Experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Experience - Essay Example They are caught either by the nets specifically designed for their hunt or sometimes harmed by the nets used for normal fishing. â€Å"More than 58000 blue sharks were killed accidently when 32 fishing boats embarked on an excursion to capture squid in Japan in the late 1980’s† (Killing of sharks, n.d.). The very valuable shark fin soup is generated by extracting the fins of sharks when alive; and they are left to gradual death by dumping into water. The increasing demand for shark fin soup has led to the mounting level of shark hunt in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan. According to WildAid director Peter Knights, fishermen in all countries experience the decline of sharks in number and in size (Shark fin soup). Human-shark encounter has become one of the important subjects for several movies across the world. Unfortunately many of these films have depicted humans as shark preys. For instance, the Hollywood movie the â€Å"Deep Blue Sea† is a fulltime thriller ba sed on shark human encounter. Obviously, the films of such sorts have a negative impact on the human approach to sharks. Some of the books like â€Å"Shocking shark stories† which describe human encounters with sharks have well influence on intimidating people that eventually compel them to hate this species.

The Crucible Literary Essay Essay Example for Free

The Crucible Literary Essay Essay Abigail commits many sins and manipulates many people so she can prevent herself from getting in trouble. It all began when she committed adultery. According to the Old Testament, lust is one of the seven deadly sins. Abigail’s lust for John Proctor provokes her to commit adultery with John who is married to Elizabeth. Even though John Proctor isn’t free of blame, Abigail has more responsibility for the affair. After John Proctor realizes that it is wrong to have an affair behind Elizabeth’s back, he tells Abigail â€Å" Abby, I may think of you softly from time to time. But I will cut off my hand before I’ll ever reach for you again. Wipe it out of mind. We never touched. † (Miller, 23) But Abigail says: â€Å"You loved me John Proctor, and whatever sin it is, you loved me yet. † (Miller, 24) She tries to convince John to be with her even though she knows it is wrong. She thinks John will be with her if his wife is gone and tries to curse Elizabeth when she is in the woods dancing with Tituba and other girls. Then she tries to manipulate other girls to help her get what she wants. Abigail is very manipulative. After being accused of witchcraft when she was caught dancing in the forest, she manipulates other girls to do as she says to avoid getting in trouble. At the beginning of Act I, Abigail says to the girls: Now look you. All of you. We danced. And Tituba conjured Ruth Putnam’s dead sisters. And mark this. Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you. Miller, 20) This shows that Abigail is threatening the girls to listen to her and do as she says so Abigail can stay out of trouble. When Abigail knows that she is able to easily influence the girls, she abuses her power by making false accusations. Abigail starts to make false accusations when she is at Parris’s house after seeing Tituba confess and get saved by God. She knows confessing and accusing other people of associating with the Devil wi ll allow her to be saved too. At the end of Act I, Abigail says:† I saw Goody Hawkins with the Devil†¦ I saw Goody Booth with the Devil! (Miller, 48) Afterwards, Abigail starts to gain more power because people believe she has the ability to see who has associated with the Devil. Abigail abuses her power to accuse even more innocent people. One day, Elizabeth Proctor finds out that Abigail accused her of practicing witchcraft. She says to John: â€Å"It is her dearest hope, John, I know it. There be a thousand names; why does she call mine? She thinks to take my place, John. † (Miller, 61) This shows that Abigail is accusing Elizabeth because she is spiteful that Elizabeth is married to John. Many other people are accused and eventually, those who are accused but do not confess are put to death. The power and influence Abigail has over the people of Salem has resulted in the death and misery of many people. Her false accusations made the court suspicious of the accused victims. Those who didn’t want to lie to the judges, such as John Proctor and Martha Corey are hung. However, â€Å"twenty years after the last execution, the government awarded compensation to the victims still living, and to the families of the dead. This means all of the people who were executed or convicted were punished wrongfully. Abigail is indirectly responsible for the death of many citizens of Salem. If she hasn’t practiced witchcraft or accused people, the witchcraft hysteria in Salem wouldn’t have started. Abigail is a hypocrite who falsely accuses others of practicing witchcraft while committing countless sins herself. Her influence over the people of Salem has caused the death of many innocent people. Ultimately, she is the villain of â€Å"The Crucible†.

