Video Game Industry Analysis

This assignment delves into the current state of the video game industry. It examines popular game genres such as action/adventure and racing, analyzing titles like Grand Theft Auto V, Need for Speed World, and Assassin's Creed: Rebellion. The assignment also explores platform preferences, highlighting the dominance of consoles among American gamers. Further insights are provided into age demographics within the UK player base and global market trends.

Computer Games

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
A) List of ten games genres....................................................................................................1
B) Critical comparison of games............................................................................................2
TASK 2..........................................................................................................................................10
Evaluation of current games technology and user interaction..............................................10
TASK 3..........................................................................................................................................14
Impact of computer games on society..................................................................................14
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................17
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................18

Index of Tables
Table 1: List of games genres..........................................................................................................1
Table 2: Gaming technology and user interaction in UK..............................................................10
Illustration Index
Illustration 1: GTA V.......................................................................................................................2
Illustration 2: Assassin's Creed........................................................................................................4
Illustration 3: Age of Empires..........................................................................................................6
Illustration 4: NEED for SPEED ....................................................................................................8
Illustration 5: Most preferable platform.........................................................................................10
Illustration 6: Video Games Genres...............................................................................................10
Illustration 7: UK player demographics ........................................................................................11
Illustration 8: AMERICAN GAMERS: 47% PREFER CONSOLES, 27% PREFER PC ...........12
Illustration 9: The state of 4K gaming: What you need to know, from pricing to performance
needs..............................................................................................................................................13

INTRODUCTION
Computer games are also known as video games which are specifically designed to
entertain kids and young people. There are different types and genres of computer games which
are available in market for kids and youth according to their content and ratings (Scharkow and
et.al., 2015). According to this context, this report will cover the aspects of computer games for
younger audience. A list of computer games according to their genres, types, platform and
content will be made. Critically comparison of the games on the basis of their speed, quality, cost
and ease of access will be made in this assignment. Further, evaluation of certain types of games
for particular generation on the basis of content and graphics of games will be analysed and will
be presented in this report.
TASK 1
A) List of ten games genres
Table 1: List of games genres
Games Genres Platform Content Rating Examples
Action Computer and
Consoles Devices
Mature rated for teens
and adults above 17
years
Halo, Call of Duty
Action Adventure Computers, consoles,
handheld and mobile
devices
Teen Rated and for
teens above 15 years
Assassin Creed
Adventure Computer and mobile
devices
Everyone above 10
years
Resident Evil
Role Playing Consoles and Personal
Computers
Everyone above 10
years
Mass Effect
Strategic Handheld and Mobile
devices
Everyone above 5
years
Warcraft
Sports Computers and Virtual
reality console system
Everyone above 10
years
Need for Speed, FIFA
series
1

Educational Computers, console,
mobile, handheld
devices
Everyone above 3
years
Math Blaster, Crazy
Laboratory
Board Games Computers, console,
mobile, handheld
devices
Everyone above 5
years
3-D Chess
First Person Shooters
(FPS)
Computer and
Consoles Devices
Everyone above 10
years
Counter Strike, Delta
Force
Simulated games Virtual reality console
system
Everyone above 10
years
Spore
B) Critical comparison of games
Computer and video games are entertaining the life of kids, teens and young generation
since its innovation. It implies that video games are designed to make life of people less stressful
and provide them a chance to entertain themselves. This part will contain a critical comparison of
games genres on the basis of their cost, quality, ease of access, best platform and speed.
Action Games
2

Action games emphasize physical challenges that require eye-hand coordination and
motor sensory skill to overcome (Comello and et.al., 2016). They centre around the player, who
is in control of most of the action. Action games are usually developed for teens and young
adults with majority of mature rated games. The graphics contains blood, profanity and many
adult conditions which are not meant for kids. Below are the bases provided to critically compare
action games on the basis of speed, cost, platform, etc. Speed: The speed of action games depends upon the platform on which the game is been
playing on. Albeit, the games are classified into shooter games, stealth games, survival
games, etc. The speed and efficiency of action game genres are more than any other
genres. Quality: The quality of action games is better than any other genres in terms of graphics
and story. Cost: The cost of action games varies on the basis of graphics, design, story, software and
time taken for development of game (Lemmens and Hendriks, 2016). For example, the
costliest game of 2013 was Grand Theft Auto V which cost £50 per game.
3
Illustration 1: GTA V
(Source: Grand Theft Auto V, 2017)

