Abstract This dissertation focuses on the relationship between new media and the impact it has had on Animations, Comics, and Games culture as well as its audience. With the widespread changes in technology, and the rise of a new generation of creative comic authors, the modern media has experienced significant transformations. The entertainment media, ACG(Animations, Comics, and Games) have evolved significantly, influencing the lives of the audience in many ways. These forms of entertainment media have, over the years, provided enjoyment, and a pleasure to the audiences, as they get to interact with the elements of the games, videos, comics, and animations they play or watch. The artists responsible for creating these forms of entertainment come from different parts of the world, whose cultural values and beliefs may be different from those of the audience, who consume these products. The subconscious conveyance of the authors or developers culture and values in the materials they provide in the market may influence the culture and values of the recipients in various ways. In consuming these products, the audiences not only have fun but also are immersed in an entirely different world of the developer, where the emotional experiences may take effect and affect the perception of the consumer. Each media industry, whether animation, comics, games, is actively involved in the process of live action adaptation, where the audience gets to experience the developers world from engaging with the piece of media entertainment. In developing the entertainment materials, the developer has their set of expectations as well as targeted audiences. These affect the assumptions held by the entire industry and the orientation of the material produced. This paper provides various case studies and comparison of ACG products from various parts of the globe, to determine how the development of new media has affected the approaches given to the production of animations, comics, and video games, and how the audiences are affected on interacting with these forms of new entertainment. Introduction The end of 20th century and the early 21st century served as the pioneering years of the remarkable changes in the history of media. The 21st century has experienced significant development in the digital technology, whose digitalization has been accelerating at a tremendous rate. Recently, the new media has been the most debated topics in the media industry and research studies in communication, as a way to determine the impact that video games, comics, and animations have had on the global society. These forms of new entertainment have become the most influential as they have managed to capture the attention of a myriad audience. Scholars, entertainment industry analysts, and the policy makers have expressed their concerns over the changes that are being experienced in the society, and how this has been driven by the new media (Sparks, 2015, 27).The key changes that have been experienced in the recent years are in the television media, which has been developed into a multi-channeled media unlike in the past where access to a wide range of channels was limited to a few in the society. Currently, the advancement in technology has enabled almost each household to have access to television, where they get to interact together with the world. Development of the digital technology has allowed for the penetration of different forms of media into the society, influencing our daily lives in various ways. These animations, games, and comics have influenced the lives of individuals in many ways as much as they continue to find greater audiences in the global market. Background of the Study In recent years, discussions have erupted regarding the impact and the social issues resulting from the consumption and media choices of the audiences in the society. The growth in the environment of new media has heightened fear as people in the society feel that the use of particular media platforms, willingly or unwillingly, could expose the audience majority of whom are young people, thus resulting in harmful and undesirable effects. Most people feel that modern media, internet, television and another visual media is likely to spread negative knowledge and ideas, which has lasting consequences on the continuity of the moral standards within a society. Access to digital, satellite and cable television, mobile phones, the internet, social media platforms, and other forms of advanced media have become an integral part of the modern world. However, less than a century ago, all these were deemed as impossibilities, which existed only in the minds of their creators, as imaginations. Technology has facilitated the development of these media granting access to millions across the world and enabling the producers to share their cultures. The complexity of the ways in which the new media are made and displayed to the members of the public causes them to have different effects on the society, based on the audience targeted by the producer, and the expected impact they are supposed to have on them. Right from the production of the video games, comics, and animations, various creative is involved such as developers, programmers, artists, designers, and producers, whose impact and contribution to the global culture of ACD is far reaching. Media companies have also been making efforts to reach new markets and outdo competitors, who have been on the rise. Audiences in the modern digital world have enjoyed a wide range of media products, which have impacted their lives in various ways. The recent years have seen the release of animations, comics, and games, such as The Amazing Spiderman, Avatar, The Avengers, Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto, Ice AGE, How to Train Your Dragon, among others. Clearly, the media has the power to influence the perception of individuals and achieve the intended motive of the producer. The rise of the pop culture has mainly been associated with the media, which has played a significant role in spreading ideologies that have had far-reaching impacts on the entire society (Bertot, Jaeger, and Hansen, 2012, 32). Problem Statement Even though the media as an institution has been widely covered in various studies by scholars and researchers, much has not been done to establish the exact impact that the rise of the new media has had on ACG and their respective audiences. The progress that has been made in technology and media has helped put some barely known cultures of the world into the limelight. The media has made it possible for the people across the globe to appreciate, while others criticize, the culture and values of other people. The pop culture has become a common word and practice across every city, influenced by the music, television programs, video games, internet sharing among other channels that facilitate the interaction between these cultures. Even though the media, as a way of communication, had existed many years ago, recent changes have made it an entirely new field, whose challenges are just as many as the advantages it has to offer. This study seeks to identify the scientific, social, cultural, among other aspects of the audience that have been influenced by the production of ACG, using the new media. Rationale of the study This thesis aims at achieving various objectives regarding the impact and reception of new media. These include establishing how the new media, which includes the use of internet, smartphones, computers, websites, social media, among others, has affected the culture of ACG, both in form and content. This will help identify the variations between the ACG products currently being produced and those released before the rise of the new media. The effect of the new media on the audience is also given a central focus in this study, as their lifestyle and ideologies have been widely influenced by the new media. Additionally, the thesis will address the impact that ACG culture and the audience have had on the media, as they contribute towards the determination of the content and form of the materials produced. Thus, the thesis attempts to answer questions such as, how active are the audience in the modern new media settings, how do they contribute towards its improvement, and how does the