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My principal interest in mobile applications is to push the boundaries of innovation to create uniquely mobile experiences. I hope my blogs excite and challenge developers to think 'outside the box'.

The diversification of the gamer

coultonp | 31 August, 2006 17:00

I was extremely gratified to see this report on how the gamer audience is diversifying and that marketers should be very wary of relying on the traditional definitions of the so-called hardcore and casual gamer. This is a topic close to my heart as I have been trying to evangelise this message for a number of years particularly for the mobile games market, and indeed harks back to conversations over a great blog by Goran. However, I have repeatedly come across an attitude whereby rather than embracing the diversity many developers just want the phone to be like a console as they claim it is a known market. As this report, and the success of some of the innovative titles on the Nintendo DS, show, exhisitng assumptions are likely to be no longer valid.

 

Indeed many of the traits they are referencing in this article are very relevant to the way people use mobile phones for instance the social, leisure, dormant, and  occasional gamer habits described. If we can design games for these users we have a much greater opportunity to realise the vast potential of the mobile games market. Perhaps will see more publishers willing to promote new mobile specific titles rather than relying on the domination of brands.

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Re: The diversification of the gamer

RyanSantos | 05/09/2006, 04:47

RyanSantos I think that online RPGs are a clear example of this. A lot of computer games have not lived profitably long enough because they focus on the single player approach. If playing a computer game is just like going to the arcade wherein you could stay as long/short as you want and compete with other people in the process, that would be my personal definition of an easily addictive game =)

Re: The diversification of the gamer

coultonp | 05/09/2006, 10:24

coultonp Ryan

I think the bottom line with this area is that we still know relatively little about the audience and unless we are prepared to be more adventurous we may struggle to found out.
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