24Feb/089
The Slidecast from my F2P GDC Presentation
A few hundred people watched my Red Bull-fueled version of this presentation on Monday, February 18th at GDC. The narration included in this slidecast was done this weekend and is not nearly as energetic.
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February 24th, 2008 - 22:50
I’m dissapointed you completely overlooked Skill-gaming, which stands to be the next big business model in the F2P space.
February 24th, 2008 - 23:00
Yes, I’m disappointed I overlooked it as well. Especially since I had some great discussions about skill-based games with several people over the week.
February 26th, 2008 - 01:33
Not too sure about your conclusions that females over the age of 18-ish stop gaming. What about casual gaming statistics that state that the average casual gamer (who by far outnumber console gamers) is a 35-40yo female?
I think the future is in web-accessible virtual worlds that can seamlessly and meaningfully integrate casual games and other forms of web 2.0 entertainment.
February 26th, 2008 - 08:37
My conclusions re: females getting out of gaming after age 18 were taken from the NPD’s study. The NPD is a retail sales measurement group, so perhaps that explains why they don’t “see” the trial-to-pay casual market you cite.
That said, there’s a big gap between age 18 and age 35. What are adult females playing in between?
March 2nd, 2008 - 11:48
what do you mean by the kids only games, kids leave f2p. I seriously doubt that since I have met many including my self that play F2P games and some even pay for ingame items or functions that the games offer. Expecially when it comes to browser games or for mature audience pointed mmo games like 2moons or conquer or sumtin. The community and friends from difrend countries is something that keeps even the older gamers playing.
March 2nd, 2008 - 11:54
I’m guessing that for a large section of that female population games become less interesting than real life and real people.
If there was a strong social structure keeping them playing more of them probably would, but it seems like life takes precedence.
March 3rd, 2008 - 06:05
“What about casual gaming statistics that state that the average casual gamer (who by far outnumber console gamers) is a 35-40yo female?”
These statistics probably come from online flash game sites. They sometimes have polls which are usually clicked away by young males, who don’t want to give valuable information to commercial companies for free. Woman ages 35-40 are might think these polls are reguired to play, and might not be used to numerous pop ups young males might encounter on warez or adult sites.
I do not think you can call someone who plays popcap games a gamer. How many 35-40 year old females do you see in video game stores? And how many young males do you see here?
March 13th, 2008 - 22:51
“I have met many including my self that play F2P games and some even pay for ingame items or functions that the games offer.”
Of course you’ve met them…you’re playing the games with them. I suspect that if you asked 100 adults with a “well developed” online lifestyle (banking, dating, work) less then five of them play f2p games. Heck I bet less then five have any idea what a f2p game even is.
Sure you do play I do too but let’s not pretend it’s the norm. (Yet)
July 17th, 2008 - 18:38
Interesting…kind of disagree with Mack and Andy – I think it’s changing.
Just thinking about it, from my own group of female friends who are non-gamers, in the last few months they have really started to get into F2P games, but via Facebook.
Right now the hot game for them is the flash bowling game , and there is an ad-hoc bowling league that has sprung up. Mob Wars also seems to be popular with a lot of them.
Yet these are definitely non-gamers. They would never play traditional online games, or try F2P… they are just not into it. I think when it becomes accessible and social then it’s more interesting..
And now they have started, they are far more likely to get into other games..