Who is your Ideal Player?
When’s the last time, if ever, you brainstormed who your ideal player is? Not sure what I mean? In the marketing world, there’s a concept known as the “Ideal Customer Avatar.” Essentially, think of it as the most in-depth character creation screen you’ve ever seen, where you piece together the perfect person that would benefit from your product. We’ve gone through this exercise with countless business owners, and of course, have done this for ourselves many times. What makes it such a powerful exercise is that you’re left with a compass of everything your product needs to be, and how to present it so that it provides maximum value to your perfect customer. (We’ll get into how to do this in a second.) I haven’t quite seen anyone discuss this all that much in the game dev space, and it seems like a no-brainer of an exercise. Imagine being able to think, “Would my ideal player like this new mechanic?” or “Would my ideal player respond to this ad?” every time you were making a big decision. Beats the heck out of shooting in the dark and hoping for the best. So, if you’re tired of feeling lost as to what decisions need to be made for your game, let’s talk about your ideal player. 🎮BUILDING OUT THE IDEAL PLAYER🎮 Think of all the characteristics that make up someone who would be a perfect match for your game: - What kind of games do they like? - What’s their personality like? - How old are they? - What social media platforms do they hang out on? - What clichés in the industry tick them off? - What motivates them when they play games? This description will change and adapt over time. Start out with literally a fantasy version of the ideal person. Chances are, there’s a large group of people that fit that description. Write all of these notes down somewhere and keep them easily accessible so you can refresh yourself on your ideal player when you need guidance. Finally, and this one is going to sound weird, name them. Achievement Hunter Harry or something catchy and descriptive. This makes them real in your mind.