The Who, What and Why of Social Games

Jon RadoffSocial Media Breakfast

April 28, 2011

What do people do without TV?

Without computers?

Without printing presses?

Traditional Dancer,Papua New Guinea

Marn Grook ball

Backgammon Board from Ancient RomePhoto Credit: Ian W Scott

Medieval backgammon players from the Codex Manesse (14th Century Zurich)

What are Games?

“That games are extensions, not of our private but of our social selves, and that they are media of communication, should now be plain. If, finally, we ask,” Are games mass media?” the answer has to be “Yes.” Games are situations contrived to permit simultaneous participation of many people in some significant pattern of their own corporate lives.

– Marshall McLuhan, Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man (1964)

Who is your customer today?

97%of Teens Play games

Why should you care?

New distribution channels change who the customers are. They change not only how customers buy but also what they buy. They change consumer behavior, savings patterns, industry structure—in short, the entire economy.

– Peter Drucker, “Beyond the Information Revolution”

Experiences = More Happiness

Leaf van Boven and Thomas Gilovich. “To Do or to Have? That is the Question.” American Psychological Association. 85.6 (2003): 1198. Reprinted with permission.

What is in a game?

Immersion Cooperation

Achievement Competition

Qualitative

Quantitative

Few Players Many Players

Games allow customers to have fun through immersion, competition, cooperation and achievement.

There is only one thing more fun than playing a game…

…is building a game!

Pat Croce, Pirate King

Media + Vision + PassionBringing Content to Life with Games

You will learn more about yourself, your customers and the human mind than anything else.

Thank you!

Jon RadoffCEO, Disruptor BeamEmail: jradoff AT disruptorbeam.comTwitter: @jradoff