Technological convergence in terms of video games is when different technologies merge into new technologies to bring us a number of different Medias. The 3 main consoles involved in technological convergence are the Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii. All of these consoles have many different components that make them unique but they all usually have internet access as well as some sort of download and personal storage for photos, music etc. Each of these consoles have been branded as “Home Entertainment Centre’s” this opens up a wide variety of markets as they are multi-functional boxes and all offer something more than just a games console, they also are mainly placed in the lounge which allows family bonding and game nights which is very attractive to most people. Also with smaller consoles like PSP’s and DS’s there is now a gap in the market as there are only certain things you can do with those consoles, this allows other companies like Phones companies to create small fun apps that everyone will be attracted to.
Media Convergence is when “old” media and “new” media merges together to create something that has a bigger impact. An example of this is Grand Theft Auto 4, the game industry combined with the music industry to put music like Kanye West in the game on radio stations, this also goes for the TV industry with putting real-life shows on the TV in the game. This not only makes the game seem realer but attracts audiences who enjoy the music and TV played on the game to GTA. Another example of this is the Video Game industry combining with Social Networking sits like Facebook. These kind of games, like Farmville and Cityville, only exist because of media convergence as they are distributed, marketing and consumed via Facebook. These are all examples to prove that media can change the games industry.
Synergy is the combining of 2 or more agents (Brands, Products etc.) to create a larger effect than if they were to act alone. Synergy is a strategy to maximise the exposure of the product/brand etc. There are 3 different types of synergy, Cross-Promotion, Related products and simultaneous release. Cross-Promotion is when 2 or more brands/products/ or games come together in a promotion on one thing. This allows exposure for all of the brands etc. as well as a large impact on the product. Related products is when companies come out with a range of products that all relate to each other, this is usually the case when a major film comes out. These products help each other sell because of the large amount of the same type of products. And Finally Simultaneous release is when companies have similar products with a similar release date of a major event like a movie. All these types of synergy help sell products because they all have a large effect on the audience.
Proliferation is the rapid increase of a certain type of product. This is usually because when something becomes popular it increases greatly to have an even bigger impact of people. It also goes for new technology, as when new technology comes out most companies want to have that new thing. For example the Iphone was a huge hit, which made other phone companies realise that touch screen phone with tons of apps were popular, hence the large amount of smart phones in the market now. As there are so many types of products with the same qualities which means more money has to be spent on marketing and advertising. This also causes the company pressure to stand out and not have lots of sequels of the same type of product, the same goes for the video games industry. Although this can be pressure for the companies, it can leave a lot of choice for the consumers and also keeps the price low as there is lots of the same product. But there are also some downfalls for the consumers as there is much confusion on what to buy because there is so much choice even though choice is a good thing.
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