A Gamer's Journey:
The Virtual Reality Edition
A CMB Consumer Pulse
Gaming is at the forefront of growth and innovation, pushing the boundaries of new technology, redefining culture, connecting global communities, and even transcending reality. Traditional gaming devices such as consoles, handhelds and PCs are facing disruption like never before, from cloud gaming with its potential to democratize gaming by enabling access to high-end gaming on less powerful machines, to virtual reality (VR) and its heightened ability to immerse its gamers. Breaking through has never been so challenging.
And neither has comprehending the consumer journey. Our latest research
targets the modern gamer, uncovering their adoption triggers, learning
and discovery behaviors, point of purchase needs, enablers and barriers,
and the sparks or moments that can drive adoption to succeed along
highly complex consumer journeys.
Our approach leverages advanced analytics and consumer psychology
to build a view of how gamers learn, evaluate, and buy in a variety of
emerging and traditional gaming categories.
We spoke with 4,000 U.S. gamers ages 14-65 who play video games at least weekly and have purchased or considered purchasing in any of these gaming categories in the past six months. Our respondents included a mix of those who have made a gaming purchase in the six months, and those who are in a window of serious/active consideration.
CMB’s Consumer Pulse
VR Insights at a Glance
Adoption of VR gaming is still heavily driven by buzz, intrigue, and excitement
Social proof is a driving force for how VR technology is currently evaluated; reviews, ratings, friend/member opinions, and the online gaming influencer are critical sources
The initial experience is critical to establishing momentum. VR buyers, more than in other categories, are looking for hands-on experience (through trials, demos, and friend/family member devices)
Opportunity exists to drive further adoption among the youngest base of gamers:
Gamers ages 14-17 years are 2x more interested in VR than they are in cloud gaming or subscription-gaming services
“I would need to be able to try a VR set, and see if it causes me migraines or other issues.”
[with regards to barriers to their purchase activation]
LEVEL
1
Osmosis
Y O U R M I S S I O N
to uncover how gamers engage with a category prior to adoption
LEVEL
2
Triggers & Actions
Y O U R M I S S I O N
to find the initial steps and actions that gamers take when making
new purchases
Important Terms
Timing & Effort
Y O U R M I S S I O N
to know the window of
opportunity of attracting gamers
in their path to purchase
LEVEL
3
LEVEL
4
Sources & Formats
Y O U R M I S S I O N
to discover the watering holes and formats gamers most prefer
LEVEL
5
The Purchase Switch
Y O U R M I S S I O N
to understand the factors that enable and block adoption
Triggers & Actions
Within the VR category, buzz, newness, and intrigue are the most influential purchase triggers. An increasing assortment of AAA (big budget) caliber games (Half-Life: Alyx, Medal of Honor, Iron Man VR, etc.) is helping to contribute to the intrigue fueling increased desire for gamers to try out VR gaming.
TOP 5 VIRTUAL REALITY PURCHASE TRIGGERS
Important Terms
Osmosis
How consumers engage with VR products prior to a need emerging
Triggers
The moment a need or a desire originates
Initial
Reaction
First reference or touchpoint for customer interactions with a brand or product along the customer journey
Purchase Spark
The micro-moment when a customer decides on where and when to buy
Purchase Barrier
The factors that may inhibit eventual
purchase
Core
Gamer
Gamers with more frequent weekly gaming, higher levels of gaming spend, and a strong sense of a gaming self-identity
Casual
Gamer
Gamers with infrequent gaming, mid-range levels of gaming spend, and lacks the strong sense of a gaming self-identity that exists in the Core Gamer subset
Click on each level for more details
31%
Looking for something new to try out
26%
I heard / saw an advertisement
25%
I heard / read some news about it
24%
I saw it and wanted to try it out
28%
Friend/Family member had recommended it
Experience with VR products is very important during the early phases of the gamer’s journey, which is likely tied to expected hesitancies around early disruption (e.g.: “Will VR meet my expectations?” “Is it currently worth the steeper prices being charged?”).
TOP 10 CONSUMER JOURNEY ACTIONS: AR/VR DEVICES
Compared different products online
Compared prices of different products
Determined how much I want to spend
Researched prices/deals/ discounts online
Researched products & reviews online
Played on a demo/trial
Watched trailers, videos or streams online
Played on a friend/family member version
Researched prices/deals/ discounts
in-store
Spoke to friends/family about their products
49%
44%
32%
27%
24%
22%
22%
21%
20%
16%
27%
11%
9%
4%
6%
9%
7%
9%
3%
6%
Any Step Taken
First Step Taken
Osmosis
VR has teased mainstream
adoption for years, but there are
signs that 2020 could finally be the year
the technology breaks through.
With strong latent demand, overcoming the final hurdles of adoption could
help VR achieve its promises.
Timing & Effort
With extended consumer journeys comes increased friction. However, gamers typically find it more challenging to fulfill some
of the initial important steps around product experience, such as testing different options, or playing on demos.
CONSUMER JOURNEY EFFORT
The purchase journey for VR devices is long, presenting manufacturers with ample opportunity to influence the consumer along the way.
PURCHASE JOURNEY TIMING
of VR/AR device purchase journeys take longer than one day to complete
56%
A lot of effort
39%
Some effort
35%
Little to no effort
26%
Sources & Formats
So, what can you do to bring that player to your team? While search engine optimization is undeniably important, video sharing websites and online retailer sites deserve a special focus to maximize your brand’s reach throughout a gamer’s journey. Offline—with the value of initial hands-on experience of niche importance for the VR category—physical retail stores are very important (particularly general retail stores and tech/consumer electronic stores).
