Game Development Essentials An Introduction
Player Elements who plays and why? Chapter 2 Player Elements who plays and why?
Key Chapter Questions ■ What motivates people to play games, and how does this affect the types of games that are developed? ■ What is the difference between geographics, demographics, and psychographics? ■ How has the player market changed over time? ■ What is the difference between the U.S. and South Korean market? ■ What are the different generations of players in the United States?
Player Motivation Social interaction Physical seclusion Competition Knowledge Mastery Escapism Addiction Therapy Exercise Creative expression
Player Suits Richard Bartle’s “Players Who Suit MUDs” Hearts: Socializers interact with other players Clubs: Killers manipulate other players Diamonds: Achievers interact with the environment Spades: Explorers manipulate the environment
Geographics South Korea Japan Germany Regional US
Geographics
Psychographics VALS (Values, Attitudes & Lifestyles Survey)
Psychographics
Demographics Gender Age Occupation Income Education Ethnicity Religion Political Affiliation
Demographics Entertainment Software Association (ESA) 52% of players report watching less television as a result of playing games 47% of players are going to the movies less 41% of players watch movies at home less often 54% of U.S. households have purchased or plan to purchase one or more games adult women make up a larger percentage of players than boys ages 6–17 females of all ages now make up almost 40% of the game-playing population men and women over 18 make up 64 percent of the player population 17% of players are over age 50
Demographics Generation Silent Boom Generation X Millennial Trends quiz (p. 55)
Gen X The “Lone Hero” Generation Tomb Raider’s Lara Croft and Half-Life’s Gordon Freeman are both depicted as lone heroes.
Millennials The “Teamwork” Generation Games that incorporate cooperation—such as A Tale in the Desert and Puzzle Pirates—might be ideal games for the Millennial Generation.
Summary Player motivation Player suits Geographics Psychographics Demographics Generations