If you don't know who your target audience is then how the hell can you make a good game?
I hear people talking about “female gamers” or “core gamers” a lot, but seldom do they realize that these categories don’t technically exist, at least not in any practical way.
The term “female gamers” includes both a woman in her fifties playing Candy Crush Saga on her phone and a college girl enjoying Call of Duty on her Xbox. They’re so far apart from each other, that it makes no sense to try and fit them into the same vaguely defined category. There are many female gamers, they’re different and there are probably dozens of categories you could divide them in.
I hear people talking about “female gamers” or “core gamers” a lot, but seldom do they realize that these categories don’t technically exist, at least not in any practical way.
The term “female gamers” includes both a woman in her fifties playing Candy Crush Saga on her phone and a college girl enjoying Call of Duty on her Xbox. They’re so far apart from each other, that it makes no sense to try and fit them into the same vaguely defined category. There are many female gamers, they’re different and there are probably dozens of categories you could divide them in.
I must say I stole a few lines from steam spy.
Is it necessary to categorize your game or your target audience?
Your target audience? No. The audience is so vastly different therefore it seems to makes no sense to categorize your audience.
What about your game? Yes, for several reasons.
First, all app or game store are divided into these categories. Although the boundaries between those categories are fading due to hybride games, it is important to know in what market your game could belong. Yes, could belong because eventually, our main objective is to create new market space.
Is it necessary to categorize your game or your target audience?
Your target audience? No. The audience is so vastly different therefore it seems to makes no sense to categorize your audience.
What about your game? Yes, for several reasons.
First, all app or game store are divided into these categories. Although the boundaries between those categories are fading due to hybride games, it is important to know in what market your game could belong. Yes, could belong because eventually, our main objective is to create new market space.
In order to use the BOS non customer tool, we need at least 2 personas. You can choose anyone you like. I decided to chose 2 game categories (board games and casual games) and just pick one player who plays one of these games.
My persona that represented the current market and tier 1 non customers was me, the one that plays board games. My girlfriend represented tier 2, she mostly plays casual games.
Shouldn't you use fictive persones instead?
At this site, they advice you to make a fictive person. They say a real person can't represent the whole audience. But that sounds silly since I just explained that there as much gamer types as there are gamers.
Besides, I think it's best you pick someone that you can studie really well.
My persona that represented the current market and tier 1 non customers was me, the one that plays board games. My girlfriend represented tier 2, she mostly plays casual games.
Shouldn't you use fictive persones instead?
At this site, they advice you to make a fictive person. They say a real person can't represent the whole audience. But that sounds silly since I just explained that there as much gamer types as there are gamers.
Besides, I think it's best you pick someone that you can studie really well.
What questions do you need to ask? What information do you need to make a persona?
Hubspot or this blog is a good start. But every industry and every company has it's own survey to make a persona. Although a general questionnaire like these are a good start, they do not really help us.
So I have a theory. If you make your game using the questions of "the deck of lenses", wouldn't it be logical to use them to make the survey? Their are a lot of lenses and even more questions, but we can easily narrow this down just by looking at the strategy canvas.
I used more general questions relating to all aspects which I use in the SC.
Questions like: Do you like a fascinating story in a game? Yes - No - No opinion Why?
Hubspot or this blog is a good start. But every industry and every company has it's own survey to make a persona. Although a general questionnaire like these are a good start, they do not really help us.
So I have a theory. If you make your game using the questions of "the deck of lenses", wouldn't it be logical to use them to make the survey? Their are a lot of lenses and even more questions, but we can easily narrow this down just by looking at the strategy canvas.
I used more general questions relating to all aspects which I use in the SC.
Questions like: Do you like a fascinating story in a game? Yes - No - No opinion Why?
usefull tips and links
GiBiz has a post about the playtime of "casual gamers".
Gamasutra blog about "non-gamers".
Gamasutra blog about the gamers perspective on the "freemium" model.
Some of my tips:
Gamasutra blog about "non-gamers".
Gamasutra blog about the gamers perspective on the "freemium" model.
Some of my tips:
- Interview your persona. Ask about him/her gaming behavior.
- Be sure to write down the game history of the persona. Their game history tells a lot about their preferences.
- When you let the persona play your game, don't listen to him/her. Just look at what they do and how they react.