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Analysis of a Multicultural Website: Examining Sony Playstation’s American, Middle Eastern, and Hong Kong Sites Prepared for Dr. Moline Prepared by Jessica Pilarski

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Table of Contents Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………..Pages 3-4 Abstract………………………………………………………………………………………..Page 3 Purpose of Study…………………………………………………………………………..Page 3 Background…………………………………………………………………………………..Pages 3-4 Analysis…………………………………………………………………………………………………….Pages 5-9 United States………………………………………………………………………………..Pages 5-6 Middle East…………………………………………………………………………………..Page 7-8 Hong Kong…………………………………………………………………………………….Page 9 Compare and Contrast……………………………………………………………………………..Page 10 Site Similarities………………….………………………………………………………….Page 10 Site Differences…………………………………………………………………………….Page 10 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………………..Page 10 Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………………………..Page 11 Figures 1…………………………………………………………………………………………………...Page 6 2……………………………………………………………………………………………………Page 6 3……………………………………………………………………………………………………Page 7 4…………………………………………………………………………………………………...Page 8 5……………………………………………………………………………………………………Page 9

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Introduction Abstract Video games, much like movies and music, have a different rating system in each country. These differences are reflected on the American, Middle Eastern, and Hong Kong websites for the Sony Playstation. Though similar in many aspects, the websites differ in others based on the country's censorship laws.

Purpose For many people, the Internet is their main source of information regarding products they may have an interest in purchasing. The upcoming release of next-generation consoles is fast approaching -- little over a month away -- have many gamers questioning which console to buy.

As a result, the websites for the main competitors reflect this by promoting the best their console and company have to offer. The Sony Playstation has become the most anticipated console this year and, for this reason, was chosen as the subject of this analysis.

Multicultural websites differ from region to region for a variety of reasons. For gaming companies, the content of their websites vary depending on the censorship laws of the preferred country. A country such as Australia will not have advertise the newest game’s hyper-violent and gore-friendly details because the country is strict on animated violence and what is allowed in their games. These regional differences affect the website content and thus the audience that peruses the information on these websites.

This analysis serves to examine the extremes on both sides of the censorship spectrum: the United States, with scant censorship, and the Middle East, with a much stricter form of censorship. The third area of analysis is Hong Kong, which serves as a “ground zero” for all newly released games.

Background In 1994, Sony came out with the Playstation. Originally created as a competitor for the Nintendo 64 and Sega Saturn, the Playstation would go on to become one of the most popular gaming consoles; the Playstation 2 alone broke records “as the fastest computer entertainment platform to reach this remarkable figure” (“Playstation Breaks Records…”, 2005), selling over 100 million units in five years. The success of the Playstation is regarded as one of the main reasons why a shift was made from the traditional cartridges to the disc system that is used today (Noble, 2009).

In recent years, the Sony Playstation’s main competitor has solely been regarded as Microsoft’s Xbox 360. The Xbox 360’s initial success in its earlier years has diminished as Sony continues to make improvements towards its system and relations with its users, offering deals such as Playstation Plus, which gifts subscribers with a free recently released game once a month; additionally, many services that the Playstation 3 offers, such as Netflix, requires only a Netflix

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subscription to use, unlike the Xbox 360, which requires a monthly subscription to Xbox Live in addition to the Netflix subscription.

In the past six months, both Sony and Microsoft have unveiled at E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo used by companies to reveal upcoming game titles and systems) the next generation systems of their respective lines: the Playstation 4 and Xbox One. Due to the numerous issues with the presentation alone, as well as the information provided about the Xbox One, the Playstation 4 has become the most anticipated gaming system this year. A poll created by Amazon that asked consumers to vote on which console they were most likely to buy was closed early due to 95% of voters choosing the Playstation 4 over the Xbox One (Usher, 2013).

The popularity of the Playstation 4 has sent Microsoft scrambling to recover its user base, many of whom have sworn to switch over to Playstation 4 because of the information Microsoft has revealed and the much cheaper cost (the Playstation 4 being at least one hundred dollars cheaper). Additionally, Sony has announced the Playstation 4 would be released globally, whereas Microsoft has narrowed the release of the Xbox One to fourteen “first world” countries.

