[casual_games] What is a Casual Game?

Robert Gordon rob at article19.com
Wed Jan 4 11:04:29 EST 2006 

I would throw in: a greatly reduced dependency on being facile with the
interaction hardware. Translation - most people can tap a key,
click-drag-drop, operate a joy stick and a single Œfire¹ button. Many of the
games that can be operated with the basic tools tend towards the casual.
Games that require an ergonomically formed, two-handed, 12-input Œthingy¹
tend towards the hardcore.

r o b


| Robert Gordon
| The Article 19 Group Inc.
| phone: 514.938.8512
| email: rob at article19.com
| http://www.article19.com

> 
> From: "Dave Walls" <dave635 at msn.com>
> Reply-To: IGDA Casual Games SIG Mailing List <casual_games at igda.org>
> Date: Wed, 4 Jan 2006 10:47:31 -0500
> To: "'IGDA Casual Games SIG Mailing List'" <casual_games at igda.org>
> Subject: RE: [casual_games] What is a Casual Game?
> 

> 
> 
> I usually use: "if my mom can play it, it's a casual game"
> 
> Dave 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: casual_games-bounces at igda.org [mailto:casual_games-bounces at igda.org] On
> Behalf Of Steve Meretzky
> Sent: Wednesday, January 04, 2006 10:32 AM
> To: 'IGDA Casual Games SIG Mailing List'
> Subject: RE: [casual_games] What is a Casual Game?
> 
> The definition that I've always used at the intro to the Casual Games Summit
> at the GDC is "a game for which the rules can be written on one 3x5 index card
> -OR- a more complex game, but one for which vast numbers of people are already
> familiar with the rule set (e.g. chess, spades)". To that, Dave Rohrl adds "a
> game intended for people for whom gaming is not a major part of their lives",
> which is similar to Brent's definition below.
> 
> Or, better yet, like the Supreme Court defining pornography, I know it when I
> see it. But the lines are getting fuzzier these days...
> 
> --Steve 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: casual_games-bounces at igda.org [mailto:casual_games-bounces at igda.org]
> On Behalf Of Lennard Feddersen
> Sent: Tuesday, January 03, 2006 10:23 PM
> To: IGDA Casual Games SIG Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [casual_games] What is a Casual Game?
> 
> My definition is somewhat the same although I think of the casual market as a
> gentler, kinder kind of place.  This is partly because of demographics I have
> seen for Real and MSN that define the the casual gamer as over 30 and
> predominately female.  To me, Darwinia is more of an indie title than a casual
> title - maybe our own Battle Castles even totters on the edge between indie
> and casual although I'm personally aiming for the casual market.  The ideal
> casual game is also < 15MB.
> 
> My rules, and Brents are broken by a game like Fate which I think is supposed
> to be aimed squarely at the casual market but it's really big, I believe it
> has an ending and definitely has a story.  Mystery Case Files is squarely in
> the casual market but it has a story - and it's far from the only example of a
> casual title with a story.
> 
> And here's another thought to get people going.  I would say that the casual
> market is more commercial and there is less passion.  Lot's of indies never
> make a dime or even finish their title for that matter - but they aim for the
> moon, live and die for their art and, I think, are often actually shooting for
> art.  That's my 2 cents.
> 
> Happy game makin'
> 
> Lennard Feddersen
> CEO, Rusty Axe Games, Inc.
> www.RustyAxe.com 
> 
> Lennard at RustyAxe.com
> P. 250-635-7623 F. 1-309-422-2466
> 3521 Dogwood, Terrace, BC, Canada, V8G-4Y7
> 
> 
> 
> BRENT SILBY wrote:
> 
>> > I'd define a casual game as one that you don't have to devote your
>> > life to. I know that you can play doom for short periods of time, but
>> > it does have a storyline and it will take many short sessions to
>> > complete the game. Completion is often not the goal of a casual game.
>> > They are just time wasters.
>> >  
>> > I would define arcade games (the classic retro style from the 1980s)
>> > as casual games. This is because you play them for a few minutes and
>> > then walk away--perhaps never to play again. You wouldn't spend 2 days
>> > playing an arcade game trying to complete it because most don't have
>> > endings. They just keep going.
>> >  
>> > Puzzle games also fall into the "casual" category for much the same
>> > reason. They don't really have storylines, and the intention is not to
>> > spend 2 days trying to get to the end. They are diversions, that
>> > entertain you when you have a spare few minutes.
>> >  
>> > That's my take on the definition.
>> >  
>> > Cheers, 
>> > Brent. 
>> > 
>> > /DEF-LOGIC VIDEOGAMES
>> > www.def-logic.com <http://www.def-logic.com>/
>> > 
>> > /HOUSE MUSIC, DJ MIX
>> > www.brentishouse.com <http://www.brentishouse.com>/
>> > 
>> > ----- Original Message -----
>> > From: "Eric Fortier" <efortier at techlogic.ca
>> > <mailto:efortier at techlogic.ca>>
>> > To: <casual_games at igda.org <mailto:casual_games at igda.org>>
>> > Sent: Wednesday, January 04, 2006 2:36 PM
>> > Subject: [casual_games] What is a Casual Game?
>> > 
>>> > > Hi all, 
>>> > > 
>>> > > I've been reading the Wiki pages, the Casual game white paper and
>>> > > other resources, and they all seem to be pretty vague on what
>>> > > exactly 
>> > makes a game 
>>> > > casual versus core or hardcore.
>>> > > 
>>> > > For example, on one site I read that a casual game is a game people
>> > can play 
>>> > > for short period of time. Okay, I can do that with Doom 3 or
>>> > > Neverwinter Night, but these are hardly casual games.
>>> > > 
>>> > > Simplistic gameplay also comes up when talking about casual games. I
>> > find 
>>> > > that playing an adventure game like Fahrenheit is a lot less
>>> > > involved in term of gameplay mechanics than Darwinia (for me at
>>> > > least), but
>> > Fahrenheit 
>>> > > is hardly a casual game.
>>> > > 
>>> > > As for the file size, I think we can all agree that a casual game
>> > shouldn't 
>>> > > require two days of download on a high speed connection.
>>> > > 
>>> > > So, what do you guys consider a casual game and why?
>>> > > 
>>> > > Thanks, 
>>> > > 
>>> > > --Eric 
>>> > > 
>>> > > 
>>> > > _______________________________________________
>>> > > Casual_Games mailing list
>>> > > Casual_Games at igda.org <mailto:Casual_Games at igda.org>
>>> > > http://seven.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/casual_games
>>> > > 
>>> > > 
>>> > > 
>> > 
>> >-----------------------------------------------------------------------
>> >- 
>> > 
>> >_______________________________________________
>> >Casual_Games mailing list
>> >Casual_Games at igda.org
>> >http://seven.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/casual_games
>> >  
>> > 
> 
> 
> -- 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Casual_Games mailing list
> Casual_Games at igda.org
> http://seven.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/casual_games
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Casual_Games mailing list
> Casual_Games at igda.org
> http://seven.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/casual_games
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Casual_Games mailing list
> Casual_Games at igda.org
> http://seven.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/casual_games
> 


-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://seven.pairlist.net/pipermail/casual_games/attachments/20060104/753d1e2b/attachment.html

More information about the Casual_Games mailing list