The Human Lifespan

Questions: 1: Describe physical, intellectual, emotional and social development for each of the life stages of an individual .1.1: Discuss the nature-nurture debate in relation to the development of an individual .1.2: Evaluate how nature and nurture may affect the physical, intellectual, emotional and social development of two stages of the development of an individual .2: Explain the potential effects of five different life factors on the development of an individual .3: Explain the influence of two predicable and two unpredictable major life events on the development of an individual .4: Explain two theories of ageing .4.1: Discuss two major theories of ageing in relation to the development of the individual .4.2: Evaluate the influence of two major theories of ageing on health and social care provision .5: Explain the physical and psychological changes which may be associated with ageing. 5.1: Discuss the effects on self-esteem and self-confidence of the physical changes associated with age ing. Answers: 1.) From many centuries the human lifespan has been described in stages. The physical, intellectual, emotional and social development for each of the life stages of an individual can be understood first by understanding the life stages. The life stage of an individual includes infancy that ranges from the birth till two years of the individual life. In this stage the individuals physical ability is limited as a baby, as they can sit without help and can walk for short distances. Intellectually the child is learning new tasks and things. They even try to communicate with their parents in words. Emotionally a child starts to bond with family members and people around them. They are most attached to their siblings and parents as they get a sense of security around them. This sense of security is important for them to experience as this will help them in their growing years and rest of their life. Socially they will start integrating with kids of their own age as their ability to recogni ze names and faces develop. They will start to share things and intermingle with kids around them. Early childhood that is the age between 3-8 a child has developed a lot physically and can do tasks like climbing stairs without any help. They are able to draw, write and speak clearly. Around the age of 8 they are able to catch and throw objects and have developed a good sense of balance. Intellectually they would communicate in full sentences and can even count the numbers. They will start developing a personality and will constantly learn from the behavior of people around them. Emotionally and socially they would get happy and excited around kids of their own age. They would love to play and show their excitement and sadness related to everyday life. Adolescence is ages between 9-18, it is when the teens hit as they are called Teenagers and will show major body changes. These changes occur do to hormonal release that turns a child into a reproductive adult. Intellectually they sta rt thinking about their aims and goals in life. Their ability to logically solve problems on their own develops. Emotionally it is a hard time for the teenagers as the raging hormones will make them cranky, frustrated, and confused. They are attracted to the opposite sex and want to explore their sexuality. Socially it is a time of their life when they are most comfortable with people of their own age as they are meet new friends and have relationships. Early Adulthood is the time from age 19-45 through this age the physical changes have led to a deepened voice. Emotionally they have developed themselves around relationships such as marriage. They have a stable social life with relationships, long time friends etc. Middle Adulthood is the time between ages 46-65 when the physical capability of the body starts declining as skin loses elasticity, and wrinkles are visible. Muscles lose their tone and therefore slackness develops. Hearing and sight issues are experienced by an individua l. Intellectually a person is still developing as many tend to turn things they have missed out in their early adulthood like returning to education etc. They have an advantage of experience which helps them to be wise with their decisions. Emotionally it is again a challenging time as the hormones are creating havoc. Social development grows as many have no responsibilities as kids have left the homes and they are retired from their jobs. These people tend to mix with their peers to enjoy life and causal talk. Later adulthood is the life after age 65+ at this stage the aging process has taken its toll. The skin becomes thin and the muscles grow even weaker. Bones are brittle and stiffer. Intellectually a person has developed and lot. So it does not result in reduction. Emotionally these people love to spend time around their kids and family. Socially they spend time with their friends and families. 1.1) Nature is responsible for the development of a fetus into an adult. The genetic makeup that results a person to have certain traits and features is all a part of nature. But these inherited genes only influences their appearance, their behavior is influenced by their environment and upbringing. Both of these factors are a part of Nurture as it directly affects a child behavior. 1.2) The two stages that we would see the affect of nature and nurture are childhood and adolescence. Physical development is affected by both nature and nurture. In childhood almost all children show the capacity to walk, imitate and use simple tools. Their stature, eye color and facial structure are all part of nature giving them their appearance due to their inherited genes. Nurture is the environment conditions that partner with nature to influence their development. Nurture also affects the physical appearance of the children as stress; nutrition and activity all influence their growth. Intellectually a child grows depending on both nature and nurture collectively. As research as shown that children are less productive if they are too shy and do not have friends. Socially this could be the result of parents not encouraging them to make new friends. These kids are not socially outgoing and therefore have no one to talk and spend time with. During adolescence nurture plays a great part as youngsters who have a typical environment during growing up, show a strong reflection