Videogames: Horizon Forbidden West - Audience & Industries
Audience
Look at this YouGov blog on the console gaming audience and answer the following questions:
1) What statistics can you find for the number of male / female players for the major consoles?
YouGov data shows that PlayStation 5 players are predominantly male, with around 68% identifying as male and 29% as female. The Xbox Series X|S has a very similar audience split, with approximately 68% male and 32% female players. Nintendo Switch has the most balanced gender split of the major consoles, with 54% of players identifying as male and 46% as female.
2) What is the difference between 'hardcore' and 'casual' gamers - and which do you think would play Horizon Forbidden West?
“Hardcore” gamers are those who take gaming seriously, often playing frequently, investing significant time, and sometimes engaging competitively. In contrast, “casual” gamers tend to play less often and see gaming as a more relaxed or occasional activity. Horizon Forbidden West is more likely to appeal to hardcore gamers due to its complex open world, long playtime, challenging combat, and detailed narrative, although it can still attract committed casual players.
3) What are the different reasons YouGov researched for why players play games? Which of these would apply to Horizon Forbidden West?
YouGov found that players play games for many reasons, including relaxing, passing time, escaping reality, challenging themselves, solving puzzles, interacting with global communities, doing things impossible in real life, forming emotional connections with stories, gaining mastery, playing out of habit, and creating their own worlds. Many of these motivations apply to Horizon Forbidden West, particularly escaping reality, emotional connection to the story, challenge, exploration, and gaining mastery within the game world.
The PlayStation website promotes Horizon Forbidden West through high-quality trailers, gameplay videos, detailed overviews, and clearly defined key features. There is also a “Why you should play” section, which directly encourages audiences to download and experience the game.
Key features include braving an expansive open world, exploring a majestic frontier, confronting new dangers, and unraveling startling mysteries. These features emphasise exploration, action, and narrative depth.
The website provides background information on major characters such as Aloy, Sylens, Erend, Regalla, Alva, and Tilda, explaining their roles and motivations. It also introduces the machines found in the game world, describing their abilities and how players interact with them.
A major spin-off is Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores, which extends Aloy’s journey beyond the main story. Additional content includes papercraft guides for machines, cosplay guides, and the official soundtrack, allowing fans to engage with the franchise beyond gameplay.
The website encourages participatory fan culture through cosplay guides, papercraft activities, and expanded lore. These features allow fans to engage creatively with the franchise, supporting Jenkins’s idea of active fandom where audiences contribute to and deepen the media experience rather than simply consuming it.
1) Why did the writer enjoy Horizon Forbidden West?
The writer enjoyed the game because it delivers a highly successful open-world experience. Even after spending around 75 hours and completing the main story, they remained eager to explore the richly detailed world.
The game provides strong structure at the start, clearly introducing goals and guiding the player. This helps players understand the mechanics while gradually opening up the vast game world.
The writer suggests that Horizon Forbidden West avoids overwhelming players. In contrast to The Witcher 3, where large cities can feel daunting due to the sheer number of NPCs and quests, HFW’s design feels more manageable and engaging.
Industries
Industry research
1) Research Sony PlayStation Studios.
2) What studios are part of Sony PlayStation Studios?
Sony PlayStation Studios is a group of first-party development studios owned by Sony. These include studios such as Asobi, Bend Studio, Bluepoint Games, Firesprite, Firewalk Studios, Guerrilla Games, Haven Studios, Housemarque, Insomniac, and London Studio.
3) What notable games have they produced?
Together, they have produced major franchises including Gran Turismo, Spider-Man, The Last of Us, and God of War Ragnarök.
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?
Guerrilla Games is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe. This reflects the modern videogame industry’s reliance on large conglomerates, where major publishers acquire studios to secure exclusive, high-budget titles.
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.
The Guerrilla Spotlight interviews show how Guerrilla operates within Sony’s wider corporate structure. Sony’s ownership allows Guerrilla to focus on ambitious, mainstream projects while benefiting from strong financial backing and global distribution.
Read this USA Today feature on Guerrilla Games. Answer the following questions:
1) Which three companies merged to become Guerrilla Games?
Guerrilla Games was formed through the merger of Orange Games, Digital Infinity, and Formula Game Development.
2) What other games and franchises were created by Guerrilla Games?
Guerrilla Games has worked on titles such as Nijmegen Adventure, Oh Sht*, Killzone, and later the Horizon franchise.
3) How did Guerrilla maximise the Killzone franchise?
Killzone was developed as a Sony-published title, ensuring strong marketing, funding, and exclusivity to PlayStation consoles.
4) What did Sony sign with Guerrilla in 2004?
Sony signed an agreement ensuring that all Guerrilla-developed titles would be exclusive to PlayStation platforms.
5) How is Horizon Forbidden West described in the article and what is the next stage for the franchise?
The article describes Horizon Forbidden West as a game set in a far future shaped by the remains of a lost civilisation. The next stage of the franchise focuses on expanding this world further through sequels and additional content.
Regulation and PEGI
1) What is HFW's PEGI rating and what age rating do you feel would be appropriate? Why?
Horizon Forbidden West is rated PEGI 16, which is appropriate due to its violence and combat elements.
2) Why is regulating videogames difficult in the digital age?
Regulation is difficult because digital distribution makes it easy for underage players to access restricted content, often by creating accounts with false ages.
3) Are attitudes towards media content and regulation changing as a result of the internet? Explain your answer.
Yes, attitudes are changing as mature content has become more normalised online. Audiences increasingly bring their own beliefs and values to media consumption, which affects how content is interpreted and how regulation is viewed.
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