Wednesday, January 29, 2020

The Pantheon as an Architectural Success Essay Example for Free

The Pantheon as an Architectural Success Essay The Roman Pantheon is the most preserved building in Rome despite all the additions and restorations to its original form. The original Pantheon was built in 27 BC by Marcus Agrippa after the conclusion of the Battle of Actium. The monolithic structure seen in Rome today, however, is no longer the original Pantheon from Agrippa’s time. The 27 BC Pantheon burned down in the historic fire of 80 AD and was completely reconstructed by Emeperor Hadrian in 125 AD with the present day structure. Hadrian, however, attributed the construction to the mind behind the original Pantheon as attested to by the inscription on the portico Hadrian left on the building itself, â€Å"Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, in his third consulate, made it.† (Ward-Perkins, 111).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Pantheon continues to amaze thousands of individuals daily. Tourists as well as Roman locals are held enchanted by the buildings faà §ade and dome. The interest stirred up by the Pantheon, however, doesn’t involve just tourists and curious eyes of onlookers. The architectural accomplishment that is the Pantheon has evoked many debates and researches as to its resilience to weathering and time. The Pantheon is a wonder of the modern world, a success story that continues to urge minds of the academe to unlock its secrets. This paper intends to delve into the more physical aspect of the Pantheon and unearth the factors that contribute to the greatness of the structure’s architectural design and composition.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Pantheon exemplifies the best of what the Roman architectural revolution put forth during the first century. The Pantheon has within its frame some of the most advanced innovations Roman architects of the first century could provide. Its construction was made possible through the development and utilization of a new type of expert concrete that is now known as Roman concrete. Roman concrete allowed for buildings and architectural structures that were more curvilinear in form. This is most evident in the Pantheon’s configuration (Mark Hutchinson, 24).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Roman concrete used material that was very similar to the material used today in making concrete. The difference is seen in the way the Romans utilized these materials. The basic technique employed in Roman construction at that time consisted of only a few steps. First, a semi-fluid substance of lime, pozzolan, and small stones are poured in. Then a layer of stones is put on top this mixture. A second batch of the semi-fluid substance is then poured over which another layer of stones are placed. This technique is generally accepted by those studying Roman architecture. Debate continues, however, regarding the placement of the mortar on whether it was poured or tamped (Herring, 14).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Roman pozzolan-based concrete proved to be advantageous because of the extra aspects it added to the possibilities of design which were not available with lime mortar. One of these aspects is the fact that Roman pozzolan-based concrete did not need to be dried out for them to set. Roman concrete would set even when immersed. These would also cool relatively faster than lime mortar and had an added factor of increasing compressive strength, although tensile strength was low. (Mainstone, 25)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The pozzolan base of Roman concrete, however, was not the only factor that made this material superior to all others available during the time of construction of the Pantheon. There were three other factors that played into the excellence of Roman concrete. Romans were very skilled in choosing the best quality of lime for the concrete. It was essential for them to ensure that only the best quality of materials went in to creating their concrete. The early Roman construction workers were also strict in enforcing that the same relative amounts of materials went into the concrete production process. This was to ensure that the concrete they produced would always have the same first-rate quality. The ratio of water mixed with the cement material was also monitored. The Romans made sure that water was minimal in the mixture. The process of placing and compaction of the mortar was also perfected, ensuring that almost no spaces were present in the aggregate. This was to ensure that the structure for which the concrete was being used would attain the highest possible strength and therefore be one that would last under weathering and other corrosive factors (Herring, 16).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The construction of the Pantheon was not a simple task. The yard, from which the blocks used to construct the structure, was located 800 meters away from the actual site of the Pantheon. Delivery of the blocks from the building yard to the construction site must have required many laborers. The distance, however, may have also been counterbalanced by the Tiber River via which most of the blocks must have been shipped. With all the work involved in the construction of the Pantheon, it is certain that care and skill were essential in the construction. Only with extra caution and true skill could a monument such as the Pantheon truly stand and outlast its makers. (Hasselberg, 88)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Understanding the material which contributed to the strength of the Pantheon is only the first step in understanding the might of its design. Certainly, the Roman Pantheon has lasted the test of time and has undergone the weathering of ages due to the Roman concrete with which it was built. And certainly the Romans ability to come up with a plan for this construction and to follow through with these plans through careful execution and skillful craftsmanship added to this architectural success. However, the monolithic structure has continued on as a great architectural feat through time not only because of its durability but also because of its monumental design. The well-renowned painter of the ceiling of the Sistine chapel, Michelangelo, was one of the many people whose amazement and love for the arts were drawn forth by the Pantheon. He is known to have once described the building as having an â€Å"Angelic and not human design†, a design attributable to the competence and expertise of the ancient Romans (Lugli, 1). The Pantheon’s interior is one of the most concrete examples for the beauty and angelic appeal of the building. The first and most conspicuous aspect of the Pantheon’s interior that invites its visitor to exclaim in wonder is not the walls or ceiling but rather the amount of space that welcomes all to take a step inside. Roman architecture considered space to be something more than just a gap between two objects. Rather, space was considered as a concrete object, as something with volume, with equal weight as the human body. The Pantheon provides modern-day proof of the Roman architects need to place room and make space in the architectural designs of the buildings constructed at that time (Semes, C1.1). The extensive space seen in the Pantheon is not complete to be considered as remarkable if left by itself. It must always be considered with relation to a context, the structures forming the boundary of that space. It is then essential for the Roman architects to ensure that the walls and domed ceiling of the Pantheon will do well to complement the space they wish to portray in the building (Semes, C1.2). In the case of the Pantheon, Roman architects chose a round shape to serve as a boundary of the space within the interior of the Pantheon. The circular shape adds to a feeling that the Pantheon’s interior is indeed spacious. The Pantheon’s walls are ordered by an array of extravagant structures such as the building’s columns, lintels, niches, doorways, and of course the wall itself seen between the earlier mentioned structures. The structures involved in the Pantheon’s walls were not only varied in type but were also varied in terms of the subtypes. The additions to the wall were formed into varying shapes, thus forming subtypes, to add to the intricacy of the beauty of the Pantheon’s interior (Semes, C1.2). Take a moment now to scrutinize one of these features which exists as an aspect of the design of the Pantheon celebrated by contemporary architects as a link to early architectural concepts of beauty. This is seen in the three basic dimensions of the Pantheon’s wall. These three dimensions include the diameter of the columns, the space between each column, and the height of the columns. These dimensions are in the ratio of 1:2:9.5 in the Pantheon. Hermogenes, a popular architect during the Hellenistic age, considered these dimensions and ratio to be the makings of a perfect faà §ade. Vitruvius, the engineer during the 1st century in Rome, is most likely the one to bring to life through the Pantheon the concepts introduced by Hermogenes (Hasselberg, 89).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The round wall contains many niches as well creating an impression of the wall containing numerous chambers at different levels. These niches contain some of the most reputable men of the Western world including kings of Italy, popes, and famous painters such as Raphael. All niches as well as openings in the wall are framed by an arch of bricks which serve more than just beautification purposes. These arches add to the support of the wall above the openings and niches and were called relieving arches because of this feature. These arches only went so far as the wall and did not invade the Pantheon’s dome. Creating structural support through the use of relieving arches was very common with Roman architects during the time the Pantheon was built (Lugli, 30). Roman architects showed their prowess by the careful placement of these structures, the columns, the lintels, the niches, the doorways, and the wall itself. They alternated solid structures with spaces creating an interaction between the two which worked to increase the Pantheon’s appeal as an architectural masterpiece. The differing shapes in the structures, therefore, did not give a sense of disorder but rather an overall impression of organization in the face of diversity. The walls and its complementing features thus give an observer’s eyes a feast both as individual pieces and as an integrated whole (Semes, C1.2). One of the most acclaimed features of the Pantheon is its domed ceiling. It is celebrated world-wide for its being built. The Romans were known for their addition of arches in their structures. The creation of the Roman Pantheon’s domed ceiling gives evidence to the development of the Roman architectural concept of arches. Roman architecture evolved to improve the concept of the arch, modifying it and making it more complex with the resulting structure of a dome. The Roman concrete based on pozzolan is acknowledged by many to be the reason for the Roman architects’ success in building a domed ceiling. At the time, the new form of concrete made the construction of the ceiling an accomplishable feat. Lime mortar would not have been an easy material to use in the construction of the Pantheon’s ceiling, thus the use of the new pozzolan-based concrete, which had many features of modern Portland concrete, contributed greatly to the monumental task of building the dome-shaped ceiling. However, there are those who believe that although the concrete is one of the main factors involved in the dome’s success, it is not the only factor. Robert Mark and Paul Hutchinson believe that the concentric stepped rings placed in the outer surface of the Pantheon dome add to the success of the ceiling (26). It is believed that the steven step rings helped to bring stability to the entire structure of the Pantheon by adding to the compression of the structure. This is evidenced by the oculus at the center of the dome which serves as a compression ring. The positioning of the ring or oculus effectively distributes the compression of the structure about this point. The compression ring attests to the skill of the Roman architects and engineers. They not only had the skill and knowledge required to create the colossal Pantheon but they also had the expertise and comprehension of modern engineering to create it in such a way that it would remain standing as a solid and stable structure for a long time.   