of their environment in their behavior. If the child is from a stable, warm and loving family that has given him adequate nutrition nature steps in and ensures whether he has inherited the ability to acquire new skills quickly or not. But if it is the opposite as the child is genetically blessed with good genes but is from a family where he was not given adequate nutrition they usually fail to develop intellectual skills, even when they have the potential to develop them. 2) The 5 different life factors that can affect an individual in case of bullying are:- Socially a person who is getting bullied will not talk to others and would tend to be limited to himself. Genetic factors are related to inherited genes that influence the development of the individual eg: stunted growth which can result in the individual getting bullied Physical factors are the physical abilities of an individual that can affect the individual development eg: being handicapped, scars Intellectual factors are some like bullying which can stop individual ability to learn Emotionally:-bullying can result in lower self esteem and can result in an individual suffering from anxiety and depression. 3 ) Predictable factors:- Joining school:- Physical development is occurring as in school nutrition and exercise is taken care of at utmost priority. Intellectually they will grow as they have to learn about their classes. Emotionally a person is more independent which can lead to happiness. It can even result in emotions such as loneliness and being scared. Leaving home: it is a predictable factor and can cause a change in their diet and nutrition. It can be socially enriching as a person can go out more but can also result in him getting into alcoholism. Intellectually they can grow as now they have to learn about new things like mortgages, gas and water expenses etc. Unpredictable factors:- Serious accident/illness:-illnesses like diabetes cause a person to have emotional, physical and intellectual changes. They are limited to certain conditions and places which hampers their overall development Relationships changes:- people grow apart in relationships which causes individuals to become weak emotionally and even physically if they are not taking care of their nutrition. 4) Social disengagement theory states that aging is an inevitable which can cause a mutual withdrawal of a person from its social system. Another theory is activity theory that states that there is a direct relationship between the amount of activity a person does with the satisfaction he or she gets. It related to the disengagement theory as many believe that older people give up their role in the society. According to this theory if older people remain active mentally and physically and maintain their social life they can prevent disengagement. 4.1) Social disengagement theory states that aging people disengage from the society and tend to separate themselves from others. Activity theory states that older people sometimes need to disengage but should always have a active lifestyle. 4.2) Social disengagement theory states that ageing is inevitable which results in mutual withdrawal among older people from the social system they belong to. We all know that relationship change with age therefore as a person ages their social engagement decreases. But this theory garnered a lot of criticism as it gives a vague and bleak outlook about ageing. This theory does not account about the various Personality types in individuals which can result in various levels of disengagement or maybe no changes in a persons social life. Sometimes it is possible that the person remains active in their social circle even after they age. According to Activity theory people who are active in participating and interacting socially at an older age tend to be happier than people who have secluded themselves. This theory supports the belief that staying active while aging results in satisfying life. But even this theory gathered criticism from people who believed that peoples expectations and attitudes change with changing circumstances. 5) Aging causes many physical changes some of these changes are :- 1) Hormonal changes:- levels of hormones like estrogen in women and testosterone in males decreases with age causing people to go transition. This irregularity causes menopause in women which gives them night sweats, hot flashes and mood swings. Men also suffer from irregular testosterone levels that result in insomnia, palpitations, low libido, poor memory and urinary problems. 2) Degeneration of senses:- Sense of hearing decreases with age. Hearing loss occurs due to the cells that do not regrow resulting in permanent damage in hearing. Old people have difficulty in hearing people around them which leads to frustration. They are not able to understand properly and often face the issue of continuous ringing in the ear. Many face issues with sight as well, as they are not able to see clearly and would need prescription lenses. Psychological changes that occur while aging are:- 1) Role changes:-older people tend to spend more time with their family. Loss of income, partner and job results in major life changes that can be difficult to cope up with. This results in decreasing self confidence and self esteem. 2) Ageism is the unfair treatment that older people get from others. It impacts their confidence, financial situation and job prospects. This discrimination leads them to feel worthless and vulnerable often leading to anxiety and depression. 5.1) Physical changes that occur due to aging like loss of teeth, wrinkles, and brittle bones results in loss of confidence and self esteem. They are embarrassed about their looks and lose their integrity. This can lead to depression and anxiety. Incontinence is another issue that arises with aging. Urinary incontinence can limit them to freely move around and experience life in a normal way. Deafness is common among old whom can develop gradually as we age and can be sudden as well. This result in people feeling frustrated as they are not able to understand others properly. Older people tend to feel that they are a burden to others as they are worthless. Loss of hearing and sight causes them to be dependent on others as they lose their independence to move freely on their own. However the support of family and friends can lead them to live a normal and satisfying life.

