latitude 42 study: the future of gaming

8/4/2019 Latitude 42 Study: The Future of Gaming

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PEOPLE CONNECTED42

THE FUTURE OF GAMING is one installment of Latitude 42s, an ongoing series of

innovation studies which Latitude, an international research consultancy, publishes

in the spirit of knowledge-sharing and opportunity discovery for both established

companies and emerging entrepreneurs.

Photo by Arteact Group

THE FUTURE OF GAMINGA Portrait o the New Gamers

Summer 2011


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In 2011, Latitude set out to prole the new

gaming landscape by conducting a Web survey

amongst 290 smartphone owners who sel-iden-

tied as at least casual gamers, with nearly hal

labeling themselves game enthusiasts.1 Par-

ticipants were ages 15-54, with an equal 50/50gender split. Nearly three-quarters considered

themselves technologically ahead o the curve,

and 84% use social media at least several times

per week. More than two-thirds expect to be

gaming even more over the next ew years.

Latitude also conducted a series o in-depth in-

terviews with both game makers and game en-

thusiasts or a deeper-dive investigation into the

psychology o gaming and opportunities or the

uture. For interview content, see Te Future

o Gaming video documentary: http://vimeo.

com/28065109

1Smartphone ownership was a criterion or sur-

vey participation, but engagement with mobile

games was not. See inographic on page 4 or

gaming platorms preerred by participants.

2Only select interviewees are pictured above.

From let to right: Buster Benson, Jack Graham,

Amber Cyr, Michael Critz, Dan Robles.

WE ASKED A FEW HUNDRED GAMERS AND GAME MAKERS,

WHAT SHOULD THE FUTURE OF GAMING LOOK LIKE?

THE FUTURE OF GAMING

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METHOD OF STUDY:

EXPERT INTERVIEWS

QUANTITATIVE PROFILING


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OURQUESTIONS

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1. Why are more people gaming now than ever

beore, and who are tomorrows gamers?

2. How will technology continue to bring games

out o the screen and into the oine world,

and what are the resulting opportunities or

companies across industries?

3. Can games motivate positive change or

both individuals and society at large?


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VISIT US AT WWW.LATD.COMTHE FUTURE OF GAMING 4

* Smartphone ownership was a requirement to participate. is graphic is based on

findings from e Future of Gaming study. Latitude's profile of e New Gamers is not

intended to be representative of the current landscape; it is intended to showcase anemergent demographic and related opportunities in games and technology development.

No Device

12%

To Achieve

Personal Goals

47%

To Socializeor Meet New

People

56%

Smartphone

81%

Tablet

36%

84%use social media at least

several times per week

To Do More Goodfor Society

24%

HandheldGaming Device

48%

Desktop

62%

95% For Enjoyment or Relaxation

Laptop76%

Game Console

80%

Preferred Gaming Platforms

e stereotype of the reclusive gamer is outdated. ese days, games are everywhere, and gamers are social,

tech-savvy, goal-oriented people with a real drive to improve themselves and the world around them.

Motivations for Gaming

THE FUTURE OF GAMING VISIT US AT WWW.LATD.COM LICENSED UNDER CREATIVE COMMONSATTRIBUTION-NONCOMMERCIAL-SHAREALIKE

WHO ARE THE NEW GAMERS?

UNTETHERED

THE NEW

GAMERS ARE...

SOCIAL

FUN AND GOAL-ORIENTED


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Today: a Mobile RealityTanks to portable, connected devices like smartphones and

tablets, gaming anywhere and anytime is now second na-

ture to many people. As a result, people expect that online

games will continue to move out o the traditional screen en-

vironment, blending seamlessly with the real world in new

and engaging ways that go beyond just checking in with

apps like Foursquare and SCVNGR.

Tomorrow: Physical World as Platform

Eager to get beyond their smartphone screens, gamers are ac-

tively seeking new levels o interactivity, more intuitive inter-

aces (e.g., gestural or telepathic controls), and personaliza-

tion o the physical world that mirrors whats possible online.

Future games should register and respond to people as they

exist in the oine world, which may mean using a players lo-

cation, mood or stress level as metrics in a game, or allowing

players to overlay virtual environments or inormation ontotheir actual surroundings, as with augmented reality.

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO INTERACT

WITH GAMES IN THE FUTURE?

Id like if I could take actionin games bygesturing

or moving my body.

Id like to seevirtualenvironments or digital content

overlaid onto the real world.

Id like a game that automaticallysenses and reacts to my mood

or bodily state.

I'd like it ifobjects could sense

when I'm interacting with them,and register that online or conveythat information to other objects.

56%

71%

44%

53%

38%43%

Id like a game that I couldinteract with just bythinking.

Id like to see more location-awaregames that register when

Im at a certain place, or neara certain person.

THE FUTURE OF GAMING LICENSED UNDER CREATIVE COMMONS

ATTRIBUTION-NONCOMMERCIAL-SHAREALIKE

INSIGHT

GAMES GO

BEYOND THE

SCREEN


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INSIGHT

LIFE BECOMES

PLAY

Make Me Better

Over two-thirds o participants now view games as a medium or sel-improvement. Women were

more likely than men to want games that would help them achieve personal goals; specically, they

tended to request games that would assist with personal wellness and learning.

