In this story on NPR, even David Roberts, CEO on PopCap Games, is surprised. “With Bejeweled, 70 percent of our customers are women, and that astounds almost everybody.” But what is it that drives mothers, and most people who don’t seem like the average gamer, to games on social networks like Facebook?
Addictive games like Bejeweled and Farmville are fun. It doesn’t take a hardcore gamer to figure that out. Besides that commonality, something else seems to be driving non-gamers to get involved with these socially infused games. The “average gamer” is a 16 – 24 year old male. They are most likely in school or at a job, tech savvy (as we are socialized to be) and either has a good physical social network or has one on the web. It’s not hard for us to game and maintain a social network.
Now imagine the typical American mother: overworked, overstressed and too busy to catch up with old friends, co-workers and loved ones. Instead of spending free time watching TV, reading or napping, some are now gravitating to social networks. This is a time where they can actually help re-establish their old social networks. Sites like Facebook are connecting previously uninitiated web surfers with old friends, new acquaintances and co-workers. In addition to having a way to keep up with other people’s lives, they are now finding ways to game with them without having to go out to traditional places like pool halls, bingo or trivia nights.
Once they’re done reading their news feeds, they are one click away from entering a virtual game room on Facebook where they can unwind and face off against their friends’ scores. It’s something most gamers have loved to do for most of our lives. Only now, a new breed of gamers are getting a taste of it. The thrill of beating scores in crowded arcades or online leaderboards is now finding new people to infect in the various Facebook games available to everyone, not just us hardcore gamers.
No matter how much your mother wants to deny it, everyone has a competitive streak. Your mother (and father too!) may not be able to learn how to play Street Fighter with their kids, but the folks at PopCap are the masters of making games that are easy to learn and extremely fun to master. How long is it going to be before your mother starts trash talking you about your high score?
For more information that does prove that yes, more mothers are gaming, head to NPR for the full story.
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