Customer
Reviews
26%
Ratings
16%
Hands-on
Experience
14%
Opinions of
Friends/Family
15%
Online
Influencer
12%
More traditional gaming devices, such as consoles and gaming PCs, are usually adopted because of word-of-mouth recommendations, or are related to a cyclical product refresh
CONSOLES
GAMES
CLOUD GAMING
AR/VR DEVICES
ACCESSORIES/
PERIPHERALS
GAMING PC/
HARDWARE
gaming categories.
Mission Complete
Continue to review your post-game stats
30%
32%
10%
go
The End Game
Y O U R M I S S I O N
to learn the winners and losers
in the battle for VR dominance
LEVEL
6
Usage & Brand
The race for VR dominance is largely a two-horse race. Between them, PSVR and Oculus occupy 60% of the market share.
VR BRAND SHARE OF PURCHASE
11%
quest
12%
rift
16%
11%
gear
net
net
5%
odyssey
21%
Others
including Google Cardboard, Vive, Windows Mixed Reality
% purchased in past 6 months
VR gaming is beginning to show signs of resurgence following early challenges to breaking through:
The increasing breadth of AAA caliber games is helping to deepen intrigue. Gamers looking for new ways to play, and games to try, are observing more frequent excitement and buzz generated by other VR adopters online
Enabling experience and trial will be a powerful tool in increasing the VR gaming market:
Social proof is a critical tool to standing out amid the clutter:
Enabling more seamless product experience and trial is critical. Similar to other emerging categories, product trial can help provide proof of concept, and further generate need, the largest existing barrier to adoption
Customer reviews, product ratings, word-of-mouth, and increasingly the online influencer, serve as critical tools gamers use to learn and educate themselves on the range of VR product offerings
While the retail experience is critical to VR adoption in enabling experiences, it is failing to grab sales at the point of purchases. Often, gamers are retreating to the safety of online purchasing, with over 50% of sales happening on general retail store websites, consumer electronic store websites, and online shopping sites.
PURCHASE LOCATIONS
ONLINE
IN-STORE
25%
75%
13%
Game Store
8%
Manufaturer/ Developer Website
17%
Consumer Electronic
Store Website;
Online Shopping Website
20%
General
Retail Store Website
Social proof is the new driving force for product evaluation through the consumer journey. Customer reviews, product ratings, and friend/family member recommendations are some of the more influential tactics you can use to display trust and customer satisfaction to those in the window of purchase.
“More reviews on the product, and hearing that it is actually really good from a friend or family member.”
FORMATS
Online Search
Video Sharing Websites
Online Retailer Websites
General Retail Store
Friend/Family Member Version
19%
18%
16%
11%
10%
SOURCES
To unlock your next achievement, read our gaming insights here.
Contact: Josh Fortey | Account Director | 617-986-7487 | pulse@cmbinfo.com
CMB is a full-service custom market research and strategy firm, helping the world’s leading brands engage, innovate, and grow. We leverage the best of advanced analytics, consumer psychology, and market strategy to tackle game-changing initiatives, including market identification, segmentation, brand health, loyalty and advocacy, and product and service development. A GreenBook Market Leader, we’re known for our relentless decision focus, creativity, and deeply consultative approach.
VR CONSUMER JOURNEY FUNNEL
There are plenty of opportunities for VR to expand its gaming footprint. While adoption is still limited to a niche base of users, there is huge potential among those who are still actively engaged in making
a purchase.
63%
47%
13%
Passive Engagement
Active Engagement
Category
Purchase
74%
27%
Differences in VR interest are particularly emphatic among the youngest of gamers (14-17 years old), who are over 2x more interested in VR than cloud gaming.
EMERGING GAME TECHNOLOGY INTEREST (Top 2 Box)
14-17
years old
18-24
years old
25-34
years old
35-44
years old
45+
years old
55%
43%
40%
39%
37%
32%
30%
41%
33%
40%
37%
23%
21%
55%
45%
42%
42%
37%
32%
31%
62%
45%
43%
44%
40%
36%
33%
48%
56%
43%
40%
38%
38%
32%
31%
47%
39%
36%
31%
30%
28%
26%
Total
Click the age group to compare to total
Next Gen Consoles
Virtual Reality Gaming
5G
Gaming
4K Portable Gaming
Augmented Reality Gaming
Cloud
Gaming
Subscription-based Gaming
Click the arrow to continue
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Sample provided by Dynata
The Purchase Switch
The VR device market is fragmented, so comparing options (the first stage of the
VR journey) is an amplified challenge.
Testing and trialing these different options against one another was/is equally challenging to VR buyers/ considerers.
TOP 3 VR PURCHASE CHALLENGES
35%
Trialing/testing one option against another
36%
Seeing all available options in one place
34%
Accessing demos, trials or test periods
Cost/
Promotion
Need
Availability
Other
Experience/
Trial
Word-of-Mouth
Cost/
Promotion
Still
Deciding
Do Not
Need
Availability
Other
Experience/
Trial
Word-of-Mouth
E N A B L E R S
B A R R I E R S
B U Y E R S
C O N S I D E R E R S
PURCHASE ENABLEMENT
Share of Purchase
30%
24%
23%
19%
4%
1%
23%
24%
17%
18%
8%
10%
1%
3.8%
3.0%
2.9%
2.3%
0.5%
0.1%
5.3%
5.4%
3.8%
3.8%
1.8%
2.2%
0.2%
13%
23%
The cost of entry for high-end VR devices remains a challenge. However, optimism exists as approximately a quarter of VR rejection is connected to indecision. Indecision is often connected to waiting for expanded content, updates and features, as well as a need to experience VR prior to buying.
“I am interested in astronomy and deep-sea exploration. Therefore, to actually purchase VR goggles, I need more footage of what I’m interested in seeing through the goggles to be available.”
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