Player Media Rules

[TedderBear]

The Player Media System enables players to create and operate their own media outlets, competing for influence across various age demographics. By producing news content and shaping public opinion, player media outlets play a significant role in elections, political dynamics, and overall public discourse.

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Age Demographics

Players will compete for market share across five key age demographics, each with distinct preferences in media consumption. Tailoring content to these groups will be crucial to growing your outlet’s influence.

1. Generation Z (12-24)

   • Preferences: Engages most with podcasts, social media content, and digital-first platforms.
   • Content Focus: Social justice issues, climate change, pop culture, and progressive political coverage resonate with this group.
   • Preferred Formats: Podcasts, video clips, viral online content.

2. Millennials (25-39)

   • Preferences: A mix of traditional and digital media. This group is highly engaged in politics, social issues, and technology.
   • Content Focus: Policy deep dives, investigative journalism, and lifestyle content.
   • Preferred Formats: Podcasts, multimedia news articles and reports.

3. Generation X (40-54)

   • Preferences: A balance of traditional and digital media, consuming both long-form articles and real-time coverage of current events.
   • Content Focus: Politics, financial news, family-oriented stories, and career advice.
   • Preferred Formats: Written news articles, talk shows, online editorials.

4. Baby Boomers (55-74)

   • Preferences: Heavily reliant on traditional media formats, but increasingly using digital platforms for news.
   • Content Focus: Political analysis, world events, and opinion pieces.
   • Preferred Formats: Written news articles, opinion editorials, broadcast-style content.

5. Silent Generation (75+)

   • Preferences: Primarily consumes traditional media such as newspapers and television news.
   • Content Focus: Conservative political commentary, historical retrospectives, and world affairs.
   • Preferred Formats: Written articles, television news-style content.

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Media Outlet Creation

1. Starting a Media Outlet

   • Players may create a media outlet by submitting the following:
     • Outlet Name: Choose a unique and recognizable name for your media outlet.
     • Political Alignment: Select your outlet’s political stance (e.g., left-leaning, right-leaning, neutral).
     • Target Audience: Choose which age demographics your outlet will focus on.

2. Content Formats

   • Players are free to choose any format for their media content, but it will perform better if you respect the medium it represents:
     • Written News Articles: Posted directly in the forum.
     • Podcasts: Must upload or link to an MP3 file.
     • Videos: Requires a hosted video file linked or embedded in the post.
   • Note: Long scripts posing as podcasts or video content are discouraged. Content should adhere to the actual format you portray it to be. With that being said, written news articles are considered the standard and you can still have a successful outlet by doing text only.

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Activity Requirements

1. Content Production

   • For a successful news outlet, it is recommended to produce at least one piece of content per in-game quarter.
   • To maintain your outlet’s market share, you must produce at least one piece of content per in-game year. Failure to meet this minimum requirement will result in significant market share erosion as NPC outlets and competing player media fill the void.

2. Market Share Growth

   • Consistently producing relevant, engaging content that resonates with your chosen demographic is key to growing your market share. Focus on creating content that taps into the interests and issues that matter most to your audience.

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Media Planning Center

Player media outlets will gain access to the Media Planning Center forum. This forum, visible to only admins and approved media outlets, is where you will find the rumor mill and bid on important events. You're also welcome to create your own thread for planning future articles & saving formatting. In addition to posting articles to NPC news outlets, admins will post minor IC happenings on the ground that isn't being currently covered by NPC media outlets, provide public polling, give NPC quotes, etc. This forum will be the primary fuel for players' news articles/pieces. The first player media outlet to break the news found here is often well rewarded. Additionally, news outlets can bid on events such as Presidential debates, etc.

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Endorsements and Political Influence

1. Endorsements

   • Media outlets can endorse political candidates in elections. The effectiveness of endorsements will depend on how much market share your outlet holds within the key voter demographics.
   • Endorsements should reflect the political leanings of your outlet and target audience for maximum impact.

2. Influencing Elections & Public Opinion

   • Through timely coverage, political analysis, and investigative journalism, media outlets can shape public perception of candidates and influence election outcomes.
   • A strong media presence across multiple demographics can sway voter opinion, making your outlet a key player in the national conversation.

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Player Collaboration and Competition

1. Collaborations

   • Media outlets can collaborate with one another on major stories or coverage of significant events. Joint ventures can be beneficial for expanding your reach across multiple demographics.

2. Rivalries

   • Healthy competition between media outlets is encouraged, and players are free to engage in rivalries, challenge each other’s coverage, or break stories ahead of their competitors. Remember that all content must adhere to the game’s overall tone and guidelines.

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Success as a Media Outlet

There is no single path to victory in the player media system. Success may take various forms, including:

• Gaining a dominant market share in one or more key demographics.
• Becoming a trusted source for political endorsements and shaping election outcomes.
• Breaking major stories ahead of NPC outlets or other players, establishing your outlet as a major player in the media landscape.

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The Player Media System allows for the most immersive interaction with the game world that we have seen in VGS to date, giving players the chance to influence the direction of events and public opinion. Use your media outlet to shape the narrative, cover breaking news, and become a key player in the national political scene!