Both the Playstation 4 and Xbox One are to be released in November. The content of Playstation’s website reflects this by advertising not only the Playstation 4 but recently released games, video games that will soon be released, and additional features that the user can access with a Playstation 3 and, in the future, with a Playstation 4. The content on the three regional websites that are the focus of this analysis are image-heavy and feature little text, save for on a few of the images on the splash page. This makes the website simple to use for all audiences, no matter what their gaming skill may lie.

The variety of options that Playstation offers its users requires Playstation’s websites to reach a wide audience, from hardcore gamers interested in the newest releases to casual gamers interested in just one game. An additional new audience has emerged in recent years: parents and families who wish to find something the whole household can enjoy.

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Analysis The three areas were chosen for specific reasons: the American and Middle Eastern sites due to the censorship laws in the respective areas, and the Hong Kong location because this is the first area that is provided with new updates to the system and games.

United States The United States is known for its lax censorship laws and the prominence of violence on their screens; this is often reflected in the type of video games that Americans consume. Playstation’s website, however, does not reflect this. Though games are advertised the ratings are not displayed, nor is a summary of the game or any quotes made by a third party. Only images are displayed.

The Playstation 4 is the first image the user sees when he or she enters the site. This is unsurprising considering that the Playstation 4 is released in a month. Of the five images advertised on the scrolling marquee, this first image is the only mention of the Playstation 4 on the splash page. The other four images consist of advertisements for two newly released -- and widely anticipated -- games, one charity organization, and a promotional opportunity for a “movie night.” All of the games advertised on this splash page are multiplayer; that, combined with the “movie night” promotion, create an implication that the Playstation is about community and playing with others rather than individuals playing alone.

These four images, in addition to the rest of the splash page, are fixed to fit the user’s browser.

As seen in Figure 1, the splash page has a blue background. This splash page is the only part of the front page with a different black ground. Additionally the splash page is the only part where the navigation bar has text. Other portions of the front page have the navigation bar displaying the icons only.

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Figure 1. The screenshot shows the splash page. The splash page is fixed to fit the user’s screen. Notice the navigation bar above and how the text is displayed, as this changes when the user scrolls further down.

Figure 2. The rest of the main page consists mainly of images. What text does exist either serves as the title of the “section” or is placed on the images themselves. The navigation bar shows only icons now.

On both of these images we can see that the feedback button is a permanent fixture. Overall the American site promotes the idea of community and advertises activities that can be enjoyed by the whole family.

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Middle East The design alone for the Middle Eastern site differs greatly from the American site. The navigation bar does not follow the user as they scroll but remains at the top of the page. The splash page is not fixed to fit the user’s screen but rather stretches to the rest of the main page.

Though these are hardly anything that takes away from the online experience, the difference is worth noting. Even the color scheme is different, with the entire site having a blue background rather than the blue splash page, white main page that the American has.

The content, however, remains largely the same. One noticeable difference is the lack of Grand Theft Auto V being advertised, and in its place a card game that is presumptively popular in the Middle East. Given the sexual content and excessive violence these games are known for, this is unsurprising. The advertisement for the card game features two Muslim man playing with a white man, making the game and website more personalized for Middle Eastern users. This advertisement and one other on the splash page feature the only Arabic text on the website. The rest is written in English.

The decision to use English as the dominant language on the website is a rather curious one, as it may serve to alienate some users. Though many of the games released in the Middle East will not have a dubbed version, one would think that Sony would have their Middle Eastern website’s be predominantly Arabic rather than the other way around.

Figure 3. This advertisement is one of two instances where Arabic is used on the main page. In both instances, Arabic is found only on the splash page.

Beyond: Two Souls is the only game that is advertised on both the American and Middle Eastern site. Otherwise the website advertises games that have already been released to American

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audience such as Far Cry 3, which looks like the game that the Middle Eastern site is trying to push the most, and Infamous: Second Son. Cultural differences do come into play regarding the sports games advertised; NBA2K14 is notably absent and, in its place, is Fifa 14 and a racing game.

