[MUD-Dev2] [DESIGN} Who to design for?

[Raph Koster]

Sean Howard wrote:
>
> "Tess Snider" <malkyne at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Word-of-mouth (and shoulder surfing) was definitely what made The
> > Sims successful.  The "hardcore element" expressed itself in many
> > different ways.
>
> Word of mouth, sure, but not from the hardcore. In my case, I'm the
> only gamer in my family. I'm not a hardcore gamer, but I do buy
> many, many, many games. I did not buy the Sims. I did not play
> the Sims.

Research from within EA showed that in fact hardcore gamers bought the
Sims, on the strength of Will's past work. They mostly disliked it, but
showed it to their girlfriends, and that was how it spread. It did not
jump to the casual market: it went through the hardcore, which is
classic adoption mechanics.

-Raph