Gamers. Difference of interest
There are many articles on the Internet on the topic: What games are interesting for girls? Are people normal playing 10-20 hours a day? Why have computer games become so popular? etc. There are a lot of articles, but it seems to me that all of them ... are biased. You say that only schoolchildren are cut into Dotka? You will immediately be given many examples of high-age gamers. You think that girls are only interested in the Sims? Say this to those girls who are chasing the "experienced warriors" in the battlefield in the machete. In this article I will try to classify computer gamers by type / gender / games. So who is playing what?
By genre of games:
This is the easiest category. The genres of games are clearly structured. We can only give out "lady flowers, children ice cream."
RPG (role-playing game)
Let's start with the most popular game genre today - Role-playing game (Silence, gentlemen of the hussars!). In such games, we are given a computer avatar - a character whom we cherish and cherish, dress, and sometimes even feed. In gratitude, this avatar is growing, growing older, gaining strength, and then it does what we want (within the framework of the world set by the developers, of course). In turn, computer role-playing games were divided into single-user and multi-user.
Single RPG (single player)
These are games like Diablo 1/2, Arcanum, Fallout, TES: Skyrim. In such games, as a rule, a huge colorful world worked out to the smallest detail with many friendly and not very computer characters. Simply put, you are the only intelligent creature in the world. All the rest is the result of the work of the developers of the game.
So, who might be interested in such games? It can be both boys and girls. Colorful worlds, wide possibilities for character modification, a well-developed social component, which cannot fail to please the beautiful half of humanity. At the same time, high in the mountains, behind forests and swamps, awful villains and dragons lie in wait, mutating post-apocalypse zombies and other delights of civilization, which no self-respecting hero will pass by. In addition, you can play such games, say, in the country, where it’s a little tricky with the Internet. Again, you can save, but with a friend for a walk, and then continue the glorious deeds! The genre is suitable for both casual and missing gamers (although not really missing), although the latter only have one milk tooth for these games. It hurts too fast. In general, it is not for nothing that this genre has become so popular.
MMORPG (multiplayer)
And the voices of virtual heroes were heard, and the “magic” paths between their worlds paved by the development sorcerers! And games like Linage and World of warcraft saw the light of day. And mothers began to lose their children at computers ... Hmmm ... what am I talking about? The genre has become so popular that everyone else has faded into the background. After all, such games allow you to create a mighty war, a cunning robber, a beautiful princess and a brave tamer. In such games there is communication with other people. A kind of Matrix. And many players have already reached into it. Among them, and just sat down at the desk, schoolchildren and successful businessmen, and young mothers. This genre seems to suit everyone, but not everyone.
Here is more detailed: most MMORPGs are built with full immersion of the player in the virtual world. And this is the time. Not every person is able to devote 5-10-20 hours per game. Yes, a young mother with pleasure picks up flowers in order to make a love potion, but at the first call of her child she will abandon the game. This means that in a raid designed for protracted battles you will not see it. As well as a calculating businessman. This genre can attract them, but it cannot be tightened for a long time (yes, there are exceptions!).
Simulators
One of the oldest, but not lost its popularity genres. He is known to us from the games F-29 Retaliator, F22, Il-2 and the sensational “tanks” - World of tanks (although, if it were my will, I would refer tanks to shooters, but if people said the simulator, let it be a simulator). The genre is quite popular mainly among the male half for 20-25. Although on the battlefields more than once a shell came from a beautiful lady. But you rarely see girls over 20 in such games. Before tanks, I would say that the game is a genre for casuals, but ... You see, wargame did its dirty job. The social component in such games comes down to battle tactics (valid for online simulators).
Shooters
Games such as: Half-life, Battlefield, and more (I don’t see the point in sharing online and offline versions). Everything is clear here. Beat everything that moves, and what no longer moves, move and hit again! The main audience is boys aged 7-25. There are girls-tears, but you must admit, this is rare. High-aged fighters (40+) are even less common than the fair sex. “Tru-gamers” are most often played online, but the shooters for passing won the hearts of both burnt grunts and the hearts of casuals.
