PS3

Playstation 3 is the third instalment in the Sony Playstation series. It’s could definitely be a replacement for the older Playstation versions and also could be a replacement for the other consoles that it’s competing against due to it’s special features.

As well as everything the PS2 could to before such as playing DVDs and Cds, you’re now able to connect to the internet and chat with friends and controllers now have a motion sensor and can be wireless. At the moment only those willing to spend the money will be relevant, so they could be anyone within the price range as there are games suitable for everyone. The PS3 has also been praised for the high quality graphics that it’s able to produce. So you can already tell those with a PS2 would be wanting to ‘upgrade’ their current gaming experience by purchasing the PS3.

By releasing the PS3, Sony has once again been able to establish their ‘power’ over the gaming industry as since it’s recent release it’s already been very successful.

The obvious media texts involved are the games that the PS3 is able to play, although any DVD or CD would also be relevant as the PS3 is able to play these, in high definition as well.

The PS3 is a good example of convergence, although not portable like the PSP it still has a lot of features packed into one console.

MSN

MSN is basically an online service which you can install onto your computer. It’s main aim is to let you interact with others who also have the service installed, what it’s replacing in a way is the need to communicate with others by any other means e.g. actually meeting up with them in order to let them know something, this works in most cases, you can send videos and pictures over msn (depending on how new your version is) but you can’t physically give them something through it.

A lot of different people use MSN, from kids in their early teens to grown men/women in their 40’s. As I said before the main objective for using MSN is to communicate with others but as MSN has improved it’s capable of a lot more now. You can now have video and audio conversations if you own a webcam and a microphone for your computer, you can send images/audio/videos over msn and you can play games such as minesweeper with whoever you are talking to. MSN offers a different way of communicating with people instead of talking face to face.

The media texts involved are those which MSN enables you to do which include games such as minesweeper and obviously a lot of different songs/singles as you can send these over msn, you can obviously also give links through MSN conversations to any website.

The obvious key concept in this case study is interactivity, MSN is all about being interactive but not from MSN to you, it gives you a chance to be interactive with others.

PSP

PSP aka Playstation Portable is a good example of convergence. It’s a handheld gaming console like a gameboy except you can do a lot more with it than just play games. I don’t think Sony intended the PSP to be a replacement for it’s already successful Playstation 2, instead it’s given them a way in which to compete with other handheld consoles e.g. Nintendo DS.

The audience range for the PSP is large due to the fact it has so many features, even if you just want to play games there’s different games to suit everyone but other features which the PSP has to offer are; Storing photos, videos (even full movies), music and the ability to access the internet. Others have discovered different uses as well such as using it as a remote control somehow.

Sony itself has really benefited by releasing the PSP, by being able to compete with other leading companies when it comes to handheld consoles, it’s expanding it’s reach out further and could effectively take control of the whole market.

Convergence is obviously a key concept but personalisation is one as well, as you can basically personalise your PSP by doing what you want with it, it can store your music, videos, photos etc.

Cassie Fansite

Cassie (who is HALF FILIPINO) has been in the mainstream music industry for over a year now, she’s released one album but has already been very successful. The website I’m analysing is one of her many unofficial fan websites. It doesn’t exactly have the neatest structure but this just means it’s packed with information bout the RnB singer. There are 6 headings up top; Cassie, Photos, Media, World Net, Forum and Home. Along with this, on the main page there are news updates under the title ‘Updates’ which scroll up so you’re aware of what’s going on with Cassie, there’s a link to her ‘affiliated’ sites which is just links to other RnB singer websites such as Ne-Yo and Rihanna and there’s also a message from the creators of this site. This site could really be a replacement for the official website in ways at it probably as just as much information as the real website does as these people are really dedicated.

You’d really only be looking at this site if you like Cassie. Those that like her music are usually female aged between early teens to early 20’s. Although males still like her as well, for obvious reasons. By viewing this site you may want to just find out about Cassie through the biography posted up, you might want to know album/single release dates or you might want to discuss relevant topics on the forum available. On this site you can read, listen to or watch anything that has to do with Cassie.

The website is focused mainly on the exhibition/marketing of Cassie, it’s all about her, it doesn’t give you a chance to buy her albums or singles but you do get to find out a lot about the singer herself.