Marketing Sustainable Operation and Development

Marketing Sustainable Operation and Development Zhang Xia Field of Research This research will be carried out in the field of marketing, economic, and theme restaurant. Topic of Research The topic of this proposed dissertation is titled: The Marketing Sustainable Operation and development of Theme Restaurant in China Brief Literature Review of the Topic Along with the increasing requirements of customers on dining experiences, theme restaurants have become a trend in F B service industry. Numerous entrepreneurs and investors are attracted by this new concept and want to adventure in this business. It seems that a theme restaurant business will have a bright future. However, with only a short term of popularity at the initial stage, most of them had to close down. Only a few of the theme restaurant manage to sustain in the market, developed their own customer groups and grow rapidly. Based on the previous studies, this thesis attempts to carve out a way of stable operation and sustainable development for theme restaurants from the perspectives of marketing strategic, customer value and corporate life cycle through comparison, illustration and analysis. (Ai, D, S, 1997) With rapid economic growth and high standard of living, food and beverage industry has develop tremendously. Some of the consumers expect to the environment and ambient when they consume the products. Current consumers are interested not only in buying products but also to have feeling enjoyment and fulfilling experiences while dining out. Customers prefer to have a unique and distinctive experience under a certain atmosphere that is different from common restaurant. When experience economy encounter restaurant, theme restaurant is born. However, theme restaurant sustainable development not really optimistic in the marketing. F B industry has been developing for so long but certain restaurant facing big challenge to capture the consumers and to sustain in the market. Compared with others, homogeneity is very serious in dining business. Theme restaurant makes customer active participator instead of passive recipient comes with the tide of fashion. Theme restaurant can be simply defined as a dining place marked with one (usually) or more themes based on which all the structure, decoration, design, product, service etc. are created to produce a particular cultural atmosphere that can be recognized and felt by customers. There are three main idea from researchers of theme restaurants in China. First, the main ideal, this view consider theme as a carrier of operation which is mainly used to attract customers. However the food is still the main concern in the restaurant. Second, the core ideal, the function of theme is created by the need and want of the consumers. They affirm the primary status of theme based on which all the other elements in restaurant will be defined, such as dish, menu, space design, decoration, color, music, service, marketing strategy and so on. Third is the experience that the customers will feel while dining in the restaurant which the ambiance is different from other restaurant. Emphasizes the unique and memorable emotional experience and psychological experience customers can get from different theme environments, service and cooked food. Researchers turn their sights from suppliers to receivers, from restaurateurs to consumers. (Fu, Y, 2012) Theme restaurants are established on niche market. Each theme restaurant is its own given theme, a specific culture, and a unique style, exclusiveness is more or less inevitable. In addition, the average expenditure is relatively high. As a consequence, the customer source of theme restaurant is much more limited than traditional ones. For example, enthusiasm and curiosity of music lovers are easily sparked by Hard Rock Cafe, but when facing a restaurant with football or sea world theme, they may show more calmness and rationality. What they can obtain is not only delicious food and considerate service, but also a taste of exclusiveness and privilege, a perception of emotional and psychology identification. In 1970, Alvin Toffler came up with experience economy in his book Future Shock. From his view, after product economy and service economy, human being will enter an Experience Economy Era. Then Pine, J, B. and Gilmore, J, H confirmed this prediction and further developed Alvin’s idea by publishing their work Experience Economy in 1999. They described an experience occurs when a company intentionally uses services as the stage, and goods as props, to engage individual customers in a way that creates a memorable event. Commodities are fungible, goods tangible, services intangible, and experiences memorable. In answer to consumers’ desire for experience, more and more businesses engage on considering how to design experiences and promote them. The famous Disney Park should be one of the most typical and successful cases of experience economy. Experience is identified as the fourth economic offering that is distinct from service as service is from goods. Like goods and services, experiences have their own distinct qualities and characteristics and present their own design challenges. Five key experiences design principles are summarized by Pine, J, B. and Gilmore, J, H: Theme the like-to-deliver experience Harmonize impression Offer positive cues and eliminate negative cues Mix in memorabilia Engage all five senses Experience is essentially a form of behavior where feeling plays an important part. The state of emotions always affects on how an individual deals with surrounding environment. Experiences are not static like products but variable. Experiences occur in a process where interactions take place under a certain setting both physical and virtue between the individuals. Boswijk, A, Thijssen, T, and Peele, E (2007) describe characteristics from the perspective of individual in A New Perspective on the Experience Economy. Every meaningful experience should satisfy all of these characteristics: There is a heightened concentration and focus, involving all one‘s senses. One‘s sense of time is altered. One is touched emotionally. The process is unique for the individual and has intrinsic value. There is contact with the raw stuff the real thing. One does something and undergoes something. There is a sense of playfulness One has a feeling of having control of the situation. There is a balance between the challenge and one‘s own capacities. There is a clear goal. Objectives of the research Theme restaurant concept meet the current consumer demand. When compared with other normal restaurant, theme restaurant has it own advantages and disadvantage. Theme restaurant is a result of catering reform, a symbol of economy developing into a certain advanced stage. In the development stage in the market, theme restaurant markets in most major western countries has enter the maturity stage. Theme restaurant had not appeared in domestic market until