The document contains analysis of questionnaires completed by an audience for a new video game. Several observations are made about the audience: males aged 17-18 make up over half, most play games 1-4 hours per week, and side-scrolling games are the most popular genre. To appeal to this audience, the game will be a side-scrolling shooter featuring fast-paced action, violence, and options for both single-player and multiplayer modes. Interviews with two audience members provided further insights, with one preferring realistic war scenes and the other interested mainly in opposing armies battling. The game will include opposing military forces and a variety of weapons to appeal to both interviewees.

1. Questionnaire Analysis
Robbie Hickman

2. Audience research
Observation:
61.11% of my audience are males and
38.89% are females; the number of
males is greater than the number of
females.
What this says about my audience:
Males tend to prefer video games of
any genre compared to females who
clearly aren’t as attracted to them.
Males are clearly my primary target
audience.
How will your product appeal to this
audience:
I will ensure that my video game
includes elements of fast-paced action,
as well as intense moments which
males (stereotypically speaking) prefer
more than females. This will benefit
the target audience because they will
find that the game reflects the
characteristics of their own gender;
males are usually eager to explore
entirely different experiences (not only
in films, but also in video games). To
accomplish this I will make sure my
game includes content that is quite
difficult to find in video games.

3. Audience research
Observation:
33.33% of my audience are aged 16 and
under. 55.54% are aged 17 or 18 whereas
11.11% of my audience are over 18 years
old.
What this says about my audience:
The majority of my audience (over half of
those who took part in the survey) are
17-18 years of age. A small amount of my
audience is over 18. The rest of the
audience is 16 or under.
How will your product appeal to this
audience:
My video game will appeal to teens and
young adults as it is likely to feature fast-
paced moments and intense sequences
e.g. battles and guns firing which tend to
intrigue those who are at the age where
they still play video games. Also, games
suitable for this age group may contain
strong violence and threat; I could
include pixelated blood which will appear
every time an enemy is shot in-game. In
other words, this level of violence is
appropriate for people aged 17 or 18.

4. Audience research
Observation:
38.89% of my audience play video games
less than one hour per week. 13.89% play
video games 1-2 hours a week and 25%
play games 3-4 hours a week. 22.22% play
5 hours or over each week.
What this says about my audience:
All members of my audience play video
games at some point, whether it be for
less than an hour or more than five hours.
However, the results do show that much
of the audience are not quite interested
in video games.
How will your product appeal to this
audience:
My product will appeal to the audience
solely due to the fact that it is a video
game. All those who responded play
video games at some point, no matter
how often. I will utilize pixel graphics
effectively to ensure my product looks
and feels like a common video game. This
will benefit the audience as they may
desire to see something completely new;
they might not play video games quite
often because they are bored of repeated
elements within them.

5. Audience research
Observation:
25% of my audience prefer playing side-scrolling video games.
19.44% play third-person shooters and another 19.44% prefer
MMORPGs. 16.67% play first-person shooting games whilst
13.89% prefer either open-world video games,
action/adventure games or FPS, Third Person Shooter, Side
Scrolling and MMORPG games according to their responses.
Only 5.56% like vehicle simulation games.
What this says about my audience:
More people prefer side-scrolling video games compared to the
other genres stated in the survey. The same two amounts of
people play third-person shooters and MMORPGs respectively
whilst a portion of the audience prefers first-person shooter
games. Only a small amount of people would like to play games
involving vehicle simulation and some of the audience would
like to play games of a different type e.g. open world.
How will your product appeal to this audience:
To make sure my video game appeals to my target audience, I
will need to make alterations to my initial idea(s). I originally
decided to create a first-person shooting game, however not
many people prefer this genre. I will be creating a side-scrolling
game which will still feature some elements from my initial
ideas (it will include shooting enemies) as well as the same
dark and menacing atmosphere I plan to create through use of
pixels. The genre of game I will be creating is side-scrolling. This
will ensure that my game attracts the audience.

