Yo Yo Honey Singh

Introduction:

I have always had a love for video games. Some sustained my interest whereas others didn’t. A video game that particularly captured my interest was the FIFA Franchise by EA Sports. At the tender age of 8 years, I was given my first gaming console. The first game I bought was FIFA 06, little did I know that I would form such a strong bond with the game. Avid gamers (such as myself) all around the world perceive the FIFA Franchise as the best football game ever created. I am also a budding footballer, hence further increasing my zeal fo r the FIFA Franchise. When I was presented with the Personal Project as a student of year 11 , I realized that I was at a disadvantage. Being a new student, I was introduced to the Project relatively late as opposed to my peers who were provided with sufficient time over the summer vacation to narrow down their thoughts and come up with a topic for their respective projects.

Facing time constraints, I promptly started work on my project, pondering upon topics for my project. I decided that my project be specific towards my interests and passions as I would have to work on it over an extended time period. I brainstormed my ideas and narrowed my topics down to Technology, Evolution, Sports and Helping out the Community. (A brainstorm of my initial ideas for the personal project can be seen in Appendix A) On discussion about my Personal Project with my parents, I told them that I intend to write a written piece of work on the development of Apple’s greatest creation – The iPhone. My dad didn’t support my choice as he thought it wasn’t original and that I would be scrutinized as there are numerous books on the topic.

Heading back to the drawing board, I felt that my ideas were a bit too literal and that I needed to think outside the box. Immediately, my eyes fell upon my Xbox 360 and I came up with a remarkable suggestion, why not do my Personal Project on the EA Sport’s FIFA franchise? Gaming was something that played an integral role in my lifestyle and this topic was original, fascinating and most importantly; something I was passionate about and willing to work on for many months. I decided to focus on the aspect of evolution for the project; more specifically how the FIFA Franchise has evolved over the years (1993-2012).

The Goal:

After finalizing a topic for my Personal Project; I decided that the main objective of my project would be to show viewers how the FIFA Franchise has evolved over a span of 20 years. I shall achieve this by creating a video. I felt that a video would be the most effective way to convey my views on the topic as it would appeal to a large number of viewers (more specifically; my chosen demographic-gamers) as opposed to a written piece of work.

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Area of Interaction:

Since I was creating a video from scratch, the Area of Interaction best suited for my project was Human Ingenuity mainly focusing on 2 guiding questions, ‘Why do we create?’ and ‘What are the consequences?’, I was set out to investigate the relationship between my chosen AOI and my project. It seemed appropriate as I was creating a video on something that I was passionate about. I also wanted to convey a message as to how the FIFA Franchise has evolved over the years. Hence, if my video had a successful outcome, I would be able to convey this message effectively answering the second guiding question.

Selecting Relevant Sources:

With a clear objective to achieve at the end of my Personal Project; I began investigating, brainstorming and researching ideas pertaining to my topic. I narrowed down my research in such a way that it would address the research questions I formulated (please refer to Appendix B). The first stage of my research wasn’t very conclusive. I scrutinized the web for a variety of sites possibly containing information on the history and evolution of the FIFA Franchise. After some initial research, I finally found a website that catered to my needs [6]. The website consisted of information on each and every game of the FIFA Franchise ranging from 1993 -2012 as well as pictures (covers) of each game which proved to be extremely useful.

This helped me answer guiding question 1 as the site contained ample information on how the FIFA Franchise has developed over the years with the introduction of revolutionary and improved features providing a more realistic and entertaining experience for its customers. For example, the first game of the FIFA Series; FIFA International Soccer included a revolutionary feature called the ‘Isometric Camera View’, enabling users to choose from over 7 different camera angles to play the game which wasn’t present in any other game during that period. Albeit this website was a great source of information on each and every release of the FIFA Series, it didn’t contain ample information on the most recent re leases of the series.

To address this issue, I viewed video-gaming reviews on a renowned website ‘Gamespot.com’. I watched gaming reviews of 3 games from the FIFA Series from this website, namely FIFA 10, 11 and 12 [8,9,10,27]. This proved not only to be a great source of information but was also reliable as the games were reviewed by professionals that analyzed each and every component of the game.

