[casual_games] surprising stats about casual gaming

[Austin Haas]

I don't think the premise...

"People are playing short games for a long time."

entails that...

"The same people would enjoy longer games."

You would need another premise that says...

"Several short games in one session is equal to one long game."

I don't think that's true in most cases, but you might be right to seek out a
game design that would satisfy that criteria.

I believe your comment about saving games is valid. Nintendo has made many of
their DS and GBA games able to suspend simply by closing the clamshell. That has
really changed how easy it is to jump in and out of games which used to require
more commitment.

-austin

Austin Haas
Pet Tomato, Inc.
http://pettomato.com

David Wessman wrote:
> For me the most interesting finding was when people play and for how
> long.  The idea that casual games need to be designed around the idea of
> quick 10-15 minute play sessions seems to me over-emphasized, if not
> plain wrong.  Clearly, a lot of casual gamers aren't playing these games
> simply because they can be played within some narrow window of opportunity.
>  
> Another consideration that perhaps explains some of the appeal of short
> duration games is the fact that when casual gamers do sit down to play,
> they know they're going to be able to play several games to conclusion. 
> But then, is that so different from any level or mission-based game
> where it takes 10-20 minutes to complete a mission?
>  
> I think casual gamers would be receptive to games that are designed to
> take hours to play.  Particularly, if they can save their progress at
> any time (or at least every 5-10 minutes.)
>  
> To me the main criteria for considering a game "casual" are that it have
> a very shallow learning curve and a very simple interface.  Actual
> gameplay can be quite deep and play time can be much longer than
> previously assumed.
>  
> I'm very curious how much of a leap it would be for a lot of these
> so-called "casual" gamers to get into something like Diabo.
>  
> Thanks for reading,
> David Wessman
>  
> 
> 
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