late 20th century. Apart from few amount, small scale, and limited types, kinds of stubborn defects and unceasing problems are also annoying. Due to many constraint in sustaining theme restaurant such as limited kind of food, not so attractive themes and increasing of overhead , business restaurant owner find it very difficult to manage. Many restaurant close down within a year, part of them survive, and only a few of them make a hit. What makes all the differences? (Tong, J, Q, 2008) From economics rules we should understand every product has its life cycle in market. Ron Paul concludes that the life cycle of theme restaurant is even shorter than expected. Does it mean theme restaurant has high risk to be well operated? Of course not, every industry has its risk, just at different levels. Business enjoying low risk cannot be guaranteed safe and profitable all the time. Conversely, business facing high risk also can succeed only if equipped with scientific management and adaptive strategies. The truth is that it is impossible to allow life cycle of one theme restaurant extend infinitely. But it is achievable to make full use of resources, to optimize structure, rationalize operation, and keep vitality to the maximum. Methodology of Research Based on the topic, which is the marketing sustainable operation and development of theme restaurant. I will choose qualitative methodology for the research. Qualitative methodology explanatory paradigm which supports the view that there are many truths and multiple realities. This type of paradigm focuses the integral perspective of the person and environment which is more coincident with the nursing discipline (Weaver and Olson, 2006). Additionally, the explanatory paradigm is associated more with methodological approaches that provide an opportunity for the voice, concerns and practices of research participants to be heard (Cole, 2006; Weaver and Olson). Cole further argues that qualitative researchers are â€Å"more concerned about uncovering knowledge about how people feel and think in the circumstances in which they find themselves, than making judgments about whether those thoughts and feelings are valid†. Since, Theme restaurant sustainable operation development have d ifferent method, depends the specific theme and customer. Literature Research Method By collecting and reading pertinent literature, data and material to develop a comprehensive understanding about related theories and empirical studies including theme restaurant’s definition, characteristics, defects, history, status quot, future prospects and so on. To summarize its strengths and weaknesses, achievements and challenges. To clear the relationship between theme restaurant and experience economy, culture, and consumer psychology. Case Analysis Method By analyzing and interpreting typical successful cases and fail lessons in recent years to find out influencing factors on operating state of theme restaurants in domestic catering market. To extract efficacious and practical suggestions or cautions. To come up with strategies assisting restaurateurs achieve sustainable development and extending life cycle. Interview Survey Method Interview survey is the most important part of this research. Investigating several representative theme restaurants in China to get first-hand data. To provide supplementary information, exam reliability and feasibility of proposed recommendations. I will design the interview questions, according to the theory. That are experiences design principles are summarized by Pine, J, B. and Gilmore, J, H, and Boswijk, A, Thijssen, T, and Peele, E, (2007) describe characteristics from the perspective of individual in A New Perspective on the Experience Economy. According to Creswell (2003; 2007) includes (a) the preparation for the interview, (b) the constructing effective research questions, and (c) the actual implementation of the interview. Preparation for interview: McNamara (2009) applies eight main points to the preparation stage of interviewing which includes the following ingredients: (1) choose a setting with little distraction; (2) explain the objectives of the interview; (3) address terms of confidentiality; (4) explain the format of the interview; (5) indicate how long the interview usually takes; (6) tell them how to get in touch with you later if they want to; (7) ask them if they have any questions before you both get started with the interview; and (8) dont count on your memory to recall their answers (Preparation for Interview section, para. Selecting participants: Creswell (2007) discusses the importance of selecting the appropriate candidates for interviews. In my research I will choose the theme restaurant owners to do interview. At same time, the owners of normal restaurant also important for my research. The research questions designing for the interview process is one of the most crucial elements to interview design. I desiring to conduct such an investigation should be careful that each of the questions will allow the examiner to dig deep into the experiences or knowledge of the participants in order to gain more data from the interviews. There are several recommendations for creating effective research questions for interviews which includes the following elements: Wording should be open-ended, respondents should be able to choose their own terms when answering questions. Questions should be as neutral as possible, avoid wording that might influence answers, e.g., evocative, judgmental wording. Questions should be asked one at a time. Questions should be worded clearly, this includes knowing any terms particular to the program or the respondents culture. And be careful asking why questions. (McNamara, 2009) As with other sections of interview design, some recommendations for the implementation stage of the interview process.It includes the following tips for interview implementation: occasionally verify the tape recorder is working. Ask one question at a time. Attempt to remain as neutral as possible, dont show strong emotional reactions to their responses. Encourage responses with occasional nods of the head, uh huhs, etc.. Be careful about the appearance when note taking (that is, if you jump to take a note, it may appear as if youre surprised or very pleased about an answer, which may influence answers to future questions). Provide transition between major topics, e.g., weve been talking about (some topic) and now Id like to move on to (another topic); Dont lose control of the interview (this can occur when respondents stray to another topic, take so long to answer a question that times begins to run out, or even begin asking questions to the interviewer) (Turner, D, W, 2010) Work Schedule Sample Checklist Month Refine topic with tutors 1, 2 Create a work schedule 2 Review the literature 3, 4, 5 Select analytical method 6 Draft proposal 7,8 Pilot test methodology 9 Schedule data collection, begin collection 10, 11, 12 Data entering into SPSS 13 Analyze and interpret the data 14 Update literature review 15 Write conclusions and implications 16 Submit the research draft to tutors 17 Schedule, prepare for and take oral exam 18 Bibliography Ai, D, S(1997), The Enterprise Life Cycle [M]. China Social Sciences Press Boswijk, A, Thijssen, T, and Peele, E, (2007), A New Prospective on Experience Economy, Pearson Education. Creswell, J. W. (2003). