Genre is the categorisation of films, TV, books, games, music, etc. Genre is a very vague area with no set boundaries. Many people confine the scope of the word “Genre” to art, culture and especially literature, but it has been used in rhetoric for a long time.
Genre is in all media, for example it is in TV, music, movies, video games and literature. People tend to favour specific genres because that genre appeals to them and their interests.
Film
Horror – Intended to scare the audience.
Action – Generally involves a moral interplay between “good” and “bad” played out through violence or physical force.
Romance – Focuses on romantic love.
Comedy – Intended to make the audience laugh.
Mystery – The progression from the unknown to the known.
Adventure – Generally involves danger, risk and/or change, often with a degree of fantasy.
Drama – Focuses on character development often in situations familiar to the general audience.
Thriller – Intended to provoke excitement and sometime nervousness within the audience.
Music
Rock – A popular form of music with a prominent vocal melody which is accompanied by guitars, drums and bass.
Folk – Traditional music that has been made popular due to the way it relates to the common people.
Reggae- Jamaican music developed in the late 1960’s, made popular by the unique rhythm styling that it has.
Country – Music developed in rural areas, it is a blend of popular music and folk music.
Jazz – Music which originated around the early 20th century in African American communities.
Pop – Popular music that can belong to any number of musical styles that are accessible by the general public.
Heavy Metal – Genre of music that was developed in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. With roots in blues and psychedelic rock.
Hip Hop – Style of popular music developed in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, originating from Jamaica and the South Bronx, New York in the early 1970’s.
Blues – Vocal and instrumental style of music which originated in the southern United States in the late 19th century.
Electronic – Music that focuses on the use of electronic instruments. It originates from the late 19th century and the early 20th century.
TV
Children’s Television – Popular form of television which focuses on a child audience presenting shows which are made for children.
Situation Comedy – Genre which started on radio but made the transaction to television. Sitcoms focus on a group of recurring characters in a common place.
Game Shows – Genre which focuses on contestants attempting to win money or prizes through a series of games or challenges.
Reality Television - Genre of television which focuses on unscripted comedy, dramatic events which involve real life people.
Sports Television - Genre of television which focuses on sport.
Science Fiction Television -Television which focuses mainly on science fiction senarios often involving some sort of fantasy.
Video Games
Action Games -The video game equivalent to an action movie. They portray the on going battle between “good” and “evil”.
Adventure Games - Game involving danger/risk and some sort of prize at the end.
Shooter Games - Games revolving around guns and weapons. The majority of these games are either 1st or 3rd person shooters.
Role Playing Games -Game genre where you take control of a character and go on a quest through many different environments to find something.
Platform Games -Game involving a character who travels from platform to platform, many of these game are side-scrollers.
Simulation Games -The aim of this genre of game is to simulate an expirience, whether it be flying and aircraft or fighting a war.
Sport Games - Game which focuses on a sport activity whether it be playing the sport or managing a team.
Horror Games – Game genre which intends to scare the audience and make them jump.
Strategy Games – Game which requires the player to think and strategies to win.
MMO Games - Game type which is played online with many other players. This genre tends to be Role Playing Games.
