Videogames: Henry Jenkins Fandom

1) What is the definition of a fan?
An audience member that consumes a particular media aspect more often compared to other audiences.

2) What the different types of fan identified in the factsheet?

• Hardcore fans
• Newbie fans
• Anti fans

3) What makes a ‘fandom’?
When a group of 'fans' come together to form a grouop dedicated to a certain topic. They act as a group and will discus  almost everything about that topic.

4) What is Bordieu’s argument regarding the ‘cultural capital’ of fandom?
Bordieu says that "cultural capital of fandom confers a synbolic power and status for the fan especially within the realm of their fandom"

5) What examples of fandom are provided on pages 2 and 3 of the factsheet?

• A Liverpool fans bedroom
• The walking dead fan arts
• A range of other fanarts and fan vids

6) Why is imaginative extension and text creation a vital part of digital fandom?
It allows fans to differentiate themselves from other consumers where they can start creating their own media from these different fandoms.

Tomb Raider and Metroid fandom research

Look at this Tomb Raider fansite and answer the following questions: 

1) What types of content are on offer in this fansite?

• Help resources
• Forums
• Games

2) What does the number of links and content suggest about the size of the online fan community for Tomb Raider and Lara Croft? Pick out some examples from this page.

Since there is a huge group in the online fan community, it suggests that the fandom is well known and very popular.

3) Scroll to the bottom of the page and look at the short ‘About me’ bio and social media updates. Is this a typical example of ‘fandom’ in the digital age? Why?

Yes it would be considered as an example of fandom as it shares details about the fan creator where you can find out more about the creator just from scrolling down on a website.

Now look at this Metroid fansite and answer the following: 

1) What does the site offer?

• Games
• Social media links
• Game features

2) Look at the Community Spotlight page. What does this suggest about the types of people who enjoy and participate in fan culture?

These people tend to be gamers who are very into anything related to the game that they are playing.

3) There is a specific feature on Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. What do the questions from fans tell you about the level of engagement and interest in the game and franchise from the fan community?

They make it obvious that they are truly interested in the game and put their all in to compete against each other.

Henry Jenkins: degree-level reading

Read the final chapter of ‘Fandom’ – written by Henry Jenkins. This will give you an excellent introduction to the level of reading required for seminars and essays at university as well as degree-level insight into our current work on fandom and participatory culture. Answer the following questions:

1) There is an important quote on the first page: “It’s not an audience, it’s a community”. What does this mean?

This means that the group of fans aren't just ordinary consumers of the game but have a much stronger and closer bond with each other.

2) Jenkins quotes Clay Shirky in the second page of the chapter. Pick out a single sentence of the extended quote that you think is particularly relevant to our work on participatory culture and the ‘end of audience’ (clue – look towards the end!)

"In the age of the internet, noone is a passive consumer anymore"

3) What are the different names Jenkins discusses for these active consumers that are replacing the traditional audience?

• Influencers
• connectors
• Loyals
• Media actives

4) On the third page of the chapter, what does Wired editor Chris Anderson suggest regarding the economic argument in favour of fan communities?

He suggests that "investing in niche properties with small but committed consumer bases may make economic sense if you can lower costs of production and replace marketing costs by building a much stronger network with your desired consumers"

5) What examples does Jenkins provide to argue that fan culture has gone mainstream?

Producers will look at what fans want in order to make something successful. Without he fans, the producers wouldn't know what their audiences really want.

6) Look at the quote from Andrew Blau in which he discusses the importance of grassroots creativity. Pick out a sentence from the longer quote and decide whether you agree that audiences will ‘reshape the media landscape from the bottom up’.

"The media lanscape will be reshaped by the bottom up energy of media created by amateurs" I would agree since it is true that producers now look more and more at what consumers think of their games before making a second or a third version of  the game.

7) What does Jenkins suggest the new ideal consumer is?

Jenkins suggests that the new ideal consumer would be "someone who consumes a media text and then goes as far as celebrate it, talk about it and share it with their peers"

8) Why is fandom 'the future'?

Fandoms allow consumers and audiences to share and promote this game all over the world. It will be one of the main ways a company would use to promote and spread word about their product.

9) What does it mean when Jenkins says we shouldn’t celebrate ‘a process that commodifies fan cultural production’?

Jenkin believes that is fan culture is commodified, companies would easily be able to take advantage of them which is why he says we shouldn't celebrate the process of commodifying fan cultural productions.

10) Read through to the end of the chapter. What do you think the future of fandom is? Are we all fans now? Is fandom mainstream or are real fan communities still an example of a niche media audience?

I believe that fandoms have been growing at an incredible pace. The idea of separate groups forming seems more popular. Everyone has an interest in something and on the planet, there must be a few others in the 7 billion who share the same interest as you. People will enjoy things and that itself can be called being a fan of something. Whether that person is really in a group about a certain thing and wehter they just enjoy it by themselves, they would still be considered fans. Fan communities are definitely mainstream or at least enarly there since there are so many platforms for people to hare these on. Eg. Discord, youtube, steam etc.