[casual_games] RE: Casual Games research?

Jónas Antonsson jonas at gogogic.com
Fri Jul 7 16:32:50 EDT 2006


Hehe – Around 600.000 people in the whole world can understand Icelandic. I
intend to add you all to that number before I am done ;-)

But seriously – I think I’ll finish translating the paper sometime this
fall. Maybe September or early October. I won’t dare to promise it any
earlier than that since incredible workload has kept me from touching the
translation for a couple of weeks now.

 

But you can ask questions on this mailing list, if they represent topics
that interest casual games as a whole, and I could try to answer them or
tell you where you can look for relevant material and sources.

 

Two great sources of information:

·         Wikipedia

·         Proquest

 

Jónas B. Antonsson
COO (Chief Operating Officer)
--------------------------------
Gogogic ehf.
Fákafen 9, 108 Reykjavik, Iceland 

Mail jonas at gogogic.com
Mob +354 664 8600
Tel +354 534 7700
Fax +354 534 7701
Web www.gogogic.com

blog  <http://www.jonasantonsson.com> www.jonasantonsson.com 
--------------------------------

 

 

 

From: casual_games-bounces at igda.org [mailto:casual_games-bounces at igda.org]
On Behalf Of Ulrich Tausend
Sent: 7. júlí 2006 19:32
To: casual_games at igda.org
Subject: [casual_games] RE: Casual Games research?

 

Jónas, 

Thank you for your response. It helps a lot. 
May I ask how far you are with the English version of your paper? It looks
interesting, but Icelandic is not really close to the languages I currently
speak. ;-).

 

But the references are very helpful!

Ulrich
 

On 7/7/06, casual_games-request at igda.org <casual_games-request at igda.org >
wrote: 


Hi Ulrich.

I recently wrote a Research Paper on Casual Games and its impact on the
Computer Game industry (53 pages). Unfortunately I had to submit my paper in
Icelandic (my native language), although I am currently working on an
English version. 

Anyway - I touched on all the points you mentioned so the references in my
paper should be useful to you since they'll lead you to some great sources.
You can find my paper here - just go directly to the references at the end
of it: http://jonasantonsson.com/archive/2006/05/19/63.aspx

I also urge you to check out the SIG Casual Games White Paper for 2006 found
here: http://www.igda.org/casual/IGDA_CasualGames_Whitepaper_2006.pdf

Regarding the definition of Casual Games, in my view it is rather ambiguous.
There are no black borders drawn around what constitutes as a casual game
and what doesn't. For instance the IGDA defines casual games in a different
manner then, say, the CGA (Casual Games Association). Mobile games, skill
based games, betting games and MMOGs can - for example - all include both
casual games and large "hardcore" games. 

One of the most common definitions of a casual game is "A game that is easy
to learn but difficult to master". This definition, however, doesn't imply
anything about the size of the game, its main distribution medium or the
"richness" of the game experience. Restricting the definition to a specific
distribution or marketing model is also difficult because those aspects do
not necessarily reflect any truth when it comes to the game experience
itself. 

Maybe the "definition" is more about feeling. A "We know'em when we see'em"
type of deal. A casual game can run on a mobile phone, as an executable, on
the web, etc. but the platform doesn't reflect the type of game. A casual
game can even be packaged, wrapped and sold in stores. A casual game can
reveal a few minutes of game play, a few hours or even weeks or days. A
casual game can represent any genre. 

But what a casual game HAS to do (in my view) is allow the player to Feel
Casual. The player should be able to be up and running in no time, be
allowed to leave the game at any time (without feeling that it has some
major consequences on his status if he chooses to return to the game). 

I have heard some people describe casual games as content over packaging.
That the game itself matters while graphics, sound and production come
second. But, then again, the term "game" is quite ambiguous as well, let
alone the term "computer game" ;-) Keep in mind that some researchers have
found that some casual game players actually contend that they do not play
games because they don't perceive casual games (like Solitaire, minesweeper,
Tetris or even bejeweled) as "real" games. 

Anyway. I am rambling and I'd guess that many people on this list might
disagree with my views although some might agree. My research paper holds
explanations for the points I've made (or have tried to make) although I
would welcome discussion here to further extend this particular dialogue
because the topic really interests me. 

Jónas B. Antonsson
COO (Chief Operating Officer)
--------------------------------
Gogogic ehf.
Fákafen 9, 108 Reykjavik, Iceland
Mail jonas at gogogic.com <mailto: jonas at gogogic.com>
Mob +354 664 8600
Tel +354 534 7700
Fax +354 534 7701 
Web www.gogogic.com <http://www.gogogic.com/>  < http://www.gogogic.com
<http://www.gogogic.com/> >
blog www.jonasantonsson.com <http://www.jonasantonsson.com/> 
--------------------------------

________________________________

From: casual_games-bounces at igda.org on behalf of Ulrich Tausend 
Sent: fös. 7.7.2006 15:06
To: casual_games at igda.org
Subject: [casual_games] Casual Games research? 


Since several years I am working in the casual games industry.
I am also studying sociology as a major and want to write my thesis about
that topic.
I am still at the beginning of the literature research. 

I am searching: 


*       Existing research or studies done about casual games. E.g. What is
the casual games audience (age or gender of casual gamers)
*       Do you know any people who are researching casual games right now? 
*       A more or less accepted definition: What do we mean exactly if we
speak of casual games?
*       Numbers about the market, how big was it, is it or will it be?


I am happy about any input, and I will be happy to share my results with
you. 

Ulrich Tausend

Neodelight/Neokolor GbR
Berlin - Munich

Phone - Mobile: +49-179-2951979
Phone - Skype In: +1 (347) 223-5845
Fax: +49 (30) 69088434
Skype: uli1000

ut at neodelight.com
www.neodelight.com <http://www.neodelight.com/>  [games division]
www.neodelight.com/about/neodelight [corporate]

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://seven.pairlist.net/pipermail/casual_games/attachments/20060707/ae47f879/attachment.html


More information about the Casual_Games mailing list