Sport
The most popular games: FIFA, NHL - simulators. In this genre I judge only from other people's words, because not a fan of these games. But we can already conclude that this genre is focused exclusively on sports fans, and this is a fairly narrow circle of gamers. The majority of fans of such games, it’s not strange, are men in the region of 30–40 years of low and middle affluence (I suspect that prosperity does not play a role) and boys in the region of 12–17 years (I emphasize this is statistics). Girls playing sports games are quite rare.
Race
This genre is removed from the category of sports because of its isolation. It includes games such as Need for Speed, F1, Truckers. This is where the fun begins: they play "races", mainly casuals. Moreover, the beautiful half is in no way inferior in love to the roaring cars, guys! The main audience of boys and girls up to 20-25 years.
Quests
Unfortunately, a dying genre ... Games like Goblins, Brothers Pilots, and the like are on the shelves of history. Although respected pytilovsky pointed to the rather fresh A Vampyre Story. Maybe I got a shovel too early ... Well, okay. This genre also has its own audience. And the vast majority of this audience are girls of all ages. Also, men over 40 do not shy about questing. Genre is exclusively for casuals.
Strategies
One of the oldest genres. We know him by Civilization, Age of Empires, warcraft 1/2/3 (and let's add the notorious LOL and Dota here. Although not strategies already ...), Confrontation. In these games we built empires and created new ones in their place (buying up a tear of nostalgia)! The genre was considered masculine. although there were great strategies for which the girls played with pleasure (the same settlers, Stronghold). It is difficult to judge how many girls are playing in the strategy now, but about 7-10 years ago they made up about 1/3 of the fans of the genre. Here, casual people have something to do, and true gamers have room for scope. At the moment, the average age of "strategists" is 17-30 years.
About doters and lovolts separately (statistics spoil: D). Random, organized wall-to-wall combat. The bulk of the players are boys of 7-20 years old (in lol, according to rumors, there are girls!). There is no place for casuals on the battlefield (although the stray come across).
Crafting and life simulator
Who has not heard about MineCraft? Perhaps the most striking representative of his craft genre. Casual genre, I must say (just don’t remember the Koreans now!). We build, create, create! It would seem that there should be girls in the top ... But no. Still, the main audience ... Boys 5-12 years old 0_o (Believe me, I myself was in shock ... I collected statistics on more than a hundred forums (diploma on gaming addiction)). In second place are guys 20-30 years old. But the trouble is with the girls ... Either they don’t admit that they are playing, or they really don’t like the glamorous cubes. Well ... here to each his own.
But in the genre of life simulator girls are undoubtedly leaders. Sole ... All ages and social status. Sometimes guys come into such games, but do not advertise.
Browser
Browser games broke into our lives with the advent of the Internet and won a wide variety of audiences. Why not? Now in the browser you can play both strategy and shooter and RPG. Not that awesome quality, but still ...
Online
Gentlemen, do not consider it an advertisement! By way of example only: Mist, Wrath of the Gods, Sword and Magic: Heroes Online, etc. As I already mentioned, in the browser you can already create a game according to the above genres, and depending on the genre, there will be an audience. But! I want to note that browser games are mainly played (depending on the genre!): Busy people from 17-25 years old, which means casuals. Moreover, if the game has a chat, then 1/3, or even half of the players will be of the fair sex of different ages.
Casual (Flash Games)
Most often logic games. The main audience is ladies of all ages. Moreover, the predominant share of all igomanok.
By gender:
Boys (boys, boys, boys, men, uncles, grandfathers)
The male population of the planet prefers to play games where you can compete, stay on horseback. We like to smash the enemy with the sword on the battlefield, and take the cities while driving the tank. All "wushi-pusi" is not for us! We don’t need a grove! Do you disagree? > :)
Who loves to chat, choose a game with chat, who loves bloodthirsty-shooter, and so on. Everything is clear with us. All used to play war!
