An emerging theme at this year’s GDC in Austin in the growing importance of not only the younger audience but that of the entire family unit as well. A number of advantages are already well known about this demographic and the first is often counterintuitive; kids can drop big bucks on a game. Second, establishing brand loyalty at a young age is increasingly important in an oversaturated market.

So the big question this year is; how do you tap into this market?  Panelists Jesse Schell (Schell Games), Laralyn McWilliams (Sony Online Entertainment), Sheri Graner Ray (Schell Games), Matthew Schwartz (Cartoon Network) and Megan Geiser (Her Interactive) delve into the strategy behind reaching this new demographic and converting the younger audience into a paying audience. The key is not only to appeal to the children in a variety of ways but to target and earn the trust of the parents, so that their children will be able to spend money on the title.

While developing a game where both children and parents can enjoy is ideal, it’s no simple task. Children grow, behavioral patterns change, and it all happens in a span of a few short years. The panelists state that parents will help kids play until they reach five or six years old, but by the time they reach the age of eight, the tables begin to turn and parents need to seek help from their kids. They argue that at age twelve, kids are already worrying about perception and social acceptance, and that boys especially become hypersensitive about “kiddy” stuff. As a result, they get turned off. So what do they enjoy? According to Schell, the older boys associate high difficulty and competition with a good, adult game. However, that doesn’t necessarily appeal to the girls. So to cut the edge off of competition, he argues that there should be an emphasis on player progression, but more importantly, rewards, because it keeps player engagement.

Parents, however, do not need to get too involved with actual gameplay and mechanics. The panel argues that oftentimes, parents enjoy watching from the sidelines, and that they get their enjoyment from simply watching their kids. They also believe that in order to get parents to open their wallets, parents need to see their kids excited about the game, and they need to be constantly reminded about the game. So not only is it important to design a game where players can simply hang out, but to keep parents in the loop and engaged by providing rewards and incentives so that they know their kids are still enjoying the game they play.

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