Anything ever - FLCL

FLCL (Furi Kuri or Fooly Cooly) is a 6 episode Japanese animation series produced by Gainax and put straight onto DVD.
The main character is a 12 year old boy called Naota Nandaba, who lives in the quiet town of Mabase along with his perverted father and grandfather. His companions include his brother’s high school ex-girlfriend, and his friends who are obsessed with sporks.

Not soon after Naota has told of the restrictive and boring nature of Mabase, a strange alien woman (Haruhara Haruko) on a Vespa rides up to him and whacks him in the forehead with her Rickenbacker electric guitar.

Haruko’s confrontation with the controlling company Medical Mechanica in order to find “Atomisk” ends up turning Naota’s life upside-down, whilst he also has to deal with the other characters. His brother’s ex-girlfriend Mamimi continues to commit arson and burden him with her affection and antisocial delinquency, whilst Ninamori, the conflicted daughter of the corrupt town mayor also begins to take an interest in him. Over the duration of the show, many of the character’s issues are addressed, for example Naota is forced to confront the way he lives in his successful brother’s shadow, and in one episode he actually saves the town with his underlying heroics. Even after all of these events, however, when Haruko leaves to pursue her love, everything goes back to how it used to be, and Naota returns to his monologue about how restrictive and boring the town is.

As FLCL was brought out straight onto DVD, this cut out the potential opportunity of airing it on television, and thus restricts the audience reach not only from the show but also the advertising. This loss in money, however, was equalled out by the fact that each episode was sold separately on individual DVDs. As this is a rather unconventional way of releasing a show, it grabbed the audience from that alone, and the slow rate at which they were released built up anticipation and kept people wanting more.

The series also has 2 graphic novels based on the show, however they have a slightly different take on events and do not actually feature any proper storyline. It is because of this unexplained nature of the novels that they tend to be bought by big fans of the show, in order to expand their knowledge of the story and characters, rather than a mainstream independent project. This is a good example of vertical integration, taking full advantage of the niche audience that watches anime/reads comics.

Key concepts:
- Vertical integration
- Narrowcasting
- Convergence

Here is a very short clip of the show:

One newly released media technology – Playstation 3

The Playstation 3, or PS3, is the third console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment, and is part of the seventh generation of videogame consoles, along with the Nintendo Wii and the Microsoft Xbox 360. It was brought out in Japan on November 11th 2006, and eventually in Europe on March 23rd 2007, with the reason for the large release date gap being so Sony would have produced enough consoles to meet demands. At the start there were 2 available models of PS3 – ones with 20GB of hard-drive memory, and ones with 60GB. Seeing as the advanced new games for the PS3 saved onto the memory would take up a lot of space and an external hard-drive is visually undesirable, almost everyone who purchased a PS3 bought the 60GB model. As a result of this, the 20GB model has been very recently discontinued in America on April 11th 2007. The 20GB model is still available to buy in Japan, however there has been no confirmation of a PAL release.
The console is backwards compatible (can play games made for the Playstation and Playstation 2), which is an example of the vertical integration involved in the design of the PS3. This is a very important feature, as many of the most popular games made are for the older consoles, and it also means that Sony can carry on producing games for the Playstation 2 up to and beyond the release of the PS3 without them being seen as out-dated. The other new/improved features of the PS3 are as follows:

- Next generation Cell processor
- HDMI output
- Includes: MemoryStick / SD / Compact Flash slots
- Wireless 802.11 b/g
- Ethernet connection
- Motion sensing wireless Bluetooth controller
- Next generation Blu-ray drive
- Supports USB keyboards and mice
- Stream audio and video to your PS3
- 4x USB2.0 ports
- Backwards compatible with PlayStation 1 and 2 games
- Virtual memory card capabilities save your old PS1/PS2 games
- Dimensions: 325mm (w) x 98mm (h) x 274mm (d)
- Weight: 5kg
- PLAYSTATION 3 games are region-free (some languages and video output resolutions may not be supported in games purchased from outside the UK)

