HORIZON FORBIDDEN WEST: AUDIENCE AND INDUSTRY

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 1) What statistics can you find for the number of male / female players for the major consoles?

- PlayStation 5: 71% male  29% female

- Xbox Series X|S: 68% male  32% female 

- Nintendo Switch: 54% male  46% female 

- PC: 61% male  39% female


2) What is the difference between 'hardcore' and 'casual' gamers - and which do you think would play Horizon Forbidden West?

- Hard core: Those who say they take video games seriously, or play competitively.
- Casual: Like videogames but isn't their top interest.

Casual gamers because HFW is a form of escapism and isn't really based on competition.

3) What are the different reasons YouGov researched for why players play games? Which of these would apply to Horizon Forbidden West?

- To relax and wind down.
- To pass the time
- To escape from reality for a while
- To challenge myself



1) How is the game promoted to an audience?

- Reviews
- Gameplay trailers

2) What are the key features for the game listed on the site?

- Console
- PEGI rating
- Price
- Release date

3) What information does the website offer players about the game world and characters? Give a few examples.

- Explore distant lands, fight bigger and more awe-inspiring machines, and encounter astonishing new tribes as you return to the far-future, post-apocalyptic world of Horizon.

- The land is dying. Vicious storms and an unstoppable blight ravage the scattered remnants of humanity, while fearsome new machines prowl their borders. Life on Earth is hurtling towards another extinction, and no one knows why.

- It's up to Aloy to uncover the secrets behind these threats and restore order and balance to the world. Along the way, she must reunite with old friends, forge alliances with warring new factions and unravel the legacy of the ancient past – all the while trying to stay one step ahead of a seemingly undefeatable new enemy.

4) What spin-offs and additional content are available as part of the Horizon franchise? 

- Horizon Zero Dawn#
- Merchandise

5) Applying Henry Jenkins's work on fandom, what aspects of the website (you may need to scroll down) encourage fan activity and engagement with online Horizon communities? 

- Paper craft guides help audience replicate characters from the games, by promoting this it can help showcase the game.





1) Why did the writer enjoy Horizon Forbidden West?

- Because is the kind of game that stays on its rails for the first five to 10 hours, pulling you into the narrative before releasing you to explore. 

2) How is Horizon Forbidden West structured for players when they first start the game?

- It creates structure and a sense of the goals for gameplay—the ideal introduction to a game built around wide-open spaces.

3) Why does the writer feel HFW created a more successful open world game than The Witcher 3?

- This is because The Witcher 3 is designed to encourage you to explore before you tackle the main story quests, to the point that you’re actually punished if you don’t fully investigate an area before moving on.






Industry research

1) Research Sony PlayStation Studios. 

- This organisation has defined gaming for generations. Our collective of studios and teams span the globe – and together – advance gaming and the positive impact it has on people’s lives.

- PlayStation Studios is the fabric that binds us together, with the boldness and spirit to explore, the passion to invent and reinvent, and the confidence to let imagination lead the way.


2) What studios are part of Sony PlayStation Studios?

- Team Asobi, Bend Studio, Bluepoint Games, Firesprite

3) What notable games have they produced? 

- AstroBot, Hell Divers2, Until Dawn.

4) Now research Guerrilla Games. Look at the 'Explore' page in particular. Who owns Guerrilla Games and how does it reflect the modern videogames industry? 

- Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe. We started in 2003, and have pushed the boundaries of technical and artistic excellence in our games ever since.

5) Choose one of the 'Guerrilla Spotlight' features and write three things you learn about the videogames industry and/or Guerrilla Games from the interview.

- Gain insight into what goes into building the AI behavior of the Waterwing. These parts generalise to the other machines built for Horizon Forbidden West.

- Learn about the navigation and movement solutions used in Horizon Forbidden West in air and underwater.

- Learn about the AI components for melee combat of machines.


1) Which three companies merged to become Guerrilla Games?

- That collective of developers was formed by Orange Games, Digital Infinity, and Formula Game Development. 

2) What other games and franchises were created by Guerrilla Games?

-  Nijmegen Adventure, by Wim Couwenberg, released in 1980.

3) How did Guerrilla maximise the Killzone franchise? 

- By releasing sequels and games on multiple PlaySations.

4) What did Sony sign with Guerrilla in 2004? 

- A deal where Guerrilla Games became an exclusive PlayStation developer.

5) How is Horizon Forbidden West described in the article and what is the next stage for the franchise?   

- It’s a world bearing the scars of a mysterious lost civilization, a far future that looks like a distant past, and it’s just about hospitable that you can exhale and take in the scenery now and then. 




1) What is HFW's PEGI rating and what age rating do you feel would be appropriate? Why?

- 16. I think this rating is suitable due to the realistic violence and mature themes.

2) Why is regulating videogames difficult in the digital age?

- This is because of different age rating systems e.g PEGI in Europe and ESRB in USA.

3) Are attitudes towards media content and regulation changing as a result of the internet? Explain your answer.

- Yes this is because there is now more exposure and less sensitivity on media products such as videogames.






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