Analog UK:

Tabletop

Gaming in

the 21st

Century

Matt Coward-Gibbs

@MattCowardGibbs

Why study gaming

Is there an assumption that ‘adulting’ means

avoiding play?

Does society focus too heavily on

‘work’ and tangible achievements?

Does play have to be unproductive?

What about the work-life balance?

How can playing games help?

What does playing games do?

Previous research:

A number of historical studies

Focus on design and mechanics; implications for maths/stats

Lots of data studies

A scattering of geographically-focused work:

United States, Empires of the Petal Throne, early Dungeons & Dragons

Australia, studies primarily focusing on Warhammer 40,000 and Games Workshop

Central Europe, euro-game design and games and families

‘Right. I’m not going to lie to you. I thought

that adults who did this were literally the

saddest … people I’ve ever met. I don’t feel

this way anymore obviously now, I’m one of

them’

Toby

‘I could not believe how well designed the game was … I could not believe that someone had invented it … we were working together and the game was trying to beat us. It’s genius’

‘It’s easier to turn gamers into friends, than friends into gamers’

‘I love to find out about new releases, but it can be the death of your wallet’

‘I’m not a collector … I think often collectors like to have game. I have games cause I want to play them’

‘Tom Vasel is an immensely powerful man … if he likes something, it sells. Even though it’s an analog hobby, the power of online space is really something?

Playing games is for children?

Of approximately six-hundred and

fifty respondents, the average age

was thirty-six, with nearly thirty-

percent of participants over forty

(Eurogames, 2012)

Davis, in her 2013 research report,

sampled fifty-six female gamers.

Sixty-five percent of her

respondents were aged between

thirty and forty-nine (Women in

Gaming, 2013)

‘…the typical gamer is in his late

teens or early twenties … a gamer

over thirty-five years old is rare’

(Shared Fantasy, 1983)

’52% [of gamers studied] were

under the age of 22’ (The

Complete Wargamers Handbook,

1997)

Playing games is for boys?

‘somewhere between 5% and 10% of all players are women, and the percentage of female hard-core gamers seems to be considerably lower’ (Shared Fantasy, 1983)

In Woods’ survey women made up only seven percent of the respondents (Eurogames, 2012)

‘The majority of participants were male’ and only two interviews conducted within their study were female (The Playful Pastime of Warhammer 40,000, 2014)

Gaming is

productive

Social Economic

Education Societal

All of these areas in some way

overlap with one-another.

Play as central to the community?

Eight domains

Objects

The tactility of games a key aspect

of player experience

Numerous interviewees have

spoken at length about the way in

which ‘deluxe’ products enhance

the gaming experience.

Creativity and production

flourishes across the hobby:

3D printing

Home made gaming tables

Print & play

Spaces

The fostering of safe and

supportive public spaces is key to

the continued growth of analog

gaming.

With a more saturated market, it is

becoming more difficult to operate

a FLGS and/or café

The number of conventions and

public events are increasing

substantially; so is their

attendance.

Exchange

Many interviewees spoke at length

about ‘unwritten gentlemanly

contracts’ governing

trade/exchange

Having social capital or ‘being

known’ as a good seller viewed as

valuable

Economies

Analog gamers interact with three

main economies:

First hand markets

Second hand markets

Crowdfunding

Collecting

A number of gamers noted that

they knew what it was like to be a

collector and they did not do this

with games.

Many were adamant that they

weren’t collectors

Several references to the wider

decision making process of

building/maintaining a collection

Knowledge

Knowledge exchange takes place

across tabletop gaming

This is especially prevalent within

gaming media

Over 75% of my current sample

hold a minimum of a bachelors

degree

Production

Production is inherent to analog

gaming

Mass-market titles are commonly

an introduction to the hobby and

tend to still be viewed favourably

Experience

It is important to recognise the

history of analog gaming.

‘Finding a balance’ between open

play, activities and purchasing

The community wants to be

inclusive and equitable

However, might not be equipped

with the right tools to do so

Hobby still perceived as male,

white and middle-class

Analog gamer lifecycle

Industry heavily reliant on new

gamers for income

Majority of gaming media focused

on purchasing

The quality of a product

Some early conclusions:

As a community, we need to be aware of the impact of our heritage

We need to be able to actively challenge what constitutes a ‘gamer’

Inclusivity shouldn’t be a buzzword, it should be part of everything we do

Analog gaming is open to all; however, this message needs to be spread

The community at large does amazing things for: education, charity and the

wider economy

Games are being used in a wide variety of settings: education, mental health,

prisons/probation, nursing/care facilities

Vocal minorities should not speak for the majorities agenda

The market is becoming increasingly saturated; we need to be able to

support local FLGS, cafes, clubs, and conventions