This is a very good example of convergence, which is something Sony is very keen on as they try to take a hold on all of the main media technology markets with single machines such as the PS3. Once purchased, the owner of a PS3 will be spared from having to buy many other media devices, for example a stereo for playing music and a DVD player for watching films. All of these features and the advanced Blu-ray technology mean that Sony can justify the huge price gap between the PS3 and its rival consoles – the Nintendo Wii at £180, the Microsoft Xbox 360 at £280 and the Sony PS3 at £425.
Key concepts:
- Convergence
- Vertical integration
- Quality

One Vlog: YouTube

YouTube is an online video posting website, where people can upload their own personal digital videos for the whole world to watch for free. Videos can then go on to be rated by other users, have comments left, and also be tagged as favourites. The number of times a video is made someone’s “Favourite” is shown along side the total number of views. YouTube is not only host to personal videos, but also music videos, television show clips, advertisements and general event clips from around the world. These can then be searched and found by typing in keywords to the search bar, which seeks out titles or tags featuring said words.
The front page is a neutral white and blue colour scheme, with the videos catching the eye as opposed to the general text. The most popular clips - judged by the number of views - of the day are then listed along with large thumbnails and brief descriptions. This is one of the ways in which YouTube allows anybody to become famous in their own right, by giving them an outlet for their brand of entertainment and making it stand out on the front page. The member login for YouTube is not as essential as on many other websites, as non-members can still view all the videos posted on the site, however do not have the ability to upload any videos for themselves.
“Channels” are also very popular amongst YouTube’s community, with the top channels also featured on the front page. Channels are video threads that are from one specific user, which can be subscribed to so if a new video is posted by that user, the subscriber is informed and can then watch it. As a result of these channels and highly viewed videos, there are now many people who have become famous purely from YouTube and have gone on to do other things, for example Brooke Brodack signed a contract with Carson Daly’s mainstream media company.

Key concepts:
- Immediacy
- Personalisation
- Flexibility
- Democratisation
- Online surveillance

Example video: Robot Chicken - Final Fantasy VII spoof



This is a sectioned-off clip from an episode of the popular American animated sketch show Robot Chicken - created, produced and usually voiced by Seth Green and Matthem Senreich. The style of the show's animated is stop motion, using clay characters. Each sketch makes a humorous reference to something in the media eye, whether is be a celebrity, a television or radio show, a film or a videogame. In this case, the reference is a videogame, and prods fun at the battle system of the game, as well as the soundtrack and functionality. The jokes made in this specific sketch are ones that only people that have played the game would understand, meaning that it is able to narrowcast to that niche audience. This narrowcasting is then balanced out by the sheer number of sketches in each show, with some lasting only a couple of seconds.

One radio station website - CapitalFM.com

The homepage for the Capital FM website is a very information-packed one. The page is long, and there are many advertisements and interactive links scattered over the page, all in full motion. This then reflects on the radio station’s modern take on London life, as they make full use of the advantages the internet provides. Also, the particularly high level of interactivity could be a way for the station to compensate for the unavoidable lack of visual stimulation that comes with listening to the radio. News reports occupy the majority of the page, with each main story in its own boxed off section which gives them individual importance. Accompanied by a small, related, thumbnail picture, the boxes are only large enough to contain a short summary of the available expansion which can be accessed by clicking on the image.
The advertisements help build up the institutional identity of Capital FM, showing it is a major name, and thus has sponsorship from other big companies. There are also competitions available to enter, with the prizes always very desirable to the target audience e.g. an iPod, or a mobile phone. Many companies tend to use the free giveaways as another chance to advertise their brand, and in this instance the iPod is customised with the Capital FM logo. The site also has the personalised option of listening to a radio show of choice through the site – merging new technology with their existing equipment.
Due to the sheer amount of content packed onto the page, there are many necessary different sections of each set of links. The main categories placed at the top of the page are as follows:
- Home
- DJs and shows
- Listen
- Pics
- Music
- Film
- Events
- VIP
- News
- Charity
- FAQs

These are then expanded when hovered over by the mouse, helping to keep the page neat despite the large number of links featured.
The language used on the page is a clear indication of the target audience for Capital FM. Words and phrases such as “pics”, “check out” and “the gang” litter the headlines and summaries alongside exclamation marks, giving the whole institute a younger, trendy feel.

