The games are made for gamers. For real fans. Those who live in the industry and know what titles they will play one year in advance. That’s the way things are, but in recent years a “new segment” has emerged that is changing the rules of the game a bit in our industry? Nope
There are “Out of Nowhere” titles with unexpected success. If you think about it, these successes are not so surprising. First things first…
Occasional gamers have so far been associated with mobile or online titles (e.g. Among US or Animal Crossing: New Horizons). Last year shows that the “elite” areas of PC consoles and platforms (Steam etc.) are no longer the homeland of hardcore gamers only.
Gas Station Simulator
Fashion for simulators appeared a few years ago and we have almost all variants. From the Director of the Hospital to the Goat simulator. True story. That is why the Bezynowa Station Simulator from the Drago Entertainment would not attract anyone’s attention if it were not for the unexpected success of the production. The authors of the game emphasize that the production paid back a day after the premiere.
Very high ratings for steam and a warm welcome by the players threw the production on the podium where it lasted for quite a long time. A clear title that says it all about the game. The low entry and return threshold – all this means that the game was chosen by casual gamers.
Casual gamer….
a player who enjoys any video game without investing significant time into it, playing it spontaneously, irregularly or rarely. As we delve deeper into this profile, we have a middle-aged person who just wants to kill some time in the evening. Maybe the Children have gone to bed early, or is waiting for a new season of their favorite TV Show. He don’t want to watch hour-long tutorials and learn controls. He wants to play a little and maybe next week he will come back to this game, or maybe another one. In this way, one of the key aspects emerges, that is
The entry (and return) threshold for the casual gamer
The first dive should be extremely simplified. From the first impression, through tutorials and limiting possible actions. A clear signal that you can sit down to the Game and devote a few hours to break away from reality. Here, every detail is important, including the title of the game.
Complicated user guidance even after some time, however, should be balanced by one important aspect. The player may abandon the game for several days (weeks?) And returning to it should not be complicated enough to learn the game from the beginning.
The pattern of the casual gamer`s game
It’s hard to define one game pattern for the above-mentioned players. Just as there are many kinds of games, so are the patterns of behavior. It’s hard to find a common pattern. Some common parts, however, can be found.
They play less and less often. According to a report by State of Online Gaming by Limelight Networks, occasional players play half as much. They play less often: a single game session does not exceed a few hours.
Less time means less tolerance. The game itself is not the goal. They won’t spend time on analyzes and tutorials. They also have a much lower tolerance for in-game errors. They’ll find another time killer. The game is an escape from reality (as opposed to the hardcore players’ approach).
Are we all casual gamers?
The longer I read and describe occasional players, the more I come to the conclusion that I am self-diagnosing. And no matter how long we lie to each other – we have less and less time to play. We want extremely playable titles that we dive into in a few minutes and that we can emerge from at any time.
The occasional gamers are more picky. Is it wrong? Playable doesn’t mean easy. When designing for occasional players, you can certainly also satisfy people who have more time. Gamers are getting old. Being mature doesn’t mean giving up your passion for gaming. Means more demands.