Many of the imitations of the Pantheon add such stepped rings to the dome of their derivative structures probably for the same purpose of stability and compression. The dome was also a successful architectural feat with the help of the coffering. Coffering is the placing of sunken panels of different shapes in accordance with the structures in the ceiling. This serves aesthetic purposes as well as reinforces structural strength. The dome’s underside was also made stronger with the use of lightweight aggregate in the upper part of the building’s edifice. The aggregate was of lower density than the aggregate used in the lower parts of the building such as the walls, floor and columns. It is evident then that a lot of though went into the creation of the Pantheon’s dome (Mark Huthcinson, 26). Because of the addition of an oculus in the domed ceiling, the Pantheon provides a perfect example of an architect’s use of light to emphasize the appearance of space. The Pantheon’s dome has an oculus or opening in the middle which makes a circular form across the Pantheon’s interior, the floor and the walls. Sunlight streams in through the open oculus and gives an enchanting chiaroscuro effect, a term indicating the alternating effect of light and dark, via the columns and niches in the room (Semes, C1.2). The shadows created by the columns and niches plays with the light coming in from the oculus to create the effect of irregular but successive alternations of brightness agains darkness. However, a simple addition of an opening in a spacious room is not enough to create such a marvel as the Pantheon’s interior. There must always be the consideration of the features within the structure’s interior and how these features would interact with the light. The different materials used in the construction of the Pantheon add to the mystery created by the illumination entering from the opening in the dome’s oculus. The classical interior welcomes the streaming in of light from the sun or perhaps even from the moon. The walls, the columns, the niches and even the arches add to the effect given by the streaming glow from above. The marbles with all its colors, the golden gleams from the ornaments, allow for the light to play inside the Pantheon and create different effects (Semes, C1.2). The columns in the Pantheon’s interior are created with different types of marble. Those in the lower zone are of a material called giallo antico. This is a type of marble that is of a yellowish-orange color. Some of the other columns in the lower zone are made of marble with an off-white color streaked with reddish-purple hues, called pavonazzo. The walls and floor are covered with marble of white, green, and green-gray colors. Although it may seem to one who has not seen the Pantheon up close that these colors would clash and cause quite an unattractive display of shades, this is not the case in the Pantheon. The architects and engineers of the Pantheon were so skilled that even in the mixing of these hues; the Pantheon creates a sense of intricate beauty and intimate splendor. These add to the attraction of the Pantheon’s interior for visiting tourists and even for the locals. The colors are so well balanced that the interior creates a sense of energy and of unity despite the variation (Semes, C1.2). The Pantheon lends this energy to its visitors, encapsulating them in its color-induced aura once they step inside the great structure’s walls. The Pantheon came to be used for different purposes, attesting to the flexibility of its architectural design. Historians speculate that the Pantheon may have been initially used as a dedication to the Roman gods and goddesses worshipped by many at that time. It may also have served an astrological purpose which may have been the reason for the oculus or hole at the rooftop of the Pantheon. The structure continued to served as a church in 608, as a funerary afterwards, and as a place where the busts of artists not laid to rest in the Pantheon were placed (Howell, 34). The end of the Roman civilization signaled the replacement of Roman architectural design. The Dark Ages was a time of little growth in architectural design but new architecture was conceptualized by the succeeding Renaissance minds. If not for structures such as the Pantheon, Roman architecture would have been all but forgotten. Today, many historians, architects and researchers continue to study the Pantheon to try and uncover the secrets lost during the downfall of the Roman Empire. It provides modern architects are now returning to the foundations of classical architecture and the Pantheon is a treasure trove of knowledge regarding classical design. The Pantheon provides these architects with aspects of classical design that are no longer visible in modern structures. It is clear that the Pantheon continues to be a legacy of the skill and capabilities of the Roman architects who made it (Semes, C1.2). Works Cited Lugli, G. â€Å"The Pantheon and Adjacent Structures.† Rome: Giovanni Bardi Publisher, 1971 Hasselberg, Lothar. â€Å"Deciphering a Roman Blueprint.† Scientific American 272 (1995): 84-89 Herring, Ben. â€Å"The Secrets of Roman Concrete.† Constructor Magazine September 2002:13-16 Howell, Peter. â€Å"Pantheons: Transformations of a Monumental Idea.† Apollo Magazine September 2005: 33-36 Mainstone, Rowland. â€Å"Letter On the Structure of the Roman Pantheon.† The Art Bulletin 68 (1986): 673-674 Mark, Robert, and Paul Hutchinson. â€Å"On the Structure of the Roman Pantheon.† The Art Bulletin 68 (1986): 24-34 Semes, Steven. â€Å"Pantheon Inside.† Architecture Week 254 (2005): C1.1-C1.2 Ward-Perkins, J.B. â€Å"Roman Imperial Architecture.† New York: Penguin Books, 1985

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Epilepsy And The Blood Type Diet :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Epilepsy And The Blood Type Diet Are people with certain blood types more susceptible to chronic seizures than others? Can a simple diet reverse this medical condition? And why didn't anybody think of this before? There's a myriad of fad diets out these days: Atkins, the fruit juice diet, Russian Air Force diet, and the Zone to name a few. However, the most recent craze is, "The Blood Type Diet", based on the book, Eat Right 4 Your Type by Doctor Peter D'Adamo. The diet focuses on an individual's genetic makeup (blood type) in determining which foods are best digested. D'Adamo heads up the Institute for Human Individuality (IfHi), which "seeks to foster research in the expanding area of human nutrigenomics. The science of nutrigenomics (naturopathic medicine) seeks to provide a molecular understanding for how common dietary chemicals affect health by altering the expression or structure of an individual's genetic makeup" (1). On the website, the "five basic tenets of nutrigenomics" are listed as: 1. Improper diets are risk factors for disease. 2. Dietary chemicals alter gene expression and/or change genome structure. 3. The degree to which diet influences the balance between healthy and disease states may depend on an individual's genetic makeup. 4. Some diet-regulated genes (and their normal, common variants) are likely to play a role in the onset, incidence, progression, and/or severity of chronic diseases. 5. "Intelligent nutrition" - that is, diets based upon genetics, nutritional requirements and status - prevents and mitigates chronic diseases. (1). The Blood Type Diet is founded upon the microscopic observation of how ABO types break down different foods, suggesting that one person's nourishment may be another's poison. The book examines the demographic distributions of different blood types, and proposes that "the variations, strengths and weaknesses of each blood group can be seen as part of humanity's continual process of acclimating to different environmental challenges" (2). D'Adamo asserts that blood groups "evolved as migratory mutations," with type O being the most "ancient" of the ABO group, and housing the largest population (40-45%), second to type A (35-40%), dwindling in B (4-11%), with the rarest being AB (0-2%). People with type O blood (hunter-gatherers) are encouraged to be carnivores, while type A's can survive solely as vegetarians. Explaining the origin and spread of blood type B, D'Adamo states, "Two basic blood group B population patterns emerged out of the Neolithic revolution in Asia: an agrarian, relati vely sedentary population located in the south and east, and the wandering nomadic societies of the north and west" (2).

Monday, January 13, 2020

Gerard Manley Hopkins Essay

The Windhover, by Gerard Manley Hopkins is a poem about the essence of natural things. This poem describes the relationship of human beings to the natural world as the poet is addressing God through the bird. It is praising him for all the marvellous things He has created and that humans can enjoy. The poem consists in three verses. In the first verse, the poet describes the power of the bird as it is portrayed as the master of heavens. This verse captures the movement of the bird in the sky. It starts with â€Å"I caught this morning mornings minion† that gives the feeling that the bird is a servant of the sky and it is the morning because it is a good time for hunting. Hopkins puts words together like â€Å"dapple dawn-drawn† to portray multi-images as here where the bird is drawn in the sky. Also, the alliteration here produces the effect of the bird’s movement in the air and the intensity of the poem’s feeling. The author writes that the bird is â€Å"striding high there† and this produces the image that the bird is taking huge steps in the air. The bird also â€Å"rung upon the rein of a wimpling wing† showing his power and control with â€Å"ecstasy†. The bird has control over the wind. The rhythm in this verse is very slow, yet steady. This verse consists in very long sentences that convey the effect that the bird is circling the air; with long movements it also reflects the poets feelings. This verse gives as the feeling that he poet has searched very well the words to describe his feelings but at the same time describing the bird. He searches for words that sound as they are written for example â€Å"sweeps smooth†. The second verse consists only of three lines explaining how the bird spots its pray and here, the beauty of the bird is more accentuated when the author uses â€Å"Brute beauty† to describe how beautiful the bird is, even when it is hunting. The word â€Å"brute† has an impact on the readers because this word means violent, wild, but here, the author uses it to emphasize that the beauty is a different kind of beauty; that it is a magnificent beauty, so marvellous and magnificent that there is no better word to describe it than brute. The poem reaches to the climax when the bird spots the pray and the author writes â€Å"here buckle! † as if warning us for action. To be prepared. From now on, the rhythm is more steady with lots of comas and faster than the first verse. This gives us the effect that the bird is now descending towards its pray. At the end of this verse, the author addresses to God as â€Å"Oh my chevalier! † and this is to thank Him for creating such marvellous things as the bird, full of â€Å"Brute beauty† so that humans can enjoy, even though it is only by watching them. When the author addresses to God, the rhythm changes. This matches the ecstasy of the bird in his own physical mastery of the sky. The last verse consists also in three lines, and here, the relationship of human beings to the natural world is also portrayed. This verse is more as a pronouncement. Here the author stops speaking about the bird and makes us realise how God’s beauty of creation is in everything, even in things where there is no apparent beauty. This is achieved also when Hopkins starts talking about how the â€Å"shi er pli d† makes even ploughing beautiful and how â€Å"blue-bleak embers† are also beautiful. In conclusion, I think that Hopkins decides to first start talking about the Windhover and about its â€Å"Brute beauty† to then compare it to the beauty found in every thing of creation. He relates human being to the beauty of nature because the beauty found in nature comes from human’s sacrifice. The words on Hopkins poem impact me because they make me realise how lucky we are to be part of creation and enjoy the beauty there is from Christ’s sacrifice.