6. Audience research
Observation:
42.86% of my audience purchase video games with the
intention of exploring the campaign mode. 40% play games
for multiplayer and 8.57% look for a zombies mode. Based
on the responses, another 8.57% prefer all of these, a
competitive atmosphere etc.
What this says about my audience:
A fair amount of the audience prefer single-player as
opposed to multiplayer in video games, and a small amount
prefer other game modes e.g. zombies compared to
campaign and multiplayer.
How will your product appeal to this audience:
My video game will appeal to the audience as it will be
story-driven; the actions of the player(s) throughout the
game will have an impact on the course of the narrative. For
example, if the player character engages the enemy soldiers
successfully, the civilians will survive. If the player character
fails to kill the enemies, the civilians will not survive. The
audience clearly hopes to see an intriguing narrative in my
video game, as well as co-op action.
Much of the audience also selected multiplayer, proving that
this is another mode they hope to see in a video game. My
game will appeal to these individuals as it will feature the
option for up to three players to take part in the game at the
same time and experience the events of the story together.

7. Audience research
Observation:
30.56% of my audience possess next gen consoles and 25%
prefer games on a mobile device. 19.44% possess last-gen
consoles and 16.67% play games on a PC. 8.33% of my
audience, based on their responses, have a different gaming
console e.g. Nintendo DS/Wii or Gameboy. No one plays games
on a PSP.
What this says about my audience:
People appear to be more up-to-date in regard to innovation
with consoles. This could suggest that much of the audience
would prefer a game that supports photorealistic graphics,
excellent visuals and larger environments thanks to the
capabilities of newer consoles. A number of people prefer to
play simple, strategy games on a mobile device whereas some
of the audience play games on their PC or stick to last-gen
consoles.
How will your product appeal to this audience:
My product will appeal to this audience as it will feature a
massive environment in-game with multiple aspects e.g.
moving vehicles, NPCs and the allowance of up to three players
to play the game together. Due to limitations in console
capabilities, aspects like these could be considered too great
for last-gen consoles to accommodate. I will make sure to
include a lot of detail when it comes to creating pixelated
vehicles, enemy soldiers etc. to create the impression of
somewhat outstanding graphics; this could tie in with the
impression that games made for next-gen consoles have better
graphics than the ones created for last-gen consoles.

8. Audience research
Observation:
50% of my audience prefer single-player to multiplayer
in video games. The other 50% prefer multiplayer to
single-player. Their reasons include increased
interactivity for multiplayer and the chances of a good
story within single-player.
What this says about my audience:
There is an equal balance between the responses given
in regard to the two game modes stated in the question,
therefore campaign and multiplayer each impress the
audience to the same extent. This proves that the
audience would prefer either game mode.
How will your product appeal to this audience:
My video game will appeal to the audience because it
will feature the option to either play by yourself or with
up to two other people simultaneously. This will have a
positive impact on the target audience who will be
provided with increased opportunities whilst playing the
game e.g. the chance to experience the aspects of the
video game in different ways each time they play. This
could increase the chances of replayability.

9. Audience research
Observation:
25% of my audience are impressed by the style of
graphics within video games and another 25% are
intrigued by strategy. 22.22% prefer a sense of fast-
paced action. 13.89% are intrigued the most by
suspense in games, and other 13.89% of the audience
prefer different aspects e.g. narrative and characters,
the manner in which the gameplay and narrative are
interlinked.
What this says about my audience:
Half of my audience generally focus on the style of
gameplay as well as visual graphic style, proving that
people will judge a video game based on its overall
quality, as well as the manner of the objectives offered
by the game. Almost another quarter of the audience
enjoy fast-paced action with the likely reason being
that it evokes adrenaline and makes the game more
enjoyable. Other members of the audience tend to look
for suspense in a video game; this proves that there are
some fans of horror video games.
How will your product appeal to this audience:
I will be using pixels to create highly detailed objects
e.g. characters and vehicles for my video game,
therefore increasing its overall quality. This could
appeal to those who judge whether or not they want to
play a game based on the level of visual quality. I will
also ensure that I include strategy within my game e.g.
the players will be required to avoid shooting civilians
whilst eliminating as many enemies as possible. This
sense of strategy could appeal to the audience because
it is what they hope to see in a game. My game will also
include fast-paced action; this can be achieved by
ensuring each frame plays at a fast rate. I could also
include music and sound effects if I am able to.