Girls (girls, girls, young women, young women, young women)
The relationship between the fair sex and games is very well described in the pytilovsky article . I can guarantee that this is the look of most girls. Why am I so sure? By virtue of my profession and hobby, I communicate with different people. And in games, girls are often revealed. I do not know why. Perhaps they believe that in the game they are anonymous and you can not be afraid to write the truth? But I heard a lot of complaints precisely about the sharpened games for men. Yes, there are exceptions. Lot. But still it’s a drop in the ocean.
So, what do girls need (will they really give an answer to this question?)? A colorful world with a well-thought-out history and social interactions. The possibility of creating an extensive and, if possible, unique wardrobe is also very desirable. Interesting puzzle tasks and beautiful companions. Oh yes, many people want to see beautiful trailers and screensavers in the game!
Psychological type:
Here I will try to divide the players according to the degree of immersion in the virtual world of games, as well as give reasons for their immersion.
Casuals
People who do not pay due attention to the game due to circumstances. This may be a student engaged in studies, a businessman / woman, a nursing mother, or just an adequate person who understands that she is living there, outside the window, and not on the monitor screen. Such people come into the game to kill a couple of minutes, relax, distract from worries. You will not see them in ten hour raids. They will not have a fancy tank. No, they don’t need all this. But they will have their own home. Maybe not even a mortgage. Loving family and many friends. Not virtual friends, but those with whom this "casual" will go to the mountains.
Gamers
No offense, but it’s completely punched people who do not need anything in life but to pump their Persian, keep mid, etc. True, no offense. These people have a pale skin color (they say that Negro albinos are actually Manchukin -_-) ... Ahem ... It often happens that these people have thousands, or even tens of thousands of friends ... Virtual. Spending 10-20 hours a day at a computer game, they forget about food, sleep, life. This is a real addiction. Most often, such people grow out of children whose parents put them on a computer, "let him play a little and not bother us." Most often these are people of school age who do not need to think about how to get a livelihood.
Social
These are those people who are important from the game, first of all, communication. Yes, they collect weed, go to raids, but only in order to maintain a chat / skype conversation. Most often, social groups are found among girls. And most often in social networks and browser games sharpened by communication. These people, as well as igmans can have about a thousand friends and they, like casuals, may not pay attention to the game.
Social Trolls
People playing games for the sake of communication, as well as socials. That's just communication, it comes down to mocking others and mixing them with impurities. The prevailing number of such people are schoolchildren of 10-17 years old. Mostly male. Spoil the game to everyone and enjoy the cries of gamers. A kind of energy vampires.
A few words about gaming addiction:
Increasingly, I notice the fact that young parents, tired of a noisy child, sit him at the computer or buy him a prefix / tablet. Yes, the child is quiet. And it seems like he even “communicates” with his peers and classmates. He is not even called a rogue at school (yes, children are cruel). But now, after 3-5 years, these parents clutch their heads: “Why doesn’t the kid want to go outside and chat with friends? Why is he not paying attention to school? ” And all because time was lost and the basis that parents had to give the child was not given. And now the child does not know and does not want to know anything except computer games. Do not brush aside this problem with the words "Another wise guy began to advise." Then it will be too late, but the past cannot be returned.
Is the perfect game fantastic?
What game could be perfect for everyone? The answer is quite simple: it will definitely be the MMORPG genre. But the game should be colorful, with the possibility of social interaction between enemies (luring / recruiting the enemy), both between players and between a player and a computer character (NPC). Characters should be available not only a huge arsenal of weapons and magic, but also a huge wardrobe of things (perhaps even composite things, for uniqueness). A well-designed history of the world with colorful art (yes, yes! This is also important) with sophisticated and interesting tasks. The best option is the crossing of magic and technology in the Middle Ages. There are, of course, space lovers, but this is a separate game.