Gamer Motivations

@Fandom has released a new study on Gamer Motivations. The results are very interesting and in line with what I have been discussing with several of my colleagues and clients. Cliff notes: Gamers are more comfortable online than IRL. 64% of the 5,000 gamers surveyed said: “they think it’s easier to be themselves online than in person”. 

This is both a little concerning but also really interesting as a games marketer. Games online with friends are the new “go outside and play” for Gen Z and A. In addition to feeling more comfortable online in games these players take it even further and use games as a primary way to express themselves and their personalities. The second highest answer in the survey to the question of Why they Play Games was: “Creation, Imagination and Self Expression” with 46% of respondents citing it. This is a big answer to why platforms like Roblox, Fortnite and Minecraft have such massive audiences. 

These gamers self identity exist in these worlds. Sometimes their most close relationships are with the people they have never seen IRL but hang out with every day online in games. 

I have been talking about this notion with lots of people lately and it seems that gaming marketers have not yet adapted their techniques to match these motivations. Lots of game marketing campaigns are still very “push” oriented and live outside these communities and are thus sniffed out by these gamers as “ads” and ignored.

I am thinking deeply about what I do to market and communicate games to these digitally native people differently to be more effective. What we make to entertain, engage and make gamers aware needs to fit into the social fabric of these people.