Sunday, January 5, 2020

Love In Pride and Prejudice Novel - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1069 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2019/05/29 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: Pride and Prejudice Essay Did you like this example? Literary essay on Pride and Prejudice All the plot lines of this novel Jane Austen converge to two main characters Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. At first, one can get the impression that each of them embodies one of two traits: Mr. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Love In Pride and Prejudice Novel" essay for you Create order Darcy pride, Elizabeth prejudice against this rich and arrogant man. In fact, each of them is equally inherent in pride and long-term prejudice against each other. However, the central theme of the novel is the theme of getting rid of erroneous judgments, prompted by the first impressions, correcting them through new impressions and vigorous mental work.In her novel, Jane Austen wanted, first of all, to show a reader the relationship between people and to analyze the individual aspects of human psychology. This explains the absence of the verbal portrait of Elizabeth Bennet: the author only mentions that the girl is pretty and charming, but not so beautiful as her older sister. It is much more important for Jane Austen to tell us about her thoughts, feelings, and actions. Elizabeth does not have exceptional musical abilities, poorly understands painting, and constantly demonstrates energy and liveliness of mind instead of sad languor. Discretion and common sense determine her behavior. Lizzie is not capable of love at first sight: the real feeling is born in her heart not as a result of first impressions, but after a long time, as a result of the process of recognition and experience, supported by deep reflections. That is why she is confident in herself and her feelings. Elizabeth strictly adheres to her own views on what are happiness and marriage, considering the guarantee of family happiness not as class and material criteria, but the sincerity of the feelings of future spouses. Pr ide, or more precisely good self-esteem and her fearlessness, is present in every action and every replica of Elizabeth.Mr. Darcy has his own pride. As soon as he appears on the pages of the novel all the characters become aware of the amount of his income 10 000 pounds a year, the enormous amount for that time. Mr. Darcys appearance was not ignored by the author and he is described as a good-looking aristocratic man. Nevertheless, his beauty and charm are admired, while people know about his wealth when he demonstrates pride and arrogance his appearance starts to produce an unpleasant impression. Although he, trying to explain his behavior, speaks of his inability to easily meet people that does not convince Elizabeth. Moreover, almost simultaneously with him, the author presents Wickham, who acts as the antipode of the main character. Hardly having met Elizabeth, he tells her the story of his life, in which Mr. Darcy played the most indecent, in his words, role. Thus, all the circumstances are not in Mr. Darcys favor, and further development of the plot seems unpredictable. The rebuke, which Elizabeth gives Darcy, should, as if , signify the completion of their acquaintance. However, Elizabeths refusal only gives impetus to a new development of their relations. The refusal received by Darcy was not an easy test for his pride. A man of aristocratic upbringing, he did not show his raging feelings. With his restraint, the most natural way of expressing emotions was not direct dialogue but correspondence with his chosen one.The most important elements of the formation of Darcys image are the judgments made about him by other characters. And if at the beginning of the novel these judgments form a negative image of the character, later, from the moment of Elizabeths visit to Pemberley, the opinions of other people about Mr. Darcy help her to get rid of the formed stereotype. She admires the perfect taste of the owner, who managed not to disturb the natural beauty of the landscape. The interior of the house also gives her pleasure not a tasteless luxury, but genuine elegance. The enthusiastic response about Mr. Darcy from his housekeeper becomes another revela tion for Elizabeth. All these external impressions gradually transform the initially hostile attitude of Elizabeth into completely different feelings.As for Mr. Darcy, when Elizabeth appears in his life, a fierce struggle unfolds in his soul. He struggles against his feelings for Elizabeth, realizing that the girls social position does not match his rank. Although, from their conversations, it is clear that the young man has nothing against her, and even at the most provocative Lizzies replicas he responds with polite kindness. In fact, some of Darcys phrases show his feelings. For example, during Elizabeths visit to tte Collins, he reproaches her for being overly attached to her home, and his words reveal a secret desire to take Lizzy out of Longbourn. The proposal he made to Elizabeth shortly after this conversation is the result of a significant concession of his beliefs in favor of the voice of the heart. It is not easy for Mr. Darcy to admit his love, but he is still a proud person, not doubting that any girl will feel happy with his condescension. Love and pride still have equal power over him, and Elizabeths accusation that he did not explain himself in the way that a noble man should wound him no less than the girls refusal. Indeed, Mr. Darcy considered himself a true aristocrat, and it was the class prejudices that prevented him from giving vent to his feelings. From this moment, the better me of Mr. Darcy begins to struggle with his pride. By doing good things, he makes Elizabeth to change her opinion about him and decides to talk to her again abo ut his feelings. During this explanation, both characters admit their mistakes.Throughout the novel, the development of Elizabeths feelings for Mr. Darcy is shown in all complexity and contradiction: from dislike to doubts, then, to regret about her judgments about him, and finally, to admiration. By the end of the book Elizabeth becomes not only happy but also wise: now she is more circumspect and understands that one cannot rely either on first impressions or on public opinion because everyone looks at things differently. The path of Mr. Darcy towards Elizabeth is the path of getting rid of prejudices and arrogance, the path from vanity and pride to a self-critical reassessment of ones character. Thus, from a lot of observations and meetings, a new image of each other is gradually emerging in the souls of Elizabeth and Darcy. Finally, love replaced pride and prejudice.

Saturday, December 28, 2019

Incarnation of the piracy industry - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 32 Words: 9719 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Statistics Essay Did you like this example? 1.0 INTRODUCTION With the introduction of Broadband internet access in 2001, many consumers were able to enjoy online gaming which was never heard of before because of a lack of infrastructure, technology and also being very expensive. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Incarnation of the piracy industry" essay for you Create order With the advances in technology, broadband internet was made available to the general public and this enabled streaming of media and games online relatively easy. Microsoft took this opportunity to introduce a groundbreaking technology service of online gaming themed, Xbox Live which facilitated gamers to connect to each other via the internet and engage in online multiplayer sessions. This in turn allowed for the spin off of the piracy industry to form within the reigns of what Microsoft created. Within the last decade, the piracy industry has grown leaps and bounds relentlessly and has become a billion dollar industry itself, threatening the market share that Microsoft has also. A market was available for the piracy industry because it offered a cheaper alternative to what Microsoft was selling, which was a copy or duplicate of the product. This has caused Microsoft to change their marketing strategies and try to regain a competitive advantage in the industry. The researcher intends to investigate the factors that are responsible for the rise in the piracy industry. The researcher will also scrutinize Microsoft to find out what effect the piracy industry has had on their sales. 1.1 RESEARCH QUESTION The researcher will attempt to examine the various factors that may have contributed to the incarnation of the piracy industry globally. The researcher also plans to investigate the effects of this rise on Microsofts sales. 1.2 HYPOTHESIS It can be assumed that from the lapse in laws and restraints from governments has allowed the piracy industry to become a successful alternative in the gaming industry. 1.3 PRIMARY AIM The researcher intends to investigate the factors which are responsible for the rise of the piracy industry and its impact on Microsoft. 1.4 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES 1. To examine Microsofts strategies with regards to competition in the growing gaming industry. 2. To Analyze how entering the video game industry fits with Microsofts strategy. 3. To investigate if the video game piracy industry has grown in the last 12 years. 4. To investigate the impact of recent Government Legislations against Piracy in the Entertainment Industry. 1.5 PURPOSE OF STUDY To investigate whether the piracy industry has had an effect on the sales of Microsoft and its implications on Microsoft. 1.6 THE INDUSTRY The gaming industry is a highly competitive market with Microsoft battling the piracy industry for the market share. The piracy industry holds an estimated 41% of video games sales globally. Growth has also been evident by gigantic torrent streams on the internet. 1.7 BACKGROUND TO COMPANY Microsoft is a software innovative company. Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq MSFT) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential. www.microsoft.com Microsoft is a multinational computer technology corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses and also provides support for a vast range of software products for computers. Its headquarters is based in Redmond, Washington, USA and its most successful and profitable products are the Microsoft Windows operating system and also the Microsoft Office software bundle. Microsofts dominance began in the 1980s with its MS-DOS operating system in the home computer market. They followed it up with the Windows operating system which proved to be very successful. 1.8 HISTORY OF COMPANY In the midst of $32 billion annually, Microsoft Corporation is arguably the greatest software company in the world. It can be dubbed a cultural phenomenon if so desired. The companys core business is targeted within licensing, manufacturing and developing software products. With founder and owner, Bill Gates at the helm, the company has succeeded at having at least one of its products on every personal computer in the world defining the benchmark in the industry relentlessly. LITERATURE REVIEW 2.0 This critical literature review will attempt to form the cornerstone upon which this research is constructed. This literature review will attempt to provide statistics and information within the paradigm of the topic at hand. The subsequent section includes the views of various authors on the matter of competitive advantage, growth and strategic choices and the generic methods implemented. According to Gill and Johnson, it is claimed that a critical literature review should provide the reader with a statement of the state of the art and major questions and issues in the field under consideration. (Gill and Johnson, 1991, p.21) .Hussey and Collis also cosigns this by stating that a literature review is to be an interpretation and synthesis of published research. (Hussey and Collis, 2003, p. 109). Hussey and Collis further states that there is a purpose underlying the activity which involves locating, reading and evaluating reports of research as well as reports of casual observation and opinion (Borg and Gall, 1989, p.114). Hussey and Collis goes on to state that the review helps guide and inform the research This review should provide an accurately scoped analytical literature on supplementary views on growth and strategic choices and competitive advantage then contrasted and compared along with the literature of published authors to form a detailed critical literature study. GROWTH