I love video games—I'm a Call of Duty fan and I've played almost every series of it. But I am not alone.
There are about 3.24 billion people on this planet that love video games. It's the most popular hobby in the world.
Many reasons make video games so popular and satisfying. I've chosen 5 of them that you can apply to your product to improve the user experience and make it more popular.
1. Video Games Are Fun
The popular reasons are that video games bring joy (93%), provide mental stimulation (91%), and stress relief (89%).
Not every product you create is related to the entertainment industry, but every product should entertain people in one way or another.
You can entertain people by:
- Helping them fulfill their needs in the best possible way
- Saving them time
- Making their tasks enjoyable
2. High Engagement with Players
Consistently engaging with people is the best way to create a healthy and active relationship. Video games are the best at doing this—so you should follow suit.
Depending on the product you have, you need to be creative in finding different ways to engage people.
You can't create a product, put it on the internet, and expect people to use it, love it, and share it with others.
Engagement requires intentional design and continuous effort.
3. Shared Experience
"One area we were heartened to see is in the area of mental health. Particularly with the isolation brought on by the pandemic, people connected through games and enjoyed shared experiences."
As social beings, people like to:
- Socialize
- Collaborate
- Talk
- Be influenced by each other
Never ignore this fact. If you want as many people as possible to use your product, make it simple and encourage them to share their experience.
Ways to Enable Shared Experiences:
- Comments
- Video reviews
- Likes and shares
- Reposts
- Showing the number of people who have used or watched
- Social network integration
4. Rewards
You keep playing games because you want to:
- Pass that level
- Win those rewards
- Get recognition from other players
It's almost the same with other products—people buy and use products or services to achieve certain goals in their life.
If you want your product to be used, people need to find value and benefit from what they use.
One of the ways you can make people feel appreciated is to reward them. It always works.
5. A Safe Place to Fail
I found this concept very meaningful: video games are a safe place to fail.
Every time you fail a game or mission, you always have a button that says:
- "Retry"
- "Try Again"
- "Play Again"
- "We'll get 'em next time!"
Why Is This Important?
Imagine if one of your customers mistakenly made an annual subscription instead of a monthly subscription on your platform, and you don't refund it.
It's 99.9% sure they will:
- Never use your platform again
- Avoid any product related to your brand
- Always speak badly about your brand
- Shake others' trust in you
By creating a safe place to fail, you gain trust and exceptional support—even in difficult times.
These lessons from video games aren't just about gamification—they're about understanding what makes people stay engaged, feel valued, and keep coming back. Apply these principles thoughtfully, and watch your product's user experience transform.
