature on reality and The Sims franchise. Answer the following questions:
1) What does the article suggest about the representation of real life in The Sims 4?
They describe the Sims 4 as an "adult simulator" and how they hate it even more, they also talk about how the tasks are harder to do.
2) What audience pleasures did the writer previously find in The Sims franchise?
They preferred the Sims 3 more as it contained more of the fantasy aspect in them which is why they enjoyed that more than the sims 4.
3) Why the does the writer mention an example of a washer and dryer as additional DLC?
They talk about how the addition of the dryers and washers made it so that they had to maintain their sims more, the writer said they never got around to using it as it more of an act of defiance as they wanted to have some form of escapism.
4) In your opinion, has The Sims made an error in trying to make the franchise too realistic?
Read this Paste Magazine feature on reality and The Sims franchise. Answer the following questions:
1) What does the article suggest about the representation of real life in The Sims 4?
They describe the Sims 4 as an "adult simulator" and how they hate it even more, they also talk about how the tasks are harder to do.
2) What audience pleasures did the writer previously find in The Sims franchise?
They preferred the Sims 3 more as it contained more of the fantasy aspect in them which is why they enjoyed that more than the sims 4.
3) Why the does the writer mention an example of a washer and dryer as additional DLC?
They talk about how the addition of the dryers and washers made it so that they had to maintain their sims more, the writer said they never got around to using it as it more of an act of defiance as they wanted to have some form of escapism.
4) In your opinion, has The Sims made an error in trying to make the franchise too realistic?
I do not care for the Sims franchise, but I guess they may have made a few mistakes in making it more realistic as we can see that people are not too happy with it being to close to reality.
5) How does this representation of reality link to Baudrillard’s theory of hyperreality - the increasingly blurred line between real and constructed?
We can link this to hyperreality as we can see how the game is trying to make things more realistic by adding all of these features and updates to them, thus making them see more real than real life.
5) How does this representation of reality link to Baudrillard’s theory of hyperreality - the increasingly blurred line between real and constructed?
We can link this to hyperreality as we can see how the game is trying to make things more realistic by adding all of these features and updates to them, thus making them see more real than real life.
The Sims FreePlay social media analysis
Analyse The Sims FreePlay Facebook page and Twitter feed and answer the following questions:
1) What is the purpose of The Sims FreePlay social media channels?
They are usually there to promote their game and updates for the audience to see. They will also add images that show off how the updates may look to the audience when they actually get their hands on the game.
2) Choose three posts (from either Twitter or Facebook) and make a note of what they are and how they encourage audience interaction or response.
3) Scroll down the Facebook feed briefly. How many requests for new content can you find from players? Why is this such as an important part of the appeal for The Sims FreePlay?
4) What tweets can you find in the Twitter feed that refer to additional content or other revenue streams for EA?
Analyse The Sims FreePlay Facebook page and Twitter feed and answer the following questions:
1) What is the purpose of The Sims FreePlay social media channels?
They are usually there to promote their game and updates for the audience to see. They will also add images that show off how the updates may look to the audience when they actually get their hands on the game.
2) Choose three posts (from either Twitter or Facebook) and make a note of what they are and how they encourage audience interaction or response.
3) Scroll down the Facebook feed briefly. How many requests for new content can you find from players? Why is this such as an important part of the appeal for The Sims FreePlay?
4) What tweets can you find in the Twitter feed that refer to additional content or other revenue streams for EA?
Language / Gameplay analysis
1) What elements of gameplay are shown?
Character customisation, house building, pets, family aspects
2) What audience is the trailer targeting?
Audiences such as aspirers as they make their ideal world in the game with an ideal family.
3) What audience pleasures are suggested by the trailer?
Diversion as it gives the user complete control of what they do, allowing to have everything in their vision.
Now watch this walk-through of the beginning of The Sims FreePlay and answer the following questions:
1) How is the game constructed?
It shows it to be a dream life, sandbox simulator in which the user can do any thing they wish, starting of with character creation which gives the user the first taste of free choice.
2) What audience is this game targeting?
Aspirers again as it shows the ease of getting jobs and money and easily building their dream home. The game would be an example of hyperreality as it shows all of the good parts to life.
3) What audience pleasures does the game provide?
Diversion, it is something that takes the user away from their normal life into their ideal world.
4) How does the game encourage in-app purchases?
it introduces you to the building speed up and shows ads for the premium version in which shows all of the benefits that come with it
Representations
Re-watch some of the expansion pack trailers and answer the following questions:
1) How do the expansion pack (DLC) trailers reinforce or challenge dominant ideologies?
