Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects
Department
Sociology
Additional Departmental Affiliation
Communication
Document Type
Thesis
Abstract
Video games are a major, viable source of entertainment for all age groups and offer practical application to everyday life; however, they are mostly viewed in terms of sales and viral popularity. They often go unanalyzed in terms of narrative, real-life implications, reach, and impact. In order to understand different audiences and achieve greater public reach, the game must be thought about in terms of its sociological meaning, public relations and marketing messages, and the market segmentation of domestic versus international consumers. Using one of the more unique games to come out of the last two decades as an example, the BioShock video game trilogy series in particular offers a plethora of rich content in terms of social change and inequality. For this CE/T, I will examine the trilogy’s content from a sociological perspective in terms of narrative dialogue on stratification, classism, and hypernationalism; from a public relations and marketing perspective in terms of its promotion, social media, and public outreach; and its international release efforts. Based on my secondary research, I will create my own hypothetical video game concept with a sociological narrative, generate public relations and marketing efforts for this game, and construct a release plan and media kit focusing on domestic and international markets.
Advisor(s) or Committee Chair
Dr. Patricia Todd, Dr. Anne Onyekwuluje, Dr. Lisa Duffin
Disciplines
Marketing | Public Relations and Advertising | Sociology
Recommended Citation
Johnson, Bethany, "Video Game Sociology and Public Relations/Marketing Efforts: An Analysis and Application of Sociological Elements and Efficacy of Public Release in the Bioshock Series" (2019). Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects. Paper 827.
https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/stu_hon_theses/827