Media blog 1: The Sims FreePlay CSP - Language & Representations

Language & Representations:

Language / Gameplay analysis

1) What elements of gameplay are shown?

Autonomy - the gamer has complete control over what they do and what happens in the game; they are able to choose and alter their sims' lives depending on what they want to happen

Ability to form relationships and "find true love", grow a family, explore the local town that you've constructed.

Active verbs - gives the audience an active involvement in the stories created in the game.

2) What audience is the trailer targeting?

A youth audience - the freedom provided in the game may be a method of targeting the youth audience as they are given an opportunity to have the freedom that they may lack in real life. Youth culture is reflected through the concepts of going to clubs and taking selfies etc - all of the lifestyle habits associated with younger people.

3) What audience pleasures are suggested by the trailer?

Personal relationships - becoming invested in the well being of the characters and forming relationships with the characters that you've created.

Personal identity - the Sims will reflect the lives or the ideals of the gamer, this means that the gamer will see themselves in the characters that they have created.

Escapism/diversion - moving out of reality and living the life that they desire through a simulated/constructed reality.

Hyper-reality (Baudrillard) - players may become more invested in the simulated lives that they have created, rather than their real lives. An extreme example of diversion.

Now watch this walk-through of the beginning of The Sims FreePlay and answer the following questions:

1) How is the game constructed?

Cinematic aerial shots of the town - adds a visual appeal to the game

Provides tutorials - makes the gameplay easier which targets and suits the more mainstream gamer.

Six basic needs of the sims parallel to the fundamental needs of humans in real life (hunger, bladder, energy, hygiene social and fun) - however, some of the needs are excluded (e.g. sexual desires) which emphasises the sanitised nature of the game.

Personalisation of the game - creates a strong character investment between the gamers and their characters.

Promotes the idea of domesticity and the idea of having a perfect suburban lifestyle - suburban utopia is created.

2) What audience is this game targeting?

Predominantly female audience - more clothing options and styles available for the female avatars which demonstrates how the game plays into the desires of the female gamers.

3) What audience pleasures does the game provide?

Psychological rewards for completing tasks and unlocking new content

Personal identification - seeing your own personality reflected in the sims that you construct

Diversion - escaping the reality of your own life to lead a more idealistic life.

Hyper-reality - becoming invested in the gameplay - this gamer plays for long periods of time which shows how easy it is to focus on the game itself more than your own life.

4) How does the game encourage in-app purchases?

The tutorials show how the crystals can be used to speed up processes such as the construction of buildings like the fire station etc. Encourages the gamer to invest in these crystals later on in the game to continue speeding up processes.

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?

Reinforce dominant ideologies-

A capitalist society- you have to go to school, get an education, find a job
People as consumers- lots of examples of Sims spending money and this being desirable (Boutique expansion)
The police represented positively

2) What stereotypes have you identified in The Sims FreePlay?

Reinforcing traditional gender roles- boys like karate and blue, girls like ballet and pink
Being young is desirable (older people excluded from the game)
The rich people are predominately white

3) What media theories can you apply to representations in The Sims FreePlay?

Judith Butler- 'gender as a performance'
bell hooks- power structures in society (police officers)
Gauntlett- gender fluidity
Gilroy- Double consciousness
Gramsci- marxism and hegemony

Representation reading

Read this Forbes article on gender and racism in The Sims franchise.

1) How realistic does The Sims intend to be?

The Sims intends to be realistic in a sense that it will be believable to those who play it. Therefore, it will include love, family, work, emotions but it will not include gruesome details like blood or broken bones. Maxis' PR manager, Charlie Sinhaseni states “We’re not really looking for realism, we’re looking more for believability.”

2) How has The Sims tried to create more realistic representations of ethnicity?

They have tried to create more realistic representations of ethnicity by making the 'Create a Sim' feature more customisable and with less restriction. They are adding more details to alter the appearance of a Sim with less stereotypical ways of representing different ethnicities.

3) How has The Sims responded to racism and sexism in society?

The game does not include any racism or sexism. "Our game is kind of a caricature of life. We don’t really have a message—there’s no racism message, there’s no tolerance message. We have same-sex marriage in our game. Our Sims will not discriminate based on gender preference whatsoever. But there’s a line where it becomes too real. The only manner of hatred we have in the game is between incompatible Sims, something that’s driven by the traits of the Sim—a hotheaded Sim, or a Sim who hates children."

However, if the player wants to play in an intolerent way, they have the option to do so.

4) What is The Sims perspective on gender fluidity and identity?

