Target Markets

Those considering launching a new application should understand and focus on the target market for their proposed game. Successful game design considers such factors as

• nationality and culture,
• age,
• sex,
• disposable income, and
• occupation.

Some studies of role-playing games (RPGs), for instance, suggest that North American culture favors communal games involving teams (such as Dungeons & Dragons or EverQuest), while Europeans and Asians prefer RPGs where individuals battle against each other or the odds (as in Final Fantasy or Lineage). In Japan, RPGs involving Samurai and ancient Japanese history often mix the two elements, thus accommodating individuals as well as both formal and loosely grouped teams, reflecting the historic patterns of Japanese society. Although the world is shrinking rapidly, cultural factors remain extremely important and games designers must understand and accommodate these as well as related constraints. Gambling, for instance, is extremely popular throughout China, Japan, and the neighboring countries, while in North America and more particularly Europe, it is subject to strong legal controls and considerable moral disapproval, factors that need to be considered when developing such games.

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