Explain at least two uses and gratifications of video games using Blumler and Katz’s theory. Refer to The Lego Movie Video game to support your answer:
Blumler and Katz's Active Audience theory is based upon the concept that the audience decides what they would like to watch, play or read based upon 4 main gratifications.
These are:
1. Personal Identity- How the audience relates to a character or situation they identify with.
2. Social Interaction- An opportunity to interact with others.
3. Entertainment (escapism)- An opportunity to relax, fill time, do something for enjoyment or even to escape their lives.
4. Information (surveillance) - To find out more about a subject or society.
This time, I will illustrate 2 different gratifications, still using The Lego Movie Game as an example.
Social Interaction is a gratification the audience receives through gaming. The Lego Movie Game, while not an online multiplayer game with worldwide community interaction, still allows for plenty of interaction for the player- either as a 2-player locally or solo.
The PC (playable character) that the gamer chooses, connects with the familiar characters and surroundings of Bricksburg just as they appear in the much-loved film. The NPCs (non-playable characters) are there for the player to have dialogue with and to work with, for example, teaming up with Batman to destroy Cloud Cuckoo Land.
The humour and familiarity of the Lego world and its characters give the player a sense of belonging, which could be a real source of comfort for someone who might ordinarily feel isolated at times. Therefore, computer games can be an important form of social interaction.
Another gratification received through gaming is Information (surveillance). The Lego Movie Game has some learning benefits for the people who play it, teaching them about working towards goals and to keep practising until you succeed. As tasks and puzzles are completed, the PC moves on through the levels of the game and gains a sense of achievement. They can also 'unlock' secret, more desirable or rare characters, making them feel like they have earned something exclusive.
These skills can have real-life uses beyond game-play. The player learns through mistakes or wrong decisions they've made, so that they are better informed when they try again. They also gain knowledge of the game itself and how to play it, giving them a feeling of having expertise.
Players are also rewarded with virtual 'coins' that they can exchange for items to upgrade their PC. How they spend these is practice for the real world, around making choices on what to spend the money you have earned on. Therefore, there is a lot of information that can be learned through computer games.