IN THE ECONOMY 2.1 Porter described the industry life cycle as the grandfather of concepts for predicting industry evolution. ( Lynch, 2003, p.94). According to Lynch, the nature of corporate strategy will change as industries move along the life cycle. (Lynch, 2003, p94). This is further supported by Porter and a later definition which states that economic growth could be the positive change in the production of goods and services by a country over a certain period of time. Source: https://www.investorwords.com/5540/economic_growth.html ECONOMIC GROWTH THEORIES 2.1.1 Smith (1790) was the progenitor of the laissez-faire and international trade that we know of today. Within the school of thought, there are three predominant theories. The first theory involves a relationship between an economys GDP gap and realistic unemployment rate which is called Okuns Law. The second theory analyses a class of microeconomics where in the short term scale, the growth of the economy is relevant to a succession of shocks to the economy. This theory though, unlike others, sees recessions and periods of economic growth as the only exogenous[1] reactions in the actual economic environment. The final consideration is the Keynesian economic theory. This theory states that the growth of an economy alters accordingly to changes in aggregate demand hence creating a distortion in supply and demand and goods for sale. The most applicable theory to this study would be that of the Keynesian economic theory with regard to the gaming industry. The gaming industry boasts annual sales of up to $21.33 billion USD a year according to https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2009/01/video-game-sale.html This high demand for video games has led to an increase in piracy as a black market interception within the industry. The rise of the piracy industry and the major limiting factor against the original software games was that of price. The pirates offered the games at a significantly reduced price which appealed to the millions of teenagers who were basically jobless and enticed by the attractable pricing. The most successful game at the last quarter of 2009-first quarter 2010 has been Activisions Call of Duty-Modern Warfare 2 which has sold a walloping 1.3 billion in its first month. According to estimates, Modern Warfare 2 which launched back in November has not only sold more than $1 billion USD at retail, but in its first five days it sold $550 million USD worldwide. $550 million USD in five days is nothing to sniff at. Apparently, that beats the five-day box office grosses for Avatar, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, and The Dark Knight. Source- https://www.incgamers.com/News/20469/modern-warfare-2-sales-pass-1-billion-usd This has resulted in this game alone being pirated 5.1 million times according to www.geek.com. COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE 2.2 A company that enjoys an advantage with lowered costs than its rivals is said to have a competitive advantage. Competitive strategy is described as being different. It means purposely choosing to perform activities differently or to perform different activities than rivals to deliver a unique blend of valve. Porter (1985) Companies that contend with each other in the same market by offering the same type of products, is an industry. A company that is more profitable legally within the same industry is usually exploiting a competitive advantage. Competitive advantage is determined by a companys profitability which is measured by the margins and returns as well as the state of the economy. The company is required to possess some type of sustainable competitive advantage in order to maintain market share and dominance. There is the possibility for companies to enjoy profits above the cost of capital for a short period of time despite not having sustainable competitive advantage. This profit can also draw new threats or entrants which in turn can downgrade economic rent. Consequently, sustainable competitive advantage can therefore be upheld for a significant period of time in a competitive market. Sustainable competitive advantage is when a company has leverage in the market relative to other companies. The basis of the advantage can be initiated by the company being radical and unusual which is also core competency. A companys strategy should strive to influence customers into thinking that the product is of superior quality. A product on the market can be attributed as a good product at a lower price or a better product worth paying more to acquire. Porter (1985), described the low-cost producer in its industry [who] must find and exploit all sources of cost advantage. This was also cosigned by Hamel and Prahalad (1990) who stated that is was important to know the one or two key things that your company does better than the competition. We can therefore draw that in the entertainment industry, the pirated games would be a good product at a lower price. In a competitive business environment, the need to be sustainable requires a firm to be:- 1. Proprietary know how. 2. Installed customer base. 3. Distinctive. 4. Reputation. Porter (1985) pinpointed two cornerstones of competitive advantage. * Differentiation advantage * Cost advantage Differentiation and Cost advantages are considered as positional advantages due to the fact of identifying the companys position in the market and industry as leader in either differentiation or cost. The resource based view accentuates the companys exploits as its resources and capabilities to develop a competitive advantage that adds value to the final product. FIG 1 ILLUSTRATION OF COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE Source: Author. Staying in line with the resource based view, in order to construct a competitive advantage the company must have resources and capabilities that are superior to those of their competitors. The building blocks of a firm are its resources. The resources are used to create a cost or differentiation advantage that is unique to the firm which would also be difficult for competitors to replicate. The piracy industry lacks many resources such as: * Trademarks and Patents Reputation. The CEO of Microsoft stated in a press release that software piracy in China has undercut sales of the real thing, keeping Microsoft from meeting revenue growth targets. Source: https://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2008-10-26-microsoft_N.htm Capabilities represent the companys fortitude to implement its resources profitably. A simple example is the ability of a company to supply the market with a product before the competition. In the video game entertainment industry, new games can be supplied via illegal distribution and access and streamed through underground operations to reach the consumer before official release dates by the manufacturers. This also creates a major loss for the manufacturers as they lose pre-hyped sales and first week mammoth sales on highly anticipated titles. The capabilities and resources of a company therefore create a product of distinctive capabilities. This end product can then be used to influence a differentiation or cost advantage. A low cost differentiation strategy These appeal to a wide spectrum of customers based on the fact of being the low cost provider of a service or product. A broad differentiation strategy This involves identifying the companys product from that of their rivals. A best cost provider strategy This comprises of placing emphasis on low cost or no frills products whilst maintaining upscale differentiation. The aim is to create a market for products that appeal to the cautious buyer looking for a bit of quality yet good prices. A focused or market niche strategy This market is solely based on differentiation, focusing on a fixed narrow buyer market share. This is accomplished by offering a customized product to the market at high end prices which usually is for the upscale members of society. Figure 2 illustrates Porters generic competitive approaches. The piracy industry fits the criteria of a low cost leadership strategy and a best cost provider strategy. BOWMANS COMPETITIVE STRATEGY 2.3 The strategic clock is based upon the work of Bowman (1996). According to Whittington, Scholes and Johnson (2008), the strategic clock represents different positions in a market where customers (or potential customers) have different requirements in terms of value for money. Figure 3 illustrates Bowmans Clock Source: www.marketingteacher.com There are six core strategic options: * Low price/ low added value * Low price * Hybrid * Differentiation * Focused Differentiation * Increased price/ standard * Increased price/ low value * Low value/ standard price Porter proposed three different generic strategies by which an organization could achieve competitive advantage. overall cost leadership, differentiation, and focus. Whittington et al (2008). Bowmans strategies are based on the basis that companies achieve competitive advantage by giving customers access to products which they (customers) deem as better value for money relative to competitors. According to Whittington et al (2008), Building on this proposition, the strategy clock enshrines Porters categories of differentiation and focus alongside price. LOW COST PROVIDER STRATEGIES 2.4 Bourgeois (1998) claims that, Firms with costs lower than that of their competitors are likely to enjoy a competitive advantage in the market place, if they can maintain this cost advantage over time. The competitive strategy a corporation chooses to pursue indentifies the manner by which the management decides to compete diligently in its product markets and provide superior value to customers. Thompson and Strickland (1996). Thompson and Strickland (1998) A low cost leader has two options for achieving superior profit performance. Option one is to use the lower cost edge to under price competitors and attract price sensitive buyers in great numbers to increase total profits. Options two is to refrain from price cutting altogether, to be content with the present market share and use the lower cost edge to earn a higher profit margin on each unit sold, ultimately raising firms total profits and overall return on investment. Porter (1985) claims that to achieve a cost advantage a firms cumulative costs across its value change must be lower than competitors cumulative costs Ansari and Bell (1997) supports this view by stating that, the link between a firms competitive strategy and use of TC exists primarily because TC provides the means for achieving the firms goals of satisfying market demands at an acceptable level of profitability. Porter also stated two ways to accomplish cost advantage were to: * Develop better and more efficient ways of doing internal value chain activities and managing the factors that drive costs of value chain down. * Overhaul the firms value chain to allow some cost producing activities to be detoured. The idea of the value chain interrelated by Kay to be, Adding value is the central purpose of business activities. Kay (1993) Influenced heavily by Porter and Hamel, Kay (1993) claims that the role of strategic management is to choose the core competencies and then assemble a collection of assets that increases value added and provides a competitive advantage. He also claimed that there are three forms of capabilities that enable this, organizational structure, reputation and innovation. This hasnt been shared by everyone, one in particular Barney (1992), claims that internal company resources were the pieces that mattered. He identified strategy as the marriage of resources which included, suppliers and human technology fused together to create a sustainable advantage. COMPETITIVE MARKETS: BCG MATRIX 2.5 When a company has identified its primary strategies that is to be targeted and the strategies to be employed, there should be consideration on whether what role is to be determined in its current and potential markets. Whittington et al (2008), described the BCG matrix as one of the most common and long-standing ways of conceiving of the balance of a portfolio of businesses is the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) matrix. The Growth Share Matrix developed by the BCG is a better known technique to assist companies with evaluating current business activities in the grand scheme of: * Market share and the rate of growth within a market relative to the competitors. * The Companys cash flow expectancy. According to Whittington et al (2008), the BCG matrix has several advantages. It provides a good way of visualizing the different needs and potential