Aristotles Politics Essays - Forms Of Government,

Aristotle's Politics Aristotle does not regard politics as a separate science from ethics, but as the completion, and almost a verification of it. The moral ideal in political administration is only a different aspect of that which also applies to individual happiness. Humans are by nature social beings, and the possession of rational speech (logos) in itself leads us to social union. The state is a development from the family through the village community, an offshoot of the family. Formed originally for the satisfaction of natural wants, it exists afterwards for moral ends and for the promotion of the higher life. The state in fact is no mere local union for the prevention of wrong doing, and the convenience of exchange. It is also no mere institution for the protection of goods and property. It is a genuine moral organization for advancing the development of humans. The family, which is chronologically prior to the state, involves a series of relations between husband and wife, parent and child, master and slave. Aristotle regards the slave as a piece of live property having no existence except in relation to his master. Slavery is a natural institution because there is a ruling and a subject class among people related to each other as soul to body; however, we must distinguish between those who are slaves by nature, and those who have become slaves merely by war and conquest. Household management involves the acquisition of riches, but must be distinguished from money-making for its own sake. Wealth is everything whose value can be measured by money; but it is the use rather than the possession of commodities which constitutes riches. Financial exchange first involved bartering. However, with the difficulties of transmission between countries widely separated from each other, money as a currency arose. At first it was merely a specific amount of weighted or measured metal. Afterwards it received a stamp to mark the amount. Demand is the real standard of value. Currency, therefore, is merely a convention which represents the demand; it stands between the producer and the recipient and secures fairness. Usury is an unnatural and reprehensible use of money. The communal ownership of wives and property as sketched by Plato in the Republic rests on a false conception of political society. For, the state is not a homogeneous unity, as Plato believed, but rather is made up of dissimilar elements. The classification of constitutions is based on the fact that government may be exercised either for the good of the governed or of the governing, and may be either concentrated in one person or shared by a few or by the many. There are thus three true forms of government: monarchy, aristocracy, and constitutional republic. The perverted forms of these are tyranny, oligarchy and democracy. The difference between the last two is not that democracy is a government of the many, and oligarchy of the few; instead, democracy is the state of the poor, and oligarchy of the rich. Considered in the abstract, these six states stand in the following order of preference: monarchy, aristocracy, constitutional republic, democracy, oligarchy, tyranny. But though w ith a perfect person monarchy would be the highest form of government, the absence of such people puts it practically out of consideration. Similarly, true aristocracy is hardly ever found in its uncorrupted form. It is in the constitution that the good person and the good citizen coincide. Ideal preferences aside, then, the constitutional republic is regarded as the best attainable form of government, especially as it secures that predominance of a large middle class, which is the chief basis of permanence in any state. With the spread of population, democracy is likely to become the general form of government. Which is the best state is a question that cannot be directly answered. Different races are suited for different forms of government, and the question which meets the politician is not so much what is abstractly the best state, but what is the best state under existing circumstances. Generally, however, the best state will enable anyone to act in the best and live in the happiest manner. To serve this end the ideal state should be neither too great nor too

Religion and the Environment Essays