 Ease of use: Action games are mainly paid games and people who can afford those
games can only access them easily.
 Best Platform: Albeit, action games can be played on any platform, the best platform to
play these genres of games are Console devices such as Sony Play station 4 or Microsoft
X-Box One and Hybrid Personal Computers. Appropriate for Audience: Action games rated by Entertainment Software Rating Board
on the basis of their graphic content and story. The majority of games are rated mature
(M) i.e. for teens above 17 years.
Action Adventure Games
Action adventure games are those games which contains adventurous story line to attract
the young generation (Ntsweng and Tan, 2016). Below is the comparison of action adventure
game on the basis of various factors is provided Speed: The speed of action games is based on the platform on which they are operating
on. For example, the speed and efficiency will be much better if these games are
operating on computers rather than any other device.
4
Illustration 2: Assassin's Creed
(Source: Ubisoft - Assassin's Creed: Rebellion, 2017)

 Quality: The quality of action adventure games is not much efficient as compared to
action games, as these games are designed for younger audience mainly teenagers Cost: The cost to develop action adventure games varies from game to game. Some
games are cheap, while some games are expensive. For example, Assassin Creed was the
expensive action adventure game series. Ease of use: Many of the action adventure games are available on different websites and
online gaming websites. Moreover, these games can be played in gaming parlours and
cyber cafes, after paying certain amount Best Platform: The best platform for playing action adventure games are personal
computers and consoles devices such as Sony Play station 4 or Microsoft X-Box One. Appropriate for Audience: Some games are designed for kids above 10 years, while
majority of games are Teen rated i.e. for young people above 15 years.
Adventure Games
Adventure games were some of the earliest games created. These games are specifically
based on the gameplay (Khenissi and et.al., 2016). The player needs to solve series of puzzles by
interacting with games character in order to accomplish the mission. Below is the comparison
provided on the basis of various factors: Speed: The speed of adventure games depends on the player efficiency and accuracy.
Most of the adventure games are designed to be accomplished in one day or week.
Further the speed of games is also based on the platforms or systems. Quality: The quality of adventure games is based on the graphics and content of games.
For example, the quality of text adventure games is not much effective as compared to
quality of graphic or real time 3-D adventure games. Cost: The cost of adventure games depends upon the gameplay and quality (Ntsweng and
Tan, 2016). Some games are freely available on online gaming website, while some
games are paid and are expensive too. For example, Rise Against the Adventure is one of
the expensive adventure game. Ease of use: Everyone can access and use adventure games through various platforms
like handheld consoles or mobile phones and computers. Best Platform: The best platform to play adventurous games are personal computers.
5

 Appropriate for Audience: Everyone can play adventure games especially kids above 10
years.
Role Playing Games
Role playing games, cast the player in the role of one or more "adventurers" who
specialize in specific skill sets (such as melee combat or casting magic spells) while progressing
through a predetermined storyline (Gee, 2014). Comparison on various factors that differentiate
role play games genres with other is provided below: Speed: The speed of games is based on the design and quality of games. For example,
Action RPG games are efficient in speed because these games are single player as
compared to MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer online role-playing games) Quality: Quality of games depends on their classification. For example, the quality of
first person role playing games are more as compared to other games. Cost: Role playing games are easily affordable as compared to any other genres of
games. Some games are freely available on online gaming websites. Ease of use: Everyone can access to role playing games either by accessing online
gaming websites or purchasing it from gaming stores. Best Platform: The best platform for playing role playing games are computers and
console systems. Appropriate for Audience: The appropriate audience for these games are small children
of age more than 5 years.
Strategic Games
6