audience suffer the impacts of the new media? Also, the connection between new media and its effect on various cultures from different parts of the world is identified, as different cultures spread their beliefs in the media they produce, such as those produced in Japan and United States. Through analysis, review, and being able to contextualize various academic researchers in the field, those the cultural, historical, and political discourses of new media can be identified to help understand the relationship between these concepts. Methodology Accomplishing this research requires the use of secondary research, where scholarly articles on the topic of ACG, new media and its effects on the fans are reviewed. To understand the influence of new media on ACG culture and the audiences, a case study of its application among the fans is conducted to determine the use of new media in promoting the animations, comics, and games among the fans in various parts of the world. In so doing, various considerations have to be put into perspective. The selected methods provide a clear picture of the ACG culture and fandom in a world where technological media is advancing at a significant rate. McQuail (1977, 78) suggests that establishing a distinction between the effectiveness of new media in the modern society and the effects or consequences it brings on the people, would help improve the significance of the question of whether the new media has impacted our society. As much as the operation of new media has had consequences on those consuming them, it has also given them the capacity to accomplish particular objectives (Murray, 2013, 74). This explains why the media has found much acceptance to larger audiences all over the world as much as it continues to influence the ideologies they hold and their actions in the social setting. The effects can be felt at various levels of either the society, individually as a group, an organization, or the entire society or culture that consumes the products of new media. As a result, the beliefs and opinions of an individual may be different from those held by a group, implying that the media they are in close contact with will affect them differently. This paper provides qualitative findings which indicate the scope of the study conducted. Literature Review Prior studies indicate that the development of mass media, along with other forms of media, has had far-reaching effects on the social patterns expressed by those that consume these products. Many scholars have devoted their efforts towards the identification of effects brought about by the production as well as the distribution of ACG materials on the consumers. However, most of these studies fail to identify the significance of the new media as much as they do not demystify the specific impact brought about by a given instances of the evolution of new media (McQuail, 1977, 76). The failure to identify the exact impacts of new media arises from the poor communication among the researchers. In turn, this would go a long way in establishing a common ground, and the failure to incorporate the members of the public, the producers of new media, and the policy makers, who are likely to understand the motives of a given piece of new media better than anyone in the research field is. As much as the new media may have significant effects on the society, it is not entirely adequate to focus on its effects without considering how the society has influenced the media. There are equally comparable institutions in the society such as the religion, law, and education, which have contributed to, or limited the development of new media and its adoption in the society. The diversity of both organizational form and the contents of new media cause it to have a wide range of effects on various sectors of the society. Similarly, the global community is highly diverse implying that the effects that the various categories of the audience have on the new media are widespread. The culture, beliefs, and values of the people determine the nature of media products they opt to consume, as dictated by legal standards, or the religious beliefs (Frasca, 2001, 172). Production of cultural contents ensures that the individual producers express their cultural and ethnic ideologies, which are passed on to the consumers. Craig and King, (2010, 23), in their work, examine how global pop cultures have exchanged hands, with the peoples access to television programs, music, and commercials, being enhanced by technology and new media. As such, the people in the market may adopt a given hairstyle, dance, cuisine, popular music, or fashion as defined by the producer in a game, comic book, or animation. Many cultural studies have addressed the issue of productions that are oriented on a given culture, identifying such differences as those between the western and eastern system of beliefs and values. Through the media, people develop attitudes from other cultures, which give them multiple modernities (Choi, and Lau, 2004, 17). Case Study A case study of the differences between the effects of new media on ACG and audiences in the US and Japan, and how their popular culture has affected the Asian pop culture is conducted, to ensure a better understanding of the topic. The popular culture in each of these countries has been impacted by the influence from each other as much as they have influenced the global patterns of gaming, comics, and animation that are adopted. The fan culture plays a significant role in determining the nature of animations, comics, and games that are created and developed for the various categories of fans. The scientific evolutions that have been made are essential in facilitating these innovations as well as the spread of fan culture on a global perspective. The opinions expressed over the internet by an individual, regarding a piece of ACG, may not be widely considered as those expressed by a large audience. The opinions expressed may lead to improvement of a video game to suit the needs of the users, production of more consumer-oriented animations, or inspire the author of a comic book to be more creative. On the contrary, negative comments could cause the producers to cease production, as they perceive this work ineffective. Thus, it is evident that the audiences have a significant deal of influence of the nature of ACG culture that is embraced by producers (Cover, 2004, 184). Conclusion Global communication, made possible by the new media such as the internet, social media, and smartphones has been a significant contributor to the changes experienced in the ACG culture. Also, this has affected the most of the aspects of the audiences, who form the fan base of the ACG products. The new media has both positive and negative effects on both aspects of ACG culture and the audience. The technology has enhanced the value of global cultures, which are now closely connected than they were in the past. Through the incorporation of a wide range of methods such as textual, archival and studies in production, this project helps to address the development of ACG culture, how technology has contributed to this advancement and the contribution of the audience towards its advancement. Bibliography Bertot, J.C., Jaeger, P.T. and Hansen, D., 2012. The impact of polices on government social media usage: Issues, challenges, and recommendations. Government information quarterly,29(1), pp.30-40. Choi, J. and Lau, J.K.W., 2004. Multiple Modernities: Cinemas and Popular Media in Transcultural East Asia. Cover, R. (2004). New media theory: electronic games, democracy and reconfiguring the authoraudience relationship.Social Semiotics,14(2), 173-191. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1035033042000238268 Craig, Timothy J., and Richard King eds.Global goes local: Popular culture in Asia. UBC Press, 2010. Frasca, G., 2001. Rethinking agency and immersion: video games as a means of consciousness-raising.Digital Creativity,12(3), pp.167-174. McQuail, D., 1977. The influence and effects of mass media.Mass communication and society, pp.70-94. Murray, A., 2013.Information technology law: the law and society. Oxford University Press. Sparks, G., 2015.Media effects research: A basic overview. Nelson Education.
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