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Creswell, J. W. (2007). Qualitative inquiry research design: Choosing among five approaches, (2nd ed.), Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Fu, Y. (2012),Theme Restaurants the Problems Existing in the Management and Development Strategy in China , Business Culture Journal, pp04. Hsieh, T, F, (2009), Interactive Quality Control of Service Encounters in Theme Restaurants, Taiwan, The Journal of Global Business Issues – Volume 3 Issue 2 McNamara, C. (2009). General guidelines for conducting interviews. Retrieved January 11, 2010, from http://managementhelp.org/evaluatn/intrview.htm Pine, J, B. and Gilmore, J, H. (1999), The Experience Economy, Harvard Business School Press, Boston Shi, L, Y, Du, X, J Yang, J, J, (2012), Innovative theme restaurant business analysis and development model to explore the advantages and disadvantages , Journal of Business in China (12) Tong, J, Q, (2008). Themed Restaurant Management Situation and Development Trend of the China , Modernization Journal, pp22 Turner, D, W, (2010), Qualitative Interview Design: A Practical Guide for Novice Investigators, The Qualitative Report Volume 15 Number, Florida USA Weaver, K., Olson, J. K. (2006). Understanding paradigms used for nursing research. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 53(4), 459-469 Weiss, R, Feinstein, A, H, Dalbor, M, (2004), Customer Satisfaction of Theme Restaurant Attributes and Their Influence on Return Intent, Journal of Foodservice Business Research, Vol. 7(1), The Haworth Press, Inc. Zhang Xia

Genetically Engineered Organisms Essay -- seeds, monsanto, food

Genetically Engineered Organisms Without vigorous experimentation or public consent genetically modified foods have been introduced into our daily kitchens without much notice from the general public. Widespread use of genetically modified (GM) seeds began in 1996 and since then has spread to cover 167 million acres around the world; two-thirds of that quantity being in America (Figure 1). Figure 1 Monsanto is the main developer of these seeds and controls over 90% of the American market, alerting a possible crisis in the democratic system. (Cummins and lilliston, 2004). Alarmingly, some of the largest biotechnological companies have also introduced toxic pesticides into our environments, including but not limiting to: Agent Orange, DDT, and PCB’s, causing much worry worldwide. This report will cover the basics of genetic engineering, genetically engineered seeds, possible effects on human health and affects on the environment. The four most common genetically engineered (GE) crops grown on a commercial scale are soybeans, corn, cotton and canola. Among these, two main traits have been added: herbicide resistance (75 percent of all GE crops), pesticide resistance (17 percent) or both (8 percent), (Genetically Engineered Food, Page xiv). The first steps in genetically modifying organisms is identifying the trait you want the plant to have, and finding another organism that has it. Then, the gene can be inserted into the plant using a 22-caliber charge that fires a metal particle coated with DNA, called a â€Å"gene gun†. Another method of inserting the desired gene includes heating the seed and placing it under stress causing it to be susceptible to a bug called Agrobacterium tumefaciens. This bacterium tricks the organism into b... ...wever possibly inaccurate, allow us to speculate on new technologies which could help feed the growing population of humans on earth. Works Cited Wolfenbarger, Laressa L., and Paul R. Phifer. "The ecological risks and benefits of genetically engineered plants." Science 290.5499 (2000): 2088-2093. Jesse, Laura C. Hansen, and John J. Obrycki. "Field deposition of Bt transgenic corn pollen: lethal effects on the monarch butterfly." Oecologia 125.2 (2000): 241-248. Anal Bioanal Chem. Oct 2008; 392(3): 333–340. Seralini GE, Cellier D, Spiroux de Vendomois J. New analysis of a rat feeding study with a genetically modified maize reveals signs of hepatorenal toxicity. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol. 2007;52:596–602. The Ecological Risks and Benefits of Genetically Engineered Plants L. L. Wolfenbarger, et al. Science 290, 2088 (2000); DOI: 10.1126/science.290.5499.2088

Speech Recognition Software :: Essays Papers

Speech Recognition Software Throughout the past 100 years, we have had visions of what the future would be like thanks to the creative minds behind movies and television shows. Many predictions as to what the future would be like have come true, while others are still far off. One element that can be seen in almost all futuristic fictional forms is that of speech recognition. Right now, developers are hard at work trying to make speech recognition an aspect of every day life. It is far from this final destination, but that’s not to say it isn’t a technology that is being used today. Several elementary products are available now that utilize speech recognition software technology. Speech recognition is a revolutionary technology in software development that will change the way we interact with our digital world. Speech recognition has been created and researched for many valid reasons. The main purpose of the technology is a way for humans to interact with computers and other digital devices by simply speaking. They can not only tell the computer commands, but they can speak normally while the computer converts the speech into text. This improves input speed to the computer because a person can speak much faster than they can use their hands typing or controlling the mouse. This is also an advancement that helps people with disabilities (Connections). People with arthritis, weak bones, or other medial conditions may have a hard time typing and using the mouse. Blind people can’t even see computer screens to check for spelling mistakes or to see where the mouse cursor is on the screen. Speech recognition can help these disabled people interact with computers in ways that were previously impossible. The software itself does most of the work, and the user essentially only has to speak at the speed the program can operate. There are a few different types of voice recognition software, all programmed to interpret a vocal signal inputted by the user. In order to use the software, the user must use a headset or some other microphone-type device that allows for vocal input. The technology works as follows: the analog signal from the voice cones in through the microphone, that signal is converted to digital, and the voice software interprets the digital signal.

