Defining, Finding, and Appealing to the Casual Gamer

[Dannyalcatraz]

The casual gamer as a benefit to the RPG hobby. THIS is what needs to be looked at and studied; how to get casual and-or part-time gamers more entrenched into the hobby regardless of whether it benefits the industry.

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Goal 2 is where we hardcore/serious types have to do our part, in that if someone shows interest in gaming and you have an open spot, bring 'em in to the game if practical!

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I'd rather grow the hobby. If it thrives, the industry will (in theory) follow.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

 

[I'm A Banana]

But if this is the case, what actual strategies do the product makers use to try and bring more gamers in, and then keep them? How do you get a "casual" gamer to move up the spectrum to "interested," or even "dedicated?"

Make them a DM.

DMs are the big spenders. DMs are the ones who post on message boards. DMs are the ones getting other folks into the game. DMs can generate groups around themselves by training new players.

The question is, then, How do you turn a player into a DM? That's a little more of a subtle question. And it at the very least involves making DMing something you can do with 0 prep time (and we ain't there yet...).

To be honest, I don't think this is really anything the industry itself can control. Getting new, dedicated players into the hobby is largely our responsibility--not Wizards, not Paizo, not Games Workshop, not anyone else.

The answer is the DM.

What expands your markets? DMs recruiting new players.

Who spends the most money? DMs developing their newest games.

What do you do if you want to grow the market? Get more DMs playing your games, and turn the players they recruit into DMs as often as possible.

Not every player will become a DM, but as many as can, should, and that, mi amigos, will spread D&D exactly like Mono spreads at a high school. By intimate contact with an infected agent.

In this metaphor, the DM is basically the dude who makes out with everyone, infecting them all with his polyhedral germs.

Sorry. I...just watched Glee.

 

[The Shaman]

My contribution to game publishers is somewhere on the low side between neglegible and nonexistant. I play a roleplaying game once a month, with an extra game once or twice a year.

But I don't consider myself a casual gamer. I'm a hobbyist gamer with narrow tastes and prohibitive opportunity costs (which is to say, if the choice is between spending time with my kids and gaming more, gaming loses - and yes, when they're older, I hope to combine the two). I would like to play more than I do, and I hope to at some point in the future, but it's not in the cards for me at the moment.

Even if I am able to start gaming more, I'm unlikely to add anything to 'The (Cottage) Industry' of roleplaying games. I play games which are either out of print or effectively so. My 'gaming' expenditures are almost all on history books or LEGO miniatures.

Now I fully recognize that I'm an outlier to be quickly discarded when it comes to assessing gaming trends, but nonetheless I think using economic activity as a measure of participation will continue to miss a significant swath of folks who enjoy roleplaying games.

 

[haakon1]

But for the most part, they're supremely content to show up with their character sheet, dice, and player's handbook, and simply play.

Casual 4e player, dedicated 3.5e DM over here. No economic use to WOTC.

Hmm, thinking of the D&D players I know:
-- Super casual (former players, DDO or WOW only now, might buy a novel): 5 players
-- Casual (play but own no books, up to owning a PHB, dice, and mini): 7 players (3 primarily 4e, 4 3.5e)
-- Semi-causal (owns more than PHB): 3 players (all 3.5e)
-- Hard core (owns enough to DM, and does it): 5 players (2 primarily 4e, 3 3.5e)

Hmmm, the "top" 5/20 people buy almost all the pen & paper gaming stuff that's getting bought. Though these days, for WOTC, it's really only 2 4e DM's/20 that are buying books and have online subscriptions to the rules -- plus 2 super casual types with DDO games still going last time I checked. So about 20% paying customers, but only half are hard core.

 

[haakon1]

I learned to buy two copies of the rules whenever I plan to actually run a game - one copy for myself, another copy for the rest of the players to pass around.

This is the reason I own 6 copies of the 3.5e PHB, not to mention the two I gave away to players. Much better for everyone to have a copy when you're leveling up.

