Video game research is one of the most exciting branches of the entire world of insights. Most games are fun and enjoyable for their users. Great games go much further. They stir up passions among the gaming community, and their influence extends far beyond the game itself.
Creating and successfully marketing a video game requires a lot of research. And in the gaming sector, there are specific solutions for finding those keys that will make the difference between a good game and a great game.
Today, we explore how research can help video game developers and publishers make the right decisions throughout a game’s entire life cycle.
There are currently 3.5 billion gamers worldwide, and this number is growing rapidly. One billion new gamers have entered the market in the last six years alone. To succeed, the industry must anticipate a changing reality. And understanding the needs and expectations of the gaming community is an essential part of this.
Qualitative research helps to gain the deep insight into the motivations and expectations of different player segments that is so necessary. In-depth interviews and focus groups are very common and effective methods. If you opt for in-depth interviews, it is important to include a wide variety of player profiles to obtain a representative picture of their diversity. For focus groups, it is best to opt for relatively homogeneous groups, for example, advanced players versus beginners, and achieve representativeness by organising several groups to cover the entire spectrum of profiles.
Insight communities go a step further than traditional qualitative research. Unlike interviews and focus groups, which are conducted in a single session, online communities allow for extended interaction, for example by assigning tasks before or after the session. Extending the research allows gamers to experience the games for a longer period of time and understand how their interest and engagement with the game evolves. When insight communities are organised on a long-term basis, they become a highly agile source of information that allows creators and distributors to expose participants to stimuli and understand their impact in a matter of hours. At any time and as many times as necessary.
Successfully launching a title depends on many factors, and research can play a key role in getting them all right.
The quality of the experience plays a crucial role in the success of video games. Good experience design prevents player frustration and abandonment, increases retention and monetisation, and improves reviews and ratings.
To improve the experience, there are two main areas to consider:
Playtesting is a type of research specific to the gaming industry. It involves observing real players as they play, whether with a prototype, a beta version, or a nearly complete product. This allows for the evaluation of product quality, usability, enjoyment, and the overall player experience.
Moderated playtesting is similar to UX thinking aloud testing. Players verbalise their thoughts aloud while playing, which helps to understand their decision-making processes and moments of confusion. Meanwhile, moderators observe and ask questions at appropriate moments.
In unmoderated playtesting, players are assigned missions to complete during a recorded session, and then submit their feedback.
Whether moderated or unmoderated, playtesting helps identify issues such as bugs, confusing mechanics, or unclear instructions. Playtesting is used to validate game design (level design, appropriate progression through the game) and gather emotional feedback: fun, frustration, excitement, engagement, confusion, and more.
In gaming, there are more usability tests than just playtesting. They are typically used to identify friction points in game navigation, user interface, controls, and tutorials. This involves the use of tools widely used in other sectors. For example, thinking aloud tests to observe players completing tasks (e.g., setting up a character or using the inventory) or SUS usability surveys to evaluate ease of use.
Games are a very special product. First of all, the emotional component is much higher than in most sectors. Players are passionate about their favourite games. That is why campaign tests with real players are used to validate slogans, trailers and advertising creatives. This is the only way to determine which messages will have the most impact on the target audience.
Secondly, players are not only consumers, but also fans, critics, and content creators. Successfully interacting with the gaming community requires detailed information on how new titles are discovered and evaluated, from live streams to influencer videos. Research helps choose the most appropriate channels—Twitch, YouTube, or Discord—and the best-positioned influencers to contribute to promotion.
Once the campaign has been launched, it is important to track adoption and gather feedback.
If you operate in the video game sector, We are testers can help you. We have a research platform that allows you to carry out all kinds of studies quickly and efficiently. This includes qualitative research – in-depth interviews, focus groups and insight communities – and quantitative research, such as SUS usability surveys and all kinds of usability tests, such as playtesting sessions and thinking aloud tests.
We can also help you access real players. We do this through our panel of 130,000 consumers and users in Iberia and our access to international player panels.
And we do it all by helping you with whatever you need. If you prefer our team of expert researchers to conduct or moderate the sessions, we can organise everything. And if you prefer to organise your own studies, the platform allows you to carry out all the tests you need independently.
Contact our experts to find out about all the possibilities and successfully launch your next big game on the market.
Update date 27 September, 2025