of all the diverse businesses within the corporate portfolio. The BCG matrix provides an insight into the current activities as well as forecasting future developments of the firms product(s). Company strategies can thus be developed and implemented using this analytical tool. Figure 4 illustrates the BCG Matrix Model Source: www.QuickMBA.com According to Lynch (2003), the BCG portfolio analysis is undertaken using only two variables: relative market share and market growth. It is clearly a weakness that other variables are not included. CONTROLLING THE COST DRIVERS 2.6 The cost position of a firm can be attributed to the behavior of costs in the activities in the value chain. Porter (1985) identified ten (10) cost drivers related to the value chain activities. * Economies of scale. * Learning. * Capacity utilization. * Linkages among activities. * Interrelationships among business units. * Degree of vertical integration. * Timing of market entry. * Firms policy of cost or differentiation. * Geographic location. * Institutional factors (regulation, union activity, taxes, etc.) The piracy industry fits into some of these cost drivers. They are as follow: ECONOMIES OF SCALE 2.7 Economies of scale occur when industrial activities can be implemented at a lower cost and larger volumes than a lesser volume. The piracy industry applies this by generating copies of games on a cheaper format via the internet compared to original games being shipped on digital video discs which ultimately results in the title or game taking a longer amount of time to get to the retail store which then has to provide to the customer. This form of mass producing at a lower price enables the piracy industry to fit the category of economies of scale. LEARNING 2.8 The experience curve suggests that significant reductions in costs are achieved as companies and the whole industry produces more products. The cost reductions related to the cumulative production ever achieved, not just in one year. Experience can be a key source of cost efficiency and there is evidence it may provide competitive advantage in particular in terms of the relationship between the cumulative experience gained by an organization and its unit costs. Whittington et al (2008) Fig 5 illustrates the Experience curve. Source: https://www.netmba.com/strategy/experience-curve/ Mintzberg (1996) the conception of a novel strategy is a creative process (of synthesis), to which there are no formal techniques (analysis). He also added, strategy had to be conceived informally before it could be programmed formally. This view wasnt shared by Gould (1996). Rumelt (1996) went on to say that, but my own experience is that coherent strategy based upon analyses and understandings of these forces is much more often imputed than actually observed. The Profit Impact of Market Strategy study relating to the 1970s era focused on size, growth and portfolio theory. The decision led to the view that a firm with a greater market share would generate greater profits return. The high market share enables volume and economies of scale. The higher market share also provides experience and learning curve advantages, which leads to an increased profit. The accuracy of this has been renounced by Tellis, Golder (2002). The piracy industry has been lurking ever since as they usually are comprised of hackers and programmers who know the ins and outs of the industry. The piracy industry is basically a black market industry that has accumulated knowledge and implemented distribution via the internet to penetrate markets quicker than retailers. INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS 2.9 A firms cost drivers are relative to decisions by the executives. Some of these which are applicable to the piracy industry are as follows: * Decreasing the variety of products offered. The industry pirates usually focus on games. * After service to customers, there is no warranty from the piracy industry. * Lower wages to employees as operations are usually not governed by employee unions or laws because of illegal nature. * Adopting a no frills type of distribution approach, where product is sold to customer with no questions asked. * Reducing the length of time the product takes to reach the customer. Product is usually downloaded from internet which reduces costs and delivery time, but is illegal. Thompson and Strickland (1998) claimed that, managers not only have to use their knowledge to reduce costs for every activity where cost savings can be indentified but they have to do so with enough ingenuity and commitment that the company ends up with a sustainable cost advantage over rivals. Evidence also pointed to the fact that a low market share strategy could also be very profitable which is applicable to the piracy industry. This theory was also backed by Traverso (2002) and Levenson (1984). This theory led to the belief that companies within the high and low market shares were successful whereas those caught in the middle were less fortunate. Porter (1985) considered this to be the hole in the middle problem. THE VALUE CHAIN 2.10 According to Porter (1985), Dramatic cost advantages can emerge from finding innovative ways to restructure processes and tasks, cut frills and provide the basics more economically. Porter also claims that companies can reconfigure their value chain activities to increase cost advantages. These four occur in the piracy industry: * Non-frill product; marketing and advertising doesnt exist in the piracy industry hence less costs incurred. * Shift to a simpler, less capital-incentive, or more streamlined technological process. * Focus on limited product/service that meets special needs of target segment. * Implementing electronic communication technologies. BEST COST PROVIDER STRATEGY 2.11 This strategy emphasizes on providing customers with the best value for money. It implements a strategic importance on low cost relative to the minimal acceptance of performance, features and quality. This can be theoretically termed a best-cost provider strategy due to the fact that the firm has the lowest cost compared to the other firms on the market with similar products. This strategy is evident in the piracy industry in the form direct downloads from the internet verses purchasing a Digital Video Drive (DVD) disc at a retail store for much more money. CONCLUSION 2.12 The literature encompassed in this chapter has emphasized various aspects in accordance to the topic and objectives at hand in the areas of strategic management, growth and competitive advantage. METHODOLOGY 3.0 According to Bell (1993) the methodology is how the problem was investigated and why particular methods and techniques were used. Silverman (1994) also states like theories, methodologies cannot be true or false, only more or less useful. 3.1 Research Design In order to accomplish the objectives of this particular research it was imperative to conjure and maintain a research design. Vogt (1993) claims, the science and art of planning procedures for conducting studies so as to get the most valid findings. The traits of the positivistic and phenomenological paradigms allow for each to be used in conjunction with each other to complete the methodology for this research. According to Hussey and Collis (2009), this allows you to take a broader, and often complimentary, view of the research problem or issue. Hussey and Collis (2009) states that, the positivistic approach seeks the facts or causes of social phenomena with little regard to the subjective state of the individual. This gives the researcher the opportunity to impartially conduct the study. With regards to the phenomenological paradigm, Hussey and Collis (2000) states that, is concerned with understanding human behaviour from the participants own frame of reference. Hussey and Collis (2009), states that a more phenomenological or qualitative approach is becoming more acceptable and, arguably, is more appropriate for many business research studies. 3.1.1 Strategy This study revolves around the Gaming industrys leading players which include Microsoft and the Piracy Industrys decisions on competition in the Gaming industry. 3.1.2 Types of Research Exploratory Research This is the conduct into a research problem where there are no earlier studies to which information can be referred to. According to Hussey and Collis (2009), the aim of this type of study is to look for patterns, ideas or hypotheses, rather than testing or confirming a hypothesis. Qualitative and Quantitative Research The qualitative approach was undertaken for a greater analytical investigation of the research topic at hand. Some sources of the qualitative date were Case studies, documents and texts. Qualitative is better suited as it gives insight into the industry by which a subjective view can be considered. Some quantitative data was required in order to deduce and decipher the qualitative research. According to Hussey and Collis (2009), the use of different research approaches, methods and techniques in the same study is known as triangulation and can overcome the potential bias and sterility of a single-method approach. Exploratory/Case Studies The case studies aided the phenomenological research. Eisenhardt (1989), refers to the case study as a research study which focuses on understanding the dynamics present within single setting. Bonoma (1985) notes that it must be constructed to be sensitive to the context in which management behavior takes place. According to Scapens (1990), there are other types of research where case studies can be applied. One such approach is explanatory which Scapens (1990) claims is where existing theory is used to understand and explain what is happening. This allows the researcher to analyze the data in the relevant case studies and cast judgment on the data researched. 3.2 Research Methods Research consisting of secondary data was undertaken. 3.2.1 Secondary Data Secondary data is data that already exists, these include books, documents (published statistics, annual reports and accounts of companies, and internal records kept by organizations such as personnel records) and films. Secondary data was collected from: * Microsofts website and various websites containing information about the industry and companies involved with the research. * Strategic Management and Marketing text books. * Bill Gates autobiography. These sources emphasizes on the research topic: To examine Microsofts strategies with competition in the growing gaming industry. These data sources are time saving, easily accessible, cost efficient and covers a wide area of information. 3.2.2 Data Collection Methods A methodological phenomenological paradigm provides the necessary objectivity and scope to conduct a detailed analysis of the effectiveness of the Gaming industry. According to Hussey and Collis (2009), Qualitative data provides a more real basis for analysis and interpretation. Case Studies A case study is an extensive examination of a single instance of a phenomenon of interest and is an example of a phenomenological methodology. Rather than using samples and following a strict protocol to examine limited number of variables, case study methods involve an in-depth, longitudinal examination of a single instance or event: a case. Lamnek (2005) The case study is a research approach, situated between concrete data taking techniques and methodological paradigms. One of the key advantages of using the case studies in this research was that it allowed the researcher to gather data which was both qualitative and quantitative. The illustrative case studies unlike the explanatory case studies do not allow the researcher to access present and existing theories within the framework to address the specific boundaries of the research. 3.3 Data Analysis Methods The collected case studies were cross-case analysed and the results were represented in graphs and tables in a pictorial form to describe the information more vividly and easier to interpret. This would enable the secondary data to be compared and analysed with other data as needed. 3.4 Limitations There were several issues that arose in the collection of data during the research. The allotted time frame was insufficient for the literature project undertaken as well as the volume of data that was needed to be scrutinized. The researcher also faced many trials and tribulations due to the fact that the company was that of a multi-national entity which made efforts of face to face meetings and interviews impossible as the headquarters of said company was based in another country. In addition to this, the researcher was also very inexperienced with data collection which led to delays. There was also less than substantial information regarding the topic presented which also contributed to more delays. The lack of any contributing primary data made the methodology difficult to develop which caused the researcher to adopt a more phenomenological approach. 