Obviously her music is relevant as that’s what she is, a music artist. Her affiliates are also relevant as I mentioned above, this include Ne-Yo, Rihanna, Janet Jackson etc. Also in the media section you can watch her music videos, performances etc.

The site is interactive in ways as you can consume the media offered by the site in different ways, there could be a bit of convergence as well as you don’t need your TV to watch her music videos.

Cassie Fansite

Youtube

Youtube is a host site for many different videos, you can find all different types ranging from parts of a film to someone just talking about themselves, the video I’m choosing is what a lot of people on Youtube are posting up, it’s basically clips from the film ‘Happy Feet’ mixed with a song, a lot of people post up these kind of videos.

Unless you were told by a friend to specifically search this up you probably would just find it randomly, you may be searching up Happy Feet if you’re interested in the film or you could be searching the song “Walk It Out” and then come across the video.

The video has been made purely for people to admire, there’s no real institutions involved as I doubt the person who made it is promoting either the song or the film.

There’s no real concepts involved, interactivity may be one as you can interact by commenting on the video and telling the maker of it what you think.

N-Dubz

www.myspace.com/ndubz

If you’re a music artist you can use myspace to create your own music artist page, these are different from the standard myspace pages,. The page that I’m looking at is made by the UK Hip-Hop/RnB act N-Dubz. When you go on the page you’re attention is most likely going to turn to the box in the top right which contains the four songs that are currently featured on the page, below is a list of blog entries published by the artists and just below that is an ‘About N-Dubz section’. Then to the left is a column which has more info about the group, including the members, the official website and their influences. Although there are specific headings on the page, the group doesn’t exactly stick to it, as instead of actually listing their influences, they put up one of their music videos.

Obviously you wouldn’t be visiting this site if you wanted to find out about another artist, you visit it if you’re specifically interested in N-Dubz. You could want to check out there songs, which aren’t available for download, or you may want to find out more about them, or just comment them and let them know that you like them.

The page has a lot to do with marketing N-Dubz, the site really promotes their album/single release dates and the fact they put up songs but make them unavailable for download means you’d want to buy the single, they also have pictures of posters which promote shows which they are going to be performing at.

The media texts relevant are obviously everything to do with N-Dubz, from themselves to the albums/singles they’re releasing, also the blogs they post although at the moment they haven’t used that section yet.

Interactivity and narrowcasting are definitely key concepts, myspace is all about interactivity as you make an account, make friends than interact with them , narrowcasting is shown on the page as not everyone would listen to this music, only certain people.

Vibe magazine is a magazine which focuses mainly on Hip-Hop/RnB acts, it’s target audience is whoever listens to that kind of music, usually ranging between early teens to late to mid twenties, although some older or younger people may still be interested in it. The site itself contains news headlines about music artists/anyone else that’s relevant, a whole section of photos and a section called ‘VBlog’ obviously to do with blogging with the home page displaying all the links to the relevant sections. The site isn’t really replacing anything, it’s mostly adding to what’s in the Vibe magazine, they obviously can’t publish the Vibe magazine on the site or else they wouldn’t make any money off people buying it, instead they offer you a chance to subscribe the magazine so it can get posted to you.

The audiences interested in this would be those interested in what Vibe focuses on which I’ve already said is Hip-Hop/RnB, so people who listen to this music are more likely to visit this site than those who listen to rock artists. There’s a whole list of things these people could be doing with the website, first of all they could just be finding out about their artists, they may want to subscribe to the magazine or they could want to take part in the contests that Vibe have to offer.

The website focuses more on the marketing of the brand than the other institutions, it basically makes you want to subscribe to Vibe magazine, in a way it also involves distribution as you can subscribe to the magazine via the website.

As I’ve said a few times before, Vibe magazine focuses mainly on Hip-Hop/RnB acts, so the media involved would be mostly to do with the music industry e.g. there is currently a news headline and interview about the RnB singer Akon who has recently released an album, although the main focus of the magazine is music, they are also concerned with fashion, as they have a whole section of photos and headlines about events in the fashion industry.

Like most websites I’ve analysed, this one is also a good example of interactivity, there’s just so much packed into the website for the relevant audience to do, it’s interactive as well as informative in the way you can read interviews then comment on them, take part in polls and contests, all of this involves the audience to do more than just read through the website.