UA designers have come to understand now that competition for players’ attention and engagement is fierce. No longer can designers attempt to appeal to a broad swathe of players with a single ad. For example, ads geared toward an achievement-oriented audience might have little appeal to a relaxation-oriented audience & vice-versa.
As per FB’s The Big Catch Playbook, different players have different motivations. If we look at the research, we note that people are attracted to mobile games for different reasons like- relieving stress, passing time, feeling accomplished, or just connecting with new people.
This is something we’ve been focused on at RocketShip HQ for our gaming clients – to specifically build creative that is based on player motivations(we were inspired by this episode of the Mobile UA show featuring Paula Neves, where she talks about using player motivations for game design – and we were also inspired by Paula’s guest lecture in our flagship course Mobile Growth Lab).
In this article, we will talk about different player motivations, and share some examples of creatives that focus on these motivations. We hope that these inspire you to come up with motivation-focused creatives of your own.
01/ Self-expression 💁♀️
Gamers love to express their creativity and identity along with an opportunity to make the game “their own” and personalize it, whether to start a new adventure or if they can be the best chef?
02/ Social connection 🧑🤝🧑
Gamers want to connect and bond with others. They look for gameplays that involve other people—clans, teams, 1×1, team x team, competition, or collaboration. Genres differ in how they present social connection, but the key is to clearly connect the creative theme & storyline with gameplay mechanics.
03/ Progression 📈
Players often enjoy exploring new levels and maps, or discovering characters with new abilities, with the sense that they are getting closer to the game’s end. Consider it as a journey for your players while framing the creatives.
04/ Expertise ⚔️
A lot of players have the desire to master a game’s offerings and be the best player possible. Creatives that focus on overcoming challenges, solving puzzles, or excelling in speed, accuracy, etc. are very much enjoyed with such players.
05/ Discovery ⛰️
Playtime is a great opportunity for gamers to learn and discover. Creatives with big maps full of multiple worlds, hidden items, or complex quests and enigmas are enjoyed by players.
06/ Power 🏋️
Creatives with a strong sense of power can be highly motivating for players. Power and glory drive many player characters to pursue victory. Let players become emperors, kings, queens or bosses by using power as a motivation in the creatives.
07/ Escapism 🛫
Gamers are often looking for an escape from reality. Role-playing and fantasy games show the unexpected to players looking for a way out. The creatives should feature non-human characters, otherworldly settings or situations to retreat to attract players looking for a change of pace.
08/ Relaxation 🧘
Players use games as a form of relaxation, unwind from the stresses of daily life and pass the time. Creatives should feature elements like meditation, soothing sounds, and zen mode.
It’s time to get started. Start ideating the next set of creatives by choosing from the above list of 8 motivations. Open the ad with a dramatic moment that establishes the game’s primary gameplay and motivates gamers to click. Lastly, the gameplay and motivation should be obvious throughout the video ad, so that the theme is clearly communicated.
Always remember that players are motivated by multiple forces, including motivations that are not initially obvious.
(If you’re interested in having our team at RocketShip HQ make motivation-based ad creative for you, check out our services here)