The gameplay of strategic games is based on some specific strategies and mission which
the player has to accomplish in order to finish the game (Eichenbaum and et.al., 2015). The
factors of comparison are provided below: Speed: Strategic games are slow and hard to finish. As player has to use various strategies
in order to finish the game. Though, the due to low specification requirement, these
games can be efficiently being played on any device. Quality: The quality of strategic games is depended upon the gameplay. Games with
smoother interface are of high quality (Green and et.al., 2017). For example, Age of
Empire and Warcraft are some of high quality games. Cost and Ease of use: These games are usually cheaper as compared to other genres and
can be easily accessible from game stores or gaming websites. Best Platform: Personal Computers and Smartphones are the best platform to play the
games. Appropriate for Audience: Games are specifically designed for children above age 5.
Sports Games
7
Illustration 3: Age of Empires
(Source: Age of Empires II HD Steam Key GLOBAL, 2017)

Sports are video games that simulate sports. This opposing team(s) can be controlled by
other real-life people or artificial intelligence. Below are the factors on which these games can be
compared on: Speed: Sports games are known for its speed and efficiency. The performance of these
games depended upon the level of configuration installed in computers or consoles. Quality: The quality of sports games is efficient and effective enough to attract young
audience. For Example, Need for Speed series is popular among youth because of its
quality Cost and Ease of use: These games are expensive. The cost of these games ranges from
£10 to £30 per game. For example, the cost of FIFA 2017 is £13.49 in UK. Players or
users can purchase these games from online or offline gaming stores. Best Platform: Sony Play station 4 or Microsoft X-Box One consoles systems Appropriate for Audience: Everyone above age 10 years.
Educational and Board Games
8
Illustration 4: NEED for SPEED
(Source: NEED FOR SPEED WORLD, 2017)

Educational games are designed and developed to provide interactive learning lesson to
kids in form of video games (Green and Bavelier, 2015). Board video games are the imitation of
real board games, but can be virtually played by the player on television or computer screen. Speed: These games are slow as compared to other genres. More time required to
complete the games as these games are specifically designed for kids. Quality: The quality of these games is efficient enough to attract kids and young people. Cost and Ease of use: These games are easily affordable and accessible to everyone.
These games can be purchased or downloaded from online gaming websites. Best Platform: Personal Computers and consoles system are best platforms to play these
games. Appropriate for Audience: These games can be played by anyone, but are specifically
designed for kids above 5 years.
Stimulated games
These games involve taking control of real-world vehicles, including tanks, ships, and
aircraft. Below are the factors of comparison. Speed and Quality: The speed of stimulated games is efficient both in speed and quality
as compared to action and adventurers gaming genres (Scharkow and et.al., 2015). Cost and Ease of use: These games are more costly and expensive as compared to any
other genre. Everyone cannot afford stimulated games. Best Platform: These games can be played efficiently on Virtual Reality and Stimulated
devices.
 Appropriate for Audience: Appropriate for mature and teenagers respectively.
Justification of Evaluation
9

The above figures show most preferable platform to play video games. It can be easily
understood that young audience prefer personal computer to play games as compared to any
other platforms.
The above figure represents the most favourable and more frequently played genres by
young audience. It can be concluded that strategy games are more frequently played by young
kids and people, whereas educational games genres are least favourable among kids.
TASK 2
Evaluation of current games technology and user interaction
Table 2: Gaming technology and user interaction in UK
Gaming Devices User Interaction (UK)
Personal Computers 22.00%
Console Devices 23.00%
Handheld Devices 9.00%
Smartphones 18.00%
10
Illustration 5: Most preferable platform
(Source: Phan, 2011)
Il
lustration 6: Video Games Genres
(Source: Phan, 2011)