10. Audience research
Observation:
86.11% of my audience would like to play a video game that
requires decision making and possesses a strong sense of realism
and severity. 13.89% are not interested. The reasons include ‘gaining
adrenaline is fun’, ‘feeling immersed’ and ‘interest is maintained’ for
Yes. Those who said No stated that they would prefer the game to
be simple.
What this says about my audience:
The audience consists of people who desire to see something
completely different in a video game. Those who replied ‘Yes’ to the
question stated that there would be increased choice during the
game and that the concept of ‘saving lives’ seems interesting. It is
obvious that these people are bored of repeated elements within
video games and want to see something new.
How will your product appeal to this audience:
My video game will feature the objective of killing enemy soldiers
whilst avoiding civilians which is quite difficult. The game will require
the player to decide before they open fire on the battlefield because
there will be fleeing civilians in the way of enemies. If the player kills
one civilian, they will fail the game, therefore they need to be
careful and concentrate. This will appeal to the audience because it
is something quite different in comparison to existing video games,
especially strategy ones. Much of this audience would like to see
something different.

11. Audience research
Observation:
69.44% of my audience would prefer a strong
sense of teamwork. 30.56% would not/do
not mind either way. Most of the audience
prefer co-op action in video games rather
than single player. Reasons include increased
sociability, strong sense of purpose, more
enjoyable etc.
What this says about my audience:
A wide range of my audience would prefer
multiplayer in video games compared to
those who prefer single-player. My responses
show that much of the audience is sociable
and desire to play in a cooperative manner
rather than all by themselves.
How will your product appeal to this
audience:
My product will not only appeal to those
who prefer multiplayer, but also those who
prefer single-player. It will feature the option
for one player to experience the narrative by
his or her self, or for up to three players to
work together in completing the game. Much
of the audience will find that the game
appeals to them due to the fact that there
will be teamwork within it; players will be
required to work together to complete the
game with the multiplayer option and it will
also be a lot easier this way than playing by
oneself.

12. Interview

13. Interview 1
• What would you like to see on a battlefield in-game and why?
• A: Lots of NPCs fighting with lots of shouting and explosions. Dusty, muddy
environments. Tension filled action scenes. I would also expect to see
vehicles driving around.
• What do you think is the most vital aspect of a shooting game and why?
• A: Fun, fluid, easy to use controls that anyone can get used to instantly. A
large variety in weapons is also good and a some what realistic feeling is
welcome.
• What gaming console/device would you play a game on? Describe that
console/device and state why you prefer it.
• A: I prefer to use the PS4 because I am more used to the controller and all
of my friends play there as well. I find the interface and settings easier to
use compared to something like a PC.

14. Interview 1 analysis
• Observation:
• This audience member desires to see NPCs (non-playable characters) on the battlefield, as well as
moving vehicles, action sequences and explosions. A variety of weapons to choose from is
preferred, as well as a sense of realism and controls that are easy to get used to. This audience
member also prefers to play on the PS4 which has easy controls and offers co-op action.
• What this says about my audience:
• This audience member is clearly used to playing video games, especially those that are war-driven
e.g. Call of Duty and Battlefield. There is clear understanding of the nature of a battlefield in
general e.g. muddy, dusty, as well as what to expect if it was actually unfolding in real life e.g. it
would be very noisy, with lots of explosions and a high mortality rate. The audience enjoys scenes
that are fast-paced and filled with tension. They also desire to see vehicles driving around the
battlefield e.g. tanks or infantry vehicles.
• How will your product appeal to this audience:
• I will ensure my video game appeals to this audience through the incorporation of pixelated
military vehicles e.g. infantry vehicles or tanks which could tie to the genre of war. I could also
create pixelated chunks of debris to imply a sense of destruction, as well as pixelated
flames/explosions to add tension. The presence of pixelated explosions could create a sense of
bombs going off which further adds to the theme of war. I will also make sure my video game
contains sound effects to enhance the impression of combat, as well as fast-paced action
sequences.