Key concepts:
- Interactivity
- Proliferation
- Non-linear
- Convergence
- Vertical integration

One radio show website: Flirty @ 9:30 – Capital FM

“Flirty @ 9:30” on Capital FM is a light-hearted radio show with the theme of young romance and, obviously, flirting. The colour scheme is all pinks and greys, which goes along with the flirty theme of the show. Images of candy provide eye-catching thumbnails, which both brighten up and page and show the target audience is young people.
The main purpose of the website, aside from advertising the radio programme, is to provide a domain for the show podcasts. This way they can reach people who do not own radios and people who do not schedule their day to fit the programme slot. Podcasting is a good way for radio shows to get heard outside the radio, and to involve other forms of media consumption. There is podcasting help, to aid those who are not familiar with podcasts – further expanding the audience reach – and users can also choose to listen to the radio shows through their computers. Below the main choices is the option to send this show to a friend, which is a way of controlling and enforcing word-of-mouth advertising.
Users can log in to the site from a central boxed off section, and the accompanied VIP image suggests that if they do log in/register, access ca be gained to VIP information and features will. The contact information box is a very important one, as this particular programme relies quite heavily on audience participation, using their experiences and stories as features on the show. The various options of contact method – text, phone or email – lessen the effort the audience would go through, and thus increases the chances of communication. Other than the ability to listen and download the show, and the basic information about the show, the website does not have any other features. There is nothing interactive and no further development offered up, which implies this show is not one of the most popular on Capital’s rota.

Key concepts:
- Non-linear
- Portability
- Flexibility
- Democratisation
- Convergence

One blog – MySpace.com

MySpace is a social network site, used by all people of all ages (however mainly teenagers) to keep in touch with friends, and extend their set of contacts. Owners of “myspaces” can put up pictures, blogs, music and videos, as well as adding general information about themselves for the whole world to see. It is by far the most popular social networking site in the world, with less popular sites being “Hi5.com” and “Bebo.com”.
Each “myspace” has a friends area, where they can choose a select number of close friends to appear on their site under the title “Top Friends”. The number of these friends can range from 4 to 24, and people can even program their sites to not display any friends at all. Underneath said friends is a comments section, where accepted friends of the user may post a comment for people to read. Depending on how well you can program myspace, your comment can be all different fonts, colours, sizes, and even feature images and videos.
The personal customisation of a myspace helps to make it stand out from all others, and helps the users to feel that their myspace reflects who they are. There are various websites which offer tutorials as to how to edit a myspace, with some even going as far as to have readily selectable designs for you. As a result, no myspace is ever the same, much like the people they are representing. The astounding popularity of MySpace.com has meant the extension into various other countries, with the sites currently on offer as follows:

- MySpace Global
- MySpace Australia
- MySpace Canada (in English)
- MySpace Canada (in French)
- MySpace France
- MySpace Germany
- MySpace Ireland
- MySpace Italy
- MySpace Japan
- MySpace Mexico
- MySpace New Zealand
- MySpace Spain
- MySpace UK
- MySpace USA

Key concepts:
- Personalisation
- Reach
- Flexibility
- Non-linear

Fan website – FFextreme.com

FFextreme is a fan site devoted to Role-Playing games, specifically those in the Final Fantasy series. This dedication is clearly shown by the navigation bar with roman numerals on it, which provide links to the more popular Final Fantasy titles. It is the familiarity of only needing numerals for the actual game in question to be obvious that shows the sites thorough knowledge of the games, and also tells us that the fans that tend to visit this site are more serious than most gamers. Along the side is another navigation bar, however this one has more options as to which games to look at, and features titles related to the Role-Playing genre - not just Final Fantasy.
The colour scheme is mainly blues, black and white, with light text on a dark background which gives the site a professional pristine. Pictures of game screenshots help to brighten up the monochrome site background, and also act to promote the advanced graphics used in the games featured. The “News Desk” is where the updates go, whether they be about upcoming events, site renovations or industry news. The main advertisement in the top centre of the page is for the site forums, inviting users to check out the return of the simply named “Final Fantasy Forums”.
Overall FFextreme provides much more information and related material than the official sites, providing extras that attract the audience to browse fan sites as opposed to the official ones. An example of these extras is as follows:

