The Hidden Gamer : The Female Audience for Online ‘Casual’ Games

Suzie Cardwell3RD sense

Overview

• About 3RD sense

• Female ‘Casual’ Games Audience

• Games Women Play

• Reasons Women Play

• Commercialisation of the Opportunity

• Questions

3RD sense – Specialist Play Agency

• Specialist ‘Play’ agency• Use games and play content

as marketing tools• The web, iDTV and mobile• Also manage

• www.playaholics.com – the UK’s fastest growing online games website

• www.fudfite.com – unique multiplayer mobile fighting game

• www.chickstop.com – specialist games site for women

Female Audience for Online Casual Games – A Slice

MSN Gamestar - iTV

YooPlay - iTV Playjam – iTV

Total Players per Month

8.75 million1

5.6 million2

800,0003

900,0003

Women Players per month

5.4 million1

(62%)2.2 million

2

(40%)450,000

3

(56%)450,000

3

(50%)

1. @plan, Spring 2004 2. Aggregated BARB data July 20023. Estimated from various sources

Female Audience – Who are they?

• Majority aged 25-45 – most sites and services see 60-70% of their audience in this age demographic

• Office workers, students and stay-at-home Mums

• At home, in the office, at college

• Visit 3-4 times per month, av. visit periods 20-40 minutes (depending on medium)

• Peak periods for play – lunchtime, mid-late evening after kids are in bed

Games Women Play

• Quick distraction

• Easy to learn, impossible to master

• Immersive and addictive

• Genres – puzzle, word, trivia, card, strategy, quiz

• Games that require colours/shapes to be matched, puzzles to be solved, words to be made etc

• Features• Levels – sense of progression• Time• Points• Controls – easy to use• Instructions• Colours – bold, bright

Commercialisation of the Opportunity

• Developers• Licensing fees• Games for advertisers and brands

• Publishers• Advertising on sites• Game sales – downloads and pay-to-play• Competition entries

Contact

Suzie Cardwell

Ph: 020 7250 4744

suzie@3rdsense.com

www.3rdsense.com