[casual_games] Casual Download Games: New Releases by PlayMechanic

[Russell Carroll]

It's true that the strongest game type is 'Other' if you are looking at pure
volume of games being released.
However, looking at the link provided, it is clear that those same games
aren't performing well in the Top 10 lists (HO combined was 6:1 to Other
despite Other having 50% more games!?)
Using the Top 10 lists to equal sales, Other is #1 in games released and #4
in aggregate game sales.  You could theorize then that games from that
category are not selling very well at all.
 
In fact I see the numbers below as giving the portals good reason not to add
more "other."  On a per game basis, they are very unlikely to show up in the
top 10 lists when compared to the tried and true genres.  I love 'different'
as much as anyone (probably more;), but I didn't see the same conclusion
from the numbers below.  I see that other is a lot of the volume, which when
combined with the link to the aggregated top 10 lists showing Other not
making a good showing on the lists, makes it look like Other is something
that the portals are likely only to take when they don't have something
better, and apparently, most everything is better.
 
 
Russell Carroll
Reflexive Entertainment
(949) 830-1903 x14
 

  _____  

From: casual_games-bounces at igda.org [mailto:casual_games-bounces at igda.org]
On Behalf Of Joe Schultz
Sent: Monday, July 21, 2008 8:14 AM
To: IGDA Casual Games SIG Mailing List
Subject: Re: [casual_games] Casual Download Games: New Releases by
PlayMechanic


What's great to see here is not that Hidden Object is doing more than Time
Management et. al., but that the strongest game types are ones that do not
fit into the what most portals define as "casual"; this is really refreshing
to see.  

We knew it was only a matter of time before casual players were tired of all
the same stuff, over and over. I mean who but the creatively bankrupt would
want to play (or develop) yet another match 3 / time management / hidden
object game? Sure there are yet many players (and games) of those types, and
some people will do anything for money it seems, but judging from this data
(and logic) it looks that they are slowly dwindling in number, thankfully. 

Maybe with such info, the more forward-thinking of the bigger portals will
now better consider "other" definitions of "fun" & "casual"...

Joe Schultz
Game Director
 <http://www.bydesigngames.com/> ByDesign Games
http://www.bydesigngames.com



On Jul 16, 2008, at 18:54h, James C. Smith wrote:



"most portals are lunching just as many Time Management games as Hidden
Object games and almost as many match 3 games"
In the past 6 months, the top 10 lists on casual game download portals have
been dominated by Hidden Object games followed closely by Time Management
games.  Sim games and Match 3 games have been a distance 3rd and 4th.
(Source
<http://www.casualcharts.com/games/worldmap/?date=2008-01-15&enddate=2008-07
-15&columns=15&scoringmethod=TenOverRank&showscore=on&AOL=on&BigFish=on&Game
House=on&iWin=on&Logler=on&MSN=on&PlayFirst=on&Pogo=on&Real=on&Reflexive=on&
Shockwave=on&YahooTop=on> ) This is when ranking play mechanics by their
popularity is top 10 lists. 
But it you look the number of new release in the past 6 months the number
look a little different.  About 17% of the games launched on most portals
are Hidden Object games and another 17% are Time Management games.  Match 3
games are not far behind with 14% on the average portal.  In other words,
most portals are lunching just as many Time Management games as Hidden
Object games and almost as many match 3 games. 

New Releases in Last 180 days as of 7/16/2008

Hidden Object
Time Management
Match 3
Sim
Adventure
Mahjong
Chain Pop
Word
Strategy
Inlay
Unknown
Other

Reflexive
<http://www.casualcharts.com/games/newreleases?date=2008-07-16&days=180&name
len=30&Reflexive=on> 
19%
17%
15%
8%
2%
2%
2%
2%
2%
2%
4%
26%

MSN
<http://www.casualcharts.com/games/newreleases?date=2008-07-16&days=180&name
len=30&MSN=on> 
18%
22%
16%
7%
1%
4%
4%
3%
0%
1%
0%
24%

Big
<http://www.casualcharts.com/games/newreleases?date=2008-07-16&days=180&name
len=30&BigFish=on> Fish
17%
16%
14%
7%
6%
2%
2%
3%
1%
1%
1%
30%

