Gaming Market Exploration & Category Understanding

By Jenny McBean, Director at Bryter

Why is analysing the market important?

Category research is crucial at this early stage as it provides a clear picture of the market and guides future development and strategies. Examples of when category & market understanding can be useful:

• Entering a new genre – you have an established brand but are considering entering a new genre. You want to know firstly if there is ‘space’ in this genre, is this space suited to you, and what is it that drives success in this genre.
• Reviving a previous IP – you’re thinking about developing a new title within an existing IP but not sure if there is still appetite. You want to know what the current market looks like and who players see as the current leaders. Where would your revived IP fit in and what core features does it need to have to be successful.
• Expanding into the mobile market – your brand is already well established in the PC/console space and now you’re considering expanding into the mobile market. You want to know how players view your brand currently, does the move to the mobile space fit with the brand, would this impact its reputation in the PC/ console space, what would your mobile identity look like.
  
  

Our exploration work helps to uncover where the strongest opportunities lie and how to build a development roadmap with clear direction around game/ brand identity, potential themes, must have features and USPs. Gaining this valuable insight early on gives games and products the best chance of success.

When is best to conduct this type of research?

In short – as soon as possible. For maximum effectiveness, it is important to complete exploration and understanding studies prior to any game development. Firstly, it can give robust evidence for green-lighting a project, but also set the framework for the product, giving a clear direction of travel moving into the development phase.

How to approach market analysis

Market exploration can encompass many things, and so, at Bryter, we design tailored solutions depending on the exact business objectives and outcomes needed. In order to shape the approach, there are some key questions to ask early on…

Which methodology should we use?

First you need to decide which type of data will be most effective in answering your objectives. This often comes down to whether you need robust numbers or in-depth feedback, or both!

• Quantitative: such as multi-market surveys, provide a robust read on the overall market and audience behaviours, including performance of competitor titles, which features most drive success within a category and sizing early opportunities.
• Qualitative: often in the form of focus groups, in-depth interviews or digital ethnographies, focus more on detailed opinions and understanding the why. This can include exploring brand perceptions, sentiment around specific titles, or general behaviours and motivations that can shape play habits.
• Mixed methods: takes a combination of qual and quant techniques, often providing a more holistic view. For example, a qualitative stage is planned first, to better explore general behaviours and trends, which can then be validated on a larger scale in a follow-up quantitative stage.

 Which markets should we focus on?

Usually, teams have at least one core market in mind for the focus of their research, often based on how big that market is or how well previous games have done there. But it’s also worth considering additional markets, especially if they tend to behave differently. For example, an exploration of the shooter genre in the US versus China is likely to be vastly different – in terms of the competitor landscape, what motivates players and how they play. Rather than choose your two ‘biggest’ markets, think about the benefit of understanding two contrasting markets.

Do we need any additional tools?

At Bryter, we offer a toolbox of advanced techniques we can utilise for extra layers of insight:

• Drivers analysis: gamers aren't always very good at telling us why they play or why they are satisfied with a title – they tend to post-rationalise. Drivers analysis is an advanced statistical technique that looks at what features influence enjoyment the most, rather than just looking at what features are appealing. 
  
  
• Perceptual mapping: a statistical technique that creates a visual representation of a market or genre, based on specific titles and how players view them in terms of features or identity. These maps can highlight strengths, weaknesses and where opportunities lie

• Semiotic analysis: goes beyond the conventional and instead, looks at the cultural beliefs, values, and visual/verbal conventions. Semiotics helps uncover the symbolic frameworks that shape how gamers interpret categories, products, and cross-cultural positioning. We can create cultural code maps and value systems for different markets to aid with future design decisions and messaging

Bryter’s Market & Category exploration

At Bryter, we create bespoke solutions for our clients, based on business objectives and how the research is going to be used.   

• Online or face-to-face qualitative interviews, led by experienced Bryter moderators, that help bring gamers to life and uncover in-depth behaviours and perceptions
• Global quantitative studies across almost all markets, and including cultural analysis
• Incorporating advanced research/statistical techniques that go beyond surface level insights to add extra depth
• Providing actionable insights and strategic recommendations, based on various data sources, as well as industry expertise

Take a look at one of our Case Studies here

You can read more about how to leverage market research & player insights throughout the game lifecycle on our website.

Get in touch

Ready to move beyond guesswork? Get in touch with one of the insights team if you want to learn more about different approaches to market research and to understand which methodology may be most appropriate for your insight needs.