The pulse of the gaming community beats FAST.  Gamers devour information online, wirelessly, via mobile, via video, podcast, and via any other medium that gets them news and rumors of interest to them.  But unless you are a media firm, producing this content this is not your primary business and you simply need to either INCORPORATE the available information into your gaming site or CONSUME it as a gamer would.  Recent client requests have involved research and understanding in the following space:

Platform Capabilities
Accessories, Peripherals
Online Competition Sites
Game Launch Dates  
Firms Sponsoring Gaming, or Advertising on Game Sites
International Gaming Growth
Trade Shows and Events
Concentration of Teams and “pro” Gamers by Game
Gaming Centers, LAN Events
Competition Standards, Referees, Training

Networking, practical experience gained through running gaming sites and regular personal contacts at various points in the industry supply chain are all necessary to REALLY have a good, current pulse on the market---and few if any persons have deep or wide connections to qualify themselves as GURU or SAGE when it comes to gaming as a business.  Research firms write white papers, publishers sponsor polls, and gamer communities online lobby for certain capabilities routinely and regularly.  But sorting through the oftentimes conflicting data points is more of an art than a science.  And certainly it is something that very few people or firms are completely adept at providing. 

We’re NOT one of those completely adept firms---we don’t do this as a primary competency.  But we do routinely keep abreast of people and movements that would impact our clients or prospective clients.  We have a sense of the market pulse and a good feel for what has worked in the past and how things will be perceived going forward.  And we offer our resources, insight and hard-earned knowledge to our clients to help them navigate quickly and avoid many of the icebergs in the water.

There is simply TOO MUCH noise relating to gaming to hear precisely what you need or want if you are not really in tune with all that is being broadcast.  New games are promoted tirelessly and shamelessly by their publishers.  Expectations are set based on perceptions, media interpretation and “reviews” well before anyone even purchases the game……so HOW do you know what is really a GOOD GAME and what is a well marketed game?  You don’t!  Referrals from other gamers is still the best and strongest brand builder available.  Finding the BEST sources of information and sorting out the HYPE is not easy.  And not something the average gamer will spend time doing.  NOISE, NOISE, NOISE……help me separate the gems from the bulk of repetitious or meaningless “content” that I am exposed to!

We help our clients in as many ways as possible to better understand and incorporate or react to market movements and other competitive announcements.