Calling All Gamers May 2017

1 Contents 01 02 03

Intro Stats & Facts What Sort of Gamer Are You?

04 05 06

The App Store Family Gaming Part of The Home

07 08 09

Back In The Day Motivations for Conclusion Gaming

2 Intro

The UK is the sixth largest games market in the world in terms of consumer revenues (Ukie, 2017).

We have speaking to our online community of 16-24s about gaming. We had the opportunity to explore their current gaming habits, frequency, device and game choice and how they started gaming.

3 Stats & Facts

Channel 4 reaches E4 79% of games reaches 47% of console owners every games console month owners every month

20.9M 12.4M

Source: BARB/TechEdge 2017 (Full 12 months – May 2016- April 2017) – Game owners are 4+ individuals with a games console in the home.

4 What Sort of Gamer Are You?

Hardcore Gamers Casual Gamers

Today Hardcore Gamers are those Casual Gamers Console gaming has taken a back that really contribute to gaming Console gaming has taken a back seat in seat in many of the older Tribes’ culture. It’s not just about many of the older Tribes’ lives. Gaming lives. Gaming either takes place via computer games either – tabletop either takes place via mobile or PC or via mobile or PC or via console very gaming venues are emerging console very occasionally. This is mainly occasionally. This is mainly due to across the UK and games like Yu- due to other priorities such as work and other priorities such as work and Gi-Oh and Dungeons and Dragons other interests such as hobbies and other interests such as hobbies and are making a comeback. socialising. socialising.

5 The App Store

Mobiles allow Tribes to access games wherever they are, offering a form of Playing games on the phone is so much easier as you always have distraction and entertainment when your phone on you. Therefore - they are trying to fill time out and about you can play whenever - whether or at home. you are on the train - on a quick break and etc. However - if you I only really game on my phone - play the game for too long on the phone - you might drain the just quick little social games. -Nicole, 23 battery - which wouldnt be nice if you need to make important calls

Aside from the addictive element, some on it! also mentioned liking the variety of - Dee, 19 inexpensive gaming available for instant download on the app store. I only ever play games on my phone. Ill get really addicted for a However, they also explained that few weeks and then get bored and playing games on their phones took a never play it again. toll on battery life and could get boring -April, 16 very quickly.

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The appeal is its a blast from I find it amusing that people the past for most people! Its a who shunned video games - reminder of their childhood - claiming its for kids or geeks - but also shows how the game are all now running around has changed since the looking for Pokemon. lol… for Pokémon GO 1990s/2000s! Its grown up gamers like myself I think its

and got online like the rest of definitely here to stay as long the world! as they keep developing it.

-Rachel, 23 this is what weve been waiting for since we first played the game. I was a Pokemon go is addictive The middle of 2016 saw the launch of Pokémon Go massive Pokemon fan back in because its one of the rare take the entertainment world by storm. the day and had Pokemon red games that isnt pay to win. on my gameboy (god knows Everyone can do it and it gets After becoming the fastest mobile game to achieve 10 where that is now) - so I love you outside which makes you million downloads worldwide in a week. Eliminating that they came out with this. feel less guilty being on your the stereotypical male gamer geek with nerdy glasses It also puts Nintendo back on phone. and leftover pizza. the map - which is great news -Danny, 17 for gaming fans. It attracted players of all ages and skills exploring the -Chanice, 24 streets and local parks in pursuit of Pikachu and friends.

7 I do consider consoles to be important to the Cameron, 22 household. Family Ties

Gaming is something picked up in the younger years and has clear associations with family. The majority of Tribes started gaming when they were ‘much younger’ often as young as 5 and 6 and were introduced by family members – brothers, dads, uncles, mums, sisters or cousins.

This was a key time for Game Boy, PlayStation and Nintendo and games such as Super Mario and Crash Bandicoot. Across the board, gaming holds strong positive memories for the Tribes and they recall quite specific memories around gaming.

I first started gaming when I was about 7 - I remember it was in the I was very young when I summer holidays and I was really started probably around 5 - bored and I was at my uncles me and my Dad would play house for the holidays and he things like Crash Bandicoot on slotted in a Super Mario Bros game the old PlayStation and I use cartridge into a dusty old Super to play Spyro on the old Nintendo game console that he had Nintendo Gameboy. in the attic if I remember correctly. -Hannah, 17 -Wahid, 18