Tablets 14.00%
Since the evolution of technological revolutions, majority of gaming organisation evolve
their current gaming configuration to more hybrid and advance level. From 2D interface to 3D
and now 4K gaming are provided to the gamers and users with the help of advance technologies.
There are varieties of games available for almost all types of users (Taylor and Griffin, 2015).
The above chart demonstrates the percentage of user prefer to play games on their preferable
gaming technology. It depends upon the player which platform and genre he or she prefers.
Approximately 32.4 million people invest their money on video games in United Kingdom
which makes the country 5th largest gaming market in the world. In order to play high quality
games, user prefers consoles and personal computers with high configuration. If user only want
to play a game casually, he or she prefer handheld devices or play games on mobile or
smartphones (The games industry in numbers, 2017). There are range of gaming technologies
and consoles which are available in the market of United Kingdom and it depends on user which
11
Illustration 7: UK player demographics
(Source: The games industry in numbers, 2017)

technology or console system he or she prefers. In this context, the evaluation of gaming
technology is described below:
Consoles Devices
Console devices are most popular among youth and teenage gamers. They are user friendly and
easy to use. There are many console devices available in the market but Sony PS4 and Microsoft
Xbox One acquires the majority of shares (Prabhu, Tiwari and Ward, 2017). There are various
advantages and disadvantages associated with console devices which are as follows:
Advantages
 Easy to set up and can be connected with television or LCD system.
 High quality graphic experience and easy to control. Gamer can play online and multi-player game by connecting through internet.
Disadvantages
 Console systems and devices are expensive than other gaming technologies.
 Some genres are completely absent from Console games so far since they do indeed work
better on a PC.
 Consoles may be powerful, users don't have the option to make any upgrades in the
future.
User Interaction
12
Illustration 8: AMERICAN GAMERS: 47% PREFER CONSOLES, 27% PREFER PC
(Source: Lozada, 2017)

Approximately 23 per cent of population of United Kingdom prefer playing games on
console devices (Cox, Saunders and Saunders, 2014). Console devices are easy to set up and use.
Further, many brands like Sony and Microsoft provides free games and other benefits to users.
But they are comparatively at higher price and there is always a comparability issue on console
devices.
Personal Computers
Gaming on personal computers allow user to play games on their own computers. Due to
advances in the field of technology, computer games are becoming more popular and handy to
operate (Buckingham and Willetr, 2013). User can play, tweak and modify any game as per his
or her own wish. The evaluation of computer game technology is listed below:
Advantages
 User can play each and every game in his or her computer if computer system are
equipped with the latest graphic card.
 It is time and cost efficient and user can even download and play any game he or she
desires. Computer can be upgraded by installing new software and hardware.
13
Illustration 9: The state of 4K gaming: What you need to know, from pricing to performance
needs
(Source: Chacos, 2017)

Disadvantages
 Not user friendly to the untrained; constantly has to be upgraded to stay on top.
 PC gamer will encounter some technical complication that interferes with their gaming,
be it a device driver that needs updating or components that are simply incompatible. PCs
are also much more vulnerable to viruses and other security breaches.
User Interaction
Playing games on computer system are more preferable by users as compared to console
devices. Though, in United Kingdom, only 22% of total gamers play games on computer systems
or devices (Kirkpatrick, 2015). Thus, it is recommanded to manager to create games that can
work on both consoles and computers in order to increase sales and profits.
Handheld devices, Mobile phones and Tablets
Handheld devices are portable system which are specifically designed for playing games easily.
These devices are small as compared to other gaming devices. User can also play games on his
or her mobile or smartphone and tablets. The evaluation of these devices are listed below:
Advantages
 Easy to use and user can play game anywhere and at anytime. User can afford handheld devices or smartphone easily.
Disadvantages
 User cannot play high graphic games and multiplayer games on these devices efficiently.
 It is small and user find it difficult to operate it.
User Interaction
9 per cent of total population of United Kingdom prefer playing games on hand held
devices, 18 per cent on smartphones and 14 per cent of user prefer playing games on tablets
(Thomson, Bugge and Brady, 2016). It is recommanded to manager of computer game company
to develop portable or mobile version of games to enhance the productivity.
TASK 3
Impact of computer games on society
The evolution of computer games over the last twenty years had a major impact on
society (Comello and et.al., 2016). Computer games not only helps in reducing the stressful life
of young adults, but also entertain and provide education to young kids. Though there are some
negative impacts of computer games on society. Kids and young teenagers are suffering from
14