Religion and the Environment Essays Religion and the Environment Essay Religion and the Environment Essay There are many speculations as too why our culture, the â€Å"West† seems to not care about the environment or the ways of nature. Many people believe it is the way that the bible views nature, specifically within the Christianity religion. Reasons for this is that Christians don’t view nature as a divine power like other religions, like Hinduism or Buddhism; Christianity is also a strong anthropocentric religion, teaching that human beings are divinely ordained to rule over and dominate all other species and nature (Kinsley 103). Does this mean that all Christians view nature as pure nothingness and an inconvenience? No, this religion is more focused on the spiritual fulfillment with the presence of God, and not specifically to the mysterious powers of the earth (Kinsley 106). â€Å"Many Christian writings, and much Christian theology, relegate nature and matter generally to a low status relative to the divine which is equated with spirit alone (Kinsley 103).† This is a very key point brought up by Kinsley because he shows that the religion doesn’t view nature as a holy or scared place, but a view of the world that postulates a transcendent deity who creates the world but does not invest himself in it in such a way to make it holy or sacred (Kinsley 104). So hypothetically let’s say when the people of the religion would clear out some land for their civilization, they never viewed it as a destruction of a spiritual being. Christianity is very anthropocentric, which sets human beings against nature, makes human beings superior to, and in control of, nature (Kinsley 104). Here is an entry from the Bible that has a good demonstration of this. â€Å"Thou hast given him dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet; all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish in the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the sea (Psalms 8:5-8).† The Christians again are viewi

Induvidual 3 ENG Litrature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Induvidual 3 ENG Litrature - Essay Example They wore a lot of make-up, thin bright dresses, tilted slippers fancifully strapped. They looked conspicuous cheap and charming, so much so tht they attracted a lot of attention from the young men around. Their conversation could be considered ordinary and foolish, but typically that of working girls who lived at home with her family and paid half of their salary to its support. It cannot be denied, however, that both had a strong sense of the imaginative as proven by their game of inheriting a million dollars. Like children they were not above having tiffs at the slightest provocation, but making up a little later as though nothing happened. This â€Å"game† was cooked up by Annabel which was no more than the ancient sport of what-would-you-do-if-you-had-a-million-dollars? One must suppose that someone dies and leaves you a million dollars. A condition in the bequest is that the heiress must spend every nickel of the money on herself. This game tells us that both girls long for a change in their socio-economic status. They desire to be wealthy enough to buy clothes worn by wealthy people and accompanying adornments such as pearl necklaces. They were both of the belief that it can’t hurt anyone for after all, it was just a game. Parker was well known for her sharp tongue and malicious wit. This definitely shows in the style of her story. Consider her description of the food the girls ate on weekends, they lunched on sugar, starches, oils and butter-fats. Usually they ate sandwiches of spongy new white bread greased with butter and mayonnaise. They ate thick wedges of cake lying wet beneath ice cream and whipped cream and melted chocolate gritty with nuts. As alternates, they ate patties, sweating beads of infereior ol, containing bits of bland meat bogged in pale, stiffening sauce, etc.† Parker’s witty description of fatty foods

Genetic Counseling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Genetic Counseling - Essay Example A victim child for example loses sight, cognitive ability, and ability to respond to the environment. It is caused by the child’s body’s inability to secrete â€Å"hexosaminidase-A† enzyme that leads to excessive accumulation of lipids in brain cells (Genome, 2011, p. 1). The disorder can be detected from a child’s physical and cognitive deterioration such lost sight and hearing, â€Å"dementia, seizure, and an increased startle reflex to noise† (Ninds, 2011, p. 1). There is currently no treatment for the disorder though supportive care may temporarily sustain a victim’s life. Victims however die before attaining five years (Ninds, 2011). Identification of the disease in a child means that both parents recessively have the disorder. This however only implies a 25 percent chance of having a sick child because the disease is only effective if a child receives dominant defective genes from both parents (Ncbi,

Project Analysis Of New Wembley Stadium