Currently, and the way it has always been, players have only two genders to choose from - 'male' and 'female'. Maxis' PR manager states that gender fluidity has been a topic the team has been discussing a lot. They have thought about whether they should add other gender identities or not have any gender option at all but it is not something that has come to a final decision yet.

5) How does The Sims reinforce the dominant capitalist ideologies of American culture?

The Sims reinforces the dominant capitalist ideologies of American culture where one is expected to go to school, find a job and make money so they can provide for their families. However, the player has the freedom to not play by these rules if they don't wish to do so, this is less true for The Sims Freeplay, where you are less in control of the game than PC versions.

Read this New Normative feature on LGBTQ representation in The Sims franchise.

1) How did same-sex relationships unexpectedly help the original Sims game to be a success?

Same-sex relationships were probably the main factor that led to the game's popularity. During a showcase of the game at E3, audiences were shocked and pleased when they were able to form relationships between the same-sex. It was something that had never been done before in the gaming industry and it received massive positivity from gamers and critics.

2) How is sexuality now represented in The Sims?

Sexuality is left in the hands of the player. The player has the option to let their Sim be any sexuality they want; they are not constricted by traditional gender roles. However, if a sim engaged in romantic interactions with same-sex characters, opposite-sex characters or a mix of the two repeatedly over time, they would eventually adopt that as their natural preference. Though there were still some concessions made – same-sex characters weren’t able to get married and were referred to as “roommates”.

3) Why have fans praised the inclusion of LGBTQ relationships in The Sims franchise?

Fans praised the game for including LGBTQ relationships in the game because it was a step forward for gay-rights and equality. The game didn't make it a big deal and treated it as a non-issue, it was completely normal and fans appreciated this because it allowed them to have freedom and follow their own path.

4) Why did the Sims run into regulatory difficulties with American regulator the ESRB? How did EA respond?

American regulator ESRB gave the Sims an M rating due to its same-sex support. In response to this, EA fought hard in convincing ESRB that the game should maintain its T-rating.

5) How is sexuality represented in the wider videogames industry today?

Some games have also started integrating same-sex relationships into their games. Examples include Fable, a popular RPG series on Xbox and Xbox 360, allowed players to have gay and lesbian relationships, and The Last of Us Part II recently made waves with a lesbian kiss of its own at E3 2018. However, there are still many games that lag behind and the gaming industry still needsa lot of improvement regarding this matter.

Reality, postmodernism and The Sims

Read this Paste Magazine feature on reality and The Sims franchise.

1) What does the article suggest about the representation of real life in The Sims 4?

The article suggests that the Sims 4 doesn't have the same excitement as the Sims 3. The Sims 4 is too real and the writer questions how one can 'escape from real life' (the main reason people play videogames) when they are constricted in a game that requires them to live a normal, traditional, domestic life.

" The Sims 3 was a magic fantasy free for all smorgasboard of human indulgence. The Sims 4 is basically real adult life and I fucking hate it."

2) What audience pleasures did the writer previously find in The Sims franchise?

The writer loved the magic and fantasy available in The Sims franchise. In particular, the ability to do things you couldn't do in real life and the inventive and mischievous ways to act out or blow off steam.

3) Why the does the writer mention an example of a washer and dryer as additional DLC?

The writer expresses her disappointment in that particular DLC. She never ended up using the expansion because it reminded her of real life- "I have no desire to do laundry in real life, why would I do it in a Sims game after so many years of not having to at all?"

4) In your opinion, has The Sims made an error in trying to make the franchise too realistic?

In my opinion, I think the game has made an error in making the game too realistic. Part of The Sims' pleasures is having the ability to try things out that you are unable to do in real life. If the game resembles real life routine, then there isn't much fun to it. Games are meant as a way of diversion (Blumler and Katz) and making the franchise too realistic means it has lost its appeal.

5) How does this representation of reality link to Baudrillard’s theory of hyperreality - the increasingly blurred line between real and constructed?

Baudrillard discusses the increasingly blurred line between real and constructed. In terms of The Sims, the line has practically vanished. The game has become an exact replica of real life and it reinforces the traditional ideologies of a capitalist life- going to school, finding a job, earning money and starting a family.

The Sims FreePlay social media analysis

Analyse The Sims FreePlay Facebook page and Twitter feed.

1) What is the purpose of The Sims FreePlay social media channels?

The purpose of The Sims FreePlay social media channels is to keep players aware of any new updates available or coming soon.

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.

The posts below allow audience interaction because they ask the audience questions. The followers also have the option to comment on a post to share their ideas and even tweet their own content that The Sims FreePlay can then retweet.

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?

There are many requests for new content from gamers on the Facebook page. This is important for the appeal of the game because fans are able to let the creators know what they want and for them to get regular updates.