Final Fantasy X –

Game Coverage: Abilities List
Aeons
Al Bhed
Armor
Battle System
Blitzball
Characters
Chocobo
Guides & Faqs
Items
Magic
Overdrives
Sidequests
Sphere Grid
Transportation
Walkthrough
Weapons
World Map

Media: Artwork
FMV Images
Lyrics
MIDIs
Screenshots
Sheet Music
Shop
Soundtracks
Videos
Wallpaper

Key concepts:
- Proliferation
- Narrowcasting
- Non-linear

New media technology and Audience consumption activity – Network Play

Network Play is the Playstation 2 convergence of multiplayer gaming and the internet, where 2 or more people can play together in the same game. Gamers can either choose to compete against each other, or team up to work towards the same goal, which usually involves beating computer generated opponents or other human players.
Often, people use Network Play to enhance their gaming experience, after they have felt they have exhausted the single player entertainment of a game. With multiple players, there are usually possible new options to a game such as new terrains or character abilities. It also means that players do not bore of the computer generated opposition provided by the single player mode, as it can become predictable and dull. The online challenges against other gamers are usually on a completely different level when compared to the AI, and new tactics can be learnt and skill advancements can occur.
Some games, however, are primarily made for Network Play e.g. “Killzone” a highly popular tactical FPS (First Person Shooter) for the PS2. This is often clearly demonstrated to the player by a very lacking single player experience and a hugely expansive multiplayer section. In “Killzone” up to 16 players can participate in a single game, an exceptionally large number, however, there are no worldwide competitions as there are only local servers for it. If a game is very popular and has worldwide servers, competitions are familiar occurrences, and championship matches can be televised depending on the game’s popularity.
Network Play can be labelled as a social networking system, as players can choose to make other players their Buddies, and messages can be typed or spoken through a headset. In games which provide team-based online missions this is especially true, as people have to work together and communicate well in order to achieve their goal. This means that the unsociable element to console gaming can be removed, and potentially friends can be made all over the world from your television set.
Overall, playing online allows people to have a lot more freedom, and their gameplay is non-linear as they choose what they want to do, when to do it and who with. With administrators to keep an eye on any trouble, players can roam free and go beyond the restraints of the single player game, and no storyline is present to interfere.

Key concepts:
- Proliferation
- Non-linear
- Flexibility
- Online Surveillance

One example of convergence – Playstation Portable (PSP)

The PSP, brought out by Sony in 2005, is a handheld console made primarily for gameplay, but also includes many other features – hence convergence. The PSP’s numerous features include the following:

Multiplayer Gaming
- AD-HOC mode (multiple players on PSP systems within range of each other)
- Infrastructure mode (Play online with people across the globe, all from the comfort of a Wi-Fi hotspot)

Watch Movies & Videos
- Watch UMD movies
- Save movies to a Memory Stick Duo
- Watch movies saved to a Memory Stick Duo
- Watch and save RSS Channel video
- Compatible Movie/Video Formats

Listen to Music
- Play music from a UMD disc
- Listen to music saved to a Memory Stick Duo
- Save music on a Memory Stick Duo
- Play and save RSS Channel music
- Compatible Music/Audio Formats

View Photos
- Enjoy sideshows
- Download photos or images
- Create custom wallpaper
- Send and receive photos (photo sharing)
- Compatible Photo/Image Formats

Go Online
- Play multiplayer online games with Infrastructure mode.
- Download individual files
- Download a PSP® Content Pack
- Surf the World Wide Web
- Check out the Official PSP® Website (http://www.psp.playstation.com)
- Enjoy RSS video or audio web feeds, weblogs or podcasts from any of thousands of websites
- Download e-books including comics and full colour graphic novels
- Update the PSP® system software

