Game audiences: who plays and how they are reached

Overview

Four ways a games audience can be categorised and whale in games monetisation.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   Who plays video games in Britain today?

   Model answer

   Players span every age group and are close to evenly divided between men and women. The stereotype of a teenage male audience has not matched the data for many years.

2. 2

   Why does the stereotype of the young male gamer persist?

   Model answer

   Marketing and press coverage long addressed that group, and much of the industry still does. Visibility is not the same as share of the audience.

3. 3

   Name four ways a games audience can be categorised.

   Model answer

   Audiences are categorised by age, by platform, by genre preference and by how much time they play. Spending level is a further category publishers watch closely.

4. 4

   Distinguish a casual from a core player.

   Model answer

   A casual player plays in short sessions and wants simple controls. A core player invests long hours, seeks depth and treats play as part of their identity.

5. 5

   What is a whale in games monetisation?

   Model answer

   A whale is a player who spends far more than the average on in-game purchases. A small number of them can supply most of a free-to-play game's revenue.

6. 6

   How does a publisher research its audience?

   Model answer

   Publishers use play data from the game itself, alongside surveys, focus groups and store analytics. Behaviour is measured directly rather than reported.

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