This article title over at PC Gamer caught my eye today: "Destiny 2's mysterious Black Armory expansion doubles down on putting 'hobby' players first." Specifically the term hobby player. This prompted me to think of the way I classify gamers as I'd never considered "hobby" as a type of gamer. Gaming itself is a hobby, but classifying a gamer as a "hobby" gamer? I am not sure that makes sense. In my view gamers come in three main types.Before we get to my three types of gamers I want to get the concept of "hobby" gamer out of the way. The article never explicitly defines the term but quotes from the Destiny 2 developer help frame the use: "...people who live and breathe their hobby playing a videogame..." and "...a community that wants a hobby more than something that comes and goes over the space of one week..." Based on that context my take is "hobby" = hardcore. Now on to my types.
My three types are Casual, Core, and Hardcore gamers. A quick description of each:
The Casual gamer
- Plays occasionally; contrary to popular belief they don't make up a large segment of any game's population with the exception of mobile games
- Plays mainstream games; especially free 2 play
- Not likely to monetarily invest in games unless it buys their way ahead in the game
- Plays daily; makes up the bulk of a game's players
- Plays mainstream games and willing to dabble in non-mainstream games
- Likely to monetarily invest in games they like
The Hardcore gamer
- "Plays" doesn't begin to describe what these gamers are doing; they are "living and breathing" their games day in and day out (hence my association to the hobby term in the article)
- Plays any game, any time, any where if it piques their interest
- Invests monetarily in games (likely to pre-order and buy special editions of games)
- At the same time they are willing to invest in games they are the most likely group to grind out free 2 play games to avoid paying
I don't think there is much discussion to be had around the hardcore gamer type. They are easy to pick out of a crowd and there is no doubt about who they are when playing an online game. This is a desirable audience for every game to attract as they become the word of mouth that carries games into popularity or helps stem the tides of negativity when the plebeians rise up against a game.
Of more value is discussing Casual vs Core gamers as I feel they get confused as one and the same. And more importantly is how often developers miscalculate these gamers and that is exactly what I read-between-the-lines in the PC Gamer article that prompted this post.
From my outside observer point of view; Destiny 2 missed for many Core gamers but the game carried forward a key Hardcore audience from the Destiny 1. In the article the discussion of satisfying "hobby" gamers is placed against a message of "disappointed about the financial results of past Destiny 2 expansions". Those messages conflict when you take into consideration that the Hardcore (aka hobby) gamers aren't what drive population in a game. Core gamers are the key in that regard.
Core gamers are gamers like me. I used to be hardcore (and then I got married, got a job, and had a kid). I get confused as still hardcore (duh, I have a gaming blog!) because I can talk to the talk and on release of a new game I may indulge myself a little bit (staying up to 2 am a couple nights in a row isn't that hardcore). I generally play games daily and am willing to part with money for the experience.
As a Core gamer I am looking for simplicity in my gaming choices; how do I get in and make the most of my time. Games that deliver on that are likely to attract my attention. This is why I am enjoying MtG Arena and looking forward to Artifact. MtG Arena is a generous free 2 play game where I don't have to invest money while Artifact is a mostly pay-to-play game. Both of them actually end up getting into my wallet for the same amount. Neither one is out there looking to please the "hobby" gamer. In fact; they really hit Core gamers pretty spot on. MtG Arena through the free 2 play generosity and Artifact through the no-shame fact they are charging players to play the game and will allow players to buy to exactly the spot they want to be at.
That is where it feels like Destiny 2 misses. Just reading the article and hearing about expansions and free seasonal updates and then paying for season passes; my Core gaming mind is gone to other games. I was almost pulled in when Destiny 2 was free on Battle.net, but it was so confusing to know what I was getting into. Like; do I need to buy expansions or not? Do I need the pass? Was this a Guild Wars 2 type experience where I can buy once and jump back in whenever I want for no cost? Or was this something else where I was going to have to tap that pass each time?
Ultimately what I am getting at is that as far as types of gamers go Core gamers get confused to one side or the other and in that light its easy to see a developer to miss us. I probably would have picked up Destiny 2 if the updates/expansions made any sense to me and it was clear how I could play the game with or without paying (again, as a Core gamer I'm not opposed to paying). But reading an update going towards the "hobby" player makes me turn away. I don't plan to live and breath any game anytime soon. I am sure the Hardcore Destiny 2 players have already paid up and will keep paying up but no doubt we'll keep seeing the "disappointed in Destiny 2 financials" as the Core gamers are missed.