3.5 Summary The methods chosen were selected due to the scope of the literature allowing for basically secondary data to be implemented. The methods were also sufficient and proved to be vivid enough in analyzing the topic at hand. Notwithstanding that there were problems encountered, the researcher believes that the relevant information was collected and analyzed. FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS 4.0 The results that were collected will be analyzed in this chapter. The results would be represented in graphs, charts and tables. The data and information presented will seek to scrutinize the numerous factors which attributed to the rise of the piracy industry. There will also be visual data to confirm whether there has been an increase in the piracy industry worldwide and if the piracy industry has affected the sales and restructuring of Microsofts marketing strategies. This chapter will also undertake the hypothesis of whether, would government taxes regulate the gaming industry with respect to piracy? It can be noted that at the moment, the piracy industry is thriving with lack of enforcement of laws by relevant authorities. ECONOMIC GROWTH FIGURES As was mentioned in the literature review chapter, the direct growth of the economy is predominantly responsible for the increased rise in the piracy industry. The gaming economy is basically worldwide, so figures and sales would be sampled from some of the bigger markets. Economic Growth is an increase in the real GDP (Gross Domestic Product) per capita of a nation. The Economic growth of a nation helps to determine whether or not the countrys population enjoys a certain standard of living. The following figures show the GDP of the United States of America over the century, highlighting the eras when technology went through its evolution into what it is today. GDP OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 1947-2009 Source: www.data360.org As can be noticed from the above illustration, the GDP of the United States of America has been rising steadily over the years. There could be several reasons attributing this growth. 1. One main factor is that of investment. It is accurate to say that investment has an influence on the rate of growth. The GDP in the United States expanded at an annual rate of 5.90 percent in the last quarter. The United States Gross Domestic Product is worth 14204 billion dollars or 22.91% of the world economy, according to the World Bank. The economy of the United States is the largest in the world. The United States is a market-oriented economy where private individuals and business firms make most of the decisions. The federal and state governments buy needed goods and services predominantly in the private marketplace. 2. Population structure. The age, sex and geographic distribution of a population all have significant implications for economic growth. A population growing in age would tend to hinder economic growth since older people would tend to be more traditional and less inclined to take risks in a business world. From the graphs above it can be seen that with the world population increasing exponentially, the growth of markets will rapidly explode also. The two major electronic markets being the United States of America and China both has the majority of their population within the 15-64 age groups. This exemplifies that both countries populations are not aging. According to the U.S. Bureau of Census, the population of the USA is estimated to be 308,848,051 million people as of March 2010. It is estimated that there is 1 birth every 7 seconds, 1 death every 11 seconds and 1 international migrant every 17 seconds. The growth rate is estimated at 8.0%, which has been steadily rising within the last 30 years when technology has been advancing. The 15-64 age group has been primarily responsible for patronizing the gaming industry. The middle class group has been the dominant flourishing group and has been the main customers of the gaming industry markets within recent years. With the growth of the population and in essence the middle class group, the potential for market growth within the gaming industry is high as parents would be the ones financing their kids consoles and games hence enabling a profitable large market. According to www.nytimes.com/2008/09/06/business/economy, the U.S. jobless rate rose to 6%, its highest since 2003. The labour market offers a large percentage of highly skilled and experienced workers while the education level of the population is highly regarded in the world. Source: www.data.bls.gov The graph indicates a startling rise in the unemployment rate within the last 4 years. This was mainly due to the recession of the world which affected the larger countries more drastically and filtered down to other dependant countries and markets as such. With so many jobs being cut, it is inevitable that the recession has caused sales for the gaming industry to suffer. 3. Education and training. The success and wealth of a nation is often associated to the skill level of the citizens residing in said country. With this in consideration, the education, training and general attitude of a countrys population are indicative of determining the rate of growth of the nation. The U.S as of 2007 had 39% of American students aged 24-34 with tertiary credentials. While that level has remained roughly constant for many years, there seems to be evidence which shows that it is on a decline. At least 10 countries have exceeded the U.S.s current attainment levels. Moreover, the U.S. now ranks second in the world for the percentage of students who begin a tertiary education program but fail to complete it. 4.1.1 ANALYSIS What does this increase in GDP mean? People are avaricious and would like to obtain materialistic goods, leisure and entertainment. All of these acquisitions are attained by the economic growth of the nation. Henceforth, an increase in the economic growth has been responsible for the growth of the gaming industry. From evidence in the previous chapter, the GDP of the larger markets in the world especially the U.S., suggest that citizens within the 15-64 group willingly support the gaming industry albeit it parents buying systems and games for children or working adults purchasing it themselves. 4.1.2 DEFICIENCIES From the previous text, it is understood that growth permits citizens to take pleasure in an enhanced standard of living. There is however no correlation between the standard of living and the GDP per capita. The GDP per capita figures can be deceptive especially when economic and social organizations of the nation are considered. 4.2 DATA Number of game titles sold for the month of February 2010 The month of February 2010 totaled an amount of US$ 1.26 billion dollars in sales of consoles and games according to the NPD Group. The top 10 selling games for the month of February 2010 were: Source: NPD Group. The above data distinguishes the sales of the various consoles in the year 2008. It can be noticed that sales were the highest during the months of November and December. This could be due to the fact of this being the Christmas holiday season. Game developers usually push sales during the Holiday season, so strong sales during the Christmas seem to suggest a successful period for Microsoft with the Xbox 360 sales. Source: NPD Group Source: TechFlash.com Activisions Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 had another strong month with sales of 567,100 units, giving it third place. It has now become the third-best selling video game of all time, said NPD, with lifetime sales of almost 10 million units. Revenue from U.S. retail video game and console sales increased 4% annually to $5.53 billion in December 2010, but video game sales disappointed as the industry registered growth in the years final month, according to research firm NPD Group. For the year, the U.S. videogame industry generated revenue of $19.66 billion, down about 8% a year ago as can be seen in the illustrations above. This decrease in sales and revenue can be explained from information gained from an article on https://online.wsj.com/article U.S. Videogames, Console Revenue Rose 4% Gallagher (2010), CEO of Entertainment Software Association claimed that, last year (2009) was a tough year for consumers and national economy. He also went on to say that he expects the industry to recover in 2010 after the recession subsides and the economy regains its structure. The recession has also caused a slowdown in the economic growth of the world which also affected the gaming industry as an entirety. U.S. President Obama called for new models of economic growth to help avoid a repeat of the debt driven expansion of the past. In an article featured on https://recession.org/news/stimulus-jobs-temporary, President Obama gave an insight on the state of the economy. He said that there was an anticipation of a continuation of future job losses in the weeks and months to come as the economy recovers. Obama (2010), said that there is always a lag of several months between businesses starting to make profits again and investing again and them actually rehiring again. He also stated that having moved the economy on the right track.. theres no reason why were not going to be able to not only create jobs, but the kind of sustainable economic growth that everybodys looking for. The White House has highlighted quite a few pointers of economic stabilization over the last quarter of 2009. The Administration have argued that the Democrats controversial $787 billion economic stimulus program helped stave off a depression and spark a 3.5% growth in the third quarter. The program has created 640,000 jobs in the early part of 2010 in the U.S. according to www.Briefing.com. The video game industry is the fastest growing sector of the entertainment industry in Canada, and one of the most vibrant, fastest growing industries in the world. Canadian video game companies are renowned for producing high quality games, and are behind some of the worlds most successful titles. 20% of the top selling titles in North America and Europe in 2008 were developed by Canadian developers and Canada recently overtook the United Kingdom to become the third most successful producer in the world. With increasing popularity, comes increasing instances of illicit activities, specifically piracy of video game software and circumvention of digital locks (called technological protections measures or TPMs) that are built into consoles and handhelds that prevent illegally copied games from being played. In an article from www.straight.com/article-248821, According to Industry research, some 34% of Canadian gamers have acquired pirated games (compared to only 17% in the United States), while 22% of gamers have modified their video game consoles or handhelds to play pirated games. Internet piracy of video-game software in Canada has undergone explosive growth, and there has been an astonishing 300% in the downloading of illegal games via Canadian ISPs between 2007 and 2008. It costs approximately about $10 and $30 million to develop a high end video game, and not many games normally sell marginally to reach profitability which is inevitable in the industry to sustain a competitive advantage. With the pedigree of the substantial investment needed and the difficult degree of risk related with the large scale assembly and production of entertainment software, piracy essentially lowers the industrys ability to recover its investment, resulting in fewer games as well as loss revenue and employment opportunities. Predominantly in this economic climate, where jobs are an especially precious commodity, it is critical that the government play its part in adequately protecting the gaming industry from piracy. Specifically new copyright legislation must provide legal protection for TPMs, prohibit trafficking in mod chips and other circumvention devices and services specifically designed to facilitate piracy by defeating TPMs, and implement criminal and civil remedies against those who provide such services and tools-those who are profiting from piracy at the expense of legitimate businesses. For the video-game industry, TPMs are not only used to prevent piracy and cheating (e.g. modding game code to give an unfair advantage over other players); they also enable access to a greater