9 is a popular choice for Tribes that do play Fifa play the gaming of the this nature, majority play it occasionally viewed as something that and at friends house however, brings the family together due there were a few Tribes that do Social Gaming to its fun, interactive and family play this more regularly. friendly games. In general Tribes express a desire for ‘fun’ The social and competitive games, that provide element to Fifa is key to its Console gaming is more closely associated entertainment for all involved. appeal as it is seen as a game with social/communal gaming with family that ‘brings people together’ in and friends. As this is seen as more of a social a similar way to football. The Wii comes into use when even, taking place in a communal area, it is the grandparents are over as unsurprising that Tribes engage with this form I normally play with they love playing it. it gets the mates - and only play of gaming less often. While the many of the entire family together! FIFA. Ian, 19 Tribes do own a console – again Nintentos and Nav, 20 PlayStations where the most frequently mentioned followed by Xbox, they tend to Fifa, unsurprisingly also has only use them very occasionally now. close associations with social I like how it can bring gaming although this tends to groups of friends together - but I think that A good example would be the Wii despite being be with friends rather than sometimes people can the childish family games console of this family (often male). This is the get too competitive over generation when it comes to family and friends likely reason most of them it. everybody can play Wii boxing but not Naomi, 20 everybody knows mortal kombat kombos (lol began playing. Out of the kombos).. Cameron, 22

10 …you kind of rediscover a forgotten joy there. William, 23 It’s also very easy – which is good because I’m just killing time ultimately. Part of The Home

For many of the Tribes ‘the console’, is For some Tribes, these associations and closely associated with home – having the nostalgic element could be part of left for University without the console, it the appeal of gaming today and there is something that is revisited when back. was a sense that retro consoles games This could also be fuelled by memories of such as Mario are having a comeback playing on consoles at home with family and friends when they were younger and The consoles I use now are there seems to be a sense of nostalgia mostly retro like the Gamecube - around this form of gaming. Playstation 2 and Gamboy advanced. I recently completed Currently - I use my laptop to play Pokemon ruby and I want to play games - on Steam specifically. more pokemon games - I also like But back home - we have two Mario and Zelda games even Nintendo DSes - a Nintendo 3DS - though they can be annoying. a Nintendo Wii - a PS2 - PS3 - PS4 Amy, 17 and PSP. The games we play on those devices vary greatly - from racing games to first-person shooter games. Elsa, 19

12 Retro gaming is the best – it brings back good Aleesha, 18 memories from childhood but it’s also just really fun. “I was maybe 5 when I first started gaming. We had the old school Nintendo back in the day and Duck Hunt was my very first game I played. I use to watch my sister Back In The Day play Mario Bros - until I was eventually old enough to play it myself.” Chanice, 24 Retro gaming has wide appeal, There was a sense that gaming tapping into childhood nostalgia. had lost some of its charm since Most Tribes were enthusiastic about Tribes’ childhood. While modern retro gaming: the games games have better graphics, retro themselves and the consoles (the games were said to be easier, “I still have my original Gameboy COLOUR and Nintendo DS, the Gameboy more fun and conceptually my sister’s old Nintendo Advance, the PS2 and the superior. Portable games consoles DS which I take with me Megadrive, among others). were also perfectly suited to on long train journeys or killing time; whilst travelling, for Megabus trips.”

William, 23 I love retro gaming! It reminds example. (Games on your mobile me of fun times playing phone just aren’t the same). games with my brother. Ruby, 22 Nowadays, gaming is an

expensive hobby. One Tribe also Gaming has great nostalgic value: it had the impression the game “My favourite childhood takes Tribes back to a happy time, market is more limited than it games were the original used to be, dominated by FIFA, Crash Bandicoot console enabling them to relive the “magic” games – nothing made they felt first time around. Playing futuristic/fantasy action games me happier than playing retro games again now is and racing games. those as a child.” comforting; fun; a reminder of Abbie, 17 childhood.

14 Motivations for Gaming

Overall there is the sense, that Now in my early 20s I’ll mobile and PC gaming is done alone, occasionally play Xbox with when Tribes are looking for some my teenage brother - but escapism or a distraction. Many of most of my gaming is apps the Tribes also praise PC games like candy crush, when I’m bored or procrastinating. available and SIMs continues to be a -Rebecca, 21 popular choice. This could be due to it’s realistic take on escapism – the I just want to be engaged with player can enter a world, becoming a some pretty graphics and then various character that still feel true switch off and carry on with to real life and making the game feel life. more authentic and believable. -Alice, 22

15 Conclusions

Amongst the Tribes that game there Gaming is often picked up in the very As the Tribes reminisced about is a split between hardcore gamers early years of the Tribes starting playing games when they were and casual gamers. Gamers also around the age of 5. Most of the them younger, it suggested that their expressed having different have been introduced to particular associations and sense of nostalgia experiences on consoles compared consoles and gaming brands by close could be part of the appeal of gaming to phones. Consoles have their own family members. Family member today. For many it is a form of elements of excitement, realism and preferences influence the taste of escapism that reminded them of a community. Whereas many casual younger gamers, especially for ‘real’ simpler time with fewer challenges gamers play games on their phones gamers who seek after games that and brought back feelings of joy and which were said to be easier, require thought, skill and strategic familiarity that they experienced in inexpensive but more for the purpose thinking. childhood. of filling time.

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