A study conducted by Lurpak for their “Game On, Cooks” campaign revealed that British people spend more time a week consuming ‘food media’ instead of actually cooking . Although people said they wanted to cook, many said it was “too complicated”, “too expensive” or being “too busy”.
Van Ryn’s “Gestural Economy and Cooking Mama: Playing With the Politics of Natural User Interfaces” point out that while Cooking Mama shares similar content to other food media (such as TV and social media), it is different in the sense that it relies on “effect action under pressure”. This allows the player’s attention to be on the rhythm of play, instead of what is represented.
The casual style of gaming described explores the “playing” in everyday life, which can include care of self. By focusing video games on a particular area of life such as a hobby, players can become more interested outside of the game. A 2018 report by Qutee showed the many hobbies or careers that players became interested in from gaming. Therefore a hobby such as cooking can be supported and reflected in the gaming community.
From the Lurpak study previously discussed, it is clear that audiences want to consume food media, but do not necessarily believe they have the means to create it. This is where “Needing A Feeding” comes in, by applying my original utility to content such as recreating Cooking Mama videos. My main audience on this account is female users aged 18-24, which I believe will help to reflect the players who may have played the game on their DS when they were younger.
References:
SWNS Digital (2016) “Brits Spend More Time Watching Food Than They Do Cooking It!” Digital Hub
Qutee (2018) “Gaming and You: A report by Qutee on how gamers view the personal and social impact of gaming” Qutee Data Report
Van Ryn, L (2013) “Gestural Economy and Cooking Mama: Playing With the Politics of Natural User Interfaces” Scan Journal of Media Arts Culture, Vol. 11, No.2
Game Cultures 