range of features and options that would otherwise be unavailable. Things like parental controls (which allow parents to control what games are played by their children and what kinds of content they are exposed to), trial or demo versions of games, and new digital distribution platforms like Valves Steam, Xbox Live Arcade, or the PlayStation Network, all provide greater choice and access for consumers. Ultimately, implementing legal protections for TPMs will benefit consumers by providing greater certainty in the digital marketplace, which will, in turn, spur investment in the development of new digital products, services, and distribution methods, more consumer choice and lower prices. Furthermore, legal protection for TPMs also enables a vibrant ecosystem of digital business models. If a creator or company chooses to sell their work as a digital product or service, legal protection for TPMs helps ensure that this choice is respected, much in the same way that locks on the doors of a bricks and mortar store allow the owners to ascertain when and how consumers can access their product. However, if they choose to give their work away and make money in some other manner (or not at all), they are free to do so. By ensuring that consumers have a variety of digital offerings to choose from, legal protection for TPMs allows market forces to protect consumer interests, so if a consumer does not like the conditions of sale or terms of service for one digital product or service, they can simply take their business elsewhere. Failing to protect TPMs under the law effectively means that the government is dictating the business model, which is bad news for business and for consumers. The gaming industry urgently needs an updated copyright regime that protects our creators and rights holders, in recognition of the important role they play in the digital economy and in terms of the industrys future prosperity. The Entertainment Software Association or ESAs primary objective of its Anti-piracy plan is to attack and reduce global entertainment software piracy, estimated to cost the U.S. entertainment industry millions and millions of dollars every year. The programs primary components are enforcement, training, including education and enforcement programs in the United States and abroad. ESA members actively participate in shaping the industrys anti-piracy priorities and ensure that available resources are properly allocated for the enforcement of their intellectual property rights. ESAs anti-piracy efforts on the Internet, and in the United States and select foreign markets are directed towards the active protection of members game products through online enforcement, criminal raids and prosecutions, and civil litigation. ESAs training programs helps to elevate the protection of interactive game product as a priority for law enforcement officials, as well as enhance their knowledge of the entertainment software industry and its products. In addition, ESAs intellectual property education and outreach efforts help to foster respect among members of the general public for the intellectual property rights of the software publishers. In an attempt to reduce piracy, the French have passed a new law requiring Internet service providers to cut off Internet access for repeat copyright infringers. Under the new HADOPI legislation ISPs have to warn their customers twice that they are accused of infringing copyright. If both warnings are ignored, Internet access for that subscriber will be terminated for up to a year and theyll have to keep paying their ISP bill throughout this period too. The law goes much further than disconnecting alleged file-sharers though. In addition it is now possible to take any action in order to put a halt to copyright infringement. For example, websites can be blocked without having to provide hard evidence that they are engaging in illegal activities. The Pirate Bay has already been mentioned as one of the sites that could be easily taken out under the new law. According to the BBC, this law will also be implemented in the UK in the near future to help regularize piracy within the gaming industry also. In China, videogames companies and investors are rushing to tap the promise of Chinas game market, but many of them are discovering that a slow moving bureaucracy and rampant piracy remain significant hurdles. According to Li (2010), hackers and other forms of piracy reduced the industrys profitability by roughly 1.5 billion USD last year (2009). In the United Kingdom (U.K), the video game industry is worth 1 billion, but despite this contribution to the economy, the U.Ks sector has fallen behind countries such as Canada, France and South Korea which offers subsidies to game developers. The number of video game developers in Canada increased by 42% in 2009 compared with only 8% growth in Britain. In an article taken from https://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/economics/budget/article7074192.ece Mr. Darling said that, he would offer help to the computer games sector which was also the case with the film industry in the U.K. The film producers are allowed to claim 20% of their budget in a tax rebate which is estimated to be 100 million a year. Mr. Darling also said that, we need to keep British talent in this country. This decision should increase the investment in the British games developers by 457 million over five years and create 3,550 graduate-level jobs. In the U.K., the video game industry employs 28,000 people, which consist of 9,000 developers, the video game industry patronizes the economy more than the film industry does. In the fiscal year of 2009, games revenue was 44% higher than box-office receipts and DVD sales combined in the U.K. For a video game to be considered for tax relief in the U.K., the game would have to be culturally British like the Harry Potter video game trilogy. 4.3 CASE STUDIES RELATING MICROSOFT A compilation of various case studies would be used to ascertain the stance which Microsoft has taken against the Piracy industry in the Gaming sector. * The first issue addressed would be, What is Microsofts stance on piracy in the gaming industry? In an article from https://www.microsoft.com/piracy/reporting/default.aspx, Microsoft claims that Software piracy equals lost wages, lost jobs, and unfair competition. Struggling to fight against piracy, some companies must devote resources to anti-piracy technology, ultimately slowing down the development of better products and services. Others fail under the pressure of prices that legal resellers cant match. Reporting piracy means keeping a level playing field, and ensuring the most reliable products for your customers. Analysis- This can be traced to the previous literature review chapter where competitive advantage was discussed. The piracy industry represents the type of innovation which can be achieved with lowered costs and has gained a significant market share from Microsoft. Microsoft, being the industry leader and with maximum market share can rely on their competitive advantage to maximize profits and gain customers. * The second issue would be, Has the piracy industry forced Microsoft to make any changes to their strategies? This question was solicited as to clarify whether the piracy industry has had an impact on Microsofts sales strategies. In a section from https://www.businessinsider.com/2008/11/microsoft-piracy-makes-china-an-irrelevant-market, Microsoft CEO Ballmer (2008) states that pirates in China are denting Microsofts profits and terms China as an irrelevant market due to the high number of piracy. Ballmer (2008) is quoted as saying, Chinas not really very important to our business right now..Id like it to be but its not because of the high rate of piracy of intellectual property. We need some IP reform in China for it to be important to our financial results. Microsoft has countered the piracy in China by issuing a new anti-piracy program called Windows Genuine Advantage which validates the operating system run on the computer and if found to be illegal; the windows is void. Analysis- Microsoft has realised that the Chinese market is famous for pirating the Western Hemispheres culture et al. The executive at Microsoft has stated that China is considered a lost market due to the excessive piracy of the software and games and hence has formulated strategies to at least recuperate some profits from this. * The third issue discussed would be, has the piracy industry inflicted any negative effects on the gaming industry as an entirety? In an article from Pachter (2008) pointed out, the gaming industry will weather the economic storm. True enough, games are selling more than ever and are hotter than ever. They also happen to be more expensive than ever. In result, piracy has skyrocketed to unseen heights. Just recently Electronic Arts lost millions when 500,000 copies of Will Wrights latest creation, Spore, were illegally downloaded in record breaking numbers. The project took an approximate $80 million to produce and sells for $49.99. But with piracy on the rise, production cost and price means little or nothing during these times. This problem was a https://zkwang.wordpress.com/2008/06/29/pc-piracy-is-1366-billion-dollars/ Analysis: While the industry loses equal amounts of the money invested into these projects due to piracy, competition is ultimately good and encourages Microsoft to revamp their marketing strategies. The fourth issue posed would be, Are there positives from the piracy industry? A study from the Institute of Policy Innovation and an article from the Dutch Government https://blog.kennisland.nl/knowledgeland/2009/01/21/why_trying_to_become_a_guitar_hero_is_bad_for_the_music_industry_but_good_for_the_economy/ have suggested that piracy has actually had positive effects on the industry. The research shows that the economic impact of file sharing on the Dutch economy is strongly positive when viewed from both short term and long term perspectives. As a result of file sharing consumers get access to a wide range of cultural products. This has a positive impact on the economy According to estimates the positive economic effects for customers amount to 200 million euro per year. Analysis: Microsoft has benefitted from the advancements and exposure piracy has offered. Microsoft has realized that they can now sell games via peer-to-peer downloading like what the piracy industry has been doing for free all along, hence capitalizing on lost profits. * The fifth issue is, Who is benefitting the most from the rise and exploitation of the piracy industry? This question is posed as to ascertain whos gaining the most from this new market entrant. In an article from https://www.mcvuk.com/news/36988/MW2-most-pirated-game-of-09, it was written that, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was the most pirated game of 2009 according to BitTorrent tracking statistics. Then it was said that, An interesting thought to stem from the numbers is that of the detrimental effect piracy has on sales. Modern Warfare 2 has broken every sales record around in its short time on the market, and it has done so despite the high level of piracy. This has shown the high level of piracy for the year ending 2009. The article then claims that, Is that evidence that games piracy is not directly related to lost sales? Analysis: This has shown that piracy within the gaming industry doesnt really correlate to lost sales as per say evidence from above article. The real beneficiaries are the consumers who are offered the product at a lower price than that of Microsoft. * The sixth issue would entail, Has the Governments of the various markets done anything to curb piracy and help the sales of Microsoft? In an article from https://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/may/18/computer-games-designers-tax-breaks, it is claimed that the British Government rewards the British gaming developers with tax breaks as an incentive to stay in the industry with the growing piracy market taking a toll. CEO of Tiga, Wilson (2008), said that Were not asking for a handout, were not asking for a subsidy to stave off collapse, were asking for an investment to allow the games industry to be even more successful. He also went on to say that, Theres no principle which the government can cling to and say there shouldnt be a tax break for a specific industryQuite apart from the massive bailouts for banks, there have also been smaller schemes that have been effective for other industries. Analysis: The Governments of the major markets and especially Britain has given the developers an added incentive to cover for the rapid rise of the piracy industry and hence prevent foreclosure of the gaming industry. 