investiGaming is a publication of the Serious Game Design group in the Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media at Michigan State University, 2007
This gateway is partially supported by grant supported by grant 0631771 from the National Science Foundation.
The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent Michigan State University or the National Science Foundation.
Author: Lazzaro, Nicole
Date: 2008
Source: in Beyond Barbie and Mortal Kombat: New Perspectives on Gender, Gaming, and Computing, edited by Yasmin Kafai, Carrie Heeter, Jill Denner, Jen Sun, MIT Press, 2008
Full Text Link:
Keywords:
book, chapter, what women want, what men want, case study, gaming culture, gaming social context, gender inclusive, player types, motivations, player demographics
Abstract:
At its formation, the games industry used traditional market research data to understand and segment the market. They came up with their target customer: a 23-year-old, single, technophile. The vast majority of computer games still focus on the tastes and preferences of the industry’s first adopter, chasing him as he gets older.
Designing a better game is often about making it more fun. Instead of making more boy games, the industry needs a deeper understanding of its customer and why they play. The proper customer insight, vocabulary and tools broaden the audience and deepen the appeal. When asked what they liked most about play, male and female players use many of the same words. Women are not looking for an “easier time.” Both genders found challenge appealing whether it was in Halo or the speed mode of Tetris. What differed was appeal of violence.
XEODesign’s analysis of best-selling games showed that they all supported at least three of the Four Fun Keys that crossed all gender boundaries. Hits such as Halo outperformed their imitators because the clones failed to include more than one type of the Four Fun Keys. Counter Strike, a modification of the game Half Life, became more popular than the original, by adding more types of fun. A successful game such as Zuma faces stiff competition when close rivals such as Tumblebugs master several types of fun.
Games focusing on the Four Fun Keys that cross gender boundaries present huge opportunities for growth as the rest of the market chases heavily male-typed play. What we need is the relationship between game play and emotion. How do gamers and potential gamers (our new customers) want to feel as they play? Play is both an emotional and cognitive experience. It absorbs our attention in ways that life often does not. It brings us experiences we could never have, and lets us learn from them and enjoy the thrill of the fantasy while suspending the consequences.
XEODesign performed a field study in which 30 adults were asked to share their thoughts and feelings while playing their favorite PC, console, handheld, or internet games. Players spent 90 to 120 minutes playing where they normally do in their homes, fraternity houses, public gaming rooms, or workplaces. Most played the games by themselves except for four console multiplayer sessions of 3-6 players, which were conducted with participants playing in the same room. We also observed two online PC multiplayer sessions over the internet. Using Contextual Inquiry as well as our own XEOAnalysis’ methods a researcher observed participants during play and administered a questionnaire at the end of the session. To collect the opinions of non-players about gaming, we also interviewed 15 friends and family members of participants who were nearby during the observation sessions.
We collected three types of data: video recordings of what players said and did (45 hours), player’s questionnaire responses, and verbal and non-verbal emotional cues during play. We analyzed over 2,000 observations from video transcripts, facial expressions, questionnaire responses, and session notes that we sorted into affinity groups. XEODesign used these groupings to create nearly a dozen consolidated models of player behavior and processes that facilitated or inhibited enjoyment.
See also http://www.xeodesign.com/xeodesign_whyweplaygames.pdf
Nicole Lazzaro
President of XEODesign
http://www.xeodesign.com
Nicole Lazzaro is the Founder and President of XEODesign, Inc. She has over fifteen years of expertise in Player Experience Research and Design for mass-market entertainment and consumer creativity products. Clients including Sony, LeapFrog, Mattel, Sega, The Learning Company, Xfire, Broderbund, Roxio, Ubisoft, and Maxis. She has a degree in Psychology from Stanford University.