psychological and mental disorder as they play games for long hours continuously (Lemmens
and Hendriks, 2016). There are various positive and negative impacts of video and computer
games that affects society and individuals using real life examples which are provided below:
Positive Impacts of computer games on society and Individual Improving Sensory Skills: Computer games are designed and developed in order to
increase the sensory motor skills of kids. They can create a proper coordination between
their hand and eye efficiently. Development of Cognitive abilities: Computer games aid in development of cognitive
abilities in young kids and adults (Ntsweng and Tan, 2016). It helps to improve
coordination, enhance memory, improves brain power and increases attention and
concentration in children and adult. Provides employment: Gaming industries are evolving every year by developing new
concepts and innovations. They are massively hiring people on the basis of their skills,
knowledge and efficiency. For example, Microsoft and Rockstar are two biggest hiring
gaming organisations in world. Provide benchmark to young talent: Many organisations and online gaming websites
such as IGN provides benchmark to young kids to show their skills (Ntsweng and Tan,
2016). They embark an online gaming competition in which the winner gets enormous
amount of money. For Example, DOTA 2 gaming contest. Skill acquisition: By playing computer games, an individual acquires ample of skills.
These includes decision making skills, sensory skills, etc. This aid in growth and
development of brain of human being (Cox, Saunders and Saunders, 2014).
Negative Impacts of computer games on society and individual
15

The above figure shows the psychological impacts on children and young adult who play
computer games for longer hours (Gee, 2014). It can be figured out that majority of children are
suffering from addiction and reduction social skills which is really terrible. With this context,
below are some negative impacts of computer games: Impacts on psychology of young kids and people: Some action games contain graphics
which are not suitable and appropriate even for kids from age 15-17 years. The graphics
contains blood and violence that impacts on the psychology of these kids. Addiction: Games such as Call of Duty, Counter Strike, Assassin Creed, etc. are time
consuming games and in order to finish or complete the game, kids spent enormous
amount of time and started getting addicted towards it. A recent survey conducted by
some researchers shows that children who addicted to these games shows aggressive
behaviour and suffered from mental disorder (Eichenbaum and et.al., 2015). Social Issue: Excessive increase of addiction of computer games among children create a
social issue in the society. Majority of parents complained about their children, who were
not concentrating on their studies and engaged with playing computer games
continuously. Peer Pressure: Peer pressure refers to the societal pressure. It is a common heredity of
child to have those things and stuff which is posses by his friends. Further, he or she
tends to compete with each other (Thomson, Bugge and Brady, 2016). Peer pressure
negatively impacts on the psychology of youngsters.
16

 Fun Expectations: Whenever a person buy a game, he or she expected to have fun while
playing that particular games. After playing that specific game, if he or she found no fun
in it, then it impacts on his or her psychology.
CONCLUSION
The above report helps the reader to understand the different types of computer games
genres efficiently. Computer games are rapidly increasing their favourableness among children
and young adults. These video games are designed to entertain the kids and also aid in reducing
the stress in adults. With this context, this report covers the ten game genres and critically
compared them on various factors such as speed, cost and quality. The demographic review of
gamers of United Kingdom and the game technology they prefer has been assessed in this
assignment. Further, the impact of computer games on the psychology of individual and society
has been covered and focused in this report efficiently. From this, it can be concluded that
computer games provided with ample benefits with enormous negative impacts.
17

