Selling Time: Time-Centric Language in Video Game Marketing on Steam

Abstract

When discussing time spent playing video games, concern and media panic often cloud the perspectives of both developers and players. To develop our understanding of factors that may influence this concern, we examined the presence of time-centric language across the marketing information of 1,000 popular games on Steam, identifying 315 games that communicate temporal aspects in their marketing. Using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis, six themes were identified that communicate temporal aspects ranging from explicit play durations to temporal investment, legacy, and nostalgia. This study contributes to game studies and HCI by providing the first empirical, thematic analysis of time-centric language in video game marketing on Steam. By identifying six thematic patterns which reveal developer practices around temporal communication - while also exploring how such language can shape player motivations - this study opens a new avenue for understanding both developer priorities and player perceptions regarding time in games.