 

[Lanefan]

This is the reason I own 6 copies of the 3.5e PHB, not to mention the two I gave away to players. Much better for everyone to have a copy when you're leveling up.

Given how hard those things are to find these days, you've probably made a good investment there.

Lan-"why can't 1e Monster Manuals be that rare"-efan

 

[haakon1]

No kidding, Lanefan. I've tried to get another one as a birthday present for a player, but I couldn't find one online for anything less than 3x the original cover price. That's an ODD situation for an OOP game.

My FLGS did have a copy of the 3e PHB in Italian, but then it closed down.

And no, I don't live in Italy. I live in the Puget Sound region of WA state, home to far too many geeks who won't give up their old books! This is the downside of living near WOTC, Paizo, Nintendo, Microsoft, and Big Fish Games, among others . . .

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I'm also a "group librarian." In D&D, I have at least 2 PHBs from 1Ed to 3.5 (including 2 3Ed OA setting books). I have only one of each 4Ed PHB, and 1 each of the 2 Essentials books.

And I follow that kind of model in each game I really like: multiple copies of each Champions/HERO rulebook (except the most recent); several copies of Space: 1889, RIFTS, etc.

 

[haakon1]

Judging by the number of PHB's or equivalents I own, I love 3.5e, I like (two copies each) AD&D, 3e, and Pathfinder. All others, meh, one copy is enough, if that.

Judging by the number I have from multiple EDITIONS of the same game, it's D&D by a landslide, then RECON, Boot Hill, Top Secret, and GURPS all tied at 2.

That seems about right.

 

[Scurvy_Platypus]

But for the most part, they're supremely content to show up with their character sheet, dice, and player's handbook, and simply play.

But if this is the case, what actual strategies do the product makers use to try and bring more gamers in, and then keep them? How do you get a "casual" gamer to move up the spectrum to "interested," or even "dedicated?"

To be honest, I don't think this is really anything the industry itself can control. Getting new, dedicated players into the hobby is largely our responsibility--not Wizards, not Paizo, not Games Workshop, not anyone else.

Sure, the industry could "control" it to an extent... they could make games that are friendly to the "casual" player in the first place.

I'm one of those people that the industry isn't making much money on. To be honest, I don't even consider myself a "gamer", even though I play and run games. I just don't value things the same way as the majority of people I see that self-identify as "gamers".

Sure, I own a chunk of books; more than 80% of them acquired via ebay and other ultra-cheap sources. I'd count as "casual" for rpg consumption purposes and "somewhat active" for play purposes.

The industry in general is chasing the dollars of the dedicated/hardcore person. My wife (casual player, non-existent consumer) converted 5 people into casual players. She relied on my materials and supplied everything for the other folks. The other folks had fun and are interested in doing more, but they're completely uninterested in hopping onto the rpg consumer train.

So what's the solution? *shrug* I honestly don't really _care_. The industry exists to try and make money off of my hobby. If every company shut down tomorrow... it really wouldn't matter. The people that enjoyed it as a hobby would continue doing so. The people that wished to share their stuff with others, would continue doing so.

Considering how everyone immediately starts screaming about how MMOs can't compete with PnP rpgs because of the "social" aspect and all that, you'd think that PnP rpgs would be sitting fine even if all the companies shut down. After all, folks are getting together to be social and that's the important part.

The industry can look out for itself. I personally feel that gamers worry about the state of the rpg industry is akin to cows worrying about whether McDonald's is going to have a profitable enough quarter. I'm happy enought to support someone here or there with what they're doing, if it's something that sounds groovy. But on the whole?

Not my problem.

I mean, _why_ should I care about the industry? What the hell kind of benefit do I get from being a "dedicated" or "hardcore" gamer? I don't even consider myself a "gamer" in the first place and that hasn't been a problem for me.

You figure out why I, as a casual player, should care and you'll probably have the solution you're looking for.