15. Interview 2
• What would you like to see on a battlefield in-game and why?
• A: there would be two armies fighting against each other. Using weapons
e.g. guns.
• What do you think is the most vital aspect of a shooting game and why?
• A: a gun because you need it to shoot something because otherwise you
don’t have a weapon to defend yourself. Or any sort of weapon should be
required within a shooting game e.g. bow and arrow.
• What gaming console/device would you play a game on? Describe that
console/device and state why you prefer it.
• A: I play only on a iPhone because it is easy to play on and I can play it
whenever I want to.

16. Interview 2 analysis
• Observation:
• The audience would be interested in the presence of two opposing army forces locked in combat. The
availability of firearms during gameplay is highlighted as an important characteristic of shooting games;
not only guns or assault rifles, but also bows and arrows etc. The audience plays games solely on mobile
devices due to the fact that mobile games are easy to play.
• What this says about my audience:
• The audience clearly does not have a great deal of interest in video games, as shown by the nature of
the response. The audience does not seem to be familiar with war-driven shooting games; there is a lack
of knowledge on certain aspects of a battlefield as opposed to the previous response in which many
aspects were highlighted e.g. army vehicles, explosions, fires, mud. Despite a lack of interest with a
specific genre of video games, the audience would like to see a variety of weapons to choose from, even
ones that could be considered old-fashioned e.g. swords and bow and arrows. This shows that this
audience plays games that are similar to war-based shooting games.
• How will your product appeal to this audience:
• My video game will feature the presence of two opposing military forces (with the player(s) being the
‘good’ military force engaging the enemies) which will intrigue the audience who simply desired to see
two armies fighting against each other. There will be a strong impression as to how negative the enemy
soldiers are, as well as how intense the conflict is. I will accomplish this by creating an illusion of each
enemy soldier running towards the player (even though the enemies cannot harm them) in an
aggressive manner. This could highlight the fact that the two armies are opposing each other in an
extreme way. Also, the player(s) will be able to choose from a variety of weapons before starting the
game. This will appeal to the audience who assume the presence of firearms in a shooting game is vital
because it would make the game fair for everyone. The availability of multiple weapons also offers
increased choice for the player who is able to choose whatever weapon he/she wants. To appeal to this
audience even more, I will be ensuring that a version of my game exists on mobile devices e.g. IPhone as
well as consoles e.g. Xbox and PS4.

