Q8

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:

Media is used throughout the Lego Movie Video Game and gratifies the needs of the ages. Adults can understand the small jokes that would usually fly right over a child's head because they can relate to the characters in a daily life. While children would be interested in the game itself and not notice these small comments. Playing the Lego Movie Game is there for escapism, relationship, surveillance and values, if someone enjoys the movie then having the video game to is a good way to escape, to talk to friends and family about it, to relate to the characters on screen and to see further into other people's lives

People will play the game for escapism, they want to escape from there long days out and relax by playing a game that gratifies their needs. They will play the game as it offers suspense, humour and problem solving all of which offering escapism from daily life. The more levels they complete, the more the will want to escape daily life as they feel a sense of power and success. There is also the social, cultural and political significance in the Lego Movie too. There are common themes and issues that they address and show the functions they serve in everyday life. Also, depending on what people play and watch (in this case The Lego Movie) depends on their identity and personality. If you have no interest in lego or the Lego Movie it would be very unlikely for you to enjoy the video game, however if you like everything else that lego has made, it would be obvious you will enjoy the game just as much. Players will identify with characters, because Lego Video Game is based on the movie, players may identify with characters or even just the good defeating the bad. People can relate to Emmet, for example, as he is just a normal man who is similar to all of us, he tries hard for everyone to like him but sometimes it just can't be possible. This makes us build a relationship for Emmet as we are all just like him.

music magazines: MOJO Bowie Cover

MOJO (the banner) is the most important part of the magazine cover, it reaches out to there audiences and it is very big so people see it instantly. Because MOJO is a very well known magazine, it doesn't matter if you can't see the whole banner. The MOJO Bowie magazine cover isn't very symmetrical, it has got more of a noisy look which includes loads of drop shadows on the writing. It is very easy to notice that Bowie is the main splash as his name is right in the middle and he is the main image. It uses the caption 'Bowie' right infront of the image of him so it's clear that its about him. The choice of colour is very obvious and clear, they have focused on just blues and whites with a few pops of colour (yellow)

It has a puff that tells us it has reviews inside, this is the only bright yellow item on there, so we see it instantly. This cover includes a running header just on top of the banner which gives us an insight on what it is about. It has many cover lines either side of the main splash. These are all pushed to the left or they are all pushed to the right, which makes it easy to follow. It seems that the more important people or articles is flush left. Apart from the main splash of Bowie, there is a close up photo of a man in the top right corner, Bowie is still clearly the main part of the cover but having a smaller picture of someone else adds to the business of the magazine.

my magazine cover