Feedback on research #1

Well done Justine - a solid start. You now need to add entries on Second Life and the debates / questions from today. You can print off the slides from the system if that helps you.

Write a list of questions that you are going to address in your study to help focus the rest of your research.

Nintendo Wii

• Is the fifth home video games console launched by Nintendo
• It is the upgrade of the Nintendo GameCube
• It rivals Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3 as part of the seventh generation of gaming systems
• Nintendo claims that the Nintendo Wii targets a broader demographic than that of Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3
• The Nintendo Wii includes a wireless controller, the Wii remote which can be used as a handheld pointing device and is able to detect motion and rotation in three dimensions
• It also includes WiiConnect24 which allows the Nintendo Wii to receive messages and updates over the Internet whilst in standby mode
• Nintendo revealed the Nintendo Wii in 2005 at the E3
• In the 2006 E3, Nintendo Wii won the first of several awards
• By December 8th 2006 it had completed its launch in four key markets
• The Nintendo Wii originally cost around £133

Xbox 360

• produced by Microsoft
• Xbox Live service alows players access to online gaming and to download arcade games and content such as game trailers, TV shows, music videos or rented films
• It is the upgrade from the Xbox
• Rivals are PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii as part of the seventh generation of gaming systems
• Officially revealed on MTV on May 12th 2005
• It is the first ever games console to provide near-simultaneous launch across the three major regions and to provide wireless controller support at its launch
• Upon release the Xbox 360 sold out immediately and by the end of 2006 had shipped 10.4 million units worldwide
• The original price of the Xbox 360 was around £385

PS3- Sony PlayStation 3

• Sony Computer Entertainment's third video game console
• It is the upgrade from the PlayStation 2
• The PlayStation 3 competes against Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles
• Released on November 11th 2006 in Japan, November 17th 2006 in USA and on March 23rd 2007 in Europe
• It is available in two initial configurations: the 20 GB Basic model and the 60 GB Premium model.
• However, due to lack of consumer demand, the 20 GB Basic model was discontinued in the USA. This indicates that consumers are more interested in the model with the larger memory space, supporting the idea that society is becoming increasingly demanding in relation to their digital interests and requirements.
• The PlayStation 3 controller features finer analog sensitivity, more trigger-like R2 and L2 buttons, a PS ("home") button, and a USB mini-B port for charging the internal battery and for wired play.
• The PlayStation 3 Memory Card Adaptor allows the consumer to transfer data from PlayStation and PlayStation 2 memory cards to the PlayStation 3's hard disk.
• In PC World's magazine list of “The Top 21 Tech Screwups of 2006,” the PlayStation 3 ranked eighth where it was criticised for being "late, expensive and incompatible". This indicates consumerism has reached a new level of demand and expectation of only the highest quality from new media in contemporary society.
• The PlayStation 3 originally cost £425 on its release.

The Gaming Industry- Related Articles

I have chosen to report on the topic of the gaming industry of which there are numerous articles on such as:

the following report featured on the Guradian Online which focuses on comparing the three new major games consoles: the PS3, X-Box 360 and Nintendo Wii. article

the following article featured on the Guardian Online giving a brief review of the Sony Playstation 3. article

the following article featured on the Guardian Online detailing problems in relation to the Playstation 3 prior to its release during its production, and the effect these had on its launch. article

The Five Areas Of Study...

Technology- what does the technology have to offer that is different from previous competitive technologies? What is your chosen technology? How is it marketed? Who is it marketed to? Which companies sell it and how much does it cost? Is it new media or old media being upgraded?
Institutions- How are media institutions converging media interests to increase profits? What new ways are they using to reach their target market?
Audience- How are traditional experiences of the media changing? What media institutions are being sacrificed in exchange for new media institutions? What are the advantages/ disadvantages of new media for the consumer? You will carry out audience research, asking opinions and investigating consumption patterns.
Issues- Will existing businesses/ institutions suffer as a consequence of the new media technology? Does it encourage/ discourage illegal activity? Is it generating any "moral panics?"
The Future- What would happen if the new media technology were to be developed further? Based on current media technologies potential, how could media customs be different in the future?

The Future Of Blogging

The following debates concerning the future of blogging are raised in the following video- www.robinsloan.com/epic

• The moral issue concerning what would happen if the news were edited and featured through computers alone; designed to suit each individuals interests
• The issue of who would be responsible for copyright
• The effect digitally transmitted news has on society
• The idea of a custom content package which allows individuals to receive news personally designed to suit their interests and requirements

In my opinion, news is rapidly becoming a product of the digital age. I believe this is due to the fact that it is accessible at the click of a button and can be read quickly and is updated frequently. Alternatively, traditional newspapers can be classed as 'inconvenient' in comparison to news easily accessed through the Internet, and is seen to not conform with contemporary society's need for fast, easily accessible information.

However, i do not necessarily view this as a positive development as i believe such an intense intake of digital information is damaging our society. For example, in the near future no one will have to do anything for themselves if technology continues to develop and upgrade at such an fast pace. This could lead to the destruction of the traditional society as we now know it and result in the loss of society's function of being a unit of production to it simply being a unit of consumption.