The Hidden Gamer : The Female Audience for Online ‘Casual’ Games

1. The Hidden Gamer : The Female Audience for Online ‘Casual’ Games Suzie Cardwell 3RD sense

2. Overview • About 3RD sense • Female ‘Casual’ Games Audience • Games Women Play • Reasons Women Play • Commercialisation of the Opportunity • Questions

3. Specialist ‘Play’ agency Use games and play content as marketing tools The web, iDTV and mobile Also manage www.playaholics.com – the UK’s fastest growing online games website www.fudfite.com – unique multiplayer mobile fighting game www.chickstop.com – specialist games site for women 3RD sense – Specialist Play Agency

4. Female Audience for Online Casual Games – A Slice • 1. @plan, Spring 2004 • Aggregated BARB data July 2002 • Estimated from various sources

5. Female Audience – Who are they? • Majority aged 25-45 – most sites and services see 60-70% of their audience in this age demographic • Office workers, students and stay-at-home Mums • At home, in the office, at college • Visit 3-4 times per month, av. visit periods 20-40 minutes (depending on medium) • Peak periods for play – lunchtime, mid-late evening after kids are in bed

6. Games Women Play • Quick distraction • Easy to learn, impossible to master • Immersive and addictive • Genres – puzzle, word, trivia, card, strategy, quiz • Games that require colours/shapes to be matched, puzzles to be solved, words to be made etc • Features • Levels – sense of progression • Time • Points • Controls – easy to use • Instructions • Colours – bold, bright

7. Commercialisation of the Opportunity • Developers • Licensing fees • Games for advertisers and brands • Publishers • Advertising on sites • Game sales – downloads and pay-to-play • Competition entries

8. Contact Suzie Cardwell Ph: 020 7250 4744 suzie@3rdsense.com www.3rdsense.com