The Broadening Demographics of Online Gamers: An Examination of Gameplay Trends

Lecturer: Jon Radoff, GamerDNA, Inc.

While the surge in online gaming is not necessarily a new phenomenon - the rate at which users spend time and frequent their favorite games has become staggeringly high. What is at the core of this behavior and what can developers learn about player retention from this information?

Jon Radoff, CEO of gamerDNA, shares compelling research from gamerDNA’s database of user play patterns to help answer the question of “why” people play in online worlds, providing a snapshot of some of the emerging gameplay trends across online games. He will discuss the changing demographics of gamers as well as challenge the tired dichotomy of “casual versus hardcore” and present new evidence that gamers are far more diverse than ever before. In addition, Jon will explore some of the forces, aside from gameplay, that drive player engagement including community status, consumer to consumer interaction, and user generated content.

Incorporating specific data (charts and graphs) throughout his presentation, Jon will provide attendees with a better understanding of the current game market and elaborate on what these trends say about gamers themselves, their social organization and, ultimately, what it means for the future of online games.

Intended Audience: Executives at all levels related to the development and design of online games, as well as marketing or community management, would benefit most from this lecture.

Prerequisites: Attendees should have a basic understanding of analytics, macro gameplay trends in online game worlds and applied marketing strategies.

Format: Mini Lecture

Track: Business

Date/Time: Thursday, May 14, 10:30 AM

Room: Salon AB