I have chosen to research the game Assassin's Cred Valhalla which is a 2020 action role-playing game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. It is the twelfth major installment in the Assassin's Creed series and the successor of 2018's Assassin's Creed Odyssey. Principally set in the years 872 - 878 AD it follows a fictional story during the Viking expansion into the British Isles under the reign of the king of Wessex Alfred 'The Great'. The player embraces the brutal Viking life whilst playing as Eivor Varnsdottir a Viking raider who, while attempting to establish a new Viking clan in England, becomes embroiled in the centuries old conflict between Assassin Brotherhood who fought for peace and liberty and the Templar Order who desire peace though control. Th trailer linked below, shows the battle between the Viking usurpers and Alfred 'The Great'. The battle is a replica, to an extent, of the Battle of Edington, where, on the twelfth of May 878 AD, Viking landed on the coast of England against an army of Saxons. who fought ferociously, forming a dense shield wall against the Danes, In the end Victory was Alfred.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla had an astonishing budget of around 1.02 Billion USD. It was developed by Ubisoft Montreal, the hub of all things Assassin's Creed. The game was released during the Covid-19 pandemic therefore, most of the staff on the project worked from home with support from Ubisoft's information technology department to ensure the game met its release data in 2020. Valhalla had a total of 15 different studios working on it which means it had around 1000+ people working on the game.
The game was marketed through a variety of online means due to the restrictions. It was the second biggest profit generating game in Ubisoft history. Its most notable marketing technique was the use of social media and getting the fans to publish videos of themselves playing the game pre release.
Post pandemic however, Ubisoft returned to its traditional style of marketing by endorsing fan interactions through gameplay, cosplay and skits of the series.
The Assassin's Creed franchise is in short completely inclusive and aims to get as much people as possible to interact and enjoy the game. However, the main age range that enjoys the game are those generally between the ages of 18 and 28 with a male dominated fan base, although the number females playing the game has gone up in recent years with a 56% male audience and a new high 44% female audience. In terms of psychographic profile, the first idea is the explorer as they seek to discover. Alternatively, it could too be seen as the Struggler, someone who seeks to escape the reality. The Game for fills the fundamentals of Maslow's hierarchy of needs through esteem - self-esteem, achievement, mastery, independence, prestige and respect.
Marketing
Due to the restrictions of the Covid-19 pandemic, Ubisoft had to take a rather different approach to marketing the game. They still however, managed to get the fans involved through pre release game plays, at home cosplays and endorsing fan made content. They also used content such as the hashtag like a Viking, to entice people to collaborate with the brand through social media posts.
Analysis of Trailer
The trailer opens with a cruel voice over from Alfred 'The Great' describing the Vikings as wanting to Scar the lands of England suggesting that the Vikings are here to cause harm or do damage. This is juxtaposed by the images of the Viking play fighting with English children and protecting the innocent during a battle. Highlighting the two sides to the games, the goodies and the baddies.
Whilst sailing to the shores of Wessex, the scenes are very murky and grey with an emphasis on shadows and lighting to possibly reflect the genre of the game as stealth games always seem to adopt this dark, grey persona. In the shot below, the Viking is clearly lighter than the rest of the shot, perhaps acting as an enigma code or an easter egg by illuding to who the main character may be. This is seen in multiple scenes below.
The shots of blood and gore have become a must in games like this, it is an expectation that the fans look for to satisfy their gaming experience, and this trailer shows the blood and gore all to well in the images posted below. However, the blood could be a symbol of the true hardship that the Viking face throughout the game as a matter of fact the game follows the aftermath of this hardship by following Eivor's mental health journey where we can view meetings and talks about his mental health.
Examples of Synergy
Assassin's Creed Valhalla had collaborations with Destiny where you had the ability to use cosmetics from both games. It also had available cosmetics in other Ubisoft games such as Ghost Recon or Rainbow Six Siege.
Analysis of game play
Firstly, what I believe to be the main appeal of the gameplay for the gamer is the choices that the gamer gets (see timestamp 4:52). This is what I believe to be the largest appeal for the gamer as it offers a sense of personalization to the game, the user gets to determine the fait/ outcome of their own gameplay, and this is a huge selling point for me when looking for a game.
The second greatest appeal of the game for me is the cut scenes how it adds to the gameplay experience for the gamer (See timestamp 0:14) For me, these type of cut seems are a necessity for a game, not only does it add to the overall experience of the gameplay, but it immerses you into the game and tightens that connection between game and gamer.
The third greatest appeal for me is the historical accuracy that the game offers, seeing the protagonist dressed historically accurate as well as using accurate weaponry too adds to the immersion that this game offers to the player. It adds a sense or realism to the player knowing that they are mirroring the actions that real Vikings would do.
The Fourth biggest appeal in this gameplay has to be the type of game this is. The game allows you to roam around the map like a sandbox, but also complete missions like your traditional game, as the game progresses, the levels become increasing harder and the accomplishment of completing these levels become greater as the games story progresses. It links back to the ideas of Maslow and his hierarchy of needs fulfilling the esteem section giving you achievement but also the self actualization column aiding your problem solving and creativity that comes with progressing through the game.
Success of the game
Assassins creed Valhalla took home a huge $1 Billion in revenue (2022). It however did not win any awards but was nominated 15 times for the BAFTA'S in 2021. The response to the game was overall positive, with existing AC fans returning to battle the difficulty of stealth and battle. However, some critics criticized the overuse of long boat rides down endless miles of river or cutting down of sparser areas and focusing more on the big towns and villages.
Fans making their own content
some gamers like to share their experience of Valhalla on twitch an online streaming service
Regulation
Assassin's Creed Valhalla was given an age rating by PEGI of 18. Valhalla was given this rating due to the blood and violent scene as well as the bad language.
Application of theory
Albert Bandura
The Assassin's Creed franchise challenges the idea that media can implant ideas as the audience although obsessed with the brand, are aware and informed about the dangers of mirroring the ideas of the fictional game through the PEGI rating. However, it does to an extent conform to the ideas as young children who are not yet fully developed to comprehend the violence and issues that AC tackles, could be manipulated by the games ideas. However, this idea disregards the age ratings and the parental interventions that comes with playing an 18 plus game.
Curran and Seaton
Ubisoft has adapted from traditionally more hegemonic conglomerate to a more pluralistic company as a result of the fans becoming increasingly more involved in choices of the game and extra content. Ubisoft has had to adapt to listen to their fans and promote any 3rd party, fan made content. For example, the introduction of a female character was a result of an increasing number of female gamers. As a result of the changing social and cultural context, Ubisoft has chosen to adapt to make their content more enjoyable and more informative, an example of this would be the real historically accuracy that comes with the games, in Valhalla, the Vikings are dressed in clear historically accurate Viking dress, even their boats are historically accurate.
George Gerbner
Assassin's Creed as a franchise would completely conform to the idea that repeated exposure can influence the way people see things through the use of stereotypes. Assassin's Creed uses mostly harmless stereotypes however, such as the stereotypical pirate or Viking. However, also uses stereotypes of culture or slavery in liberation. However, it does challenge this idea through the use of a female protagonist as more female gamers enter the industry, there is more of a need to challenge the old traditional idea of a weak female and challenges it through making them for example, a warrior Viking.
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