Genre Weekend 15: Casual Gaming Revolutions

By Angela Roberts

Aug. 15, 2011

casual gaming

I’ve always been a gamer, but I’ve never been what’s considered a “hard-core gamer”. In fact, according to Wikipedia, I’m what’s called a mid-core gamer – someone who games regularly, but doesn’t devote copious amounts of his or her life or energy to gaming and the gaming culture. In the interest of full disclosure, it should be noted that I’m also currently working in the industry, so I won’t necessarily endorse or put down any specific current studio. This article is really about that other definition of gamer – the casual gamer. And even with that, although I can agree somewhat with the description that Wikipedia offers, I think definitions themselves are misguided; often an attempt to categorize and belittle an aspect of the industry that some people feel threatened by because it doesn’t fit their established stereotypes of the sub-culture. These people think that casual gaming is somehow dumbing down the industry by allowing it to appeal to a mass audience. What they’re really afraid of is the possibility that they’ll no longer be special, that the strength they gained in being different will be diminished by the mainstreaming of what made them different. It’s an elitist viewpoint, and it’s common in sub-cultures as they become integrated into mass culture. The science fiction field has been struggling with it for decades.

So what is casual gaming? Casual gaming refers to a genre of video games that are represented by games that are short, not difficult to play, do not require hours of gameplay (and thus do not require hours of commitment), and whose players statistically are older than most gamers and a significant percentage of which are women. Casual games also tend to be played on computers, online, and on mobile phones. And they have several sub-genres; puzzle games, hidden object, match-3, adventure games, simulation games. Often there is an important social aspect to the gameplay. And significantly, casual games have some sort of involved storyline, with female protagonists pursuing a goal in a novel-like plot.

I think it’s also fair to say that the hard-core vs. casual debate is really an extension of the ongoing PC vs. Console conflict. Most casual games are made primarily for the PC market, although the recent opening of the mobile market with the introduction of more powerful, more gaming-capable cellphones, along with more mainstream-intended consoles by Nintendo like the Wii and the DS, has really brought the argument to a head. Facebook, as well, with its capacity and audience for a multiplicity of addictive gaming apps, has brought gaming out into the mainstream, and exposed it to the audience who have really brought gaming into the light; women. Yes, lots of men play Farmville and Angry Birds. But statistics prove that women are the primary consumers of casual and social games. They use computers and cellphones. They’re less likely to shell out the money for consoles and 60-dollar-a-pop video games. That doesn’t mean they don’t spend money. On the contrary, many casual games involve a constant cash flow going to the studio. But the games also appeal more to female gamers, while console games are still very much playing to the young male audience. I could probably recount a generational history of gaming in listing off the consoles I’ve played with or owned, but I’ve always returned to the PC. Console gaming requires a level of commitment I’ve never been able to give it.

I say also that this debate is an extension of the other, older one, because the line is so fine. Detractors of casual gaming tend to treat casual games like a new phenomenon, but really they’ve been around since the beginning. Many of the foundational games of the console and PC markets would have been considered casual games if the labels had been around when they were made. No one would consider Pong in the same light as Assassin’s Creed. But while studios like Ubisoft have made their names in the industry by producing games with immersive storylines, the casual gaming industry has been doing it for decades. One of the earliest games I ever played was Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? That was on an old-time Apple. The game came on a 5 ¼ floppy. But it kept you playing because it had a story.

There are several antecedents that contributed to the development of the modern-day casual game. Adventure gaming, essentially the bread-and-butter of much high-end casual gaming these days, has a storied history on the PC, long before it became popular on consoles (leaving RPGs out of this discussion, that being another article entirely). Just think of Zork. Also, Lucasarts in the 90s elevated the adventure gaming genre to new heights with their series of well-written humorous games. Around the same time, Sid Meier and Will Wright opened up the huge world of simulation games with games like Civilisation, SimCity, and the bestselling game of all time, The Sims. And thirdly, Microsoft’s inclusion of simple card games and puzzles in the Windows OS created a resurgence in the popularity of card and puzzle games, making the profitability of such games clear to developers.

All of these predecessors combined to form the modern casual gaming industry. Gamers demand more from their puzzle games; they demand creative immersive storylines and high-art quality graphics – not so high that they need special devices to see them, but beautiful enough to enjoy the sight. They want engaging characters, good voiceovers, and an interesting plot. And they don’t want the game to interfere with their enjoyment of said qualities. They don’t want to give up because they get stuck.

Several small studios, along with bigger ones and content providers, have been carrying on the proud tradition set forth by these predecessors. Most games are inexpensive, easily accessible and fun to play.


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