Project Analysis Of New Wembley Stadium The construction of the new Wembley stadium is a project which has been both controversial and fascinating. The aim of the project was to design and build a state-of-the-art national stadium, unlike any other in the world, to be the home of English football and to host large events such as Cup Finals, music events and athletics. The new stadium is eventually expected to become an icon in the same way as the old stadium with the twin towers replaced by the arch. The new 90,000 all-seat stadium will be operated by WembleyNational Stadium Ltd (WNSL) and is now expected to be finished and signed off by late summer 2006, ready to host its first events in 2007 (following a block of event cancellations in 2006). The old stadium was closed in 2000 and demolished in 2002. Construction of the new stadium began in October 2002. FINANCE OF THE NEW STADIUM To overcome financial concerns over the new stadium, the parties involved came to an agreement on a fixed-cost contract. This made provision for a building cost of around  £352 million, with total projectcosts of  £757 million. Under such an arrangement, the client is protected from exposure to budget over-runs or delays in construction. That risk is borne by the main contractor; Multiplex (UK) Ltd. Cyril Sweett acted as independent consultants for WNSL in April 2002 and cleared the Multiplex contract as representing value for money. A National Lottery fund investment of  £120 million was made into the stadium. Financial backing of  £426 million for theproject was secured through West Deutsche Landesbank of Germany. Ken Livingston and Brent Council secured  £21 million in funding for the project and a further  £17.2 million from WNSL for improvements to transport infrastructure in the area around the stadium. The stadium will be linked to Wembley Park Station (London Underground) via Olympic Way and also WembleyCentral Station via the White Horse bridge. The stadium has now also triggered a major regeneration scheme in the surrounding area. Nathaniel Lichfield and Partners was the planning consultan t for the project. DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE The design (50 year design life) of the new stadium is both functional and architecturally significant. Sir Norman Foster designed the arch and the roof structure, with the remainder of the stadium being designed by architects Foster and Partners and HOK Sport. The stadiums unique features include retractable roof panels and the arch. These were developed in response to the particular requirements of the stadium, one of which was the need for a high-quality grass pitch in order to achieve UEFA 5 star stadium status. By using retractable roof panels, which retract to the south, it allows as much daylight and ventilation to reach pitch level as possible. The arch itself is not just a cosmetic feature; it supports the north roof and a sizeable area of the south roof. THE ARCH AND ROOF The arch was designed to give the appearance of solidity without incurring the penalty of high wind loads. The arch has a lattice form consisting of 41 steel rings (diaphragms) connected by spiralling tubular chords and is formed of 13 modules with two tapering end sections. The arch (7.4m in diameter at the base and weighing 1,750t) tapers at its ends and is supported on 70t hinges which are in turn supported on concrete bases founded on piles 35m deep. Inclined from the vertical, the arch is held in position by a series of forestay and backstay cables tied to the main stadium structure. The leading edge of the north roof is in turn suspended from the arch by the forestay cables. Cables from the arch are arranged in a diagonal pattern to help spread loads to control in-plane bending while also providing out-of-plane restraint to resist buckling. The arch structure is 133m in height, with a span of 315m and is the longest single-span roof structure in the world. The 50,000m2 roof is essential to the operation of the stadium as a sporting and concert venue. Weighing some 7,000t, the roof has a number of retractable edge sections which can be manoeuvred to allow direct sunlight to reach all parts of the grass pitch (to allow the pitch to achieve top quality). If necessary (e.g. during inclement weather), the roof can be retracted in around 15 minutes to cover every seat inside. The arch at a 68 ° tilt from the horizontal supports 5,000t of the roof structure. With its load-bearing capabilities, the arch allowed designers to eliminate the need for columns within the interior, which means that every stadium seat has an unobstructed view of the pitch. The arch fulfils another function aside from supporting the majority of the roof. It also provides a beacon for the stadium, illuminating the north-west London sky on match days. The designers vision for the arch was a tube of light that would hover over the stadium at night creating an iconic statement. To achieve this effect, 258 metal halide floodlights were mounted within the arch to illuminate the internal faces of the lattice and the structural rings that form its structure. Because the arch is lit from within, the outer faces remain dark and increase the dramatic effect by adding depth and contrast and giving