Rough persona development and outline for a prominent video game company with multiple audiences and unique goals.

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CONFIDENTIAL Copyright 2010 LEVEL Studios. This document is confidential and proprietary property.
Please do not forward of release this document without prior consent from LEVEL Studios.
THQ – Personas V2 (DRAFT)
01.19.2011

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THQ Personas
We’ve developed five unique personas to help identify target markets to
optimize appeal and drive traffic to the corporate THQ website.
• Casual Gamer – Bodi
• Hardcore Gamer - Morton
• Investor - Mike
• Press – Sydney
• Career Seeker – Ramon
Enter Title Here

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Casual Gamer: Bodi | Persona
Player Overview Marketing
Age: 27 Influences
Plays ~ 6 hours per week Immersive storyline, exciting action, range of weapons and
engaging objects
May read reviews or engage with social media, but is loyal to
game franchises
Awareness
Will occasionally play in small peer groups Social media, viral trailers, RIA highlighting differentiation
Plays to relieve stress and to engage in violence voyeurism Engagement
Prefers the immediacy of a FPS but appreciates the complexity
of a role playing game
Online micro-games with special SR3 weapon or task access or
pre-order discount
Will casually use cheat codes to advance Conversion Strategies
Fulfillment from game play and cool factor Viral and banner ad discount and in-game special incentives
Will integrate DLC if seems compelling and fun
Primary play occurs after work and around other activities
Will not rely on in game tasks for entertainment, will use the
map to explore and play

4. 4
Hardcore Gamer: Morton | Persona
Player Overview Marketing
Age: 29 Influences
Plays 4+ hours per day Immersive storyline, hidden rewards, achievement opportunities,
reproducible exciting action (instant replay)
Will read reviews, social media and contribute UGC Awareness
Typically plays solitary, though is a fan of MMOGs They know already
Plays to engage in fantasy fulfillment and re-personification Engagement
Prefers the complexity and strategy of a role playing game,
appreciates the direct immersion of an FPS
Social media discussions, rumors, in game footage, pre-release
content
Will avoid cheat codes until levels are beaten, then replay the game
multiple times using codes
Conversion Strategies
Fulfillment from publicity of achievement Special game editions, special maps, special content rewards
(posters assess to conferences)
Will use DLC to continue immersion with the game
Focus becomes around playing game. Social and other activities are
moved around to make time for the game
Will focus on game tasks and finish to completion. Only then will
they engage in deep map exploration and with the goal of finding
Easter eggs. Will look online for virtual tasks to complete

5. 5
Investor: Mike | Persona
Persona Overview Marketing
Age: 31 Influences
Plays 2-4 hours per week
(in order to relieve stress and tension; not a social activity for Mike)
IGN, WIRED, Gamespot, Wall Street Journal, Variety, The
Hollywood Reporter, LA Times, blogs (i.e., Nikki Finke’s Deadline
Hollywood), etc.
Moved to Los Angeles immediately after graduating from Wharton in
2003 to get involved in movie making and investing
Awareness
Manages his own $1M portfolio comprised of stocks, bonds and
some mutual funds
Stays connected with media, entertainment and entrepreneurial
websites, blogs and newsletters
Eventually wants to run his own VC firm and produce major motion
pictures domestically and distribute internationally
Engagement
Is an active Angel Investor and has funded $300K to several tech
start-ups within the past 24 months
Networks continuously with investors, venture capitalists, producers,
bankers, stock brokers, family and friends
Has helped produce two independent films; one in LA and another
in Canada
Conversion Strategies
Email sign-up under Investor Relations at the bottom of the landing
page in order to receive the latest company information and financial
reports and updates including THQ’s publicly traded stock (THQI)
information

6. 6
Press: Sydney | Persona
Persona Overview Marketing
Age: 27 Influences
Plays 10+ hours per week or more as needed to write a game review
(Note: Sydney is fortunate and actually gets to play online games “on
the clock” while working since that is his job – to review and critique
games)
New release schedules, media and social buzz, insider tips,
colleagues, networking, corporate relations, public relations,
company information and word of mouth “tips”
Read reviews and as much social media as possible and watches UGC Awareness
Plays tactically to understand the game and its appeal for other
players
Very well connected and informed regarding upcoming releases,
schedules and timing
Will often employ cheat codes upfront to experience as much of the
game as quickly as possible; not interested in being challenged as
much as fully understanding the game and its appeal and being able
to describe it to readers
Engagement
Will use DLC to continue immersion with the game Will network internally to get the information from game developers
or producers to try out the game before available to the public
Conversion Strategies
By consolidating all properties into one hub, there is better
opportunity to have a stronger, across-all-brands engagement by
press to review, critique and comment (hopefully positively) about all
games, particularly new releases, their availability and pricing

7. 7
Career Seeker: Ramon | Persona
Persona Overview Marketing
Age: 22 Influences
Plays 2-3 hours per day Strong brand recognition and franchises that appear to be growing in
popularity with each new release
Graduated this year from Cal Poly with dual degrees in computer
science and a BFA in Arts and Design
Awareness
Will a lot of reviews, contributes often to social media and UGC Very plugged in to which games are most popular and which brands
they’re associated with
Plays to engage in full game immersion continually comes up with
ideas as to how the game can be improved
Engagement
Prefers the complexity and strategy of a role playing game with a
keen eye toward the aesthetic
Compares gaming ideas with other developer friends, artists and
peers about games, their brands and the companies that develop
them
Always avoids cheat codes and challenges himself at every level Conversion Strategies
Derives some satisfaction from successfully completing tasks and
graduating to the next level but wants some things to change
Provide testimonials from other “talent” on the Jobs tab about the
creative environment at THQ – a place to work, like no other
Uses DLC to continue immersion with the game Stop using the word “Job” – rename it: Career, Studio, Opportunity,
etc.
Will look online for hours and hours for virtual tasks to complete Consider establishing a “contest” for young/unknown candidates to
submit their work based on a specific assignment or task – great viral
opportunity to build the brand and potentially find some great talent