Writing this post to try and clarify stuff because some people including myself are somewhat confused.
Here are a few links clarifying the differences between different types of gamers.
http://www.gamerheadlines.com/2014/0...y-they-matter/
Casual Gamer
The first, and possibly largest type of gamer is the casual gamer. These are the people that made the Nintendo Wii such a successful console this past generation. They tend to buy only one or two games per year, and sometimes not even that many. Mostly, they purchase party games, or simple time waster games. They have almost entirely moved to the mobile game market, with some still playing Facebook or Zynga games. The WiiU has almost exclusively been marketed towards the casual gaming market, most likely due to the riches Nintendo gained from doing the same with the Wii. This tactic doesn’t seem to be working this generation, however.
Why did this marketing scheme work for the Wii and not the WiiU?
One of the reasons is the mindset and behavior of casual gamers. Casual gamers don’t look up gaming news or seek out ads or YouTube videos to explain, in detail, what the WiiU is, so they have no clue. Many I have spoken to have never even heard of the WiiU, and the ones that have, think it’s a peripheral for the Wii. Two major things cause this problem. One, is that the title is too similar and nonsensical for the casual gamer to distinguish it from the Wii. The other is that Nintendo rarely talks about or shows the console itself, instead, they focus almost exclusively on the gamepad controller. Another reason is the price tag. The original Wii, when launched, was $249.99 in NA, which is affordable for the casual audience, whereas the WiiU was $299.99, which is just slightly too much for this group.
The Wii’s best selling point was it’s motion control. Casual gamers can be scared away by the number of buttons and complex controls of games on the competing consoles, but the concept of motion control, making their movements control the game, felt completely natural and intuitive. Significantly lowering the entry level into gaming, the WiiU gamepad doesn’t have that advantage. Instead, it’s more like a traditional controller, which pushes away the causal audience. Possibly the biggest flaw in Nintendo’s marketing plan is that Nintendo doesn’t realize the current state of the gaming market. With the casual market having moved to smart phones and tablets, the desired demographic simply doesn’t exist in that market anymore.
Softcore Gamer
The second type, and second largest group, of gamer are softcore gamers. They tend to buy two to six games per year, and most of those game are very mainstream, annual titles. They are the reason Call of Duty and Assassin’s Creed sell very well year after year. They tend to purchase the “popular” franchises, stay in their comfort zones, and do whatever their friends are doing. Softcore gamers are often very brand-loyal, defending games or insulting others based on whether or not it’s a franchise they frequently play. They are typically teenage males, but are not exclusively so. Most gamer stereotypes are made about this group, and major media outlets mistakenly think all gamers are like this group. The Xbox One is marketed towards this community.
Given the size of this community, why isn’t Microsoft’s plan working?
It’s pretty obvious that Microsoft markets towards this group. Spokespersons from Microsoft at press conferences and in interviews talk a significant amount about TV and sports. The games most commonly marketed in advertisements along with the console are games such as Call of Duty: Ghosts, Need for Speed: Rivals, and Battlefield 4. Microsoft also uses aggressive marketing tactics, often directly insulting Sony’s PS4, much in the same way as fanboys attack opposing brands. All of which a highly mainstream, popular franchises. Identifying why this marketing ploy hasn’t worked is difficult without describing the next group of gamer.
Hardcore Gamer
The third group of gamers is the hardcore gamer. Hardcore gamers often buy a minimum of four games per year, and are frequently only limited by budget or availability. Hardcore gamers enjoy exploring possibilities, being the early adopters of new consoles or franchises. Hardcore gamers often spend more time than others watching YouTube “Let’s Plays” or watching E3 live streams. Sony is marketing the PlayStation 4 to these gamers.
Why is Sony’s plan so successful?
Sony markets the PS4 as, first and foremost, a game console. Games they show in advertisements are rarely popular titles such as Call of Duty, but unique, intriguing exclusives such as Driveclub, InFamous: Second Son, or The Witness. Sony understands that showing new, interesting titles such as these appeals to the hardcore gamer, making them want to buy the system for these games. The PlayStation 4 is more successful than others because it is marketed to the early adopters. Softcore gamers see that the PS4 is popular, so they buy it, or they know Hardcore gamers personally who tell them to buy the PS4 instead of the Xbox One.
Elitist Gamer
The final and smallest group of gamers is the Elitist. They are possibly the most annoying group. They are often hypercritical of games, and think that if you don’t like a game they enjoy, the only explanation is that you’re just bad at it. They tend to think games should just be difficult, with no difficulty settings. They also tend to be PC gamers, thinking consoles are inherently inferior in every way to the “Master Race” of gaming. They often buy several games per year, like hardcore gamers, but hardly play them, and just play the same two or three obsessively.
Steam machines are already being marketed to this type of gamer.
It’s impossible to be certain whether or not this marketing plan will succeed, but I don’t think it will. Steam machines will most likely cost significantly more than the PS4 and Xbox one, and most elitists can build their own PC’s, or at least know someone who can for a reasonable price. Many gamers who play console games do so because maintaining a high-end PC can be very expensive, and require a lot of knowledge about PC’s, but consoles are easier to use.
Those are the four types of gamer. I personally think only the hardcore and elitist gamer should be called “gamers,” after all, someone who only watches movies on occasion isn’t called a “film buff.”
Regardless of which sort of gamer you are, or how many of you there are, all gamers have an influence in the community, and game developers and console manufactures need to understand this as the gaming community continues to expand.
Mid-Core gamer explanation:
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/1...ean_anyway.php
'Mid-core' in a few sentences
"When I think about mid-core, it's really about distilling what you'd consider a 'hardcore' game down to its core essence, without making concessions on production quality, themes and gameplay mechanics. To us, mid-core means making a great, deep game more 'accessible' - both in terms of time (keeping sessions to 5 to 20 minutes, as opposed to hours) and platform access (it should be on many platforms instead of just one at a time)." - Frederic Descamps, general manager of Team Solstice (Solstice Arena), Zynga
"Games that are easy to learn and allow advancement with short gaming sessions, but are more engaging, more competitive and more challenging than other social and casual games. This combination allows mid-core games to reach a wider audience than a hardcore game like an MMO while also attracting players who identify as gamers and are more willing to spend on gaming entertainment." - Janelle Benjamin, SuperData vice president of research
There are 3 classification of gamer in terms of time lifestyle patterns.
(1) Hardcore arranges their schedules around their gaming.
(2) Mid-core arranges their gaming around their daily schedule.
(3) Casual entertains self with games when time presents itself.
Vertical VS Horizontal Progression
Comparing Vertical and Horizontal Progression
http://www.engadget.com/2014/02/05/m...l-progression/
More on Vertical Progression
http://www.engadget.com/2014/02/11/t...stay-relevant/
More on Horizontal Progression
http://www.eqhammer.com/ask-druid/as...al-progression
Originally Posted by Zarzak
Reply With Quote