17. Research Evaluation

18. Research Evaluation
– Product Research
– I was able to conduct my research in an effective and sophisticated manner, mainly through use of surveys as well as the internet. I understood how important
it was to carry out research for my video game because if I don’t know who my audience is or what they want to see, my overall product might not appeal to
anyone and therefore it would suffer. However, I obtained information on the characteristics of existing products that would be considered similar to the genre
of game I planned to make initially. The genre I chose was a war-based first-person shooter video game, therefore I will have been required to look into first-
person military shooters e.g. Call of Duty and Battlefield. The game I chose to analyse in my product research was Battlefield: Bad Company and this involved
obtaining information on reviews, graphic style, audience, behind the scenes etc. In general, I only needed to look into this game and explain its aspects in
detail e.g. campaign and multiplayer as well as relation to my own idea. Conducting research on existing products using the internet can be considered an
example of secondary research. The information was already out there for me to analyse and it wasn’t too difficult to locate it.
– There are a number of advantages and disadvantages for undertaking secondary research:
– Pros: The information I wanted was on the internet and all I will have been required to do was look for it rather than carry out research myself. What I wanted
was easy to find and because the internet is massive, there is a wide variety of sources to obtain information from. For example, I came across a range of
websites e.g. Eurogamer and Imdb which offered a great deal of information about the game. This benefited my video game because I understood what kind of
responses a game of this genre would receive in general and this will have changed my original intentions, perhaps for the better.
– Cons: I had to obtain information that wasn’t mine; therefore I was relying on how well other people/companies have researched. The process of finding the
intended information was quite difficult and time-consuming because of the immense size of the internet. There was a good chance that the information I
collected will have been invalid, misleading and far from accurate. This could have had a negative impact on my video game because I would be obtaining
information that I assume is correct when in reality it isn’t; for example, if I obtained the wrong information about a certain audience that I thought was the
right information, my video game would suffer due to the fact that the audience I am trying to appeal to isn’t the right one at all.
– Surveys/Interviews
– I was required to obtain information about the audience I would be attempting to appeal to with my video game. I accomplished this through the creation of a
survey asking 10 quantitative and qualitative questions that focused on the genre of video games, the different modes of games, graphics as well as the
gender, age and level of interest in video games. It was research that I was carrying out on my own, therefore this is an example of primary research. As well as
creating surveys to identify what the audience would like to see in a video game, I also created an interview to gain further, more detailed information.
Interviewing two different people proved effective because it enabled me to compare their preferences on video games, as well as the type of games they
have each played. I asked detailed questions that required each audience member to expand on their answers e.g. what do you think is the most vital aspect of
video games and why? This is an example of a qualitative question which can be considered more superior compared to quantitative research (which only
requires short, one word answers usually through the ticking of boxes) as it provides a great amount of detail to analyse. Creating surveys is an example of
quantitative research, but also (along with qualitative research) an example of primary research. There is a number of advantages and disadvantages of this
method:
– Pros: I was doing the research on my own, therefore the information I obtained will have been original. There was a good chance that the research I obtained
was accurate due to the nature of the questions I asked; they will have been coherent and simple for the customers to answer. Also, it was easy to obtain the
research and undertaking it would have done well to imply a sense of professionalism to my video game because I am the one who asked the questions and set
up the survey/interview. I did not have to rely on how well other people researched.
– Cons: The information I obtained will have been limited in terms of quality due to lack of assistance from other sources e.g. from the internet which might have
made the research easier. It might have been difficult to find the right people to ask, and some of the responses are not detailed (e.g. the ones where I asked
people to give a reason) enough for me to understand what every customer hopes to see in a video game, why they prefer a certain game mode etc. This had
a negative impact on my game because I had limited information about my audience in some areas.

19. Research Evaluation
• Survey Responses
• The responses I got from my survey were clear and coherent, mainly because people gave reasons as to why they selected a
certain genre of video game as their preferred genre, for example. My responses were quite positive as most of those who took
part in my survey answered the more qualitative questions sensibly and in an understandable way. A small amount of people
did answer in a manner that was considered unsuitable for analysis e.g. ‘It’s more fun lad’. However, most of the responses I
received proved to be effective because they provided evidence of what my target audience really was and what those within it
would prefer to see in a video game. This could have a positive impact on the way my video game will look because I have
attained knowledge about my target audience through my survey e.g. what they like, what age they are and whether or not
they want to see something new in a game.
• Survey Distribution
• I was able to distribute my survey via the internet using the website SurveyMonkey; which enables the creation of surveys
online. Working online to carry out primary research (surveys and questionnaires) is an example of digital distribution which has
the potential to place a fair amount of control into the hands of the researcher. There are many advantages and disadvantages
of this method of distribution:
• Pros: Digital distribution is more effective and easier than traditional distribution methods that are quite expensive and not
always sure to satisfy the researcher as opposed to digital distribution. Using digital distribution is either cheap or free. For
example, I was only required to create an account to use SurveyMonkey; I did not have to pay any money whatsoever, but if I
decided to conduct my research through use of forms, this will have required me to spend a fair amount of money on paper.
The internet is a free service, therefore it would be completely pointless to pay for traditional research methods when there is a
great amount of free content online. Submitting a survey online allowed for people to find and view it quickly; my audience will
have had little trouble finding it. Distributing my survey online will have also enabled me to reach a wide range of audiences.
Another advantage of digital distribution is the fact that a lot of people are up to date with technology; this increases the
chance of a wide range of people finding my survey.
• Cons: The audience will have been required to know to look for my survey; the internet can be competitive and this could have
made it difficult for the audience to find my product without any interference e.g. from adverts. The audience will have had a
lot of competition for their attention by a variety of other media products as there were other surveys for them to complete as
well; therefore it would have been difficult for my product to get the attention of the audience effectively.