Product and Geographic Departmentalization Essay

est for a company managers are faced with several decisions/dilemmas. The following should be considered: †¢The products they produce †¢Who their customers are †¢Where their customers are located Once the above considerations has been taken, a manager can then look at the advantages and disadvantages to the different types of departmentalization. Two types of departmentalization are product and geography. Product departmentalization is when a company is organized by specific products. Take a look at 3M Corp; they make both consumer and industrial products. All of 3M Crops products operate under different divisions (Griffin, 2013). For example their Post-it and Scotch Brite brands could be located in the same building, but do not have the same managers or staffing resources. Basically the mangers and staff for both brands are coexisting with no business interaction. This type of departmentalization can also apply to retail stores. Most retail stores are broken into different departments. The advantages of product departmentalization are: †¢Allows people to specialize in one area of expertise †¢Makes it easier to assess performance †¢Makes decision making faster The disadvantages of product departmentalization are: †¢Duplication of functions †¢Coordination across different product departments †¢Limited view of organizational goals The above advantages and disadvantages taken from (Zararain, 2012) Geographic departmentalization is creating departments in the geographic areas they service. Coca-Cola is a company that operates using geographic departmentalization. They have 6 operating regions: Eurasia & Africa, Europe, Latin America, North America, Pacific and Bottling Investments – in addition to Corporate (Unknown, 2011). The advantages of product departmentalization are: †¢Effective and efficient management. †¢Reduces costs by locating organizational resources closer to customers The disadvantages of product departmentalization are: †¢Duplicates functions †¢Functions are dispersed, therefore control cannot be exercised effectively †¢Isolates organizational areas from one another. The above advantages and disadvantages taken from (Zararain, 2012) I feel managers are challenged to try and decide what departmentalization type will best suit their company’s needs. Just because one fits today, that may not be the case in years to come. A manager may need to revisit the different departmentalization types and pick a new one that best fits the company’s structural needs. Note: Only two of the five-departmentalization types have been discussed. For more information on the other types please refer to page 219, chapter 7 in Business.

Global video games market Essay

?Introduction The global video game market, or the so called interactive entertainment industry, is the economic sector which focuses on the development, marketing and sales of video games. The worldwide video game sector includes video game console hardware and software, online, mobile and PC games and has reached $ 93 billion in 2013, up from $ 79 billion in 2012. Currently, the video game industry is a massive source of development; profit still stimulates technological advancement which is then applied by other industry sectors. Though not the main driving force, casual and independent games proceed having a considerable incidence on the industry, with sales of some of these titles such as Minecraft exceeding millions of dollars and over a million users. While outgrowth for consoles and PCs is not inert, development of mobile games is still active. As of 2014, newer game companies arose that vertically incorporate live procedures and publishing, rather than relying on a traditional publishers, and some of these have increased to significant size. The computer and video game industries have expand from small-scale markets to mainstream. They took in about US$9. 5 billion in the US in 2007, 11. 7 billion in 2008, and 25. 1 billion in 2010 (ESA annual report). The video game industry settled in 1971 with the launching of the arcade game. The insertion of video games to the domestic market with the release of the early video game console was effective the following year. Nevertheless, the video game crash of 1977 was the result of a one game domination and a market’s saturation, sparking a renascence for the video game industry and paving the way for the golden age of video arcade games. The game’s success influenced arcade machines to become widespread in mainstream locations such as shopping malls, traditional storefronts, restaurants and convenience stores†¦ By the end of the 1970s, the personal computer game industry initiated designing from a hobby culture, when personal computers just set out to become broadly available. The industry augmented along with the headway of computing technology, and often drove that progress. Modern personal computers owe many advancements and innovations to the game industry: sound cards, graphics cards and 3D graphic accelerators, faster CPUs, and dedicated co-processors like Physx are a few of the more notable improvements. Sound cards were promoted in addition of digital-quality sound to games and only later mended for music and audiophiles. Since the beginning, graphics cards were displayed for more colors. Subsequently, graphics cards were valorized for graphical user interfaces (GUIs) and games; GUIs drove the necessity for high resolution, and games led off using 3D acceleration. They also are one of the only pieces of hardware to enable numerous hookups (such as with SLI or CrossFire graphics cards). CD- and DVD-ROMs were instituted overall for mass distribution of media, notwithstanding the capability to store more data on inexpensive readily distributable media was instrumental in driving their ever higher speeds. Modern games are amongst the most demanding of applications on PC resources. Many of the high-powered personal computers are purchased by gamers who seek the rapidest equipment to power the latest cutting-edge games. Thereby, the inertness of CPU improvement is due partially to this industry whose games require faster processors than business or personal applications. The first part of the decade acknowledged the lift of home computing, and home-made games, particularly in Europe and Asia. This time also saw the uprise of video game journalism, which was later expanded to include covermounted cassettes and CDs. In 1983, the North American sector crashed due to the output of too many gravely marketed games (quantity over quality), resulting in the drop of the North American industry. The industry would ultimately be regenerated by the launching of the Nintendo Entertainment System, which resulted in the home console market being overpowered by Japanese companies whereas a professional European computer game industry also began materializing with great sized companies. Segmentation The global video games’ market can be divided into several parts according to several criteria. Technical factor-different platforms: Table 1: global video game sector revenue (Data source: GLOBAL GAMES INVESTMENT REVIEW 2014). The platform refers to the specific combination of electronic components or computer hardware which, in conjunction with software, allows a video game to operate. 