It is this large list of extra features beyond just playing games that justifies the significant price-gap between the PSP and the majority of other handheld consoles e.g. the Nintendo DS. It also means that the console brings Sony another step closer to achieving complete control of the new media technology market through console convergence. A feature that is noticeably absent is any sort of mobile phone, which would have been a possibility due to the huge Sony mobile institution – Sony Ericssons. The reason for this may have been because Sony learnt from the mistakes of Nokia, who made a huge investment in a handheld all-round console – the N-Gage. From the moment it was released the N-Gage was mocked by the industry for its clear lack of technological knowledge and laughable phoning technique.

Here is a very short run-down of the N-Gage before it was officially released, featuring Jeff Gerstmann of Gamespot.com telling it like it is. Rock on, Jeff.

Jeff was actually a lot nicer to the N-Gage than he should have been.

Key concepts:
- Portability
- Convergence
- Personalisation

Podcasts –

Podcasts are media files, video and audio, that are usually free to download over the internet for personal music players and computers in general. The content ranges from clips of television shows or radio streams, to educational courses and lectures. With such a wide variety of things to choose, there is a high level of personalisation surrounding the entire scheme. Most podcasts can be easily accessed and downloaded from iTunes, with subscriptions also freely available, meaning any recent additions to the selected podcast will be downloaded automatically.

The “Ask a Ninja” podcast is a perfect example of how the new media opportunities, brought about by the creation of Video iPods, are being used to their full potential. These are relatively short comedic video clips, with a short, easily recognisable opening sequence with a theme tune. As the actual visual material of the podcast is generally monotonous – a guy in a ninja suit talking in front of a coloured backdrop – users can afford to only listen to the podcast, which means there is a lot more flexibility. The topics addressed are dictated by the questions sent in by the audience to a given e-mail, and this works to highlight the fact that the ninja is an average person and pays attention to any e-mail he receives. As the site askaninja.com was already in place before podcasts started being used to promote the series, it is harder to judge the status before and after. You can, however, consider the particularly high-ranking popularity of the few available podcasts on iTunes, and it is clear the series has benefited greatly from its convergence with iPods.

The Times newspaper is also taking advantage of the possibilities podcasts provide. To bridge the gap between newspapers and forms of new media technology in this way is a revolutionary idea, and their podcasting success reflects this. This “Mandarin Chinese Conversation” course is just one of many educational courses being produced by the Times Online website. It is audio-based, as with language basics there is not much requirement for any visual stimulation, and is taught by a clear-voiced English woman accompanied by a couple of Chinese teachers. As the conversations featured gradually get more and more complicated, more help is offered by use of separate “Practice conversation” files, and then by “Lesson notes”, which are also freely downloadable. During lessons, listeners are prompted to listen and repeat certain words or phrases, making the whole experience seem a lot more involving. In addition to this, it also backs up the fundamental language structure of Mandarin – the tone with which the words are pronounced.

Key concepts:

- Proliferation

- Non-linear

- Portability

- Personalisation

- Flexibility

One film website – Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children

This film is a direct sequel of the massively popular videogame Final Fantasy VII, for the Sony Playstation. The game is one of a number of Final Fantasy titles, which are still being produced to this day.
The special effects are very advanced, slick and quick, and as a result the film is also portrayed in this way. Users can actively download backgrounds of shots from the film onto their desktop background, and this works as a form of free merchandise, letting the audience have their own reminder of the film. The basic story outline can be read, as can any news about events or development made – past or coming up.
The special effects show off the highly advanced technology used in making the film. All of the old fans of the series can check out the Characters section to take a look at the remade versions, and new fans can catch up with the story so far in the Story section. This helps reach to a broader audience – not just those who have played the original Final Fantasy VII game. Square also manages to appeal to a bigger audience by having the film playable on PSPs (via UMDs) as well as on DVD, and these are then advertised and provide links to the ‘store’ for purchasing. The headline “The wait is over” acknowledges and confirms the anticipation many fans have had for this film, and also informs anyone unaware of this that this film has been worth waiting for.

