I’ve just been sent a great blog post describing the unexpected behaviour of a segment of smart-phone users - over 55 females. What caught my attention was their use of games:
When it comes to downloading apps on their smart-phones, one in five women stated that their favourite app was a gaming app
Games can no longer be dismissed as the sole preserve of teenagers. Gaming is now officially mainstream.
Many of those over 55 smart-phone gamers will be discovering games (or at least game genres) for the first time. I’ve spoken before and I’m sure I’ll speak again about the need to ensure all games produced are suited to the audience. If this older smart phone market is part of your audience, then a big focus on game usability and game usability testing is needed.
Game usability testing, as all usability testing, will pay for itself. The ROI of usability testing is undisputed. As the article points out, 1/3 of the UK population is over 50. The baby boomers are starting to play games in numbers. Take note.
Photo credit: William Hook via Flickr / Creative commons
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