Who is the elusive "New Pen-and-paper Gamer" the RPG companies are trying to nab?

[innerdude]

I'm sort of approaching this thread from my job title as a marketer--

How would we really define this "New Generation" of gamer that has been bandied about as being vital to the continued health and prosperity of pen-and-paper RPGs?

How old are they?

Where do they live?

What income bracket?

How do RPG companies expect to reach them? Media? Which ones? Word-of-mouth?

How much demographic crossover is there really between the World's Most Popular Online MMO Game and the World's Most Popular Roleplaying Game?

How do the game companies expect to retain said clients once they've "attracted" them in the first place?

How "mainstream" does said demographic really sit?

I ask this question because of the thread started earlier by a 13-year old, asking about systems for his group of friends, and I thought, "Hmm, if I was 13 right now, how would I go about learning about RPGs--or, how would I have heard of them in the first place?"

I think we could define a typical game producer's "ideal client" as being someone in their early to mid-20s, with some disposable income, and with enough time to invest weekly/monthly in some type of material.

But how do we define the "ideal but-not-yet-a-gamer," and how are the game companies really trying to attract them to the hobby?

 

[Nagol]

Well, if you look at what the "ideal" non-gamer gamer needs it's the following:

A lot of free time. Getting into gaming requires easy scheduling of boatloads of time with a bunch of other people, especially to start (assuming you aren't just joining a solid group, of course, but then you're not the ideal non-gamer gamer). Once you're committed to the game, the time commitment is likely to become a stable requirement.

Some disposable income, but not a huge amount. Gaming has always seemed to be an "inferior good".

A bunch of friends that share a desire to pretend being an elf (or other fantastical creature like a modern covert agent or starship captain).

So why is the group going to engage n RPGs instead of persistent online games or improv theatre? The person has to be told about and sold on the idea of an advancing world where their character choices make the difference. Improv isn't persistent and MMORPGS are theme parks where everyone has the same experience. Additionally, they may to be sold on lateral thinking in the sense that creative and inventive actions can be adjudicated within the game framework in a manner impossible to duplicate in improv (no rules for adjudication per se) and MMORPGS (the server can't react well to 'sensible' actions if the developers didn't think of them).

So you're looking for a demographic with lots of free time and easy scheduling with their peers who have sufficient cash to buy a few items, but not sufficient to simply immerse themselves in experiences they know are interesting. Additionally, they need an interest in some form of shared storytelling and access to a peer group with similar interests.

 

[innerdude]

I like the thought process you're on, but to a real marketer, it's not nearly specific enough.

Where would said people live? What kinds of clothes do they wear? Where do they hang out on weekends? What media outlets are going to capture their attention? What kinds of ad messages are going to appeal to them?

Let's take one specific media market for example, somewhere like, Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina.

Based on the local culture (an interesting mix of "Old blood" Southerners and "New Blood" industry and education types), how do you craft a message to reach that person?

 

[Shemeska]

Let's take one specific media market for example, somewhere like, Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina.

We're all awesome.

 

[Nagol]

I like the thought process you're on, but to a real marketer, it's not nearly specific enough.

Where would said people live? What kinds of clothes do they wear? Where do they hang out on weekends? What media outlets are going to capture their attention? What kinds of ad messages are going to appeal to them?

Let's take one specific media market for example, somewhere like, Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina.

Based on the local culture (an interesting mix of "Old blood" Southerners and "New Blood" industry and education types), how do you craft a message to reach that person?

Lucky I'm in I.T. then.

Where do they live? Probably a place where the modest disposable wealth, high free time people live. University and college campuses are obvious (though probably tapped) markets. Places where young families don't live -- so more likely dense housing in city cores (condos and apartments for singles) than more familiy-oriented suburbs.

Clothes would be informed by the amount of disposable income. Jeans would be highly prevalent for casual wear. Lower-end professional attire would be common.

Hang-outs -- no idea what popular mid-cost hang-outs exist today. "Back in the day" it would have been home with friends, campus buidings, arcades, and pubs. Today it may be the same, but I suspect the home is possibly more likely (see media below).

Media -- I'm older and pay little attention to the new media offerings. Since the growth in social media is both reasonably cheap and can consume as much time as a party wishes to invest (both attributes I'd specificially target), it would be a very likely draw. Since the social sites also provide access to simple gameplay, it offers a sensible point of contact.

An 'ad' composed of a simple accessible game that offers the hint of the selling features and brought attention to the hobby, brand, and starter game would probably be the best form.

As to your specific market, my knowledge is insufficient to offer specifics.

