How Media Framing of Video Games Affects the Perception and Understanding of the Video Game Industry: The Opinions of Students at the University of Zagreb

Creating video games is a complex process that can be tracked in stages, requiring compliance with platform-specific requirements, content, visual elements, characters, and the existence of interaction among them. In this context, there is increasing talk about gamification to strengthen user engagement, motivation, and communication. The popularity of video games as a broader social phenomenon sparks divided public opinions, and media reporting has a significant impact on it. Framing a particular topic in a negative or positive tone contributes to the perception of events, individuals, or processes as threats or opportunities, potentially leading to calls for increased regulation. This paper aims to analyze media coverage of video games and to investigate how it affects public opinion and understanding of the game industry, using a combined methodology. Analysis of the content of media coverage on selected foreign and Croatian online portals that deal with technology, as well as Croatian newspaper portals that have special gaming sections, showed a difference in the approach to reporting. Foreign media portals have shown exceptional commitment to collecting information about upcoming games and monitoring economic, industry changes, and player opinions, while domestic ones are focused on innovations within the Croatian gaming scene. The emphasis is on promoting and showcasing local talent and progress in the country's gaming industry. At the same time, the results of the survey showed that the majority of participants are familiar with the gaming industry and actively participate in it. Furthermore, although they follow media reports and reviews about video games, it still does not significantly influence their decision to purchase a video game. Finally, most participants feel that politics and social agendas are not desirable in video games.