How Do Gamers Want To Buy Mystery Games?

Mixed Methods generative research

Foundation

Who is this for?

Fanatical, a gaming website that sells discounted keys for games to redeem on other platforms such as steam

What are we looking for?

The goal was to learn how we can improve the Mystery Game Bundle Page to increase user interest and sales, including how much or how little information should be provided and what are the user’s core motivations to get a mystery product over a known quantity.

What do we think we know?

In the past we have found that gamers like to be informed when purchasing games. Here I hypothesize that users want more information on what games they have the chance of getting so they can ensure that they will not be disappointed regardless of what title they end up with.

Findings

How do I find out?

I started with a Usability Test on the page with included questions about behavior. These interviews informed a survey which supplemented the qualitative findings. By using multiple methods we were able to inform the quantitative portion with realistic answer options saving us from having to dig through copious amounts of qualitative open ends.

What did I actually find?

Contrary to the hypothesis, users who were interested in mystery games actually wanted less information. When it comes to Mystery games, this is a subset of gamers. They don’t need all of the reviews to make a decision since it is being made for them. All they want is a cheap way to try new things. Through the mystery bundle they were able to try a bunch of new games that they would not have considered before. While they were risk averse, there was a common sentiment that the bundle was so cheap that it didn’t matter if they got a bad game or two, they could simply move on to the next one. The hypothesis was disproved.

Impact

How did I impact the product?

Engagement with the page increased by 14% after the usability feedback was incorporated by the designers and developers. Gamers were now less worried that they didn’t get the grand prize of the bundle (whether it was a AAA game or a gaming headset) and were now more interested on the focus of the bundle. Theming each bundle was enough to steer them towards the games they would be more interested in and averted the risk of them getting a game where there was no interest whatsoever.

What did I take away from this?

You really need to dig deep into the group of users you are targeting. In this instance, simply recruiting unrestricted gamers would not have worked since we have found in the past that they are risk averse, checking ratings and reviews before purchasing a game. I needed to target people who liked the thought of finding something unexpected, and make sure we optimized the page for that group in mind.