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Buckingham, D. and Willett, R. eds., 2013. Digital generations: Children, young people, and the
new media. Routledge.
Comello, M. L. G. and et.al., 2016. Cancer survivors who play recreational computer games:
Motivations for playing and associations with beneficial psychological outcomes. Games
for health journal. 5(4). pp.286-292.
Cox, B., Saunders, D. and Saunders, P. eds., 2014. International simulation and gaming
yearbook. Routledge.
Eichenbaum, A. and et.al., 2015. Role-playing and real-time strategy games associated with
greater probability of Internet Gaming Disorder. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social
Networking. 18(8). pp.480-485.
Gee, J. P., 2014. What video games have to teach us about learning and literacy. Macmillan.
Green, C. S. and Bavelier, D., 2015. Action video game training for cognitive
enhancement. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences. 4. pp.103-108.
Green, C. S. and et.al., 2017. Playing some video games but not others is related to cognitive
abilities: A critique of Unsworth et al. (2015). Psychological science. 28(5). pp.679-682.
Khenissi, M. A. and et.al., 2016. Relationship between learning styles and genres of
games. Computers & Education. 101. pp.1-14.
Kirkpatrick, G., 2015. The formation of gaming culture: UK gaming magazines, 1981-1995.
Springer.
Lemmens, J. S. and Hendriks, S. J., 2016. Addictive online games: Examining the relationship
between game genres and internet gaming disorder. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and
Social Networking. 19(4). pp.270-276.
Ntsweng, O. and Tan, S. S. L., 2016. The Effects of Serious Games’ Genres and Frequency of
Exposure on Children’s Dietary Preferences.
Prabhu, V.A., Tiwari, A. and Ward, C., 2017. Digitisation of manual composite layup task
knowledge using gaming technology. Composites Part B: Engineering, 112, pp.314-326.
Scharkow, M. and et.al., 2015. Beyond the “core-gamer”: Genre preferences and gratifications in
computer games. Computers in Human Behavior. 44. pp.293-298.
Taylor, M.J. and Griffin, M., 2015. The use of gaming technology for rehabilitation in people
with multiple sclerosis. Multiple Sclerosis Journal, 21(4), pp.355-371.
18

Thomson, K., Bugge, C. and Brady, M.C., 2016. Commercial gaming devices for stroke upper
limb rehabilitation: a survey of current practice. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive
Technology, 11(6), pp.454-461.
Online
Age of Empires II HD Steam Key GLOBAL. 2017. [Online]. Available through:
<hhttps://www.g2a.com/age-of-empires-ii-hd-steam-key-global-i10000002238008>.
[Accessed on 7th October 2017].
Chacos, B., 2017. The state of 4K gaming: What you need to know, from pricing to performance
needs [Online]. Available
through:<https://www.pcworld.com/article/2990895/hardware/the-state-of-4k-gaming-
what-you-need-to-know-from-pricing-to-performance-needs.html> [Accessed on 7th
October 2017].
Grand Theft Auto V. 2017. [Online]. Available through: <https://cracked-games.org/grand-theft-
auto-v/>. [Accessed on 7th October 2017].
Lozada, D., 2017. AMERICAN GAMERS: 47% PREFER CONSOLES, 27% PREFER PC
[Online]. Available through:<https://www.keengamer.com/article/16218_american-
gamers-47-prefer-consoles-27-prefer-pc> [Accessed on 7th October 2017].
NEED FOR SPEED WORLD. 2017. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.mmobomb.com/review/need-for-speed-world>. [Accessed on 7th October
2017].
Phan, M. H., 2011. Video Gaming Trends: Violent, Action/Adventure Games are Most Popular.
[Online]. Available through:<http://usabilitynews.org/video-gaming-trends-violent-
actionadventure-games-are-most-popular/> [Accessed on 7th October 2017].
The games industry in numbers. 2017. [Online]. Available through:
<https://ukie.org.uk/research>. [Accessed on 7th October 2017].
Ubisoft - Assassin's Creed: Rebellion. 2017. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.ubisoft.com/en-gb/game/assassins-creed-rebellion/>. [Accessed on 7th
October 2017].
19