Figure 4. The two games advertised are fixed and take up the majority of the main page. This is the second time these games are advertised.

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Hong Kong Design-wise, the Hong Kong website seems to have the most going on visually. The background image is from Beyond: Two Souls, the newest released Playstation 3 game. A scrolling marquee advertises a MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game), a soccer game, Grand Theft Auto V, Beyond: Two Souls, a chance to win a Playstation 4, information about the Playstation 4, a subscription to Playstation+, and, surprisingly, a Halloween sale. Not only does this splash page advertise more products but the products advertised are predominantly singleplayer games or information about new sales. Beyond this splash page, little else is advertised.

Figure 5. The Hong Kong website has a more visual background, advertising the newly released Beyond: Two Souls. The marquee arrows are hidden unless the user hovers over the advertisement. Beneath the Google Plus button is the barely visible “show all” option.

A navigation bar at the top mimics the one found on the American website, though this navigation bar does not scroll; presumably this is because the Hong Kong website does not have much to it beyond the splash page. An option to “show all” is available though it blends in with the background; this background, though a graphic rather than a solid color, keeps with the Playstation colors of blue, black, and white.

Again the decision to use English rather than a more native language for the desired audience is chosen. Though dubbed versions of the games are more expected in this region of the world than the Middle East, using the dominant language of the area would reach a wider audience more easily.

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Compare and Contrast Site Similarities For the three analyzed websites, the most obvious similarity is the color scheme. The use of blue is a reoccurring theme and, to a lesser degree, black, grey, and white; the usage of these colors differ depending on what website is looked at. Overall the layouts for these websites are the same, moving downward in a linear fashion rather than blocking images together as other websites do. Predictably all websites advertise games and much overlap occurs among the three.

All three websites are written in English. This may create a more global community that lacks the barriers that different languages create, or it may simply have English as the dominant language because English is so widely spoken.

Site Differences The content differs; while all websites advertise games, Beyond: Two Souls is the one game that shows up on all three websites; elsewise games will overlap on only two websites rather than all three. The layouts, though similarly organized, differ in backgrounds and options for how to view the site: the navigation bar, for example, is fixed on the American website and scrolls with the user, whereas the navigation bar on the other two websites remain at the top and can only be seen if the user scrolls back to the splash page.

The usage of English is understandable for some parts of the website but may alienate Middle Eastern users more than Hong Kong users. This alienation may cause a loss in revenue for Sony; the games advertised, however, are either geared to Middle Eastern users specifically or feature games with a person of color as the protagonist. The Middle Eastern site is the only website to have this type of catering.

Conclusion When it comes to content, the American website greatly surpasses the other sites. Visually, however, the Hong Kong one is more aesthetically gripping. All of these sites cater to an English speaking audience rather than to the regional user-base of the website. Without the statistics, however, discussing the effect of this decision is hard to say; given that the language is English, the decision must not have cost Sony any loss in revenue. The content of the website differ; the American website advertises mainly multiplayer games and options of apps that the whole family can enjoy, whereas the Hong Kong and Middle Eastern sites are more aimed towards single player games and solitary activities.

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Bibliography Noble, M. (n.d.). 5 Biggest Game Console Battles | PCWorld. PCWorld - News, tips and reviews from the experts on PCs, Windows, and more. Retrieved October 22, 2013, from http://www.pcworld.com/article/171127/5_biggest_game_console_battles.html PLAYSTATION®2 BREAKS RECORD AS THE FASTEST COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT PLATFORM TO REACH CUMULATIVE SHIPMENT OF 100 MILLION UNITS. (2005, November 5). Sony Computer Entertainment. Retrieved October 18, 2013, from www.scei.co.jp/corporate/release/pdf/051130e.pdf Usher, W. (n.d.). PS4 Grabs 95% Of Consumer Votes After Amazon Ends Poll Early.

CinemaBlend.com: Entertainment news and opinions you can trust. Retrieved October 22, 2013, from http://www.cinemablend.com/games/PS4-Grabs-95-Consumer-VotesAmazon-Ends-Poll-Early-56766.html