A Google whitepaper called "Understanding the Modern Gamer" shows that gamer behavior can be tracked through searches, and shows that there is a link between searches and game sales. One of their key bulletpoints from the paper says that 84 percent of game sales can be predicted from our searches.
They found some pretty fascinating stuff in their tracking of searches for the top 20 games of 2010 and 2011. They used their data to create a model and found that if a game nets 250,000 clicks in the 10 months around its launch, it will sell somewhere between 2 and 4 million copies in the first four months.
Google gives a picture of what exactly is being searched for in this window. Most start out looking for official information from the publisher, like trailers and release dates. The searches transition to walkthroughs, tips and wallpaper after launch. Google found that game reviews are still relevant even four months after launch, as some are still trying to come to a decision.
The data also shows that gamers use their phones often. Before launch, they often pre-order or buy games via their mobile. After launch, 27 percent of all tips searches take place on mobile devices, presumably while gaming.
3:00 PM on 01.11.2013 //
Jason CabralIn the minds of most gamers, Bungie is still synonymous with Microsoft and the Xbox. But the studio appears to be broadening its audience with the recent update to its website.
Bungie.net now gives players the option to log i... more
6:30 PM on 12.18.2012 //
Brett ZeidlerZen Studios has announced today that Zen Pinball HD would make its way to the Google Play store today. Yes, I'm sure some of you have had it for awhile (myself included), but that's because we're running one of those sexy Teg... more
9:30 AM on 12.05.2012 //
Dale NorthToday's Nintendo Direct broadcast unveiled Google Maps running on the Wii U? Why would you need a map app for a home console? No idea, but Iwata seemed excited about it in his silly helmet. He says that the service is coming ... more
3:30 PM on 12.04.2012 //
Dale NorthMotorola tried to shut down the sale of the Xbox 360 and other Microsoft products over a patent fees dispute, but it didn't stick. Motorola wanted somewhere near $4 billion a year for the use of some pretty standard tech... more
3:30 PM on 11.14.2012 //
Dale NorthSeattle is the battleground where Google and Microsoft will duke it out in a dispute over yearly licensing payment amounts. Google's Motorola feels that Microsoft should be paying somewhere around $4 billion a year for u... more
1:00 AM on 10.15.2012 //
Tony PonceThe first installment of Winsor McCay's influential Little Nemo in Slumberland strip was published in the New York Herald on October 15, 1905. To celebrate the comic's 107th birthday, Google has created an interactive Doodle ... more
10:00 PM on 09.30.2012 //
Kyle MacGregorEarlier this summer, Google's Motorola Mobility obtained an injunction against Microsoft from a German court. A Mannheim judge issued a sales ban on several Microsoft devices for the violation of four patents. ... more
11:00 AM on 09.26.2012 //
Dale NorthAndroid app store Google Play just hit 25 billion app downloads (!), and to celebrate Google has rounded up a bunch of games and other apps and slashed their price down to $0.25. A quarter, folks. Google lists publishers like... more
9:00 AM on 08.04.2012 //
Hamza CTZ Aziz
The never ending saga of mobile games ripping off other titles has found a new victim with Pushmo for the 3DS. The clone in this case is called BlockShift, and the developer behind the project has even stated in the comments... more