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Here's a spicy one for y'all:
The hobby game industry's Overton Window of "gateway game" is utterly ridiculous.
Pandemic and Ticket to Ride are great strategy games. Not gateway games.
UNO is a gateway game.
Time to recalibrate.
The hobby game industry's Overton Window of "gateway game" is utterly ridiculous.
Pandemic and Ticket to Ride are great strategy games. Not gateway games.
UNO is a gateway game.
Time to recalibrate.
We in hobby tabletop have built up this incredible tolerance for complexity, price point and novelty as selling points in games.
In fact, we have come to fetishize novelty and complexity to where we stopped recognizing it as a _deterrent_ for most of the potential market.
In fact, we have come to fetishize novelty and complexity to where we stopped recognizing it as a _deterrent_ for most of the potential market.
It's not that non-gamers aren't "smart enough". Far from it.
Non-gamers have wildly diverse potential user journeys, of which "collection-oriented hobbyist" is but a minor subset.
But there are millions out there who are potentially primed to enjoy tabletop games.
Non-gamers have wildly diverse potential user journeys, of which "collection-oriented hobbyist" is but a minor subset.
But there are millions out there who are potentially primed to enjoy tabletop games.
This myopia is natural; the user journey for most hardcore gamers is about mastering a steep learning curve, and many internalize this steepening curve as the "fun."
Many of those gamers have become publishers.
And they publish many great games. But they won't grow the market.
Many of those gamers have become publishers.
And they publish many great games. But they won't grow the market.
We also have adopted this wild idea that "gateway game" means "gateway to a hobby with a discovery, purchase and collection pattern we recognize as 'hobby gamer'"
Researched intuition: Most broad gateway games will lead their audiences to 0-5 other games at most.
And that's OK
Researched intuition: Most broad gateway games will lead their audiences to 0-5 other games at most.
And that's OK
TL;DR
Want to broaden the market? REALLY broaden the market?
Reset your tolerances for complexity, novelty and price.
Reset your definition of "gateway game" to Hungry Hungry Hippo; Loopin' Louie.
I can't wait to see where that takes you.
Want to broaden the market? REALLY broaden the market?
Reset your tolerances for complexity, novelty and price.
Reset your definition of "gateway game" to Hungry Hungry Hippo; Loopin' Louie.
I can't wait to see where that takes you.
