To (Disney) Infinity And Beyond

To (Disney) Infinity And Beyond

This study examines synergy and convergence, specifically in the video game Disney Infinity. It seeks to describe and analyze the process of synergy and convergence in the game and by doing so, it hopes to determine the relationship between the creation of new media platforms and the potential to create synergy and convergence.

Borrowing from Phenomenology and complemented with the methodology of Game Analysis, the study treated synergy and convergence as a distinguishable phenomenon present in Disney Infinity. With a detailed analysis of the Ludological and Narratological aspects of the game, the study focuses on the game elements that involve synergy and convergence and then analyzes how different actors in the process react to the examined phenomenon. In gathering data, the study made use of online surveys, which were then analyzed through Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The results obtained from the IPA were then compared with the results of the game analysis.

Through the aforementioned methods, it has been observed that the essence of Disney Infinity is hinged on synergy and convergence as its gameplay and content borrows from several other Disney properties – a phenomenon that is welcomed by the players who are passionate about Disney and the game. With the given methodologies, it was also possible to precisely describe the flow of synergy and convergence in the game and to determine synergy and convergence as a motivation in creating new platforms.

Keywords: synergy, convergence, gaming, platform, phenomenology

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