Videogames industry has transformed from a mere entertainment become a kind of cultural phenomenon. Videogames is being drawn deeper into the media mainstream.
In the 2008, on the list of video game companies top ten, ranked first was EA and second was Blizzard respectively (The 17173, 2008). However, currently the rank has some changed, EA still keeping No. 4 while Blizzard has downed to No. 12 (The Top Ten, 2012). Then, there is a question, how can a brand keep their place in the market?
Electronic Arts (EA) is an American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. It can develop into a giant of the game industry today, is inextricably linked with the large-scale acquisition plan.
Blizzard Entertainment is an American video game developer and publisher. Blizzard created several successful video games, however, since 1994 distributor Davidson & Associates acquired Blizzard, they has changed hands several times.
Part 2
Experience is the ultimate goal of playing a videogame. Designing a videogame consists of enabling and inhibiting types of player participation according to an idealized experience (Jensen, Robischon and Fierman, 2002). Therefore, to analyze those two videogame brands how to improve their brand performance should basic on experience design analysis.
Brands cannot manufacture experience, but can design experience, particularly videogame brands. In the game studies field, gameplay experience has often been characterized through concepts like fun, flow or immersion (Austin, 2012). In addition to experiences are shaped, directly or indirectly by a variety of factors. People buy experiences, not things (Anderson, 2007). Therefore As a brand owner should consider about people, their activities and the context of those activities.
According to of experience design model (Anderson, 2009), there are many useful points has been shown thought different input tools, activities and artifacts, which are very important for a videogame brand, such as illustrates the inadequacies of focusing purely on users, tasks, and business goals; exposes a richer understanding of context as it relate to experience; can be used to better integrate marketing and design research into technology efforts; illuminates need to focus motivations and non-task focused goals (e.g. entertainment).
Part 3
There is a part of cliff diagram minutely explains the experience design model that created by Stephen P. Anderson in 2009.
‘People’ refers to as individuals or like groups and the things that make people who they are, independent of any activities. ‘Activities’ describes the things people do. ‘Context’ is defined as any information that might affect the activity being carried out by a person.
“The really great experiences are deeply rooted with insights into motivations, desires, emotions, cultural & social patterns, beliefs and other deeper consideration.”
In this assignment, the analysis will separate to two parts: first one is consumers’ experience design analysis in videogame market, second one is basic on the analysis of consumers and market to compare design and branding strategy of EA and Blizzard by this model.
Customers & Market:
Customers of videogame almost are 18-35 years old people, who are living as high-speed model life, high-pressure with work or study (Hyman, 2009). Most of them have no time and energy enough to go out to do some sports to relax the stress. Then, the videogames has become to the primary choice in their life to release pressure. According to that, the market of videogame has become increasing large and competitive.
EA: Electronic Arts can develop into a giant of the game industry today, is inextricably linked with the large-scale acquisition plan (Cullen, 2010). On the one hand, through the acquisition to master the many well-known game brands, laid its dominance in the industry that cannot be shaken. On the other hand, the majority