Key concepts:
- Interactivity
- Portability
- Convergence
- Vertical integration

Here is a very short collaberation of clips from FFVII:AC, along to the theme of Sephiroth (the villain) 'One Winged Angel'
I sincerly urge anyone in the world ever to watch a bit of this, as Final Fantasy is the best thing ever and you are an idiot if you don't think so too.
:)

One online magazine website – Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM)

Electronic Gaming Monthly is a very popular and relatively cheap American gaming magazine. The writing tends to be a lot less formal, and includes a lot of jokes, making it a lot lighter reading compared to many other gaming magazines. The slick designs of the site, along with the bright colourful scheme of the features work well to represent the magazine. The website homepage is full of information, with the page divided up into various sections devoted to a different area of gaming. Membership to the site is clearly available, along with the listed capabilities that registering allows users to do, for example the personalised “My 1Up page”. A chart of the current most popular games is placed right in the centre of the page, allowing users to then click on the titles for more information, and also providing people with general knowledge about the gaming world.
EGM editor blogs are available to read, as well as several other blogs centred around specific topics such as a particular production company or game. Subscriptions to the magazine can be bought on the website, and games can be traded by use of a comprehensive list of people looking to get the game/trade in the game. An advertisement for the latest copy of the magazine flashes up in bright, bold colours on an animated loop, with a link to sneak peeks of the material included. These animated/interactive advertisements are placed all over the page, so as to be both eye-catching, and to make use of the advantages of the internet. Videos are also easily accessible from the homepage, with the material ranging from game trailers to reviews.
Forums provide users a chance to voice their opinions, with the staff of the magazine sometimes joining in a debate or discussion – letting the audience know that they are being listened to. The available podcast channel for the NMT iPod is just one example of how the magazine has used the internet to reach all different kinds of media. This also means the audience does not have to carry around a large magazine, as the podcast features various members of the EGM staff voicing their opinions of the latest gaming headlines.

Key concepts:
- Proliferation
- Interactivity
- Non-linear
- Portability
- Personalisation
- Convergence

One game example – Final Fantasy VII

Final Fantasy VII, for the Sony Playstation, was the seventh instalment in a long line of ‘Final Fantasy’ videogames created by Sony’s SquareSoft, which has since merged with Enix Universe to make SquareEnix. All of the games in the series were role-playing games, but FFVII was the first to advance on from the classic 8-bit/16-bit graphics of the previous titles. The game also had a new director and character designer, thus allowing the company to have a fresh start when designing the game. At the time the game was first released in 1997, the graphics were regarded as ground-breaking, as it pushed the limits of the graphical capabilities of the Playstation. Consequently, the company has carried on this graphical speciality to every game they have produced since, and are currently renowned as unchallenged in that area of gaming.
The game story centrals around the young, indifferent protagonist (Cloud Strife) and his quest to save the world from total destruction by the twisted, unstable killer (Sephiroth). Along the way many other characters join Cloud on his journey, bringing the total playable characters to 9, and each of them bring a completely different personality and life story to the table. The insanity of the villain Sephiroth also draws the audience in, as his chaotic desperation to avenge his pseudo-mother drives him to loathe the world. Due to the extreme depth of the storyline, the audience for the game was originally relatively niche as role-playing games were not very popular at the time. It was because of Final Fantasy VII’s quality and complexity of story however, that caused its huge success, as all different audience groups joined together to play what many people still regard as the ‘Best game ever made’.
Years on from the game’s success, the FFVII characters have gone on to make many other appearances, as an attempt by the company to reach out to the huge fan-base for the old game. Some were in other games, and all of them starred in the motion picture ‘Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children’, a film sequel to the game, set 2 years on. There have even been music albums, spin offs in anime, and mobile phone games, meaning the game has spread across all forms of media technology and the company can truly exploit the game for all it is worth. Whilst some fans have qualms with this approach, the majority are more than prepared to spend their money to support something they had a passion for, if not just to see the new media adaptations of the classic characters – greatly improved graphics and voice acting being the major differences.