4.3.1 IMPACT OF PIRACY ON MICROSOFTS SALES According to Microsoft.com, the 39 million Xbox 360 consoles has been sold around the world with 500 million games being sold. CEO Ballmer also said that the premium Xbox LIVE feature currently has an estimated 40 million users online which has grown in the last 5 years. Drawing from prior information in the previous chapters, the increase and drop in sales can be explained. The drop in sales was a direct result of the piracy and the global recession which crippled the economy for the major part of 2008-2009. However the increase in sales wouldve been a result of governmental laws on piracy coming into effect hence forcing consumers to purchase original software and games and also as a result of the new sales and marketing strategies implemented by Microsoft. 4.4 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS The data in the findings and analysis chapter has illustrated the factors associated with the rise in the piracy industry within the gaming industry dominated by Microsoft globally. It has also shown how the piracy industry has forced Microsoft to adopt new approaches to it sales and strategies. RECOMMENDATIONS 5.0 There are numerous recommendations which can be attributed to the findings and analysis. It is safe to say that further research should be conducted into the rise of the piracy industry. This is to ascertain the fact that the researcher has only reviewed and focused on games and consoles whilst, the industry really consists of other peripherals which was nearly impossible to review and research given the time constraints and other limits. Notwithstanding, Microsoft was investigated as to determine the impact of the piracy industry on a gaming and software developer. There are other gaming and software developers globally, which can be investigated and may have different results from Microsoft with respect to the impact of the piracy industry. With the age of information and technology available, the respective governments should rigidly implement more laws and rethink their strategies for the level of piracy which is occurring in the world today. The governments should mobilize specially trained personnel to intercept the operations of the pirates within the industry and enforce strict jail terms for perpetrators of the crime. Microsoft has been successful so far in dominating the market of the gaming industry in light of the assault posed by the piracy industry. However, Microsoft should consider the reason why consumers are patronizing the piracy industry and lower their prices so that low income earners can afford a gaming system and the relative software. Microsoft should consider peer to peer sharing and downloading by implementing a legal system for customers to operate in. This would nullify the piracy market and hence allow Microsoft to regain lost market share. Microsoft should also reconsider doing business in China as it seems that there are no laws which can protect the company from being exploited by the rampant piracy in the country. Microsoft should also consider rewarding customers for purchasing original software and consoles so that their customer base and core competitive competency would increase and remain loyal. CONCLUSIONS 6.0 It can be acknowledged that the author has achieved the objectives that were devised from the beginning of the dissertation study. These objectives were accomplished by analyzing data which was collected over a stipulated timeframe with the literature review assisting with comprehension of the topic presented. A diligent ideology of the gaming industry in particular the piracy industry is important, as it has pioneered the mode of data exchange in the digital world. It was essential to clarify the impact of the piracy industry on Microsoft and the gaming industry. The hypothesis, Has the lack of laws by various Governments inadvertently caused a new industry to thrive, at the cost of the major established giants in the industry? This was tested and proved to be accurate. The findings and analysis demonstrated that the piracy industry was instrumental in a decrease in sales for Microsoft and loss of profit. It was also proven that with the piracy industrys gain of market share, Microsoft was forced to develop and explore new strategies to recapture their lost market share and competitive advantage. It was also noted that the piracy industry was not limited to Microsoft, but the gaming industry as a whole which resulted in the British Government implementing tax breaks to save the industry in the United Kingdom. 1 [1] Exogenous- is a term used to sum up the contributions of various authors to a model of long-run economic growth within the framework of neoclassical economics. Haines, Joel D. (January 1, 2006) Volume 16; Issue 2; Page 106.

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Evaluation Of The Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory IIi...

An Evaluation of the â€Å"Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III Manual, MCMI-III Third Edition Nikyra James Dr. Jacobsen Psyc 220 4/30/2015 The Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III or MCMI-III is a level C, self-report personality test created by Theodore Millon, PhD, DSc, with Carrie Millon, PhD, Roger Davis, PhD, and Seth Grossman, PsyD. The MCMI-III was published originally by NCS Pearson, Inc in 1994 but was then re-released in 1997 (Millon et al, 1997). This test is pretty pricey coming at $406.95 for the fourth edition, the third edition is no longer available for purchase since a newer version has been published and using the third edition would be unethical. The price for the fourth edition of the MCMI-III personality test is for the manual scoring starting kit, which includes: 10 test booklets, 50 answer sheets, 50 worksheets, 50 profile forms and answer keys; however the plain manual without any of the additional required items can be purchased for $61.50. The fourth edition will be released later on this year, 2015 (Clinical Psychology, 2015). The MCMI-III Third edition is a test that assesses DSM-IV rela ted personality disorders and syndromes for the use of people 18 years of age and older at an 8th grade reading level and is also available in Spanish (Clinical Psychology, 2015). â€Å"The primary purpose of the MCMI-III test is to provide information to clinicians---psychologists, psychiatrists, counselors, social workers, physicians, and nurses---who mustShow MoreRelatedThe Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III Test1341 Words   |  6 Pagesthere are numerous tests that have been created by psychologists all over the world, but of all those tests how many are as unique as the Millon? Through rigorous research and reading I have selected the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III test. The Millon Clinical Multiaxical Inventory (3rded: MCMI-III) is a widely used psychological assessment of clinical and personality disorders (Grove, W. M., 2009). This test, now on its 3rd edition, has embodied several innovative ideas in personality andRead MoreThe Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory IIi1875 Words   |  8 PagesThe Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory III (MCMI-III) was first presented in 1994 during a meeting of the American Psychological Association (Retziaff, 1996). This edition of the assessment along with the MCMI and the MCMI-II editions were developed by Theodore Millon, his daughter C. Millon and colleagues R. Davis and S. Grossman. However, the first edition (the MCMI) was developed in the late 1970s as it used the criteria on different disorders from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of MentalRead MorePsychological Assessment And Ethics Of Forensic Psychology1675 Words   |  7 PagesMillion Clinical Multiaxial Inventory III. Information to be included in this paper will detail why this psychological assessment is used, how it is administered ethically, how it is scored, why it is unique, what precautions need to be taken to assure its ethical use, and any ethical concerns there are with this specific assessment tool. MILLION CLINICAL MULTIAXIAL INVENTORY III Identify the Assessment Tool and describe what it is used for The Million Clinical Multiaxial Inventory IIIRead MoreAbnormal Psychology. Classification and Assessment of Abnormal Behavior20707 Words   |  83 Pages3 CHAPTER Classification and Assessment of Abnormal Behavior CHAPTER OUTLINE HOW ARE ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR PATTERNS METHODS OF ASSESSMENT 80–99 CLASSIFIED? 70–77 The Clinical Interview The DSM and Models of Abnormal Behavior Computerized Interviews Psychological Tests STANDARDS OF ASSESSMENT 77–80 Neuropsychological Assessment Reliability Behavioral Assessment Validity Cognitive Assessment Physiological Measurement SOCIOCULTURAL AND ETHNIC FACTORS IN ASSESSMENT 99–100 SUMMING UP 100–101 T

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Antonio Salieri Biography free essay sample

Austrian dukedom of Mantra, was a composer and conductor who received considerable public acclaim in his day. He studied violin and harpsichord with his brother Francesco, who was a student of Giuseppe Tartly. After the death of his parents, he moved to Pad, then to Venice, where he studied thoroughness with Giovanni Peppiest. In 1766 Saltier met Florien Leopold Gamesman, who Invited him to attend the court of Vienna and there trained him in composition based on Fix;sGrades ad Apparatus. He remained in Vienna for the remainder of his life, and in 1774, when Gamesman died, Saltier was appointed the court composer by Emperor Joseph II, and Imperial Royal Experimentalist in 1788. During his time in Vienna he acquired great prestige as a composer and conductor, particularly of opera, and also of chamber and sacred music. The most successful of his 43 operas were Less Dandies (1784), which was first presented as work of Clucks, and Tartar (1787). We will write a custom essay sample on Antonio Salieri Biography or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He wrote comparatively little Instrumental music, including Just llano concerti written In 1773. He attained an elevated social standing, and frequently associated with other celebrated composers such as Joseph Haydn. As children, Beethoven, Schubert and List all benefited from his tutelage. He also taught Czerny, Hummel and a son of Mozart. Antonio Saltier is buried in the Contraindicated in Vienna, Austria. Allegations by Mozart In Vienna in the sass, Mozart accused Saltier of plagiarism and of attempting to murder him with poison. As Mozart music became more popular over the decades ND Callers music was forgotten, Mozart unsubstantiated allegations gained credence and tarnished Galleries reputation. The biographer Alexander Hellhole Thayer believes that Mozart suspicions of Saltier could have originated with an incident in 1781 when Mozart applied to be the music teacher of the Princess of W;retriever, and Saltier was selected instead, and the following year Mozart was not selected to be the Princesss piano teacher either.Later on, when Mozart Eel Nozzle did Figaro was not liked by either the Emperor Joseph II nor by the public, Mozart blamed Saltier for the failure. Saltier and his tribe will move heaven and earth to put it [Figaro] down, wrote Leopold Mozart. But at the time of the premiere of Figaro, Saltier was busy In France with his own operas. Thayer believes that the Intrigues surrounding the failure of Figaro were instigated by the poet Abate Casts against the Court Poet, Ad Point, who wrote the Figar o libretto. F his Don Giovanni, the poet was ordered back to Vienna for a royal wedding for Inch Galleries Gaur would be performed. Obviously, Mozart was not pleased by this. And yet Saltier did not intend to hinder Mozart career. When Saltier was appointed Experimentalist in 1788, instead of bringing out an opera of his own, he revived Figaro. En in his later years, Galleries health declined and he was hospitalized, there were rumors that Saltier confessed to Mozart murder.Galleries two nurses attested that Saltier said no such thing and that at least one of the two of them was with Saltier during his hospital stay. After Galleries death, the opera by Nicolai Rims-Karaoke, Mozart et Saltier (1898) darted a tradition of dramatic license crossing into slander based on Mozart allegations, continued by the play by Peter Shaffer, Amadeus (1979; and the Oscar inning original film based on the play, released in 1984, and Directors Cut was released on 2001 with an additional 20 minutes of footage).