In the ad we can see that that do reinforce stereotypes of gender such as in the preteens update, however they only set them to be that way in the terms that it is a side activity and how it isn't completely a linear role for reach gender.
2) What stereotypes have you identified in The Sims FreePlay?
They represent the American dream and a lot of american cultures such as the rock star and how the map is a parody of LA as seen from the Parody hollywood sign.
3) What media theories can you apply to representations in The Sims FreePlay?
I do not think there is much to apply as in the sims everything is controlled by the player meaning that they decide most of the things that happen in the game. however we can apply Marxism and how they idealise the rich by the penthouse update and mall update and how they offer more things for the player to buy.
Representation reading
Read this Forbes article on gender and racism in The Sims franchise and answer the following questions:
1) How realistic does The Sims intend to be?
They aim to have an element of realism, however they do have a more comedic twist on the things they do, so here and there they will have some form of fantasy or sci-fi in their games.
2) How has The Sims tried to create more realistic representations of ethnicity?
they have a selection of options in creating a character and allow them to alter them to any way they want instead of having presets.
3) How has The Sims responded to racism and sexism in society?
their game acknowledges their audience and the different races and sexes they have so they make it so that everything is neutral to everyone no matter who they are.
4) What is The Sims perspective on gender fluidity and identity?
they only have two gender options in which the players can choose, they acknowledge, today's day and age and how there are a lot more of different things here and there in which they are discussing what to do.
5) How does The Sims reinforce the dominant capitalist ideologies of American culture?
1) How do the expansion pack (DLC) trailers reinforce or challenge dominant ideologies?
In the ad we can see that that do reinforce stereotypes of gender such as in the preteens update, however they only set them to be that way in the terms that it is a side activity and how it isn't completely a linear role for reach gender.
2) What stereotypes have you identified in The Sims FreePlay?
They represent the American dream and a lot of american cultures such as the rock star and how the map is a parody of LA as seen from the Parody hollywood sign.
3) What media theories can you apply to representations in The Sims FreePlay?
I do not think there is much to apply as in the sims everything is controlled by the player meaning that they decide most of the things that happen in the game. however we can apply Marxism and how they idealise the rich by the penthouse update and mall update and how they offer more things for the player to buy.
Representation reading
Read this Forbes article on gender and racism in The Sims franchise and answer the following questions:
1) How realistic does The Sims intend to be?
They aim to have an element of realism, however they do have a more comedic twist on the things they do, so here and there they will have some form of fantasy or sci-fi in their games.
2) How has The Sims tried to create more realistic representations of ethnicity?
they have a selection of options in creating a character and allow them to alter them to any way they want instead of having presets.
3) How has The Sims responded to racism and sexism in society?
their game acknowledges their audience and the different races and sexes they have so they make it so that everything is neutral to everyone no matter who they are.
4) What is The Sims perspective on gender fluidity and identity?
they only have two gender options in which the players can choose, they acknowledge, today's day and age and how there are a lot more of different things here and there in which they are discussing what to do.
5) How does The Sims reinforce the dominant capitalist ideologies of American culture?
They idealise having a nice house and everything such as the American dream depicts, and the theme of owning a penthouse in the game. there is also the theme of increasing your house value and your town value with taxes and everything included.
Read this New Normative feature on LGBTQ representation in The Sims franchise (the website link no longer works but that will take you to the text of the article - you'll need your Greenford Google login to access). Answer the following questions:
1) How did same-sex relationships unexpectedly help the original Sims game to be a success?
This allowed to have a better public view as it included same sex relations ships which was apparently something some players were looking for.
2) How is sexuality now represented in The Sims?
The sims allows for more open and free choices for the player to make in which they will engage in whoever they desire.
3) Why have fans praised the inclusion of LGBTQ relationships in The Sims franchise?
The inclusion of LGBTQ has allowed them to become a more diverse game and include more content that applies to more people.
4) Why did the Sims run into regulatory difficulties with American regulator the ESRB? How did EA respond?
Because they had included an animation in which implies sex between two sims, they had made is so that it was rated M, however because there is no explicit material being shown they could keep the T rating.
5) How is sexuality represented in the wider videogames industry today?
Games now represent more LGBTQ representations whether is be a choice or a character, this allows them to have a more free choice in their games and allows the player to have a more personal connection and relateability in their games.
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