Surveys Bust Myths about Hardcore Gamers - So What Will Game Companies Do?
(Page 4 of 4 )
It's all very well and good to have this information, but what are game companies likely to do with it? One observer commenting on the NPD survey thought that they would "figure out which one of their new categories contains the most 18-34 year old males, and cater to that group. Because 6-17 year olds don't have any money."
There's probably at least a grain of truth in that. In talking about his company's survey's focus on motivation and attitude, Cai ponders the question of "Why has this not been a focus in the past? That is a tough one. I guess it's more complex to do and harder to explain. Also, remember people have comfort zones and companies have active inertia."
With these kinds of numbers, though, it could pay for companies to learn to overcome that active inertia. That doesn't mean that firms will start going after groups other than hardcore gamers soon, or even that they'll try to appeal to both hardcore gamers and other kinds of gamers. But there is money to be made, and if the current crop of gaming companies doesn't see the opportunity, others will.
Cai thinks a wider understanding of the different types of gamers will bring about a change in the market. "I guess what I'm saying is that companies like EA might be able to afford targeting all gamer groups, but smaller companies and new market entrants can become successful if they focus on the middle-market, which represents 56 percent of the retail market. These gamers also represent good online opportunities. There are only so many gamers who are willing to shell out $50-60 whenever a new Madden game comes out. If more companies come to realize that there are a large group of non-power gamers out there, ripe with opportunities, we'll see more activities in those markets."
| DISCLAIMER: The content provided in this article is not warranted or guaranteed by Developer Shed, Inc. The content provided is intended for entertainment and/or educational purposes in order to introduce to the reader key ideas, concepts, and/or product reviews. As such it is incumbent upon the reader to employ real-world tactics for security and implementation of best practices. We are not liable for any negative consequences that may result from implementing any information covered in our articles or tutorials. If this is a hardware review, it is not recommended to open and/or modify your hardware. |
| Recommended by Dev Hardware |
|---|
|
