[casual_games] surprising stats about casual gaming

Wed Jul 26 17:46:45 EDT 2006

Hi.

I can't agree with the assumption that demographics define whether a game
can be considered casual or not. There are a lot of casual gamers that are
neither women nor between 35-50 year old. 12-28 year old males can easily
fall into the "casual gamer" category at times. And being in one category
does not exclude you from others. If I look at me, personally, it is
dictated by context whether I am a hard core or a casual gamer. It depends
on the game I am playing - whether it's game play feels casual to me or not.

The definition of casual games is rather vague. So is the definition of what
constitutes as a "real game". Even the definition of what a computer game
is, is really vague. Just look at ludology and the attempts made there to
define what a computer games is. The Sims, for example, breaks a lot of the
most common definitions because it has no fixed "point".

It seems that all these terms are ambiguous and relative. There is no fixed
point so there is a "we'll no'em when we see'em" classification that seems
to decide whether a game is casual or not. This is fine - the game community
decides and we, as developers, are charged with the responsibility to have
some feel for the community - what it wants and expects. The downside is
that this makes it more difficult to be innovative and explore because you
don’t completely know when you are passing invisible boundaries - when
something you define as "casual" will be deemed as "too big" or "too
complicated".

But expanding the genre - the definition - is vital. We cannot let the
current demographic solidify what the casual realm is about. There are a lot
of gamers that are interested in casual MMOGs, for example - where the game
play and interaction has been simplified and the user can more freely enter
and exit the game without feeling too committed to it. Even women between 35
- 50 would be interested if the theme was right and the game play solid
enough. If the game was good enough. That’s what it is about.

So. A casual game isn't even limited to any particular channel of
distribution, according to some definitions, although it's primary
distribution channel is the internet. The demographics cannot be the only
indicator, nor the duration of a play session or the game in whole. What is
left is the feeling - that the game is simple, accessible, easy or - in one
word - casual.

Maybe we're looking at lighter graphics, lighter design and implementation?
Is that definitive for the game? No. But today most casual games incorporate
these elements. That might change without affecting the outcome being called
or classified a casual game.

Anyway - I've written enough for now. I'm rambling ;-)
My two cents.

Jónas B. Antonsson
COO (Chief Operating Officer)
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blog www.jonasantonsson.com  
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-----Original Message-----
From: casual_games-bounces at igda.org [mailto:casual_games-bounces at igda.org]
On Behalf Of Adam Johnston
Sent: 26. júlí 2006 17:40
To: 'IGDA Casual Games SIG Mailing List'
Subject: RE: [casual_games] surprising stats about casual gaming

I'd say that this is a different demographic.  Is it not the Runescape crowd
that is involved with Fate?  This is hardly casual gaming!  My nephew has
been on Runescape for hundreds of hours and still does not make the top 1
million user list.

While casual gamers are 35 to 50 year old women, I imagine that these online
RPGs are probably 12 to 28 year old males.
The only thing they have in common is that they are online.

- Adam

-----Mensaje original-----
De: casual_games-bounces at igda.org [mailto:casual_games-bounces at igda.org] En
nombre de Shimeran at starband.net Enviado el: Miércoles, 26 de Julio de 2006
12:33 p.m.
Para: casual_games at igda.org
Asunto: Re: [casual_games] surprising stats about casual gaming

I'm tempted to say it's that fact I can play as much or little as I want and
still get roughly the same overall experience per unit playtime. 
There is and end game, but it's optional and doesn't really have much of an
effect on most of your play experience.  If fact, I mostly see it as "When I
get that far, I'll just pass on ther heirloom and try a new concept".

As a side note, I definately like dynamically generated content.  I find
it's a real useful way to create things like levels (which Fate may do) and
other nifty things without detailing eveything out ahead of time.

-David Cary

> I don't know anything about 'Fate.' What makes it a casual game? How 
> do you know that it appeals to a casual game audience, rather than a 
> traditional one?
>
> -austin
>
> Austin Haas
> Pet Tomato, Inc.
> http://pettomato.com
>
> Dave Selle wrote:
>>
>> Can't resist jumping in on the subject of Fate. It is indeed 
>> performing very well.
>>
>> I think Fate's impressive success is indicative that a significant 
>> number of casual gamers are willing and even eager to eager to 
>> embrace a game that offers--but does not demand--a long play session 
>> and that a "traditional game" theme/tone can resonate with this 
>> audience if it is treated appropriately.
>>
>> Casual users are not turned off merely by the perception that a game 
>> can offer a long play session (I would argue this may even be 
>> considered valuable) but rather by the perception of the overall 
>> complexity that must be mastered in order for them to achieve a 
>> feeling of competence and accomplishment.
>>
>> Having said that, I also agree that it would be really easy to miss 
>> the mark and create a big fat (expensive) mess that appeals neither 
>> to the "traditional" gamer nor to the casual audience.
>>
>> --Dave
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: casual_games-bounces at igda.org
>> [mailto:casual_games-bounces at igda.org] On Behalf Of Chris Dillman
>> Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2006 10:10 AM
>> To: bizdev at injoygames.com; IGDA Casual Games SIG Mailing List
>> Subject: Re: [casual_games] surprising stats about casual gaming
>>
>>> What about the success of Fate?
>>
>> I was just going to say that.
>>
>> See http://www.playfate.com/
>>
>> They consider this a casual game and report it doing very well for 
>> them.
>>
>>
>>
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> Casual_Games at igda.org
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