Make a typical Mobile MP Game.
Make a typical monetization system of those games.
Put Hot Super Models on the Trailer of the Game.
Earn 1 Million Dollars a Day!
Also i don't think at all SC, not even Elite has player base of minors, neither do it appeals actually, a thing i learned from Space Sim communities is that the majority of the player base is much more mature.
So well, it's adults we're speaking of, you're as much influenced for the marketing of a game as you are on TV, or just walking around on a shopping mall, i don't get much of this discussion, the world we live in is moved by this, the gaming industry is just following the same thing the software industry already had followed.
On SC there's some pools you can find on the forum that points on 70% older than 25:
http://i.imgur.com/OHFXByh.png
Oh aye - we're bombarded with messages every day.
Games are relatively unique in that they are interactive and, for a long while, we've treated them as pure novelties. While I'm aware that the guys making adverts really don't give a monkeys about my well being and are focused on getting me to spend/invest/commit, we seem to presume that game companies are still the 'bedroom developers', comprised of friendly folks whose goal is to share something amazing with the world, perhaps a nod back to the 'dawn of computer gaming'. And far too many gamers reward game developers with loyalty and credit their words because of it.
The reality is, and I hope we can all agree, when there's money on the table, jobs on the line then its very easy for the focus to shift to making that return/keeping investors happy first and foremost, with the entertainment and well being of the consumer dropping to a distant second. Especially when we're involved with entities such as corperations where the externalization of costs
(financial or otherwise) is seen as 'smart business'.
Now in general I would like to believe folks are savvy consumers, aware of at least some of the tricks of the trade. Still, for some reason, there's a fair few of us
(and I'd argue the 25+ are the majority in this case) that like to relate to game developers on a seemingly personal level - heck, they look like us, like what we like and make entertaing systems. What's not to like?
And of course, I know that the overwhelming majority are lovely people who mean us no harm,
(unless, perhaps, you consistantly beat them at Carcassonne..)
However, it should be clear that today's game designers are part of a growing industry that specializes in creating systems of interactice experience and that said industry invests a considerable amount of effort into manipulating us. The key element word here is, 'interactive', something that differs the medium from literature, film, TV and so on
(unless we're applying the word in a particular academic context). This element of interactivty places such systems in a position to become excellent tools for manipulation.
Of course, manipulation isn't intrinsically good, evil or cherry cola. Offer to tell me a joke and I'll hope you push my buttons and make me laugh.
But game development is a business. And one that is increasingly practicing techniques, with regards to design
(rather than marketing, which is hardly unique to game design nor game developers) with the intent to manipulate not for our entertainment, but for to fill their pockets. Be it padding content through time sinks, grinding or gear checks, exploiting avoidance contingencies or emotional manipulation. All in order to maximise profits.
So yes! Interactive systems are well placed to provide amazing experiences. And we should always keep our guard up, an eye open, and our wits about us when dealing with them. And if we believe being older than another consumer protects us from an ever-improving, constantly refining system of manipualtion, be it good or bad? Then we're a perfect target! Or customer. Or audience. Or..
