Ch. 4 – Understanding
Your Player
Sahajmeet Bhutta
Objective
• Understand that all players are different, yet
can be categorized according to playstyles
• All following characteristics of players in each
demographic are generalizations and there
will be some overlap between preferences
The Five-Factor Model
• O.C.E.A.N.
– Openness to new experiences
• Resistance to new experiences
– Conscientiousness
• Lack of Conscientiousness
– Extraversion
• Introversion
– Agreeableness
• disagreeableness
– Neuroticism
• stability
Five Domains of Play
• Novelty (openness to new experiences)
– Variety, unexpected elements
– Opposite: Familiarity, comforting sameness
• Challenge (conscientiousness)
– Difficult, requiring precision,accomplish things,
completing everything in a game
– Opposite: Sandbox games where player is free to
fool around
Five Domains of Play
• Stimulation (extraversion)
– Social engagement, party games, involving
interactions with other players
– Opposite: games which can be played alone
• Harmony (agreeableness)
– Social harmony, cooperative games (Little Big
Planet)
– Opposite: strictly competitive games (Street
Fighter) offering conflict
Five Domains of Play
• Threat (neuroticism)
– Seeking enjoyment from negative or unpleasant
emotions, elements of danger, or frightening
content; includes players of survival horror
– Opposite: games inducing positive emotions
Attitudes towards
Storytelling
• Some players prefer to think of games as a system of
rules which must be mastered, often preferring
games of action or strategy; storytelling and
cutscenes interfere with this
FIFA ‘15
Attitudes towards
Storytelling
• Others see stories as the main reason to play
the game, often using cheats or walkthroughs
to further gameplay
The Last of Us
Demographic Categories
• There are significant, general differences
among players of varying ages and genders
• Women
• Men
• Boys
• Girls
– Girls and boys are further divided by age ranges
according to varying levels of development
Gender Inclusiveness
• You don’t have to make games
about stereotypically feminine
interests to attract female players!
A Few Generalities
• Men and women like to learn differently.
Assassin’s Creed
A Few Generalities
• Men and women have different attitudes
toward risk
• Obvious example
would be games or
challenges involving
gambling or betting
current winnings
A Few Generalities
• Women are more interested in people than things and
like to socialize as part of their play experience.
• Facebook
games like
Farmille are a
great example
A Few Generalities
• Men and women have different conflict
resolution styles.
A Few Generalities
• Women enjoy mental challenges and finding
elegant solutions to problems.
Mahjong
A Few Generalities
• Women like to customize their avatars.
Skyrim
A Few Generalities
• Men have more leisure time and money to
spend on gaming.
Dead Rising 2
Women Are a Market, Not a Genre
"Do not try to design a “women’s game” simply
by creating features that address these
generalities. Rather, design an intrinsically
interesting game and bear these issues in
mind as you consider the effect that your
design decisions will have on your potential
customer base.”
Characters
Rayne - Bloodrayne
Characters
Heather – Silent Hill 3
Boys and Girls
• Preschool and kindergarten (ages
3 to 6)
• Early elementary (ages 5 to 8)
• Upper elementary (ages 7 to 12,
the tweens)
• Middle and high school (13 and
up, the teens)
• Late teens to mid-20s
Issues to consider while creating
games for children
• Hand-eye
coordination.
Issues to consider while creating
games for children
• Logic
development.
• Bejeweled
Issues to consider while creating
games for children
• Systematic
thinking.
• Diner Dash
Issues to consider while creating
games for children
• Immediate versus long-term goals.
Issues to consider while creating
games for children
• Visual design.
• PBS kids,
Arthur
Issues to consider while creating
games for children
• Linguistic complexity.
• “All grown-ups were once children... but only
few of them remember it.”
― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince
Issues to consider while creating
games for children
• Experimentation; Lego Marvel Superheroes
Issues to consider while creating
games for children
• Reading; Polkaroo’s Planets
Issues to consider while creating
games for children
• Appropriate Content.
Seven Kisses of Death
• #1 – Kids love anything sweet
Seven Kisses of Death
• #2 – Give them what’s good for them
Seven Kisses of Death
• #3 – You’ve just got to amuse them
Seven Kisses of Death
• #4 – Always play it safe!
Seven Kisses of Death
• #5 – All kids are created equal
Seven Kisses of Death
• #6 – Explain everything
Seven Kisses of Death
• #7 – Be sure your characters are wholesome
Ubisoft’s Imagine Series
Girls – Proven play patterns
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Fashion play
Glamour play
Nurture play
Action/twitch play
Collection play
Adventure play
Communication/
social play
More Observations
• Girls like stuff
• Create environments which are
attractive to girls
• Girls appreciate sensual interfaces
• Extend play from existing toys or
media into software
• Don’t be ashamed of your work!
Kaye Elling’s Five Cs
•
•
•
•
•
Characterization
Context
Control
Customization
Creativity
A Few Misconceptions
• Girls don’t like computer games because
computers are techie.
• Girls don’t like violence
• Girls want everything to be happy and sweet
• Girls don’t like to be scared
Gamer Dedication
•
•
•
•
•
•
Technologically savvy.
Have the latest high-end gear.
Willingness to pay.
Prefer violent/action games.
Prefer games that have depth and complexity.
Play games over many long sessions.
Gamer Dedication (cont’d)
• Hunger for gaming-related information.
• Discuss games with friends online.
• Play for the exhilaration of defeating (or
completing) the game.
• Much more tolerant of frustration.
• Engaged in competition with himself, the
game, and other players.
Gamer Dedication (cont’d)
•
•
•
•
Age at which first started playing games.
Comparative knowledge of the industry.
Early adoption.
Desire to modify or extend games in a creative
way.
Conclusion
• Most games harbour interest among many
different populations
• Strive for inclusiveness, not universality
• Don’t try to attract everyone by adding
unrelated features. Instead, work to avoid
repelling people who might otherwise be
attracted.