Abstract:

Segmentation is one of the basic stages of formulating a marketing strategy and is the starting point for selecting the target market(s) of operation and the choice of positioning. It allows companies to optimise their marketing communication expenses and build relationships with buyers more effectively. The aim of this article is to present the segmentation of video game players and to indicate new phenomena occurring among gamers that may be significant both for advertisers and product users. The basis for the considerations in this article are the results of empirical research conducted in April 2020 on a sample of 2,527 respondents, being gamers. People who play at least 10 hours a week participated in the study. Among the conclusions, it is worth emphasizing that some segments distinguished among Polish players are similar to the segments identified in players from around the world. This would correspond to certain archetypes of players identified by Bartle. In the case of global research, there were players such as managers or a runway types, however, in Poland, they were not identified. Nonetheless, in the research on Polish players, there was a segment defined as ‘the lost’. Furthermore, the research did not allow to identify social activists or players, thus, there are groups of new player types, the categorisation of which is sometimes problematic because they do not show any particular preferences, their motivations sometimes inconsistent.