Gamers Ditch Strategy: 'Too Worn Out By Social Media To Think Deeply,' Study Shows

A recent study conducted by Quantic Foundry indicates that strategic elements in video games are becoming less appealing.

The research, based on data collected over nine years from its Gamer Motivation Profile tool, reveals a concerning trend. While categories such as Excitement, Competition, and Community remained consistent in their appeal to gamers, Strategy stood out as the exception, IGN reported.

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According to the study, gamers who traditionally enjoy strategic gameplay “like to think through their options and likely outcomes,” involving careful decision-making and planning.

However, Quantic Foundry found since June 2015 that globally, except in China, two-thirds of strategy enthusiasts lost interest in this aspect of gaming.

The report also indicates “67% of gamers today care less about strategic thinking and planning when playing games” compared to five years prior.

The decline in interest in strategic elements over the years is significant, outpacing changes in other gaming motivations. Quantic Foundry couldn’t pinpoint specific demographics or geographical factors driving this trend.

The market research company drew parallels between the decline in strategic gaming and other trends indicative of shrinking attention spans, such as the popularity of shorter YouTube videos and faster-paced films.

“Another potential hypothesis is that the increasing negativity, polarization, intrusiveness and emotional manipulation in social media has created a persistent cognitive overload on the finite cognitive resources we have,” Quantic Foundry explained. “Put simply, we may be too worn out by social media to think deeply about things.”

The implications of this trend extend to game development and marketing strategies.

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