Real
<http://www.casualcharts.com/games/newreleases?date=2008-07-16&days=180&name
len=30&Real=on> 
25%
20%
10%
10%
2%
3%
2%
3%
0%
0%
0%
25%

iWin
<http://www.casualcharts.com/games/newreleases?date=2008-07-16&days=180&name
len=30&iWin=on> 
15%
15%
16%
7%
3%
3%
2%
1%
0%
1%
14%
24%

Pogo
<http://www.casualcharts.com/games/newreleases?date=2008-07-16&days=180&name
len=30&Pogo=on> 
14%
15%
15%
4%
2%
3%
3%
1%
1%
1%
10%
31%

Shockwave
<http://www.casualcharts.com/games/newreleases?date=2008-07-16&days=180&name
len=30&Shockwave=on> 
18%
21%
12%
8%
6%
1%
1%
2%
1%
2%
3%
26%

Average
17%
17%
14%
7%
3%
3%
2%
2%
1%
1%
6%
27%
Click the portal links above to see that portal's list of new releases in
this 180 day window
Here is the same data again but this time as raw numbers rather than
percentages:

New Releases in Last 180 days as of 7/16/2008

Portal
Games Released
Hidden Object
Time Management
Match 3
Sim
Adventure
Mahjong
Chain Pop
Word
Strategy
Inlay
Unknown
Other

Reflexive
<http://www.casualcharts.com/games/newreleases?date=2008-07-16&days=180&name
len=30&Reflexive=on> 
127
24
21
19
10
3
3
2
2
3
2
5
33

MSN
<http://www.casualcharts.com/games/newreleases?date=2008-07-16&days=180&name
len=30&MSN=on> 
76
14
17
12
5
1
3
3
2
0
1
0
18

Big
<http://www.casualcharts.com/games/newreleases?date=2008-07-16&days=180&name
len=30&BigFish=on> Fish
183
31
30
26
12
11
4
4
6
2
2
1
54

Real
<http://www.casualcharts.com/games/newreleases?date=2008-07-16&days=180&name
len=30&Real=on> 
60
15
12
6
6
1
2
1
2
0
0
0
15

iWin
<http://www.casualcharts.com/games/newreleases?date=2008-07-16&days=180&name
len=30&iWin=on> 
178
26
27
28
13
5
5
3
1
0
2
25
43

Pogo
<http://www.casualcharts.com/games/newreleases?date=2008-07-16&days=180&name
len=30&Pogo=on> 
137
19
20
21
6
3
4
4
2
1
1
14
42

Shockwave
<http://www.casualcharts.com/games/newreleases?date=2008-07-16&days=180&name
len=30&Shockwave=on> 
102
18
21
12
8
6
1
1
2
1
2
3
27

Average
123
21
21
18
9
4
3
3
2
1
1
7
33
"Other" means I looked at the game and determined it does not fit into one
of the 10 popular play mechanics listed above.
"Unknown" means I didn't look at the game and have no idea what kind of game
it is.  It could be a Hidden Object game but that is very unlikely since the
"Unknown" games are generally games that were launch by very few portals and
never made it into their top 10 lists.
I am a little surprised that Match 3 games are still released so frequently.
I use a rather strict definition for the Match 3 play mechanic that means
the game involved getting 3 in a row on a grid. This does no include Zuma
(Chain popper), Collapse (click group to clear) or many other recent games
like Ancient Quest of Saqqarah which I call an "other puzzle" mechanic but
many portals toss into their "match 3" genera. So the Match 3 number listed
above and conservative and would be higher if other puzzle games were
included.
Also notice how few Word games are being made or how few of them get
released. 
What other numbers in there are surprising or interesting to you?
James C. Smith
Co-founder & Producer: Reflexive Entertainment
Editor & Chief: CasualCharts.com <http://www.CasualCharts.com> 
PS: If you have bookmarks for CasualCharts.com or Game-Sales-Charts.com that
are more than 2 months old then you are probably using the legacy charts.
Those bookmarks still work, but you won't see any of the slick new features
unless you go to the home page at CasualCharts.com
<http://www.CasualCharts.com>  and navigate from there.  The new World Map
<http://www.casualcharts.com/games/worldmap>  is so much better than the
legacy
<http://www.casualcharts.com/cms/index.php?option=com_dbquery&Itemid=33&task
=ExecuteQuery&qid=38> version of the World Map. Be sure you are using the
latest and greatest.
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