I have selected an advertisement created for the 2005 Resident Evil game.
The target demographic for such a game has a wide range. Firstly, by looking at the genre of the game it is a survival horror and so those who enjoy similar games such as Outlast or Amnesia would be targeted by this advertisement with the suggestion that they would also enjoy it. The game is also a part of the long running franchise of Resident Evil games, and so those who had played the games that came prior to the release of this one would also be interested. The game was released on the PS2, 5 years after its release, and so was on an accessible console that many people would have been able to access, and those with the console looking for new games to play on it would also have been a part of the target demographic.
The advertisement itself was a print advertisement released before the game to build tension and excitement, with a single photo of a bloody chainsaw being framed in the centre. This gives an insight to the gory and violent themes of the game, which could either intrigue or turn away an audience, depending on their preferences. This advert in particular would likely be targeted to those who enjoy the horror genre within media as a result.
In terms of the 4C's, the game is most likely aimed towards the Mainstreamer and the Explorer. The Resident Evil was and continues to be one of the most popular video game franchises of all time, and this release was no exception the games great successes. Along with this, Capcom who made the game had a high budget for marketing spending upwards of $20 million at the time. This means those within the mainstream are likely to see the game and have others around them playing it, which will heavily influence them to do the same. The game also appeals to the Explorer - though the game is popular, the genre is somewhat outlandish, and may be something new for people to try.
The target specifically in terms of profile has a wide range for such a game. The game was produced in Japan but seems to have a high American and European audience, so although in Japan the gaming gender seems to consist more of women, globally the game would try to appeal more to men. The action-based and survival elements could be more suitable to a testosterone fuelled male audience, but this is not to say the game will not also be enjoyed by women. The game protagonist and character played as is Leon Kennedy, an ex-police officer, on a mission to save the Presidents' daughter. The male audience could identify with his character, but a female audience may not like the idea of identifying with a female character seen almost as a damsel in distress. However, there is another female character seen throughout the game - Ada Wong - and she is a strong female character who women may want to identify themselves with more and is presented as an anti-heroine.
The game also has a wide range for people to be able to identify themselves in terms of ethnicity. The game is located in Spain, with a reappearing Spanish character Luis Sera who works alongside the protagonist. The anti-heroine Ada Wong seen throughout is Chinese, and other Resident Evil games have a wide range of diversity being created by a diverse company. The playable character seen is Leon Kennedy who is American, and though there are a wide range of American-white characters, there doesn't seem to be an imbalance and there is a good amount of representation for all groups, so there doesn't seem to be a particular ethnic group targeted.
In terms of age, the game is marketed as a Mature and intended for those over the age of 15, and this seems about right as the target audience in terms of its gory, violent and somewhat explicit themes and language. However, the game could be of intrigue to older audiences especially in the current year, as the franchise has been long running, with the first game being released in 1996. Audiences in an older age range may prefer to play the older games and get a feeling of nostalgia from it, but even those in an age range of 25-40 when the game was first released in 2005 may still be subject as a demographic due to the games mature nature, or even to try and introduce themselves into trying something new.
The product appeals to those that enjoy this type of game specific to the genre, and those who are a fan of the franchise. This allows for newcomers to the games for those playing the games that followed and means that there is already a set audience for the games that came prior to this. There is currently a remake of Resident Evil 4 releasing on March 24th, showing that the game was well received and has thrived enough for a remake to even be possible, and this highlights its success. The game, based on its mainstream, will appeal to those who enjoy to play video games and want to see what everyone is talking about, or maybe just want to feel included in the conversations and discussions about it.
The products main goal is to get people to buy the game, and to play it to discuss it with others. The game opens the possibility of extended lore within the franchise which could be exciting for those looking to explore the storyline.
I understand that this text is trying to promote itself to an audience that may take a preferred reading to the horror genre and Resident Evil franchise. However, i feel as though some may take an oppositional reading to this since the print text may appear to some as though it is glorifying gore and horror. This is considering how realistic the blooded chainsaw actually looks, and with the soft 'heavenly' light, some I would argue may see that as a way to lure audiences into buying the product through violence only, considering the logo appears quite small in the text and not the adverts priority.