the appearance that the light is trapped within the lattice structure. The arch also has an aircraft safety light at the top. CONSTRUCTING AND RAISING THE ARCH Construction of the arch began in 2003; it was fabricated on-site using steel modules fabricated by steel subcontractor Cleveland Bridge. Cleveland Bridge has since left the project over some serious contractual difficulties with the main contractor Multiplex. The arch was lifted in four key stages in June 2004 and temporarily supported on five restraining cables. Structural engineers from the Mott Stadium Consortium worked closely with Multiplex and the newly appointed steelwork subcontractor Hollandia to transfer the load, in excess of 1,300t, to the permanent cable net and eyebrow catenary cable. The final positioning of the arch to 112 ° was completed at the end of 2005, with the arch being rotated to take up the full roof load. CONTRACTORS The main contractor for the project was Multiplex of Australia.Project management (PM) was undertaken by Symonds who also carried out the PM for the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. The Structural Engineers and Consultants included SVE Franklin and Andrews; Nathanial Lichfield and Partners; Steer Davies Gleeve and Mott Stadium Consortium (Connell Wagner, Mott MacDonald, SKM, Weidlinger, M-E Engineers). The original steel contractor was Cleveland Bridge but they were eventually replaced by Hollandia. The ME contractor for the project was Emcor Drake Scull and the building services engineering was carried out by Mott MacDonald. The original stadium demolition was carried out by Griffiths McGee. For the foundations of the new stadium the piling specialist was Stent and the concrete specialist was PC Harrington. PITCH LAYING On 19 June 2006 the laying of the new Wembley turf was completed. The laying process took a week and required more than 10,000m2 of turf to create the new playing surface. The turf arrived at the stadium in giant rolls measuring between 12m to 16m long and 1.2m wide, and was transported in 25 lorry loads. The fibre sand pitch is made up of an underlying web of heating and drainage pipes plus 22,161t of crushed stone, gravel, grit, sand and a blend of sand / soil and fibre. The grass used for the turf was selected from 250 different varieties with each square metre of turf containing 150,000 to 200,000 leaf blades. To maintain the world-class Wembley pitch the roof will be left fully open between events to allow the turf to be exposed to direct sunlight and ventilation. The sub air system installed under the pitch has ducts that are able to supply warm air to the the pitch to heat it and the same system can also be used to remove excess moisture from the pitch if required. Steve Welch is the Grounds Manager responsible for keeping the turf in excellent condition. FEATURES OF THE STADIUM To understand the size of the project, the stadium encloses 4 million m3 inside the walls and under the roof. The construction has required 90,000m3 of concrete, 23,000t of steel and 35 miles of heavy-duty power cable. Four thousand separate piles were used to form the foundations, the deepest of which was sunk to 35m. The stadium roof rises 52m above the pitch and the circumference of the building is 1km. The roof structure covers 11 acres, 4 acres of which are movable. The 90,000 seat capacity makes it the second largest stadium in Europe next to the Nou Camp stadium in Barcelona with a capacity of 98,000, but it will certainly be one of the largest stadia in the world to have a covering roof. The seating is much more steeply banked than previously so that no seat will have a restricted view. Minimum seat depth will be 80cm, with a minimum width of 50cm. The stadium will have the facility to convert to an athletics venue by virtue of a removable steel and concrete platform which will rise 6m above the football pitch (the new pitch is 4m lower than in the old Wembley stadium). Installing the running track decreases the capacity of the stadium to 68,000. The front row at each end will now be between 8m to 13m from the touchline, compared with 40m in the old stadium. In addition there will be 310 wheelchair spaces with attendant companion spaces, and increased capacity for other physically impaired spectators. There will also be 400 media seats, 2,618 toilets and four main banqueting halls, the largest of which can accommodate 2,000 people. The stadium incorporates an external concourse surrounding it which is able to cater food and drink for 40,000 spectators at one time. CONTROVERSY AND EVENTS DURING CONSTRUCTION When the project first started it was delayed for two years over financial and political difficulties and eventually got underway in late 2002. The stadium was supposed to be completed by May 2006 for the FA Cup Final (but this was transferred to Cardiff) after consultation with Multiplex