Diverse Gamer Types

[Seeria]

This news flash comes from Gamasutra, which requires a membership for a lot of articles. Not sure if this is one of them but will post the link for it.


August 30, 2006

Report Suggests Diversifying Online Market

Report Suggests Diversifying Online Market After suggesting yesterday that the online games market could grown in worth to $4.4 billion by 2010,
[ Gamasutra - Research Suggests $4.4bn Online Market In 2010 ]
analysts from market research firm Parks Associates have released highlights of a second report suggesting increasing diversification in the online games market demographic.

The report, based on survey of almost 2,000 online U.S. gamers, refutes the suggestion that games players can be organized into simply "hardcore" and "casual", instead suggesting six different categorizations of player, organized based on time spent gaming and motivation and attitudes – rather than revenue.

- "Power gamers" represent 11 percent of the gamer market but account for 30 cents of every dollar spent on retail and online games.

- "Social gamers" enjoy gaming as a way to interact with friends.

- "Leisure gamers" spend 58 hours per month playing games but mainly on casual titles. Nevertheless they prefer challenging titles and show high interest in new gaming services.

- "Dormant gamers" love gaming but spend little time because of family, work, or school. They like to play with friends and family and prefer complex and challenging games.

- "Incidental gamers" lack motivation and play games mainly out of boredom. However, they spend more than 20 hours a month playing online games.

- "Occasional gamers" play puzzle, word, and board games almost exclusively.

The report suggests that the middle market of social, leisure and dormant gamers accounts for 53 percent of the Internet gamer population and 56 percent of retail revenue.

According to Yuanzhe (Michael) Cai, director of broadband and gaming at Parks Associates, reaching this untapped middle market represents a distinct challenge to marketers. "If game companies insist on chasing the mythical hardcore and casual gamer segments, they will miss out on more than half of the market," said Cai. "The market is not black and white anymore, and game marketers need to understand these finer nuances."

The survey of gamers also found that social interaction was important to all categories of player. "Social and leisure gamers may play simple, non-competitive games, but they want to play these games with friends and players they meet online," said Cai. "For this type of gamer, there simply aren't that many options."

Gamasutra - Report Suggests Diversifying Online Market

 

[z80]

I read that a couple days ago I think. It was interesting.

 

[Thaos Nightwind]

Oh it way past interesting to me. It confirms a lot insofar as what I suspect the industry is trying ot accomplish as a whole. Though they're not there yet.

Most important part of this imho is:

"If game companies insist on chasing the mythical hardcore and casual gamer segments, they will miss out on more than half of the market," said Cai. "The market is not black and white anymore, and game marketers need to understand these finer nuances."

Those "finer nuances" eh? See something bugs me with the industry refusing to say demographics wold probably show that the other 70% of that survey is probaly an older working class population of gamers (with less time on their hands) that are probably turned off by slow repetative 'Treadmilling' process and lack of content and; its where the larger chunk of $$ is located.

The mythical 'They' of the industry as a whole wants that money and thus far the only thing they've come up with is tiered pricing to allow you to level faster, get loot faster etc. Which then causes some the 11% "power gamer" population to balk at the idea of someone being able to pay their way. Amongst players in forums this spawns as a false sort of Class+Age warfare syndrome all muddled together in the tiered pricing threads.

Its actually no one's 'Fault' per-sey; and there is nothing "Fair' about it. Its strictly Business and the demorgaphics thereof. If the industy totally ignores that 70% then it can kiss that $4.4 billion by 2010 goodbye.

Do yourself a favor and go over to Second Life's website and look at the prices for land ownership. Then consider the fact that per day hundreds of thousands of dollars US are flowing even with those prices added on to your basic $9.99 subscription. Its extremely lucrative. Its an industry test case for tiered pricing and what people will pay for. The money being made speaks for itself. If someone thinks the industry is going to turn its back on that kind of money under the notion of 'Fair'...??? Nuh uh...

Now the problem as mentioned before is still content imho. Those pricing ideas may draw some but if its still the same old treadmill then it won't last long. And thats where I think HJ comes into play. The Journey system, Nemisis system, Character Customization Options, "living world systems" and the symbiotic relationships all interacting to give each player a different evolution is going to be some good shizzle in comparison to the regular tredmilling. Thats why its poised for MMO greatness imho.

Other than that welcome to my four day weekend!!!!

 

[HJ-Navarre]

Very Interesting!

MMORPGs are still in their infancy and no company has the perfect recipe yet to draw and keep all types of players. WoW has had some of the best success and even their recipe is way off the mark for being the perfect mmo game. The industry has made amazing progress in 10 or so years... I can't wait to see what the next 10 years hold. I, for one, will always be playing... and maybe even creating.

 

[Oxlar]

I beleive that the MMORPG game today has strayed far from its original intent. It has focused too much on the 'optimal' money making formula. In that process, it has abandoned 'good design'. Now we have 'Action RPGs', instead of real RPGs, because of the presumed console styled demographics. This is killing the real RPG market.

HG is going to design a game and they are going to do it right, not follow some formula that a bunch of accounting idiots think will make the most money. Just make a great game, the rest will take care of itself. I have yet to see a really good game not do well. But I have seen a lot of bad games blitz the market and then fall apart after the hype, and there are a lot more on the way unfortunately. But HG will not be one of the flops, it will be a gem.

 

[Sylvado]

I beleive that the MMORPG game today has strayed far from its original intent. It has focused too much on the 'optimal' money making formula. In that process, it has abandoned 'good design'.

We get back to my root topic. This is a business, as such they should be focused on the optimal money formula. Why is it so difficult to view gaming companies as a business that intends to maximize profit.

 

[Thaos Nightwind]

I beleive that the MMORPG game today has strayed far from its original intent. It has focused too much on the 'optimal' money making formula. In that process, it has abandoned 'good design'. Now we have 'Action RPGs', instead of real RPGs, because of the presumed console styled demographics. This is killing the real RPG market.

We get back to my root topic. This is a business, as such they should be focused on the optimal money formula. Why is it so difficult to view gaming companies as a business that intends to maximize profit.

Congrats to the two of you. The Holy Grail for players and MMO developers would be the game that does both simultaneously. Will that be HJ? I can't wait to find out.