Again this included the inclusion of new features, the removal of infamous ones a nd the advancement in various fields such as graphics, online capabilities etc. A great example would be the inclusion of Head to Head Seasons in FIFA 12 which was an online league split into 10 divisions in which users battle it out to reach division 1 (a revolutionary feature that was the first of its kind). [Please refer to Appendix C-main points of each game of the FIFA Series]

I read a few articles throwing light upon the Franchise’s sales, world records and its impact on people’s lives [28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33]. Although intriguing, the articles did not address any of my guiding questions or assist me whilst creating my video; rendering them obsolete. I continued my research by sending out an email to 30 peers requesting them to fill out an online survey. This was an important part of my research as just about all the peers I sent the email to were avid gamers such as myself.

The aim of the survey was to clarify exactly what my peers thought of the FIFA Franchise, its development, features that made it stand out and the video techniques they would find most effective whilst creating a video throwing light upon the evolution of the FIFA Franchise. (Please see Appendix D of this report) In order to further validate my research, I decided to get a fresh perspective on the FIFA Franchise and its evolution. I did this by interviewing 2 of the PE teachers in my school. Both of them were passionate about football and were well-aware of the FIFA Franchise.

The questions I asked them were somewhat similar to the online survey and was a great source of information as I received views on my project from people who weren’t a part of the demographic I was catering to, however still found it intriguing filling out one of the specifications I enlisted for my product: that it would appeal to anyone yet gamers would truly appreciate it.

With a solid understanding of the FIFA Franchise and people’s opinions on it I was ready to create my video. In order to produce a video that appeals to a wide range of viewers, I needed to first determine certain characteristics that my video must possess to captivate a particular audience. I did this by reading a few articles [37, 38] pertaining to certain qualities that make a video stand out helping me answer guiding question 2.

The next part of my research consisted of browsing the web for gameplay from games of the FIFA Franchise that I didn’t possess that would be integrated into my video [11-24]. This was a major section of my research as it would compose of the main segment of my video. Without carrying out this research, my video wouldn’t have been nearly as successful as I aimed to showcase the Franchise’s evolution via gameplay clips from each game of the series as the years progressed.

I now moved on to games of the Franchise that I did own. I still needed to determine a recording software to capture gameplay from the games. After reading reviews, asking my fellow classmates and deep consideration, I felt that the recording software best suited towards my needs was Fraps v 3.5.0. According to a review, it was the best game capture software in terms of minimum lag, frames per second to record at and user interface which answered guiding question 3 [34]. Moreover, an initial test clearly showed me what the software was capable of and honestly, it exceeded my expectations.

With the visual components of my video sorted, I now addressed the issue of molding them all together to produce a video. In order to do so, I firstly needed to decide upon a video-editing software to create my video. Fortunately, my uncle, Sanjay Sharma, was a great video editor and created videos for a living. On discussion with him over phone, he felt that the software best suited for me would be Sony Vegas Pro 11 and encouraged me to research a bit more on it.

Subsequently, I read a few articles on the program and realized that it truly was a great software that catered to all my needs [35, 36]. The software was extremely efficient, user friendly, integrated GPU Acceleration, had a wide array of video effects to use and most importantly; rendered videos in customizable quality settings but at the same time was benign to your PC. Moreover, the program has its own website with tutorials on the basic tools and features of the software [7] which proved to be extremely helpful during times of need helping me answer guiding question 4.

In order to further extend my research and successfully evaluate my product; I requested feedback from people that visited my stall during the Personal Project exhibition day. The main aim of this was to determine whether people could clearly understand the message I was trying to bring across and whether it was done effectively. This proved to be handy whilst evaluating my product as I didn’t solely grade it against the specifications I formulated earlier (See Appendix E of this report), but also against the feedback I gained from viewers that visited my stall.

Overall, I believe that the sources utilized are valid and authentic as the vast majority of research collected was from personal interviews, for example my uncle who was a skilled video editor. In contrast, my peers seldom provided biased results, yet by surveyin g a wide range of students, it provided me with a good balance of perspectives. Furthermore, I also interviewed people that weren’t part of the demographic I was catering to but still found my project captivating. Information that wasn’t gathered by interviews or surveys came from trustworthy websites and published articles, for example, the official Sony Creative Software Website or Gamespot.

Application of Information:

Having conducted a significant amount of research on the FIFA Franchise and its develo pment over the years, I was able to answer Guiding Question 1 with ease. Yet, to condense all this information into the form of a video that showcases the evolution of the FIFA Franchise was the true challenge that I set out to overcome whence completing my Personal Project. An enthusiastic gamer, I loved viewing montages on the internet.