about when the stadium would be finished. Multiplex are now paying penalties for the late finishing of the contract although they have threatened to sue WNSL over changes in the design which they suggest were responsible for the project being late. A few construction problems have been highlighted during theproject. The first was a problem between Multiplex and the steel contractor Cleveland Bridge. Cleveland Bridge walked off the job in 2004 shortly before the arch was raised because they did not believe they would be paid for materials and there were irrevocable difficulties between the two parties. The problems resulted in two high profile court cases where the two companies have sued each other for breach of contract (Multiplex sued for  £45 million and Cleveland Bridge sued for  £22.5 million to recover what it believed it was owed). As of June 2006 the courts had found in favour of Multiplex because of breach of contract, but Cleveland Bridge is appealing. The second problem involved a temporary roof support rafter, which fell by over half a metre in March 2006. This resulted in the evacuation of 3,000 construction workers and delayed worked while inspections and reports were carried out. Theproject was started again shortly afterwards. Later in March 2006 a third problem came to light. The sewers under the stadium had buckled due to ground movement. Remedial work was put into action for this and is currently nearing completion. The stadium is expected to be completed by late summer 2006 and hosting a full programme of events during 2007. About Wembley Stadium Wembley National Stadium Limited (WNSL) is the company that has redeveloped Wembley Stadium as the worlds leading sport and music venue. Offering up to 90,000 fans unrivalled views of the action in state-of-the-art facilities while generating an unbeatable atmosphere, Wembley Stadium is setting new standards for supporters and performers alike. The aim of the project is to develop an iconic stadium for football and rugby league, which also has the capability to stage major international athletics events. If the project is successful, the stadium will be suitable for holding flagship events, make available a specified minimum number of seats to the general public, and be financially viable in its own right without the need for ongoing public subsidy. Any profits generated by the stadium will be used by the Football Association for the benefit of football. The project is scheduled for completion in early 2006 and is expected to cost  £757 million, of which the public sector funders are providing  £161 million. The original public funding, a lottery grant of  £120 million from Sport England (the largest it has ever given), was paid in full at the outset of the project and used principally to finance the acquisition of the existing Wembley stadium and business in 1999. Had the project not proceeded in 2001 after it failed to secure the commercial financing needed, Sport England would have been entitled to recover its grant but this would not necessarily have been straightforward. Lottery funding was provided on the basis that the stadium would be capable of hosting major international athletics events. Concerns about the viability of the proposed design led to the removal of athletics from the plans for the stadium but provision for athletics has now been reinstated. In April 2001 the Football Association approached the Department to request further public funding for the project, having been unable to secure the commercial financing needed. In September 2002, after a detailed review process, the Department concluded that the project was worthy of further support and committed  £20 million of government funding. In reaching its decision on whether to provide additional public funds the Department, working closely with Sport England, took account of Mr Patrick Carters review of the project and also took assurance from work by the Office of Government Commerce and other external experts. The Department also considered the risks that the project will face as it moves forward and the mechanisms put in place to address the risk of, for example, the stadium taking longer or costing more than expected to build or the projects viability being undermined by a shortfall in revenue. In negotiating the contractual arrangements for the project, the public sector funders accepted that their interests would be largely subordinated to the senior bank since it was providing over half the funding for the project, compared with their 21 per cent. In the worst case, the bank would have first call on the projects assets in the event of the project getting into serious financial difficulty. But for other circumstances, the public sector funders secured provisions which protect the public interest and which should be enforceable without compromising the viability of the project.

