In this Task I aim to profile the target audience for the video game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, via looking at secondary research. I will do this by looking for secondary qualitative and quantitative research on the target audience for Skyrim.
There are 2 main forms of research, Quantitative and Qualitative.
Quantitative research is when data is recorded and analysed in a mathematical or statistical form. The primary purpose of Quantitative research is to produce mathematical models or theorys in order to determine the result of whatever the researchers are looking into. Data can be collected via Quantitative research with methods such as questionnaires, polls and surveys.
Qualitative Research is when data is recorded and analysed with exploratory methods such as surveys with questions without set answers (No ticking boxes, multiple answers etc), interviews etc. While Quantitative is very statistical with yes/no answers and an emphasis on mathematical models for the recovered data, Qualitative is much more explorative with it's purpose being to focus less on statistics and more on getting more complicated answers with large amounts of detail.
Skyrim is a open world RPG that was released on the 11th of November 2011 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. It is the fifth main entry in the esteemed Elder Scrolls series that has been a mainstream fantasy game series since The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind in 2006. Skyrim was a commercial success, with over 22.7 million copies sold worldwide by 2015.
Via secondary research I believe that the target audience for Skyrim is for 15 - 29 year old men and women. The first reason I believe this, is because the BBFC rating for Skyrim is 15. This would automatically push the target audience at over 15 due to the content of the game in regards to violence, language, sex etc. The BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) awarded this rating due to "Strong Violence". This was all the BBFC stated was the cause of the classification.
In America however, the game is rated 'Mature' by the ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) which makes the game legally available for people aged 17 and above. The rating was awarded due to "Blood and Gore", "Intense Violence", "Sexual Themes" and "Use of Alcohol". This is a couple of years difference to the British Board of Classifications ratings, however, this is due to the difference in the ratings and the criteria of how to achieve them differing between countries.
Upon looking at the British and American ratings for Skyrim, I went on to look at the European rating for Skyrim. To do this, I looked at the PEGI rating. The PEGI rating for Skyrim was 18 which shows that the game maybe intended for an adult audience hence the main ages within the predicted target audience being over 18. The rating was awarded due to violence which shows that Skyrim came across as combat orientated to the PEGI rating board. DUe to this, the game appears to be aimed at older players from teenagers to adults. This is backed up by all three ratings I have looked at and analysed.
The age ratings of both ratings boards suggest that the research the boards have completed have found the game to be aimed at a minimum age of 15. I believe the highest age that game is aimed at is 29. This is because ratings on sites such as IMDb (Internet Movie Database) suggest that the age group that plays the game most are 18 to 29 year males. The 18 to 29 age group is also has the highest number of players for women as well. However, these results also show that is predominately males rather than females. This may be because fantasy is stereo-typically a genre aimed at men, so that women don't feel the need to pursue an interest regardless of its medium may it be books, films or games.
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| The result of user ratings on IMDb regarding Skyrim |
Visual References:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Elder-Scrolls-Skyrim-PS3/dp/B004G5YW5E
http://uk.ign.com/cheats/games/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-xbox-360-14267318
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1814884/ratings
http://www.pegi.info/en/index/global_id/505/?searchString=skyrim
Written References:
http://www.polygon.com/2015/11/10/9673936/elder-scrolls-bigger-than-fallout-sales-data-report
http://www.statisticbrain.com/skyrim-the-elder-scrolls-v-statistics/
http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-digitalmedia
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/112793-Skyrim-Gets-15-Rating-in-UK
http://www.esrb.org/ratings/Synopsis.aspx?Certificate=31575&Title=The+Elder+Scrolls+V%3a+Skyrim
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1814884/ratings
http://www.pegi.info/en/index/global_id/505/?searchString=skyrim
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantitative_research
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