Essay Consumption Experience Notes 1

Submitted By shiroiryuu
Words: 551
Pages: 3

Nicole Scheuers
Consumption Notes #1
February 9, 2015

For this assignment, I am choosing to use my recent purchase of a pc video game as an example.

Last week I had went on Steam to purchase a new game that was on sale for $5. Alex, a close friend of mine, also recently bought the same game. We have been using the game as a way to keep in touch while on opposite sides of Wisconsin.

1. Database marketing: “Tracking specific consumers’ buying habits very closely and crafting products and messages tailored precisely to people’s wants and needs based on this information” (text, pg. 13). Alex and I had both placed this game on our wish-lists on Steam over the summer. This had allowed Steam to see that we had an interest in this game, therefore when it went on sale we had both received a message letting us know.

2. User-generated content: “everyday people voice their opinions about products, brands, and companies on blogs, podcasts, and social networking sites” (text, pg. 19). Most of the games that I decide to buy and play I had recently seen some of my favorite “Let’s Players” on YouTube play the game, or give it good reviews. If I think it looks fun and a Let’s Player that I like says that it is a great game makes me want to buy it more than I would have if I was just browsing recently released games in the store.

3. Synchronous interactions: “interactions that occur in real time, like when you text back-and-forth with a friend” (text, pg. 19). I had bought this game because you can play with a friend in the multiplayer mode, but the friend doesn’t need to be sitting right next to you. This way, Alex and I can be completing the same mission while talking to each other and seeing what each of our characters are doing.

4. Want: “represents one way that society has taught to satisfy a need” (text, pg. 22). I don’t necessarily need to play a game with a