Pricing strategy in video game industry Essay

Video Gaming industry has gone dramatic changes when more and more digital platforms emerge and improved technology in portable devices, mainly in social games(Facebook, Myspace) and mobile games. 27% of US online population play at least one game on social network, and Facebook gaming revenue hit $1. 32 billion in U. S market in 20111. Also, as more than more people have smart phone especially apple’s iOS devices, gaming application becomes more and more popular in mobile market(72% game applications on iTune)2. There are traditional console game players such as EA, Activision, Nintendo and Ubisoft in this industry, also there are leading company in the social game area such as Zynga in the market. Traditionally, console games are sold in retail stores with $39. 99 to $59. 99 retail price for the whole disc content. Hard-core games such as Call of Duty(Activision), Assassin’s Creed(Ubisoft) and etc. usually price at $59. 99 while casual titles such as Nintendo wii games price around 30$. Usually the pricing approach for these console game companies is the industry standard – means every player in this market follows the same rule as the same price. It can be considered as based on cost structure because of the long time of development (18 to 36 months), money-consuming game development cost and all kinds of add-on cost (packaging, marketing and third-party licensing etc. )3 They also only have two months’ shelf time as the game lunch. Because of the high entry barrier in the console game industry and high brand perception among customers, several main competitors dominate the market. The console game price does not differentiate too much among these players. However, as facebook’s extreme success leads to people’s behavior change to be more â€Å"social† associated, a plenty of small companies start to enter into social gaming market and undergo blast growth speed such as Zynga. Zynga’s pricing strategy is â€Å"Free-to-Play† and charging in-game micro-transaction items such as virtual gift or buildings. The free-to-play concept is not new in this industry because plenty of Korean online game companies such as Nexon, NcSoft already using this business model while traditional online games use subscription model ($15. 99 per month) such as World of WarCraft(Blizzard) and EVE Online(CCP Games). As the internet bandwidth improvement and more internet users in US(250 million)4, online games and social games represent strong growth trend comparing to traditional console games. And as users have more options in â€Å"free† games rather than premium games, more and more companies enter into this industry by offering products for free with micro-transaction options. Zynga’s most popular title â€Å"CityVille† has over 70 million monthly active users while best selling single console game Call of Duty(Activision) has 14 million copies sold in US market. Facing the competition of Facebook games with free to play concept and high growth potential of online game market, some of the traditional package-good game companies start to offer cross-platform Facebook game titles to increase their competency in the market such as EA, Sony and Ubisoft. Their main strategy is to develop Facebook companion games(Free to Play) to featured console game title. Those companions games not only offer free-to-play game content but also allow users to unlock items in the main console game such as Dragon Age Legend(EA). They intend to leverage their brand awareness in the gaming industry, acquire more users to play main games and increase monetization channel to increase revenue. EA responded very quickly in this digital trend by doing aggressive acquisitions for popular facebook or mobile game studios. However, a lot of other traditional console game companies react very slow (Ubisoft, Sony) or refuse to change (Nintendo). Most of console game companies conduct a conservative strategy and will develop several social games(much shorter develop time) to make trial because overall the console retail sales revenue is much higher than that in social and mobile market. Others are not capable of following this fast-paced digital step and suffered loss (THQ laid off 200 employees in 2011 because of decreasing sales in retail products). Most customers that play hard-core video console games generally are not satisfied with the â€Å"free-to-play† social companion games because of lower quality of overall game content and totally different game play with main games. A low quality companion product of Facebook platform will damage the company’s reputation in this industry for new users. However, since the users profile between hardcore players (average 29 years old male) and social players (average 35 years old female) are so different with very few overlap, it makes these console game companies indifferent to the failure of Facebook product. Online game market, on the other hand, the free to play options have a big impact to customers’ options. For example, World of Warcraft ( Most popular Massive Multiplayer Role Playing game, 12million users with $15. 99 monthly subscription fee) lost 600,000 users since 2008 while RuneScape(Jagex) (free-to-play game with subscription options at $5) has 150 million registered users and over 10 million active users. Blizzard responded to the competition since 2011 on â€Å"free to Play† options until level 20 in the game. Another game Lord of the Rings switched from subscription model to free to play model and saw double revenue and 400% user growth immediately. I would suggest the pricing decision maker in video game industry to look at customer, company capability, product feature, customer and competitors’ issues. Company – Analyze company’s positioning in terms of digital trend in the industry and focus on the products with higher profit margins – Analyze company’s cost structure and allocate reasonable resources on other platform product development based on financial forecast Product. – Since console game products have fixed price in the retail stores, figure out other possible channels for monetization such as digital add-on contents, special side-product package etc. – Decide possible virtual buying items based on the game mechanics and gamers motivation (self-expression, social status and social network) Distributor – Corporate and form good relationship with retail distributors for more resources on shelf presence and brand promotion Customer. – Deliver social companion games with high-quality contents to enhance main game – Deliver social games that directly target Facebook users – Promote company brand and establish community to highly engage with users Competitor – Learn from competitors on the digital content development – Expand to other country that competitors did not focus. Resources: 1. www. bizreport. com/2011/07/2011-social-gaming-revenues-to-exceed-1billion. html 2. http://mashable. com/2011/07/13/mobile-gaming-trends/ http://www. businessinsider. com/getting-into-the-mobile-gaming-game-2011-7.