 

[LurkMonkey]

I think anyone trying to market to a 'new' pen and paper gamer is in for a thankless task.

One of the OP's question is how much 'crossover' there would be between MMORPGs and TTRPGs. I would unfortunately hazard, not much. I love our hobby, don't get me wrong, but we are on the wrong side of technology. Kids today don't have the same 'word of mouth' that got D&D and its cousins a lot of attention in the Eighties. There's no 'shiny' factor.

The hype is with the MMORPG crowd. It spans generations even. I am 43 and I have friends who back in the day wouldn't have been caught dead at a D&D game who are religious WoW players now. It's easy to learn, it ties millions of people into a shared space, and it allows those who have the competitive edge to gain rewards and powers that they can show off to those aforementioned millions. Plus, there's really little math involved and lots of visual stimulation.

Now, if you want to market to the folks who would be interested in what TTRPGs have to offer over MMORPGs, I would posit this:

1. How Old? They are teens who are burnt out on the rampant asshattery of MMORPGers. Perhaps a bit more intellegent than the norm, and are tired of the mindless farm/quest/camp scenarios. They are most likely avid readers with fertile imaginations.

2. Location? They live for the most part in suburbia. Not all, but suburban kids have more free time and disposable income as a rule.

3. Income Bracket? Income would be mid-to upper middle class, I would posit. Lower income folks have too much to worry about these days than get involved in a cost-intensive niche hobby and Upper income folks have more expensive hobbies they focus on.

4. Effective Media Angles? Word of mouth isn't as good a medium for TTRPGs as it was. I would suggest targeting book stores, coffee shops or any other venue where young folks a bit off the norm tend to congregate. TTRPG can still riff the 'indy' vibe. There's always a market for hobbies that 'aren't mainstream'. The only downfall to this is the built-in 'nerd factor.' Hipsters tend to shy away from anything that could paste them with the aura of nerdiness. Of course, this has been changing since the advent of 'geek-chic' so I might be offbase on that assumption. Social media and the Internet is also a valuable tool, likely the most valuable. Plenty of kids trapped in suburban houses can't get to the cofffee shop regularly, but they scan Facebook religiously.

5. Crossover? I kinda answered this one out of order

6. Retention? Well, getting them in the door is crucial. Giving them a warm reception once inside is also crucial. Too many times I have seen in a game store or online the 'pwning' of a 'n00b'. Well, we were all n00bs once. The fleeting bit of self-aggrandizement you might feel at mocking a newcomer has a ripple effect down the line. Unfortunately, a marketer has no control on what the already-invested hobbyists do to newcomers. I would try to make sure the 'gatekeeepers' of the hobby were pleasant and used to working with the types of questions a newcomer will need to ask.

7. Mainstream? As I alluded to before, any newcomers are going to be niche. I dearly wish this wasn't true, but it is. Still, it's like horse riding. We don't use horses to haul goods or stagecoaches anymore, but there are plenty of folks who still do it for fun. Just because something isn't 'mainstream' doesn't mean it isn't worthwhile to do. And with the burgeoning of the Internet, there will be a chance to expose more gamers to the option of TTRPGs as an 'indy' alternative to MMORPGs. I just don't think it will ever be the 'mainstream' of roleplaying ever again.

I think that answers your questions, at least with my humble opinions. As always, YMMV. I think the 'ideal but not yet a (tabletop) gamer' is the bright 12-21 year-old who has dabbled in MMORPGs and found them wanting. Perhaps they long for their own storyline where they are the hero, instead of grinding out levels as 'Newbsauce 1337' on Roboritron server..

 

[ggroy]

6. Retention? Well, getting them in the door is crucial. Giving them a warm reception once inside is also crucial. Too many times I have seen in a game store or online the 'pwning' of a 'n00b'. Well, we were all n00bs once. The fleeting bit of self-aggrandizement you might feel at mocking a newcomer has a ripple effect down the line. Unfortunately, a marketer has no control on what the already-invested hobbyists do to newcomers. I would try to make sure the 'gatekeeepers' of the hobby were pleasant and used to working with the types of questions a newcomer will need to ask.

Over the years I've noticed this is the number one thing which has pushed away many newcomers from the tabletop rpg niche.

Whenever I was playing D&D at a gaming store, it was common for other people to insult the newcomers for being clueless and/or for not playing the "correct game".

In recent years, this would be stuff like 3.5/Pathfinder players who constantly argue that 4E sucks and berate other people for playing 4E. Many years before, it would be stuff like 2E AD&D players constantly complaining about how 3E/3.5E sucks, and insulting 3E/3.5e players for being "sissies".