But Meet Me Where I Am

Games should oer players added incentive to do things they want or need to accomplish anyway, not

rope them into taking actions that arent personally meaningul. More than 90% requested games that

t into their daily lie activities, such as exercising or running errands, and hal wanted to gamiy bor-

ing or repetitive tasks. Chromaroma, a public transit game allowing riders to earn points or distance

traveled, makes taking the bus more un while encouraging eco-riendly choices and local discovery.


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There are games like Health Month that you dont just play or 5 minutes;youre always playing them. Theyre inused in your daily lie. The world

becomes the game board. Youre not playing on your phone; youre using

your phone to help you play.Buster Benson, CEO o Health Month


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INSIGHT

SOCIAL MATURES

INTO SOCIETAL

Xbox is My Generations Golf

oday, games are social networks in themselves, providing

opportunities or people, locally and remotely, to participate

in meaningul, shared experiences. More than hal o partic-

ipants wanted to see games that do a better job o connect-ing people in new waysincluding ace-to-ace interactions.

Tree in our people said they would be more interested in

getting to know their neighbors i local meet-ups incorpo-

rated games (such as team challenges or scavenger hunts).

Games for Change

However, social gaming can mean more than just having

un with riends; it can leverage the power o communities

to tackle important issues on a signicant scale. More than

4 in 5 people agree that games, i executed well, can create

positive change in the world, and 96% said they would like to

see more games geared toward this objective. aking advan-

tage o new possibilities in technology and storytelling, proj-

ects like the World Bank Institutes alternate reality game,

Evoke, have shown that games can have a tangible eect on

individual behaviors that impact society at largerelating

to sustainability, civic engagement, and awareness o globalissues like healthcare, poverty, or social injustices.

WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE

MORE GAMES APPLIED?

Learning & Education

Social Connectivity

Environmental Issues& Sustainability

Personal Wellness& Healthcare

72%

75%

52%

56%

33%47%

Economic Issues& Financial Planning

Government& Civic Engagement

THE FUTURE OF GAMING LICENSED UNDER CREATIVE COMMONS

ATTRIBUTION-NONCOMMERCIAL-SHAREALIKE


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omorrows gamers are more than reclusive basement-dwell-

ers or casual gamers seeking bite-sized escape and un.

Tey are dynamic, social, and interested in applying elements

o play to the world around them. Tis creates opportunities

or companies across industries to reach users in new ways. A

few best practices to keep in mind:

BE ORGANIC. Follow your users leads, see what they

value, and build game elements around the negotiations or

exchanges they may naturally be initiating with each other or

with your brand.

PLAY TO PROGRESS.Games neednt be just a source o re-laxation or escapism; to add lasting value, give people an op-

portunity to achieve real goals, learn new things, and even

get undesirable tasks donenot to mention, track and share

their progress along the way. In many cases, achieving a

meaningul, personal goal is the reward or playing.

MAKE SOCIAL A MEANS, NOT AN END. Social gaming

isnt new; whats new is the way shared experiences are moti-

vating individual behavior oineoten or the collective

good. Games arent just a place where social interactions play

out; more and more, they are the catalyst or orming new

social ties around a common interest across remote distances

and, increasingly, or mobilizing local communities.

FOR ADS, CONTEXT MATTERS. Advertising can work in

a variety o ways within games: as sponsorships, placements,

interactive ads, and so on. However, its key that they relate

and, ideally, add valueto the experience game players in-

tend to have in the rst place.

IMPLICATIONS

The real disruptors are likely to be those who use

gamication as a signicance-amplier, as a tool to help

people achieve durable, tangible gains that are difcult,

challenging, or downright impossible otherwise.

Umair Haque, Unlocking the Mayor Badge o Meaninglessness


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VISIT US AT WWW.LATD.COMTHE FUTURE OF GAMING 10

Latitude is an international research consultancy helping clients

create engaging content, sotware and technology that harness

the possibilities o the Web.

To learn more about working with Latitude, contact:

Ian Schulte / Director o Tech & Business Development / [email protected]

A thought-provoking portrait o game makers and game enthusiasts,

this video documentary serves up resh perspectives on how games have

evolved, and who exactly is playing todayor will be tomorrow. Tis mini-eature was lmed and compiled in conjunction with Te Future o Gam-

ing survey, oering insider takes on gaming drivers, dos and donts or

game makers, and possible uture opportunities in games and technology

development. Available in HD on Vimeo.

http://vimeo.com/28065109

Lead Researcher: Natalie Stehfest, Senior Research Analyst

Video Director: Dan Hemmerly-Brown, Innovation Engineer

Kim Gaskins, Director o Content Development

Neela Sakaria, Senior Vice President

Steve Mushkin, President

For press inquiries, contact: Kim Gaskins / [email protected]

Currently in progress, this study is designed to investigate user

expectations and uture desires around storytelling, both c-

tion and non-ction, across platorms and in the real world. Itwill identiy core elements o good storytelling and possibili-

ties or new oerings in content, advertising, and technology.

http://bit.ly/utureostorytelling

A Video Portrait o the New Gamers Upcoming Latitude 42 Study: Te Future o Storytelling

Tis study was prepared by:
http://bit.ly/futureofstorytellinghttp://bit.ly/futureofstorytelling

latitude 42 study: the future of gaming

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