How To Write For Gamers

How Gamers Read on Prezi

We don't read

We don't read for pleasure. At least not online. Or, at the very least not when we're playing or working. We have been bombarded with information since the past era of information and knowledge. Now that the Relationship Era has begun, we are looking for meaning and purpose.

We skim, scan and select

We do a bunch of other things that you might consider reading. Since we have tasks to be done, we rely on Google to point us in the right direction. Once there, we look at signs and posts that you might call headlines. If we realize we are in the right place, we might look around to check the landscape. It is pretty much like shopping in a department store. We select and choose the right stuff that serves our needs. And, then, use them.

Write for us

It's easy. Make sure the signs and posts are clear. Get straight to the point and tell me what I need to know. Give me a sense that you have some sort of authority. The only reason I'm not in Wikipedia or About.com or Yahoo Answers or the forums is that I need something that was not there. Give me value and not some rephrased copy-pasted collage from your teacher's notes.

Control Freak

Jakob Nielsen's group found out that Internet readers follow an F pattern. Like DUH! Of course it's an F. Headline, scan down, subheading, skim and select. That's an F right? F could also stand for fast. BUT, more importantly, it stands for Find. Ctrl-F gets us there quick. I use Chrome and Firefox, I don't know about the other browsers.

To Copy or To Write a Copy

Write well. It is okay to write long formal stuff. It's also okay to write short, casual and personal stuff. It's also okay to write in bullet points. Gamers aren't stupid, and we don't really have ADD. It's just that there's a lot going on. But, when we do find time to read, we CAN read for pleasure and we can read slow.

Build Trust

In this new era, connection is king. It's no longer about content. It's about fulfilling needs and achieving goals. If we can find a mall that can trust to give us what we want most of the time, then we become loyal. We subscribe. We eventually transact. But, we need your consistency and your integrity. In short, we need to build a relationship.