Computer/ Video Game analysis (by Beth Fowler)

Sims 3

Genre - Virtual World/ Fantasy

Duration

31 seconds. I think the advert is this long because it grabs the audiences attention and immediately gets to the point. If the advert were any longer it may bore the audience as unnecessary information may be added. A short time period makes the advert more precise and memorable.

Content

The content shows a new town and different Characters that can be changed easily. The changing characters informs the audience about how quickly and easily characters can be changed to their specification in order to crate their own personalised virtual world. The new town looks as though it has been put there just for that viewer to go and explore, change and build upon. It appeals to audiences as them being able to build their own small empire. The way in which the light shines over the town displays positivity and good things.

Sound

Voice Over - Voice is very powerful, dominant and wise sounding. Speaks as though they are telling a story. Perhaps the story that the audience are able to create? Very persuasive language used in order to entice and draw the viewers in to buy the product. 

Characters Speaking - Makes the virtual world seem more real and this then further entices audiences as they can control what seems like real people and the thought of this entices viewers. 

Cheerful Music - Gives the game a positive, happy vibe meaning the audience automatically see the game as a happy and positive thing. 

Diegetic Sound - This is used when a character in the advert turns from being slim to fat. The change makes a 'pop' sound and shows how easily again aspects of the characters can be changed.

Editing

Cuts - Many cuts are used throughout the advert, often at a fast pace portraying the excitement of the characters and the game. It also means that a lot of the visual information can fit into such a short period of time. 

Seamless Editing - The seamless editing means that the changes in location and characters aren't noticeable and therefore the viewer focuses more on the scene, characters and information rather than being distracted by the type of editing used. 

Fade - The fade was used at the end, fading from the town to the logo. This puts an unfinished mark on the scene. By this i mean the fade makes the town seem as though it is still alive however you will not be able to see what is happening unless you buy the game. Also, the way in which it fades tot he game logo is almost putting a final reminder of who bought this to the audience and what logo to look out for.

Mise en Scene

Costume - The characters clothing is all very different and continues to change. This shows the audience a wide variety of clothing and styles they can choose for their characters and also how easy it is to style and personalise a characters image to you preference. 

Props - There seem to be a lot of props used however those that are the most dominant in the scene are; pizza, television, lamp and book. All of these props symbolise day to day items thus showing how the game portrays reality. 

Location - The two dominant locations in the opening are the hill and the town. This makes the town automatically more exciting as a hill is a boring place to be with no entertainment. The town displays a lot of places for entertainment and exploration appealing to the audience as they like to explore this for themselves.

Target Audience 

The target audience for this trailer is for both male and female and most probably aimed at younger people. I think it is aimed at young people because they are the most known to play video games therefore whilst older people may still appeal to the game, younger people are the main target audience as they will be for most video games.

Channel for Broadcasting

I think the main channels for this advertisement are going to be children/ teenage channels such as Disney and nickelodeon. I also think it will broadcast on film and music channels. These channels are mainly aimed at younger people however also give the chance to appeal to older people. This means a wider target audience and all in all higher profitability and game sales.

Certification

T13 - America
12 - UK
The certification for this game is low enough for a wide target audience. 13+ would appeal to this game more as people any younger than this may not understand or may find it difficult to play.