For the most part, this would be largely an uninviting environment for newcomers. In practice, I find very few gamers to be good "ambassadors" for the hobby.

Recently in my 4E Encounter games, it was common practice for the veteran D&D players hanging around the store to openly berate and insult younger players and newcomers over all kinds of stuff (ie. 4E sucks, railroading, etc ...). It's basically at the point where newcomers don't even bother coming back after one or two sessions of 4E Encounters. (They've had to close one of the two 4E Encounters group, due to not enough people showing up).

 

[Dykstrav]

Let's take one specific media market for example, somewhere like, Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina.

Based on the local culture (an interesting mix of "Old blood" Southerners and "New Blood" industry and education types), how do you craft a message to reach that person?

I'm flattered that you chose my neck of the woods for your example. There are many gamers here indeed, but there could always be more.

Unfortunately, I think that word-of-mouth is still the most effective way to get sales for tabletop RPG products. I can convince my non-gamer friends to give the game a shot when they hear other gamers talk about how much fun it is--I've been inviting co-workers to play for years, approximately half of which have become gamers themselves in one form or another. I've met perhaps two people that came into gaming cold-turkey, and as far as finding an untapped gold mine of new players... Frankly, I just haven't seen it.

College kids don't necessarily have loads of free time, and they certainly don't have gobs of disposable income. When I was in college, I couldn't play for two years because of the scheduling. Going to classes full-time and working a 50+ hour work week left me either working or in class every single day for months at the time and sleeping an average of four hours a night... To me, a "day off" was one where I had only one five-hour class. Was my situation really uncommon? I just don't see most college students with much free time.

I think that you could possibly get some retro gamers from video games, on the basis that many people consider D&D to be an 80's phenomenon. There are some young'uns that love their NES, after all. Otherwise, I have no idea where to search for non-gamers who might pick up the hobby, much less this hypothetical gold mine of new players that someone is convinced exists out there somewhere.

 

[ggroy]

College kids don't necessarily have loads of free time, and they certainly don't have gobs of disposable income. When I was in college, I couldn't play for two years because of the scheduling. Going to classes full-time and working a 50+ hour work week left me either working or in class every single day for months at the time and sleeping an average of four hours a night... To me, a "day off" was one where I had only one five-hour class. Was my situation really uncommon? I just don't see most college students with much free time.

I remember the only "college kids" which had loads of free time to play D&D, frequently lived in the dorms on campus and typically didn't have a job either.

The "college kid" gamers I knew of who lived off campus, typically didn't play rpg games as much. They had other priorities and spent more time commuting to and from campus.

 

[Jeremy Ackerman-Yost]

WoW players. Particularly WoW raiders, who are generally of a sociable bent.

I watched every member of a guild who happened to live in Boston all get sucked into a set of D&D games together. Sometimes made me wish I lived in Boston so I could get in on the act. You spend between 4 and 20 hours a week with some cats on a Ventrillo server while killing monsters, you get to know them. If a couple of them are PnP players as well, and distance is not a factor, the meme spreads. You have a meet-up because you all live in the same city or area, rap about the game, inevitably someone make a comparison to their PnP game, invitations are issued, and there you go.

This, incidentally, is why I've seen so many people get into 4e so easily. The resource management and tactical options make a similar kind of sense. The only new thing in 4e is the large amount of forced movement, which makes for a nice learning curve, and really makes you wish WoW had more of that. But powers work intuitively compared to one's WoW experience. My WoW warrior has Shield Slam and Cleave abilities with a short and zero cooldown, respectively. My 4e Fighter has Tide of Iron and Cleave. My WoW warrior has somewhat longer cooldowns on Concussive Blow, Shield Wall, Retaliation, etc. My 4e Fighter has some selection of Encounter and Daily powers that correspond, more or less, to medium cooldown abilities that you will use at least once a fight and long cooldown abilities that are only available every few fights and are thereby saved for important fights or specific situations.

I remember when the WarCraft d20 came out. Lots of the young kids in my WoW guild ran out and bought it and read it backwards and forwards for the lore, but couldn't make heads or tails of the system. With one exception, they all gave up on actually playing the game almost immediately, because the gameplay bore absolutely no resemblance at all to WoW. 4e, on the other hand, is superficially similar enough to get people playing, but has depth in different places. It is blessedly without the heavy number crunching and spreadsheets required to play high end WoW well, and has fun movement and tactical options that are largely absent in PVE WoW.