1 Based on this technical factor, we can separate the whole market specifically. The global video game has 4 types. It follows console games, online games, mobile games and PC games. Currently, the console games is prominent in the market because of higher revenue. In every subset market, the competition is very fierce among international and domestic corporations. Geographic factor: Table 2 : regional video game market revenue. (Data source: GLOBAL GAMES INVESTMENT REVIEW 2014) Regarding the geographic location, generally in business and administration, lots of global corporations tend to segment the market into four parts: North America, EMEA, Asia Pacific and Latin America. From the view of market revenue, we can see that video game market in Asia Pacific has increased significantly. It is also a huge potential market to develop. World video game market Key Success Factors The video game industry is balanced with an important growth, but many sectors have already matured. Video games are a vast and expanding market. Our goal is to highlight the major sectors, which are interesting for reasons including significant technological evolution, high growth rates, new products’ development. The core hardware and game software markets are quite mature. The best markets for investment are those that supply valuable goods and services to game developers, publishers and gamers themselves. These are the areas that will build out the industry as it undergoes significant growth. Key success factors of Console games: Brand: It’s a tautology, but the brand is important. 10 years ago, before the advent of the Playstation, we can say that Nintendo and SEGA were synonyms of â€Å"console videogames†. When Sony decided to â€Å"attack† the console market, they pushed on marketing, on brand valorization, on advertising. They made a lot of investments to become popular in this market too. And they were successful. The same did Microsoft 5 years ago, with their first XBOX. Nintendo strategy was different and the result was that both the XBOX and the Playstation brand became really popular. Nintendo lost some of their popularity, but thanks to the portable console segment they were able to â€Å"survive†. Now, these 3 competitors can count on greats and strong brands, which make really unlikely the arrival of new comers. Costs: Costs are critical. Even if we are talking about big companies, this aspect should be taken into consideration not to transform a well-done strategy into a failure. Nintendo kept the productive costs low, so to make revenues from each console sold and at the same time being aggressive on the price. Microsoft did a long-time strategy. Their console cost more, but they took advantage from being the first in the market. Unfortunately their hardware is not reliable, obliging the company to spend a lot in free assistance. Sony did the worst: they produced an expensive console, with expensive components. Exclusive games: Each company has its own game and it makes difference to the other. For example, Nintendo can benefit from their own games (maybe the best in terms of gameplay). Plus a set of exclusives like the RE: Umbrella Chronicles and Monster Hunter 3 by Capcom, Microsoft worked hard on exclusives. Apart from halo3 or Mass Effect or Bioshock, Microsoft was able to steal a lot of titles to Sony: Devil May Cry 3, Ace Combat 6. Sony is losing advantage, and this is mainly due to Microsoft efforts. But the game is not over: Little Big planet, Gran Turismo 5, Metal Gear Solid 4 are titles that no real gamer should miss. Innovation: There are a lot of ways to innovate: game play, graphic, audio, online†¦ Microsoft and Sony focused on the last 3 aspects, while Nintendo made the game play the basis of their strategy (and the result was Wii and its incredible Wii remote). Online features: No console can be considered successful without an online platform. Even Nintendo had to admit it. Microsoft has the lead, with its Xbox live service. Sony is trying to reach Microsoft, with a free service (Playstation Network) but still to be improved. Nintendo is only tasting the market, with a light. Price: Value for money or Premium price? Nintendo chose to sell hardware less powerful, but at low cost. Sony did the opposite. And Microsoft positioned their product in the middle, thanks to the modularity of the Core and Pro versions of their console (†¦WI-FI only optional†¦). Technology: It’s clear: games must be more and more beautiful to see. However, with the Wii, Nintendo demonstrated that this is â€Å"only one key success factor†, not â€Å"the only one†. And everything depends on the market segment to be covered. For example, Sony and Microsoft focused on hardcore gamers. Timing: Timing is fundamental. Microsoft was the first this time, and they benefited from that. Imagine what could have happened if Sony had been able to be in the market during the same time, with a console more expensive, ok, but reliable. We can say that Microsoft were both good and lucky. There would be a lot to say about â€Å"timing†. Key success factors of mobile games : Compatibility: Playing a mobile game as an activity might meet the needs of a specific consumer group, including commuters with time to spare. Facilitating conditions: Payment options impact adoption, billing conditions and support options might impact on users’ willingness to adopt. Trialability: Mobile gaming has a level of â€Å"addictiveness†. Free trial might lead to addiction and subsequent adoption. Self-efficacy: Due to device limitations, a large group of potential â€Å"aged† gamers might not be able to play and also, technical serviced need to match the requirements need of different customer segments. Complexity: The ease of use of an entertainment application is of utmost importance as it is expected to be an enjoyable experience. In mobile game playing clear navigation influences response time and might have implications for the decision to play. Trust: Perceived fear of privacy invasion and/or lack of security might influence consumer choice. Relative advantage: The ubiquity and accessibility of