The 6 stages of gaming in the modern age
July 15, 2016 4:55PM
edited July 2016
Stage 1 - I Like Games, this is a new game i heard about, i might like this also, lets play!!!!
(In this stage you don't spend much, but you're open to new things, an IP like star wars will definitely get you in the door faster, this is the time to really hook a gamer)
Stage 2 - Wow this game is really neat, and WHAT there is a daily log in reward, I AM NOT going to miss that, and why would i this game is neat.
(Here you have found a daily player, throw some good deals at them and you will probably make a few sales, here value is very important to get spending started)
Stage 3 - OMGWTF this is the best game ever, all my friends need to hear about this, and OMG, there is a forum you say, you mean i can learn more about this game, it's like Christmas came twice.
(Stage 3 is actually the optimal place for your audience to be in, they loudly and proudly advocate your game, and as long as you provide value and progression this is where you can really drive lots of spending from your player base)
Stage 4 - Love - Hate relationship. By golly im going to go on the official forums, and im going to go on Reddit, and im going to let them know how to fix this game, cause it used to be awesome, but now its broken.
(Its probably not broken, but this is where your playerbase has started to shift to the dark side, they went through stage 3, they got hooked, they spent money, they LOVE what you created.
But you can never truly hate something until you love it first. So now when they start finding things that are more than a minor annoyance or preference, they are very vocal and passionate. These are the players who are most easily moved into the optimal stage 3, they already love the game, they just need to know they are heard, and understood, you have their love and mostly patience, but acknowledge them and make some changes and the glory days will continue)
Stage 5 - Hate it till you love it again - I am going to rage rage rage against the dying of the light, rage until my love burns bright again.
(This is the stage where things have gone bad, its hard to recover from but its still possible. this is the point where your players call for boycotts, demand refunds, try to organize down voting campaigns, It can be **** near impossible to recover people in this stage, but you still have one ace up the sleeve, they do still love the game and they are heavily invested either with time, money or emotion, even better all 3)
Stage 6 - death by apathy - I just dont care anymore, its not worth hating.
(this is the stage where you cant recover a player, why because they already quit, they stopped going to the forums, they stopped posting, they just dont care anymore, there may be a little inertia carrying them forward, but at this point the thing that would make them the happiest is to have the game shut down, for them its like pulling the plug after a long time, its just a relief and even better if they dont need to make the decision.)
The real question is what stage are your gamers at, and when are you going to acknowledge them and do something, is it too late?
(In this stage you don't spend much, but you're open to new things, an IP like star wars will definitely get you in the door faster, this is the time to really hook a gamer)
Stage 2 - Wow this game is really neat, and WHAT there is a daily log in reward, I AM NOT going to miss that, and why would i this game is neat.
(Here you have found a daily player, throw some good deals at them and you will probably make a few sales, here value is very important to get spending started)
Stage 3 - OMGWTF this is the best game ever, all my friends need to hear about this, and OMG, there is a forum you say, you mean i can learn more about this game, it's like Christmas came twice.
(Stage 3 is actually the optimal place for your audience to be in, they loudly and proudly advocate your game, and as long as you provide value and progression this is where you can really drive lots of spending from your player base)
Stage 4 - Love - Hate relationship. By golly im going to go on the official forums, and im going to go on Reddit, and im going to let them know how to fix this game, cause it used to be awesome, but now its broken.
(Its probably not broken, but this is where your playerbase has started to shift to the dark side, they went through stage 3, they got hooked, they spent money, they LOVE what you created.
But you can never truly hate something until you love it first. So now when they start finding things that are more than a minor annoyance or preference, they are very vocal and passionate. These are the players who are most easily moved into the optimal stage 3, they already love the game, they just need to know they are heard, and understood, you have their love and mostly patience, but acknowledge them and make some changes and the glory days will continue)
Stage 5 - Hate it till you love it again - I am going to rage rage rage against the dying of the light, rage until my love burns bright again.
(This is the stage where things have gone bad, its hard to recover from but its still possible. this is the point where your players call for boycotts, demand refunds, try to organize down voting campaigns, It can be **** near impossible to recover people in this stage, but you still have one ace up the sleeve, they do still love the game and they are heavily invested either with time, money or emotion, even better all 3)
Stage 6 - death by apathy - I just dont care anymore, its not worth hating.
(this is the stage where you cant recover a player, why because they already quit, they stopped going to the forums, they stopped posting, they just dont care anymore, there may be a little inertia carrying them forward, but at this point the thing that would make them the happiest is to have the game shut down, for them its like pulling the plug after a long time, its just a relief and even better if they dont need to make the decision.)
The real question is what stage are your gamers at, and when are you going to acknowledge them and do something, is it too late?
The 6 stages of gaming in the modern age 41 votes
Stage 1
0%
Stage 2
0%
Stage 3
4%
2 votes
Stage 4
9%
4 votes
Stage 5
39%
16 votes
Stage 6
46%
19 votes
0
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The cake is a lie
Outstanding post.
WoW's updates had a way more drastic affect on ones progress and the time it took to catch back up was insane compared to this game.
My stage is one where I despised the game from the start, because of its exploitive Freemium model, but continued to play it out of habit and the knowledge they wouldn't be getting my money regardless of their enticement.
So, I often roll with the punches. I will argue on principle, but ultimately don't care. I've been gaming long enough to recognize and expect nerfs, buffs, and balancing, which is another reason I opine it's silly to pay for temporary advantage.
That's just my opinion though.
My primary goal in most forum cases, is to enlighten people to the exploitative nature of Freemium games, in hopes they open their eyes before it's too late. I dislike reading about people finally realizing this after they have sunk a significant amount trying to get and stay ahead.