[casual_games] The Making of Casual Games

[Charles Parcell]

In _most_ cases casual game demo are one and the same as the full 
version. Where as full scale production demos are a separate build than 
the complete game.

Note, this is not true in all cases but in most.

Also, _most_ causal games have the purchasing logic in the demo. I 
really don't know of any full scale games that do this, but that is just 
my experience.

Charles P.


machaira at comcast.net wrote:

> If the kid is telling the parents what to buy I would imagine the kid 
> would have some idea of whether or not the game is any good, or at 
> least like by his peer group. "Good" is obviously a subjective term. :) ;)
> I would imagine the numbers would vary based on genre. The more 
> hard-core genres would probably be bought by more informed gamers. 
> Less hard-core (not casual :D) games (maybe games like The Sims) may 
> be being purchased based on less info. Just a hunch on my part. I 
> obviously don't have any data to back it up.
>
>     -------------- Original message --------------
>
>     Interesting point. Do you think the majority of game buyers make
>     such educated purchases though? I don’t know of any data
>     supporting or rejecting that idea, but I would guess that all of
>     those games bought by parents for their kids don’t go through the
>     same rigors, for example.
>
>     - Coray
>
>     -----Original Message-----
>     *From:* casual_games-bounces at igda.org
>     [mailto:casual_games-bounces at igda.org]*On Behalf Of
>     *machaira at comcast.net
>     *Sent:* Friday, July 22, 2005 2:53 PM
>     *To:* IGDA Casual Games SIG Mailing List
>     *Subject:* RE: [casual_games] The Making of Casual Games
>
>     How many retail games these days don't have demos? Every PC game I
>     buy I usually play a demo for unless it's a trusted developer.
>     Even then I read reviews before I buy. For Xbox, I've usually
>     played a demo from Xbox Magazine before I buy it.
>
>     -------------- Original message --------------
>
>>
>> Hi Dora-
>>
>> There are a lot of questions wrapped up in this one, but I'll
>     bite off a
>> little piece of it to start the discussion going.
>>
>> One fundamental difference in making a casual, downloadable game
>     (such
>> as those my company produces) is that players can try the game
>     before
>> they decide whether or not to purchase it. So, unlike the typical
>     retail
>> experience, players are no t financially invested in the game
>     when they
>> are playing it. They haven't shelled out their hard-earned cash. I
>> believe that that financial investment (in a retail game) makes
>     players
>> give that game more of a chance; they *want* to like the thing
>     they just
>> paid money for. They don't want to be disappointed or to have to go
>> through the rigamar ole of returning the game. They'll slog their
>     way up
>> a steep learning curve, or attempt a badly tuned early level
>     dozens of
>> times, or put up with a frustrating control scheme for MUCH
>     longer than
>> someone with no financial investment.
>