Gamers, Geeks, Nerds, and the Power of the Force

Gamers are an incredibly influential segment.

First of all a happy belated turkeyfest to all, and apologies for the lack of posts over the past week.

I grew up as a gamer and did stints at in-game ad network Massive Inc. (Microsoft owned) and advergame developer Arkadium; thus, I stand behind many of the conclusions in the new report by Ziff Davis Media’s Gaming Group. The report dives into a sample pulled from subsidiary web property 1UP Network, which is a leading source of game related information.

The high level conclusion of the survey is that gamers are, as a whole, an incredibly influential group when it comes to technology purchases, music, and movies. Being an ex-hardcore gamer and current technophile I can atest to the powerful nature of word of mouth in this passionate segment. Members of this group are often the family tech gateways and also have an innate ‘need’ to share information with their peers.

However, gamers are a tough crowd. If you try to deceive them – Sony PSP Blog – they will smear you with a level of ferocity found in few other segments. In addition, many marketers still approach gamers as pimply 14 year olds, which is a myth that needs to be dispelled NOW. That said, if you make an effort to talk to them on their terms they can also be your most vocal advocates. The Toyota/World of Warcraft spot, which can be viewed here, is a fantastic example of infiltrating the gamer world and speaking their language (just check out the positive comments). The spot was a parody on one of the most famous World of Warcraft clips where a character named Leeroy Jenkins – who is now a cult icon with mentions on Jeopardy – rushes into battle. By parodying a reference that only Warcraft fans would pick up on you are building in a level of exclusivity into the message, which appeals to the segments as you are identifying them as a valuable group.

Here is a brief overview of the conclusions via MarketingVox

“The survey, which garnered response from a predominantly male audience, with an average age of 24, reflects interest particularly in the entertainment and technology realm, such as consumer electronics, music and movie purchases.

Some survey highlights:

• The gaming community is heavily composed of technology enthusiasts. Over 80 percent own a mobile phone, DVD player, and desktop computer and over 50 percent own a digital camera, MP3 player (without video), Wi-Fi products, PC storage/hard drive and flat panel PC monitor.

• Gamers are looking ahead to the latest technology for future purchases, with about one-third considering a purchase in the next six months of flat panel/plasma/LCD TVs, HDTVs and high-end audio systems; another 25 percent is considering purchasing digital camcorders and laptop/notebook computers.

• Gamers are enthusiastic about and comfortable with new technology and consumer electronics (93 percent), with 76 percent described by their friends as being into the latest technology and 61 percent being the first among their friends to buy new technology gadgets.

• Music is an important part of gamers’ lives. MP3 players are on the rise within the gaming community, with 71 percent planning to purchase an Apple iPod in the next six months, 43 percent Microsoft Zune, 28 percent Apple iPhone, and 24 percent Creative Labs.

• Gamers are also avid movie watchers, with 64 percent going to theaters at least once a month, 91 percent watching a DVD movie at least once a month, and 76 percent renting an average of 7 movies in the previous 6 months.

• Moreover, Gamers enjoy a variety of movie genres:
  • Comedy (89 percent)
  • Action/adventure (88 percent)
  • Science fiction (79 percent)
  • Animated (64 percent)
  • Comic book (59 percent)
  • War (58 percent)
  • Martial arts (58 percent)
  • Anime (51 percent)
  • Horror (51 percent)

About the study: comScore surveyed 1UP Network visitors, 989 of whom completed the survey, which was conducted August 13 – 31, 2007. Visitors to the 1UP Network were recruited directly off the site via house banner ads.”