HA11 Task 1 - Analysis

In this task i will be analysing the RPG game genre and discussing the various characteristics, narrative structure and representation of character. This genre has a lot of codes and conventions which makes up an RPG game, people think that these games need some if not all of these codes/conventions to be considered a true/proper RPG game. The codes that are present in RPG games vary as there are many different takes on the RPG genre, RPG games can have stereotypical conventions such as saving a damsel in distress or defeating the almighty evil of that game. There are lots of gameplay conventions such as a large overworlds to explore and secrets to find, turn based battles or a deep battle system which allows for varied strategies. Other conventions may include levelling systems which allows for character customisation with different skill trees to expand upon.

Other then the conventions of RPG games there are also codes which are the special features that would be in RPG games such as Party systems and various equipment meant to enhance the players stats. Although in this game there are not too many special features that make it stand out in a sea of other RPG games, the equipment that you can obtain throughout the game consists of Badges which you equip that give you extra abilities to use during battles or cosmetic items in the overworld.

The RPG genre is now so varied that there are games for anyone to play even if you are not a gamer, this genre is now so large that many different game companies have had their own take on it. There are games for the more hardcore RPG fan to play such as the Final Fantasy series as it has a deep lore with many different games in its series each with varied game mechanics and settings. Over the years this genre has evloveed to involve various other sub-genres but the base RPG genre has stayed the same throughout the years, only slight changes have occurred.

Story for RPG play a big part of the game as you are for the most part playing the role of a character in a fictional world. Many games pride themselves on their rich lore and story like the Final Fantasy series and the Dragon Age series. Both games have an emphasis on stories but their gameplay is different from each others. The story for Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door is the main point of the game, you are sent on an adventure through various territories to collect items to defeat the final boss, this is quite a generic story base but this game build on top of this with very different environments for the character to explore from a Wrestling Arena to a Moving Train. Progressing through the story allows the player to obtain more party member which open us access to different attacks and parts of the game.

In RPG's there are mostly always different races and sexes that the player is able to play as. In regard to Paper Mario the companions consist of both male and female characters although when in the Mario universe everything is family friendly. All characters in this game are treated the same except from the villains. In RPG's as a whole there is an arguement that different sexes are always portrayed as a particular role such as a Male character being a Warrior and a Tank and a Female character playing the role of Mage or a Healer. I think that this arguement is getting less valid as time goes of as most games allow for the player to play whatever they want.

HA10 - Task 1 Audience Theory

The game that i have chosen is the game Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door. This game claims to be a lighthearted RPG Adventure game, the responses that i had when playing through this game agreed with that claim as the RPG element are prominent throughout the adventure.

The personal uses of this game for me would be Entertainment, the response that I would get from this is the preferred response that the creators would want which is entertainment but there are other responses that i could also give when playing this game. I could also get frustrated when i would lose a fight to to me being unprepared

In regards to the Uses and Gratifications Theory I would not play this game for any informational purposes as its not an educational game.

This theory suggest that i may personally identify with my chosen game in some ways or another but I don't believe that i have that currently although i may of when this game was released. I would of played this for the first time i would of been into the Mario games at that point so i could of been invested in the game and i could of seen myself being involved with the characters of the game.

The social interaction part of the theory is true due to the fact that people would gather to play games like these especially in the early 2000's when children would go and socialise with other kids and play games together be it single player or multiplayer

The most viable part of this theory is the entertainment part of it. It suggests that people would play games for escaping from problems, relaxing, filling time and emotional release. I think people would mostly play this game for the entertainment that it brings, it allows for the player to escape into this world and it also helps pass the time and relaxes the player.

HA10 - Task 2 Effects Debate

Since Video Games rise to popularity there have been debates whether they are good or harmful for people, there have been news articles and studies based on this debate as its lasted for many years at this point. There is a lot of good that can come from video games, an example of this is the ability to teach and hone skills such as hand eye coordination, an example of video games teaching and developing this skill is the video game Underground which was developed by Dr Henk ten Cate Hoedemaker who is a keyhole surgeon. Dr Henk claims that the people who play video game and who are training to become keyhole surgeons have better success. There are also video games which are specificly created for educational purposes such as Brain Age and Mario Teaches Typing, These games are created to help people learn, both old and young people can benefit from these games with no negative drawback.

On the flip side there are also debates that violent video games cause violence in the real world and this debate has been going since game like Doom and Carmagedon have been around. Both games for the time hade excessive violence and a lot of blood shed which was unheard for video games in the 90's. Whilst these games have the debate that they cause violence there is also debates that games stop violence as it can act as a stress reliever and it has the capability to keep people invested for long periods of times.

I think that games can do much more good then evil as video games have been used as a medium to bring people together to make great things happen such as AGDQ which raises money for charity. I think that video games are often used as a scapegoat for events that may not have any other source such as violent acts.

