Site 1: https://heroesandgenerals.com
Heroes and generals has an age 13 restriction according to the terms and services, so it can be assumed that the intended audience is a relatively mature one due to the graphic and violent content in the game associated with the site. However, it can be assumed that the target audience is slightly more than the official age bracket as the majority age that plays the game is 16-18. Generally, the site fits the ideal audience very well. It has vivid and exciting images to promote the game and its action-packed gameplay which fits with relatively young the audience as it features no overly graphic content, but enough suggested violence to appeal to their demographic. The violence is essential because the product it promotes relies on the violence to be appealing, which means that It might not be universally accepted as appropriate to younger players, but overall fits the bill quite nicely. It also features a professional aesthetic with large blurred boxes to highlight the interactive sections on the site such as “Assault team optimizations – Update 1.11.1 is here”. This appeals to the audience as a younger audience isn’t interested in a long winded but informative structure, and wants to be on the website as little as possible. This simple structure allows the user to gain all the essential information in an engaging way just by looking at the page, with easy access to more information should it be needed. Overall, the structure, content, colours and media all come together to create something appealing, engaging and generally age appropriate.
Site 2: https://warthunder.com/en
War thunder has an age rating of 12+ with a considerable amount of thought toward its younger players, more so than site 1. For example, no direct violence or gore is featured on the website as the game it promotes is based entirely on tank to tank combat. This means no blood and gore is featured, and the most graphic content it does show are explosions. However, the website’s main page is of its much more child friendly football game mode, making the content displayed on the website far more age appropriate to the lowest range of their player base. The colours are also vibrant on this site as well, which again appeals to the audience seeking excitement in the game and attracts the user to navigate the website and look through its information and to register and download their product. Interactive elements such as clickable pictures to exterior articles and register/download buttons are also prominent, appealing to the website’s adrenaline hungry audience by making it as visually appealing as possible with colours and detailed design. Unlike site 1 though, the format is relatively complex and doesn’t lend itself to its younger audience as there is too much information and too many articles for some 12-year-olds not to get confused. In summary, the war thunder website takes great care in addressing concerns about age inappropriateness and works to feature as little graphic yet still appealing media as possible. However, it lacks simplicity in its design, and without proper help and guidance some of its younger users may find difficulty using the site.