Having viewed a couple of FIFA montages [25, 26], I fancied the idea of a 10 second countdown at the beginning of the video as it builds up an aura of suspense amongst viewers eagerly awaiting for the next part of the video. I also liked the idea of the years flashing by utilizing a special effect. This was a great technique that I implemented into my video; with each year flashing by and a picture of a game from the FIFA Franchise corresponding to that year.

The articles I read on what makes a video go viral proved to be extremely useful as it helped me understand that no video would be complete if it didn’t stimulate a person’s visual and audial senses. Since I was catering to a teenage audience and creating a montage, I felt that the music playing as the video progresses should flow well and with a catchy beat. Before making any final decisions on the video, I hoped to gain a few perspectives on the matter. The survey I sent out to my peers had a fruitful outcome.

With 27 responses, the results were very conclusive and determined that my video would compose of gameplay as well as images from each game of the FIFA Franchise, music with a rhythmic beat, attractive video e ffects and a few main points on each game of the Franchise before viewing actual gameplay from the game. I was sure to include all these things in the video in order to best cater to my demographic.

Furthermore, I also asked my peers to throw light upon wh ich aspects of the game they would want to see evolve with the development of the FIFA Franchise. This was of utmost importance as it helped my focus on certain parts of my research in order to best cater to my chosen demographic. For example, majority of the students said that they would like to see how the visual graphics of the game as evolved over the years. I was able to fulfill their queries by including gameplay of each game of the Franchise clearly showing him that it has developed over a span of 20 years.

I didn’t pay heed to the PE Teacher interviews as they weren’t a part of my chosen audience. Nevertheless, I would deem this as a great source as I received views on my project from a completely different age group providing me with a fresh perspe ctive. It was also a form of reassurance as it told me that my project didn’t only appeal to the demographic it was intended to but also other individuals.

Moving on to the creation of the video; I was able to accumulate clips from each game of the FIFA Series, be it scrutinizing for gameplay on the web or recording it on my computer. I would say that the gameplay recorded on my computer was of a much higher quality than that of the clips I got on the internet as it was recorded utilizing a high -end recording software.

A complete novice to video-design, I referred to the official website of Sony Vegas Pro 11 a great deal helping me familiarize myself with the numerous tools and features present within the program. Yet with practice and determination, this p rocess turned out to be second nature. The program itself, although feature packed, comes across very subtle on the surface enabling beginners to join in with ease. I strongly believe that I made the right choice to utilize Sony Vegas Pro 11 as a software to create my video as it helped me mold a product of high quality with such ease in such a short period of time.

As for the text in my video; I encountered a few problems as it jeopardized the length of my video. I wanted the video to be informative yet at the same time have that mesmerizing factor to it. This influenced the way I presented my product during exhibition day.

Instead of having main points of each game on the video before showing any gameplay, I created a looping power point that had the main points of each and every game of the FIFA Series which would play alongside my video. I felt that this was a great idea as it provided viewers with a visual and textual interpretation on my topic (although the video was my main product). Furthermore, the power point better explained what was going on in my video and was a great inclusion to my presentation.

Achieving the Goal:

The final product of my project was a video that showcases the evolution of the FIFA Series over the past years. The video was a result of rigorous research conducted addressing numerous subtopics that all correlate to my original topic. In this context, I believe that my product is of a high quality and meets all of its specifications and I was extremely happy with its outcome. Online questionnaires and constant feedback from my parents, friends, my PP supervisor, Mr. Sutcliffe and PP coordinator, Ms. Wahba kept me on track whilst creating the video as well as determined its content and style.

Apart from evaluating my product against the specifications I set out for it (Appendix E), I did receive a considerable amount of feedback on my video during the Per sonal Project exhibition day. In summary, viewers loved the idea and clearly understood the message I was trying to portray. This was a sigh of relief as my not only did my product successfully cater to my chosen demographic, but it also attracted viewers from a different age group (parents, elder people, teachers) that gave me positive feedback. In addition, I handed out vi sitors my specifications and asked them to grade my project against the criteria with most of them feeling that I should achieve a level 4.

