[casual_games] The Escapist: Analysts Fear For Nintendo

[James C. Smith]

It seems to me their main point is that "casual" players are not as addicted
(for lack of a better term) to games as the core players are.

 

"We are not sure how the recession will affect the buying habits of these
new, more casual mainstream consumers. These consumers are more likely to
view gaming as a discretionary luxury"

 

Wrong!  I think this goes to the core of the myth of casual games.  There is
nothing casual about most of the players of Diner Dash, Bejeweled and
Mystery Case Files.  This is no longer just a way to kill time between
activates.  It is no longer people who don't self identify as gamers.  It
may have started that way years ago but now we have a mature audience who
knows and loves our products and they have an appetite for them.

 

Maybe Nintendo is picking up some new customers who are casual about games.
But the people who pay for download games on casual portals are serious
players.  They look forward to new releases, they do identify themselves as
game players, they subscribe to clubs to get discounts on games, they budget
how many games per month they will buy, and they budget there time around
when they can finish more levels in their current game and they can't wait
to download the next one.   This is not a "discretionary  luxury" they will
easily give up especially when it only coasts them ~$7 for ten hours of
immersion, relaxation and fun.

 

Nintendo (or those analysts) are playing in a different casual world than we
are.

 

James C. Smith

 

 

From: casual_games-bounces at igda.org [mailto:casual_games-bounces at igda.org]
On Behalf Of oscar is oscar
Sent: Saturday, December 13, 2008 2:21 PM
To: Casual_Games at igda.org
Subject: [casual_games] The Escapist: Analysts Fear For Nintendo

 

Will Casual Gaming as a whole see declines due to global economic downturns?


http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/87929-Analysts-Fear-For-Nintendo

Market analysts in the UK have warned that Nintendo is likely to suffer in
the current economic climate.

Nintendo's shift towards the casual gamer market has undeniably put the
company in the lead in the current generation of consoles, but now market
analysts fear that this may put the company in an unfavorable position as
the global economic situation worsens.

Piers Harding-Rolls, an analyst for media business research company Screen
Digest, expressed concerns at the sustainability of the casual gaming
market. "We are not sure how the recession will affect the buying habits of
these new, more casual mainstream consumers. These consumers are more likely
to view gaming as a discretionary luxury," he said.

Nick Gibson of Games Investor Consulting, echoed Harding-Rolls predictions,
adding, "As the market has become more casual-gamer focused, then it will be
more susceptible to the economic rhythm...I would say that Nintendo
therefore would be the most susceptible."

It was not all doom and gloom however, as consoles sales over all are 15%
higher than this time last year, suggesting that, while the gaming industry
is by no means recession-proof, it is certainly in a good position to
weather the oncoming storm.

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