HA10 - Task 3 Response

The game Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door allows for the player to interpret the game in whatever way they want. There is a lot of smart dialog throughout the game which allows the player to interpret what is said and they could respond appropriately, either with gameplay or dialog options which can change the gameplay. When characters in this game act or say things i understand and take the information straight in without investing time into looking for deeper meaning as i don't think that is much point as its seen as a kids game. I agree with this game on all fronts even when playing through this game again, rather then an oppositional or a negotiable response. I don't think anything story wise allows for much interpretation as it would need to be easy enough for kids to understand although people can interpret what side characters such as Luigi are saying as they give information to the player but that information leaves a lot to be theorized about as there is a lot of missing text the player may want to think about themselves.

HA8 - Task 3 Conslusion

My findings from completing the previous tasks were very similar, the secondary research that i completed for Task 1 claimed that the Average player of this game is a Male aged 18 - 29. The research that i did for Task 2 also has this same results being the average player being a Male aged 18 - 24. For the qualitative survey the results also matched the results of the secondary research that i did which said that the game is overall accepted as a good game with high review scores, this reflects in the research that i completed as all the results that i got reflected that of the secondary research.

In conclusion i have determined that the secondary research that i conducted is correct for the most part because my results are very similar to that of the results of the secondary research


This image is from my Task 1 Post, it was taken from the IMDB page based on my chosen game. The general demographic of this is Males Aged 18 - 29. This is the same as my research which suggests the same demographic

HA8 - Task 2 Primary Research

Primary Research is a type of research which is gathered by myself using my own sources. Examples of research that i could use to gather information are things like surveys and questionnaires that i would get people to do for me to get information about them or a certain subject.

The game Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door is a game that i have played multiple times so i can comment on the secondary research that i have collected. Some of the points that i can agree with from the secondary research is the age demographic of the game which is age 18 - 29. I can also agree on the score it was given on various websites. I have created some surveys that would give me insight to the the demographic of people who play this game. I will compare the results of the surveys to that of the secondary research. From the few results that I received i gathered that the secondary research was mostly accurate as the results were similar.

I have had experience with both Qualitative and Quantitative surveys as i have made them before so i have an idea on what to expect.

I have created 2 Surveys, one being qualitative and one being quantitative which i would use to gather relevant information by asking only the demographic of the people who have played the game (Males Aged 18 - 29) I have created the Quantitative survey that aims to find out information about the people who have played this game, the aim of this survey is to gather factual information rather then opinionated answers.

The first survey that i created was the Quantitative survey, these are the question that i created for the survey.

The results that i got confirmed the previous research, The general opinion from these results have shown that the average player gender and age were Males around the age of 18 - 24.

The second survey that i created was the Qualitative survey which aimed to gather opinionated information.

HA9 - Task 1 Deconstruction

Genre Description:

The game Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door is a Action RPG game, with a sub genre of Adventure and Turn-Based. This game has a 3D environment with encounters which the player can choose to take part in, the battles are turn based battles. Upon defeating enemies in battles experience points are gained that are used to level up your character and improve your abilities.

Selection of Content:

The aesthetic of this game abides by the title "Paper Mario" Everything in this games looks is related to paper in some way like the characters for the most part are made of paper and they have the properties of paper. The colours of the areas and the characters vary on where in the game the player is in. In the area "Petal Meadows" the colours and the characters are bright and colourful and this is the same for the enemies in that area also. Although in a later area called "Twilight Town" the colours are dark and spooky to fit with the boss of the area which is a ghost. I think that the overall theme of the game is bright and happy. The font used in the game's text boxes is very loose and curved and a lot of emotion is shown with the text as it can move and be different sizes to fit the tone it is said in.

Construction of Content:
The mechanic of this game consists of movement in a 3D environment using abilities and techniques that correlate with the characters being made out of paper (Turning into a paper aeroplane or rolling up into a tube to squeeze through holes). There is puzzle solving involved with areas to enhance gameplay and take advantage of abilities and party members. Battles consist of each turn based attacks which involves strategy. Upon progressing through the game more movement options are available to the player with different party members.

Codes and Conventions:
The general conventions of an RPG would be things like compelling stories, interesting characters and deep gameplay mechanics, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door abides by these conventions. This game has a compelling story with a cast of witty and interesting characters which makes it hard to get bored of the game or the story. The gameplay mechanics do enough different from standard turn based RPG games to keep it different and engaging which which includes its badge system which allows you customise your abilities and various events that happen during battles.

Modes of Address:
This game addresses the audience in various ways from text boxes to characters movement and emotions. During battles successful hits tells you that you have done well with a sound that indicates success. Also when you hit opponents the crowd cheers for you. Most characters can communicate with the player and some will help you along with journey with helpful hints and tips, a companion in this game will also give you hint on how to progress in the game if you were to get stuck.