[casual_games] Defining 'Casual Game'

[Dean Utian]

>It boils down to investment - how much time does the player need to invest in the game before they can begin to enjoy it, 

>and how much time must they spend in any individual session to extract a theoretical unit of pleasure?


I agree with the above. From my understanding, casual games always relate to time and player satisfaction. If a typical player has to invest hours, days or weeks to learn and master the game before actually reaching the desired satisfaction level, then the game could not qualify as casual.

I don't think the game needs to be simple and easy to be casual, just that you can get immersed in all the game has to offer relatively quickly. Of course, players all come with different experience and skills. I can never do very well in car racing games no matter how many hours I practice. But, I can expect to be in there, attempting to get in front soon after the game gets going.

Dean