mobile entertainment may satisfy the demand for a â€Å"killing time† and relaxing â€Å"fun† service. A technology based advantage is the offer of interactive multi-player games. Observability/ communicability: Refers to the ability to communicate with a peer group; to be observed playing which might be of social importance. Image: The personalized use of a mobile phone might lend its owner status-related features. Normative beliefs: Playing the same game as one? s friends might facilitate social acceptance; social pressures influence customer perceptions and decision making and facilitate building a critical mass. High-speed networks conjugated with the technological capabilities of smartphones (delivery of data). Key success factors of PC games: Sociable: The PC games enable to socialize with some friends for cybernetics with a combination of fun. Accessible: It is more common for people to have a pc at home that a console and almost everyone has at least one computer in their home. Low cost: Only need to buy the game to play, however, to play with console the cost increases because you have to buy the console and games separately. PC games make it so real that people feel they belong to play to that reality, for example, when playing car race people also feel that adrenaline you feel when driving a real car. Key success factors of online games: Ability to quickly adopt new technology: Being online can make any changes or updates directly Aggressive marketing/franchising: Now everyone remain constantly connected which is easier and faster to get to them to publicize products or services. Also, when you are playing you can go to receive more information or upgrade without having to resort to a place Accessible and cheaper: You can buy and purchase the game wherever you are, because you only need to be logged in and you don’t have to go to a specific place to buy the game and the machine. Safe time: Since you only need to be logged in, you save time to find a store where they sell and then go there to buy it. Massively Multiplayer Onlie Games (MMOGs) allow players to participate in all worlds’ areas. The derivatives’ sales (â€Å"advergaming†) represent a vast part of the market through advertising that encourage primary gamers to buy products related to the reality of each game. Geographic factors: Key success factor of video game in Asia: IP, part one: Major licenses may be easier but be aware of the localization and culturalization challenges. Major brands do carry significant weight in Asia, but not all western brands will succeed there. IP, part two: Original IP needs great design and technology. Using proven engines and middleware would be an option worth considering. Experienced development teams: If you’re not from Asia, then allow Asian companies and players to be involved in early testing. Listen and understand their comments. Funding: You must allow enough money for changes to the game later on. Incorporating Asian MMO traits will make the game ultimately better for the western markets too. Great Asian contacts: Look for contacts across multiple markets. There are different elements and requirements to be learned from each major market. Partnering in Asia: Find companies you can have shared goals with and trust. The ongoing support of the market partner for beta testing, updates and specific changes is absolutely critical. Support and listen to them. Openness and local help: The ability to communicate across different languages and cultures is critical. Unlike single player games, you do not walk away from them after launch. The development and support needs to be market focused and ongoing. Time: Unfortunately funding can direct launch timing. As with most games there is no second chance. Developers use various technologies to ensure faster and cheaper conception of online games: there is real opportunity to explore new kinds and methods of gameplay. Key success factor of video game in Latin America and North America: In the mid 1990s when Latin America privatized its telecommunications industry and saw the return of important flows of investment into the region for that specific area (Inter-American Development Bank Annual Report 2000). Significant amounts of capital were allocated to telecommunications, media and computing sectors, especially in Brazil, Mexico, Costa Rica, Venezuela and Argentina. Latin America is today one of the fastest growing regions in the world, even though is still a marginal market in comparison to the US, Europe and Asia. Latin America is interested in developing manufacturing lines and infrastructures to satisfy the local market, since US high-tech companies are interested in both the current potential of the local market and the future use of Latin America as a platform to export to the US and Canada. Latin America not only lies with the market itself, but also with the unrealistic perception of the region as a possible platform for exporting and improving global sales. Latin America could respond more to its potential as a low-cost producer and exporter rather than to its potential as a consumer-market like North America. Latin America has important social disparities of income from one social stratum to the other, â€Å"the patterns of consumption are very similar to the developed world. † (Euromonitor International, 1999) Latin America has knowledge, technology and a manufacturing capability to develop hardware. The model of the Maquila has been operating since the 1970s and takes advantage of the potential of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which not only facilitates access to cheap labour, but also provides exporting facilities based on a substantial reduction of tariffs to the US market. Evidence suggests that companies such as Microsoft and Nintendo are investing in Mexico, Costa Rica and Brazil in order to develop low-cost production centers capable of exporting to the US market using the opportunities that NAFTA and other inter-regional agreements provide. Key success factors of video games in EMEA: The production costs of video games are growing, as is increasingly required greater technical and visual quality. Despite this, note that the cost of sequel is significantly lower due to the reuse of components and technological developments of the previous versions. Merger of companies: For example, buying video game developer Activision by the French company Vivendi to merge with its subsidiary video game Blizzard, becoming the largest game development company in the world or the merger of Parmenion and solutions group. Low cost: Its production is technically simpler and therefore cheaper, also can be produced in large quantities allowing entry into this sector