LO1 Task 2: Technological Convergence and Production Techniques
Convergent Technologies:
Technological convergence and the introduction of Web 2.0 has (mostly) positively impacted the media industry as now prosumers can access media products through blackbox devices (Henry Jenkins 2008) which allow audiences to access multiple different forms of media through the internet. This could include a phone which can have Netflix for film and TV, make calls, read magazines online etc. This benefits general consumers as they can access multiple kinds of media from one device. However, this creates a disconnect between audiences, as proven by Sonia Livingstone through the 'death of the schedule' where the social events like a family gathering to watch a TV series together due to those series airing at only a specific time. Now audiences can watch whatever they want, whenever.
Furthermore, this also benefits producers as they can distribute their products onto different platforms; furthering synergy and horizontal integration as a benefit as conglomerates can also advertise or adapt their products into differing media types/platforms.
Audiences/prosumers are able to produce their own media easily after the introduction of Web 2.0 due to the accessibility of free online software which audiences can use to gain experience in game development for themselves. Team Cherry are an example of this with their first full title game Hollow Knight which benefitted from new technologies introduced in Web 2.0
Pre-Production:
An example within the interactive industry for how the pre-production stage has been improved due to web 2.0 would be Hollow Knight. Team Cherry (the creators of the game) were able to communicate ideas and planning documents online without having to be physically near each other through software like Microsoft Teams; hosting meetings to discuss ideas for the game. Additionally, pre-production documents like storyboards and scripts which due to cloud technology, could be worked on and seen by multiple developers at once (the co-producers William Pellen and Ari Gibson editing each others work at once). Additionally, due to these technologies and cloud software, Team Cherry would have been able to view and edit updates via black box devices such as a home computer or mobile phone. Team Cherry as an independent studio were able to take advantage to these technologies therefore, companies with lower budgets (i.e. a conglomerate's budget is not necessary to take advantage of these pre-production applications). Furthermore, web 2.0 is prosumer with free software like Ibis Paint that can be used to create planning documents like a storyboard or site-map which other developers can take advantage of. This software is accessible to a prosumer due to Ibis Paint's distribution across blackbox devices, i.e. anyone with a device that can connect to the internet is able to use this free software.
Team Cherry especially benefited from web 2.0 during their production stage due to their main source of funding from the game through a 'Kickstarter' campaign (crowd-funding) which allowed the team to gain a source of income online and share ideas/developments from the project with those who were funding it therefore, gaining interest from an audience to guarantee sales. Due to this, their funding goals for Hollow Knight were eventually met; the effect of this on development allowed for stretch goals to be met which meant adding more content to the game therefore, extending the time of pre-production and production for the content to be made (e.g. The White Palace as a stretch goal to be added). The team was therefore, directly benefitted by Web 2.0 as crowd-funding in this way would not be possible, meaning production was able to be easily funded and the game could be developed smoothly.
Production:
During the production of the game, Web 2.0 furthered the ease of development for Team Cherry via online software like garage band which can be easily accessed for free by the composer Christopher Larkin. Due to the ease of access and online platform within Apple blackbox devices, Christopher was easily able to share his music with his colleagues for peer-review. Communication with his colleagues is also greatly assisted by built in software in Apple devices like 'Mail' or 'Apple Messages' however, platforms like Microsoft Teams or Outlook are also available on those same blackbox devices as a means of sharing his work with others in production.
Hollow Knight's development was within the Unity engine which is a free software that is accessible via computer or laptop therefore, anyone with this hardware is able to use the same equipment which Team Cherry used to develop their own games. This would make the software accessible to prosumers within the ABC1 bracket due to the requirement of a laptop or personal computer, not being accessible via mobile phone but other specific blackbox devices. An alternative however, would be RPG maker which is accessible via a phone or most other blackbox device.
Post-Production:
Post-production is the stage in which interactive media benefits more from than any other kind of media and that's due to the ability to update products online after they've already been released and adding additional content afterwards through downloadable content (DLC). An example of this benefit of Web 2.0 in the post-production of Hollow Knight would be in the Gods and Glory DLC which released in 2018 (one year after the release of the original game) and included additional content to keep audiences engaged as well as gaining a new audience members through a fresh way to advertise the game and get other people who don't already own the game interested. This content included some tweaks to the original game and new levels for players to engage with. The benefit of Web 2.0 allowed Team Cherry to update the game to improve it but also gain income through advertising the new content on social media platforms like YouTube through trailers which will appeal to the audience of digital natives due to the platforms the game is advertised and distributed on (i.e. Playstation, X-Box and Nintendo consoles and Steam) therefore, increasing profit. The ability to update after launch is also evidence of technological convergence as before Web 2.0, games, after being published and distributed, would not be able to be updated as they are now through code changes and version controls (e.g. Elden Ring's Shadow of The Erdtree update moving the game to ver. 1.14).
Another benefit of Web 2.0 on interactive products would be the Unity Engine which Hollow uses to run that Team Cherry can use to edit parts of the game (as well as active audiences through modding the game for fan generated content) after development. This allows for issues like bugs to fixed and parts of the game like levels and characters; this can create a blend between production and post-production in development. Alternatively, free development software like Game Maker is available which allows you to do these same things, including production and post-production. This would be accessible via blackbox devices and is therefore, prosumer, anyone with an internet connection who has developed their game can update it.