Key concepts:
- Vertical integration
- Proliferation
- Convergence
- Quality
- Reach

Related gaming website – SquareEnix.com

Although a Geofilter has been put in place to redirect users to their separate local sites, the basic design for the main SquareEnix homepages stays the same. With basic straight-cut windows, and black and silver colour schemes, the site looks very professional and sleek – a befitting representation of the company as a whole. The main page is relatively information-filled as far as large company sites go. There are several different link categories scattered around the page, each presented in a different way, by change of background colour or size of the font, to communicate to the user this difference.
The centre of the page is dedicated to a large image of a game, and this changes every few seconds or so in correspondence with a scroll bar located just below it. Said large image acts as a form of advertiser, displaying minimal information about the game being shown, for example stating it is “Out Now”, or “Coming Soon”. The images can then be clicked on and the page will redirect to show more information about that specific title. The slideshow also allows Square to exhibit their highly advanced graphics to the world, and also the quality of their character designs. As these have been the 2 factors that have made their company stand out above others, by playing up these strengths Square has created an institutional identity for itself over the years.
As the company markets to a very large audience of mature gamers, the sleek design of the site works well to appeal to their maturity by lacking in bright eye-catching colours and bold fonts. The site also relies on a certain amount of character identification, built up by customer loyalty, as many of the games come up in the main image window showing only a large image of a central character. A ‘Fan zone’ can then be accessed to reward users of repeated site visits, and offers downloads and more detailed information about certain games and upcoming events.

Key concepts:
- Interactivity
- Non-linear
- Convergence
- Vertical integration

Major player in the gaming industry – Sony.com

The main official Sony website is very sleek and professional looking, with a colour scheme of blue, silver and white immediately making connotations towards modern technology. The content of the front page is minimal, with the whole page providing links to the numerous different sections of Sony's vast corporation. To keep the layout simple, all links have been put under a select few main categories, e.g. “Hear” for all music and audio news and information, and “Playstation” occupying anything and everything to do with the different consoles and their related news. These sections can then be hovered over with the mouse, or clicked on to be expanded, giving more detailed options. Once expanded, the rest of the page content then moves to accommodate this, giving the website a very interactive and flexible feel to it. There are 2 different types of categories. A line across of the top of the main window advertisement contains the more institutional sections, with “Register” and “Electronics” among others. The few sections below the advertisement however, are labelled like the 5 senses, using only imperfect verbs – “See”, “Hear” and “Play”. These 3 words are able to sum Sony up very well, as each represents a different part of the massive company.
The majority of the page is devoted to a new Sony product, often with large, impressive pictures to catch the viewer’s attention. This product changes whenever the Sony homepage is refreshed, meaning that many products get a moment in the spotlight instead of Sony having to focus and promote just one. When considering the extreme size of the Sony institution, this rotation scheme works very well as new technology is being designed and made by manufacturers all over the world. There is also an optional grow section for this chosen product, allowing the audience to read a short one sentence summary of what the technology is – working like an interactive advertisement.
Overall, the website is very vague, with the plain colours and straight-forward linking not appealing to any specific audience group. This is because Sony’s products are bought by everyone, and thus the website must reflect the neutral nature of the company. There is also a function called the ‘Geo-filter’, which allows the site to direct users to their own country’s Sony website. This is useful when it comes to bandwidth usage, allowing for the division of the audience into smaller groups, and so letting the sites run at reasonable speeds. It also means that Sony can adjust their internet advertising in accordance to when certain products are released in different countries.

Key concepts:
- Non-linear- Interactivity
- Convergence
- Vertical integration
- Fragmentation

so annoyed

i am

that is really annoying

it really really is really annoying

london grid for learning deserves to die

well basically im not allowed onto the website that i am going to do, as "The site you have chosen has been categorized as: Games". i thought that was the point.

this is a post in my blog. you are very excited!

Welcome to your new tech blog

hi rachel happy blogging! ms b