Monday, 5 September 2011

Analysing Game Adverts - 1


This is the first magazine advert I have analysed. This particular advert promotes a puzzle game for the Nintendo DS console called Brain Age.

First of all, the main thing that attracts the eye to this advert is the main picture, as the main text does not stand out much. The picture seems to denote intelligence, due to the fact that the man's head seems to be illuminated. This can symbolise the fact that he is thinking. Another aspect that backs up this idea is the title of the game. The title 'Brain Age' can also denote thinking, as a brain can be a symbol of intelligence. It can also denote the main age group, as the man in the picture shows that this can be a game adults will enjoy.

This advert also connotes a formal type of advertising, due to the text being plain and simple, as well as taking up the majority of the space. This can mean that the advert was aimed at older people. This advert also uses very dull colours, which also connotes formality. Another aspect is that the picture of the actual game packaging is very small and is not included in the main picture. This is not usually done, as most adverts show the game packaging as a main part. This is because the target audience can know what to expect by looking at the games cover (which may include game aspects like main characters, game scenery, enemies, etc).

Can you use a video game to rewire your brain?” is not a catchphrase that is included in the game, but seems more like a headline of a newspaper article. This highly connotes that the advert is being formal, as most newspapers are written very formally for the general public. It could also be considered that the game is being addressed to the majority of people through this advert, as many people can relate the style of writing used in the advert to that of a newspaper article, which will be something familiar to them. This could greatly expand the target audience that the advert is aimed at.

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