E Stahl

The Sims FreePlay -the game -Facebook page -Twitter feed Cultural  context  -strategic life simulation game -free version of The Sims for mobile devices -released on iPhone in 2011, Android in 2012, Blackberry & window phones in 2013 Game play -players build and design houses & customise and create mini people called Sims   -players can control their sims however they want and let them complete different actions to gain Simoleons ,  Lifestyle points and  Social points  -runs in real time and takes real time to complete actions -players can progress through 55 levels to unlock content that can be purchased with virtual currencies -there are 'quests' that players are required to complete, as well as optional quests that they may choose to pursue -free to play but there are in-game purchases  Examples: - Character customisation - a range of races and ethnicities -House deco...

VIDEO GAMES -been around since 1950s e.g. Pong, Spacewar -games industry is one of success stories of past 2 decades -gaming proved itself to be popular and profitable ($108bn in 2017) -gaming has to adapt to technological changes in rise of emedia, threat of piracy & challenges offered by changing audience behaviours -gaming seems able to respond to modern challenges Blumler & Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory: -why people consume media texts *informed/ educated  *identity with characters/ situations *entertained *escape stresses of daily life/ situations *social interaction with others Negative points with gaming: -most demonised aspect of modern media -often at centre of debates about certain games' influence on audience attitudes & behaviours  and images and content of some games are often criticised -when watching film, we are 'passive' audience -...

Billie Jean music video CSP (language and representation) Michael Jackson: - child - lead singer of family's popular group - Jackson 5 - solo career of  worldwide success - No. 1 hits from albums Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad - MJ  enjoyed a chart-topping career both with Jackson 5 and as solo artist - released best-selling album in history, 'Thriller,' in 1982 -After his   success in Jackson 5, Michael had  been trying for several years to reintroduce himself to a public that  viewed him mostly as a  charming child star -To shatter this perception, Jackson created the flashy, enigmatic, vaguely dangerous persona who appeared in Billie Jean, Beat It and Bad -At a time when most music videos were primitive, Jackson made a video that was clever, original, visually opulent and mysterious -For many years after, Michael Jackson was the most luminous,  powerful , influential star in the music business, and no one else was  even close ...