to smaller companies. Have casual games that are simple, both in game play and developing and easy to learn. Launched innovative product, targeting new demographics (adult female audience†¦). French Foreign Ministry created an internet portal called FRANCE GAME which aims to promote French videogame industry abroad. Competitive System Matrix Console games Mobile games PC games Online games Brand Compatibility Sociable Quickly adopt new technology Cost Facilitating conditions Accessible Aggressive marketing/franchising Exclusive games Trialability Low cost Accessible and cheaper Innovation Self-efficacy Real effects Safe time Online features Complexity Price Trust Technology Relative advantage Timing Observability/ Communicability Image Normative beliefs Competitive system analysis: †¢ Console games: – Relatively strong differentiation(Brand,Cost,Exclusive games,Innovation,Technology) – Strong advantage †¢ Mobile games: – Strong differentiation (Compatibility, Facilitating conditions,Complexity, Device advantage, Observability/ Communicability) – Relatively strong competitive advantage (As mobile devices continue to grow, mobile game category will show the biggest growth) †¢ PC games: – Relatively weak differentiation (sociable and accessible, technology) – Relatively weak competitive advantage (more common for people to have a PC than console at home) †¢ Online games: – Relatively strong differentiation (quickly adopt new technology and Aggressive marketing/franchising) – Relatively strong differentiation (â€Å"online revenues set to reach US$30bn in 2017, consumers are merely shifting from pay to own to pay to play†). Conclusion Nowadays, the video game industry has a considerable incidence on the economy through the sales of significant and complex systems and games. Over the next five years, video games will extend at a CAGR of 6. 5% to attain US$86. 9bn in 2017, up from US$63. 4bn in 2012. Consumers’ spending on console games will increase by a CAGR of 5% from US$24.9bn in 2012 to US$31. 2bn in 2017 as Sony’s PlayStation 4 and Microsoft’s rumored new Xbox console revive appeal in console gaming. That development will lead to North America surpassing Western Europe to regain in 2014 its number one position in console sales. â€Å"In many entertainment and media segments, China will overtake Japan in terms of size by 2017; in some cases, it has already. This is not the case in video gaming, however, because Japan will retain its position as the world’s second-largest market, at US$13. 7bn in 2017, behind the US at US$18. 2bn but ahead of China at US$11. 4bn. Although PC revenues remain stagnant, consumers are not abandoning the platform. With online revenues set to reach US$30bn in 2017, consumers are merely shifting from pay to own to pay to play. Online spending will increase by an average of 8% per year over the next five years. By 2017, the online platform will have almost reached parity with consoles; and US$97 will be spent on online games for every US$100 spent on console games. Driven by strong mobile gaming and video game consoles and software sales, the market is forecast to reach $ 111 billion by 2015, it added. The research firm said mobile games are the fastest growing segment of the (gaming) market, with revenue set to nearly double between 2013 and 2015 from $ 13. 2 billion to $ 22 billion. As mobile devices (smartphones and tablets) continue to grow, mobile game category will show the biggest growth due to the entertainment value provided by games compared with other app categories. This growth is fuelled by healthy sales of premium mobile devices globally and consumers’ desire to play games on these multi-function devices that are capable of displaying increasingly sophisticated game content, he added. 2013 was an important year for the game industry as Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo are releasing their next generation video game consoles to a market that may be moving in another direction due to the popularity of mobile devices†(quotation, see the bibliography). Sony and Microsoft have released their game consoles in November 2013 and a repressed demand for them has caused a temporary reduction in console hardware sales during the last year. But, the augmentation will restart in 2014 and sales of existing console hardware are foreseen to increase from $ 15. 9 billion today to $ 22. 7 billion in 2015. Video game industry customs are comparable to those of other entertainment sectors (e. g. , the music recording industry), but the video game industry in particular has been charged of handling its development predisposition poorly. This promotes independent development, as developers leave to establish new companies and projects. In some notable cases, these ingoing companies grow extensive and impersonal, having endorsed the business habits of their forebears, and ultimately perpetuate the cycle. However, unlike the music industry, where modern technology has permitted a wholly professional yield to be scheduled exceedingly inexpensively by an independent musician, modern games necessitate crescent amounts of manpower and equipment. This dynamic makes publishers, who fund the developers, much more important than in the music industry. The industry insists on software piracy being a proper issue, and implement repressive measures to struggle against this widespread phenomenon. Nonetheless, digital rights management and other restraints have proved to be obviously unpopular among gamesters. Bibliography http://www. pwc. com/gx/en/global-entertainment-media-outlook/segment-insights/video-games. jhtml http://www. gartner. com/newsroom/id/2614915 http://www. wikinvest. com/industry/Video_Games http://www. theesa. com/games-improving-what-matters/families. asp http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Video_game_industry Gretz, R. T. 2010. Hardware quality vs. network size in the home video game industry, Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization Palmer, R. a. and Millier, Segmentation: Identification, intuition, and implementation, Industrial Marketing Management T. N. S.and Project, M. B. A. F. The Video Game Industry: an Industry Analysis, from a VC Perspective, Online Smith, Product differentiation and market segmentation as alternative marketing strategies, Journal Of Marketing http://www. wepromite. com/2007/10/14/strategy-analysis-of-the-console-market-%E2%80%93-part-1-key-success-factors/ http://www. irma-international. org/viewtitle/32750/ http://www. gamasutra. com/view/feature/132098/a_path_to_western_online_games_. php? print=1 http://www. gamestudies. org/0202/lugo/ http://www. pymesonline. com/uploads/tx_icticontent/R02403_lbvideojuegos. pdf.