IDEA No 80
CASUAL GAMING
Casual games are easy to understand and require no special skills, and players can dip in and out of them as they please. Early examples are Microsoft’s Minesweeper and Solitaire, shipped with Windows. More recent examples are FarmVille and Angry Birds.
As the video games industry matured, its products became increasingly complex. Pacman gave way to Grand Theft Auto. Pong evolved into FIFA Soccer. These games required sophisticated skills and commitment to complete. They also became increasingly focused on a single audience. They were made by young men, for young men. In the process, they alienated the wider market.
With their relatively low production costs, casual games buck the trend. Game play is simple, the rules are easy to understand and they require no advanced skills. They appeal to both sexes and all age ranges.
The slow connection speeds of the 90s led to the rediscovery of early video games. The simplicity of games like Space Invaders suited the limited bandwidth of the time. Often made in Macromedia Flash, another advantage to both developers and players was that they could be played in a single sitting. Another fillip to the casual game also came in the form of a limitation – with their small screen sizes, games such as Tetris were popular on mobile phones.
The major player in the casual game space is Zynga. Its games, which include FarmVille and Mafia Wars, have added another layer to social networks. Heavily inspired by Japanese roleplaying games such as Harvest Moon, Zynga launched FarmVille on Facebook in June 2009. Within six weeks, it had 10 million daily users. FarmVille alone has since earned Zynga revenues of over $1 billion.
It is the accessibility of casual games that makes them so attractive. Most of us are within arm’s reach of a smartphone or a browser at all times. At the click of a mouse or the sweep of a finger we can be knee-deep in virtual fertilizer.
The mass adoption of casual games is no surprise. Whether it is a crossword, hangman or I-Spy, as long as we have had spare time, we have filled it with casual games. FarmVille and games like it are simply the digital equivalent.
FarmVille represents a breakthrough moment in the history of video games. It signifies the mass acceptance of video games as a recreational activity. Video games are no longer the sole domain of young men. As familiar as board games and party games, the casual game can be enjoyed by the whole family.■
Screenshots from Zynga’s FarmVille.