Lego Movie Video Game - Audiences

Lego Movie Video Game - Audiences

Regulator - The VCS (Video Standard Council) which use PEGI's age rating system.

Not all films have the same rating as their video games.

Although The Lego Movie was awarded a Universal film rating, The Pegi Award for The Lego Movie Video Game is 7 years of age. This is because the game includes non-realistic looking violence towards fantasy characters and violence that is set in a cartoon, slapstick or child like setting that could be upsetting to very young children.


Explain two reasons why a film company would release a video game linked to a film (4 marks)
A film company may want to release a video game based on the film to gain a wider audience, many people up to the age of as old as 18 play video games and expanding a movie into an active game would possibly gain profit as well as a wider audience on the film. This is because if the game is successful - people would be interested in watching the movie as the game is based on it. The game would have a high chance of success due to the appeal to escapism - as mentioned in the uses and gratifications theory. 
As well as this, increasing convergence and diversification may well reach even further to as big as an audience as possible.



Arguably, the target audience for the video game is younger than the film. This can be seen through its level of difficulty, which provides a younger audience with an entry point to the franchise, without needing to watch the film. The narrative of the game takes elements of the film's narrative but lacks the cohesion and humour of the film.







How can you apply the uses and gratifications theory to the Lego Movie Video Game? (10 marks)
The Lego Movie Video Game uses a sense of escapism - into the fantasy world which is a factor of the uses and gratifications theory and very appealing to the target audience. This is because people feel they dive into another world where reality is behind them and they can actively be a part of the movie.  Players are able to develop a sense of expertise in a self enclosed fictional world. Additionally, the uses and gratifications theory would also be applied to the fact that The Lego Movie video game is played and social interaction is created. This is because players would talk about it among each other and as young people like to win and love being challenged, they earn trophies which they then socially interact with others and compare their wins. This in itself promotes the video game and can even be considered a form of free advertising as social interactions may push others who do not have the game but have heard of the game to get it. 

Additionally, the uses and gratifications theory could also be applied as video games are entertaining to those who play it and it also can create personal identity for them. This is as they create a parasocial (a one sided relationship) with self established characters from the film and can feel like they are interacting with them.