The reception theory states that depending on your individual characteristics (e.g. age, gender, ethnicity etc.) then you will decode the message of the media text differently. In this case when people play Crash Bandicoot Warped the encoded message that Naughty Dog intended will be decoded by each person differently. As people play through it they will either come to the conclusion of the preferred, negotiated or oppositional reading. In my opinion I very much enjoy Crash Bandicoot Warped so I would be part of the preferred reading, I enjoy the gameplay, graphics, narrative, structure and more. I accept the games full potential and what it has to offer and don't see anything wrong that Naughty Dog did with it.
However, I grew up with the game so I have a part of my childhood to associate with the game. This experience could be different to what someone who is female, 13 years old and from America could experience. This individual could have a negotiated, or oppositional response. If they had a negotiated response then they could see what Naughty Dog were creating and accept some parts such as the gameplay, but they might reject the story as they believe it is too short or simplistic.
The oppositional response would be someone picking up the game and turning it off after a few moments of gaming, they fully reject what they are experiencing. Using an example of a game I had an oppositional response to is Transformers devastation. I played only an hour or two of the game and found it to be really bad for what it was trying to portray, the story was terrible, the gameplay bored me and there was nothing unique or promising enough to keep me interested in playing till the end or even half way through. A complete opposite experience of what I had to playing Crash Bandicoot Warped.
From the research I have conducted I can see the majority of people have a preferred response to the game, the main demographic are 18 year old males and looking at the research I have gathered they give positive feedback and responses. Examples of this can be seen on youtube with people who reviewed the game, a majority of these reviewers talked about their experiences with the game and their favourite aspects of the game, some reviewers didn't want to be biased and so stated their opinions on where the game fell flat making them part of the negotiated response of players while other just gave their reasons for why they loved the game.
The reasons for liking this game highly is a multitude that I stated before and so I will explain what I like about each aspect. The gameplay to me is a very unique concept and when it was released followed upon the previous Crash games but massively, Naughty Dog implemented new mechanics and ways to keep the game fresh whilst having the same platforming elements that the previous instalments had established. I like the innovative design they placed in the game with different types of levels such as the water ski levels and the power ups they designed for the game allowing for more varied gameplay and ways to traverse through levels without having to use the same platforming techniques.
As for the graphics they are amazingly well done for the time and even hold up to date. It has a unique art style that represents a cartoon to an extent, the vivid and vibrant colours used for each level are amazing and paint a mass amount of moods as you play through the game. I feel like the soundtrack is also on par with the graphics as it has some of the most memorable compositions ever, I love the upbeat attitude it has and how pumped it can get you for levels, the music once again brings out a mass amount of moods and when placed alongside the visuals of the game it creates a memorable experience. My favourite piece of music and visuals are from the starting screen, I adore how Naughty Dog introduces the quirky-ness of the game without having to press start.
Finally, the narrative of the game is a weird one to be happy about. In modern times a lot of narratives need to be filled with lore and backstory to be interesting, they need to involve so much to keep the player interest. However, Crash Bandicoot has a simple storyline, collect 25 crystals to stop Dr Neo Cortex from taking over the world. As simple as it sounds its refreshing to play as it allows for the player to jump straight into the game, all they have to do is watch a 2 minute cutscene and they have all the information they need. I also love the way that the game developers built up the bosses to their respected areas, as you progress through a chapter bosses will attempt to intimidate Crash in their own ways by either making threats or snarky remarks about the marsupial, this builds up the boss fight and creates a situation where the player wants to defeat the boss.
To conclude I would definitely be part of the preferred response when talking about Crash Bandicoot Warped because there is nothing I find wrong with the game, however, my opinion does not speak for everyone and so they will categorise the game into one of the three groups depending on their feelings and thoughts about the game.
Here is a table created to demonstrate some aspects as to why I'm on the preferred side of Crash Bandicoot.
Key:
10 - 7 = preferred
6 - 4 = negotional
3 - 0 = oppositional
If the score is higher than 28 than it is overall a preferred response
If the score is between 28 and 16 then it is a negotiated response
If the score is below 16 then it is a oppositional response
Sources:
http://www.abc.net.au/abc3/goodgamesp/transcripts/s2948501.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLTKZTYJxUs
https://twitter.com/meh_hk
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