To conclude, I believe that my product has successfully brought across its intended message and I do feel that it deserves a level 4. I followed my plan despite time constraints and eventually yielded a product of high caliber. Moreover, I have justified my evaluation as I didn’t only assess the project against its formulated criteria, but also against the feedback I gained from visitors during the Personal Project exhibition day (all who clearly stated that they understood the message I was trying to bring across). Creating the video was a fun-filled task and a great learning experience. I am sure that observers gained an insight as to how the FIFA Franchise has evolved over the years by viewing my video.

Reflection on Learning:

Over the course of my project, I learnt new skills that benefitted me a great deal such as; presenting my project to my peers, effective techniques to conduct a survey as well as applying my limited knowledge of video-editing to create a video.

I also developed existing skills that I possessed helping me become a better learner. An important skill I developed was the way I went about conducting research on a topic. An apathetic reader, I relied on the internet as a main source of my research. Yet as I worked on my Personal Project, I utilized a variety of sources such as conducting surveys, interviewing people and reading articles. This was evident when I evaluated my sources of research as the information I gathered from sources other than the internet proved to be extremely useful. I firmly believe that my project would not be half as successful as it was if there wasn’t anyone to guide me and monitor my progress.

Consistent feedback from my Personal Project supervisor, Mr. Sutcliffe and my coordinator, Ms. Wahba, kept me on par and helped me yield a well-edited film. Furthermore, my dad also played an integral role during a main stage of my project; the personal project exhibition day. He constantly interviewed me making sure that I was prepared for this stage and I am proud to say that all the hard work did eventually pay off. During exhibition day, I was clearly able to express my views on my topic and received positive feedback from just about everyone that visited my stall.

Albeit I did successfully achieve my goal, I feel that there was scope for improvement with regards to the research I conducted. Interviewing PE teachers was a great source as it ensured that my project appealed to people apart from my chosen demographic. However, I feel that I could’ve interviewed a greater number of adults to truly gauge whether my product intrigued people apart from its intended audience and if I were to do this project again, I would allocate more time for this in order to assure that I received responses pertaining to my topic from a broad range of individuals.

In terms of creating my video, I did face a major obstacle which was the inclusion of text that adversely affected its length. I addressed this by creating a power point that had the main point of games from the franchise which would play alongside my video. I strongly felt that this was a great idea as it provided viewers with a visual and textual interpretation of my topic.

This was an interesting part of my project as I received opposing views on this particular idea. My supervisor, Mr. Sutcliffe, preferred to have the text ingrained into the video whereas my coordinator, Ms. Wahba, fancied the idea and clearly understood what I was trying to do. If were to do this project again, I would’ve included the text in the video as op posed to it being displayed on the power point and cut down on the gameplay of each game. Furthermore, this would best satisfy my chosen demographic as the majority of them did state that they wanted to see this in the video.

A question that always remained at the back of my head during the process of my project was if I could’ve completed the project in any other way. The only two way I felt I could do justice to this topic would be either by writing an essay or by creating a power point. Personally, I felt that this would be an in-depth analysis of all the games from the FIFA Franchise and wouldn’t appeal towards a lot of people.

Moreover, I feel that this would be an easy task as I would convey my views in the form of writing, being an IB student, was something I was accustomed to. Keeping this in mind, I am content with the way I chose to address my topic; by creating a video as it was truly a challenge to visually demonstrate the evolution of the FIFA Franchise with my limited knowledge of video-editing.

During the process and completion of this project I hoped to gain a deeper understanding of my chosen AOI, Human Ingenuity. Having answered both the guiding questions, I wanted to delve deeper within the confines of my chosen AOI. Human Ingenuity many focuses on the human aspect of creativity, in that it embodies the human ability to change, transform, innovate and develop a thought over time.

This was directly applicable to my topic as the FIFA Franchise is an innovation that has and will continually develop over the years in order to provide a more realistic and entertaining experience for its customers. The fragment of the Franchise that intrigued me was its evolution over the span of 20 years and hence I chos e to investigate it. Furthermore, with the never-ending advancement in technology, who knows what the FIFA franchise has in store for us in the future?

In retrospect, the Personal Project helped me gain a detailed insight into something I normally would’ve never chosen to explore. I clearly observed the progression of Human Ingenuity over the span of 20 years when it comes to the FIFA Franchise. The entire process was a great learning experience, constantly asking you to question and make reason of what you are doing. It forced me to think outside the box, encouraged me to hone existing skills, and develop a completely new set of skills whilst engaging in something that I was passionate about.

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