Videogame Advertising: Institution

Task 1: Developers and Publishers

Rockstar Games
Background: Formed in 1998 in New York, New York City, USA.
Owner/Founder(s): Sam Houser, Dan Houser, Terry Donovan, Jamie King and Gary Foreman.
Most Successful Games: Grand Theft Auto, Max Payne, Manhunt, L.A. Noire etc.
Interesting Fact About The Institution: In March 2014, Rockstar Games received the BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award at the British Academy Video Games Awards.

EA (Electronic Arts)
Background: Formed in 1982 in Redwood City, California, USA.
Owner/Founder: Trip Hawkins.
Most Successful Games: Battlefield, The Sims, FIFA, Need For Speed etc.
Interesting Fact About The Institution: In 2011 Electronic Arts was the world's third-largest gaming company.

Zynga
Background: Formed in 2007 in San Francisco, California, USA.
Owner/Founder: Mark Pincus.
Most Successful Games: FarmVille, Texas HoldEm Poker, ChefVille etc.
Interesting Fact About The Institution: Zynga was named after an American bulldog named Zinga once owned by Mark Pincus.

Nintendo
Background: Formed in 1889 in Kyoto, Japan.
Owner/Founder: Fusajiro Yamauchi.
Most Successful Games: Super Mario Bros, Wii Sports etc.
Interesting Fact About The Institution: It originally produced handmade hanafuda cards.

Sony Computer Entertainment
Background: Formed in 1993 in Tokyo, Japan.
Owner/Founder(s): Ken Kutaragi and Norio Ohga.
Most Successful Games: Gran Turismo, Eye Toy etc.
Interesting Fact About The Institution: The company has sold more than 400 million PlayStation consoles worldwide.

Task 2: Advertising Agencies

W+K Amsterdam
1) W+K stands for Wieden + Kennedy.
2) They advertised Heineken, Powerade, Nike, Coca-Cola and EA.
3) In my opinion the Coca Cola advert is the most creative because it shows how adding some colour to the grey, boring reality can make everyone happy. 
4) They created a videogame campaign for FIFA 14.
5)

Rokkan
1) The Rokkan advertising agency has been around for 14 years.
2) It is based in New Jersey.
3) Rokkan has advertised Hyundai, Nestle, Chipotle.
4)
5) The publisher for 'Dishonored' was Bethesda Software.

Task 3: Regulatory Bodies

PEGI
1) PEGI is an age rating system that was established to help European parents make informed decisions on buying computer games.
2&3) PEGI uses a combination of content declaration and game review to determine the appropriate PEGI rating for each game.

PEGI 3
The content of games given this rating is considered suitable for all age groups. Some violence in a comical context (cartoon-like forms of violence) is acceptable but no explicit language. 
PEGI 7
Any game that would normally be rated at 3 but contains some possibly frightening scenes or sounds may be considered suitable in this category. 
PEGI 12
May contain violence in a fantasy setting, coarse language, mild sexual references or innuendo, or gambling.
PEGI 16
Depiction of violence (or sexual activity) reaches a stage that looks the same as would be expected in real life. More extreme language, the concept of the use of tobacco and drugs and the depiction of criminal activities.
PEGI 18
Level of violence reaches a stage where it becomes a depiction of gross violence and/or includes elements of specific types of violence(violence that would make the viewer feel a sense of revulsion).

4) The seven aspects that PEGI look for when giving a game a rating are: 
-bad language
-discrimination
-drugs
-fear
-gambling
-sex
-violence
5) PEGI Online is an addition to the PEGI system protecting young people from inappropriate online game content.

ASA
1) ASA's mission is to make sure that the advertising in media is legal, decent, honest and truthful, to the benefit of consumers, business and society.
2) ASA's values are:
-Consistent and proportionate
-Reliable and ethical
-Fair and respectful to all
-Accessible and helpful
-Intelligent and thorough, but also timely and proportionate
-Open and accountable, acting with integrity and never being afraid to admit when we’re wrong
-An excellent team, inspiring excellence in each other

Complaint:

1) The advertised company was Mothercare UK Ltd.

2) Someone complained because the claim "RRP £49.99 Price £24.99 You save £25.00" was misleading and could be substantiated, because they did not believe the product was generally sold for £49.99.

3) Upheld