The following article is one of 45 commissioned by Funkitron to seed content for their Casual Games Wiki. You’re invited to expand or improve the information by following the links below or visiting CasualGameWiki.net.

VERY FIRST CASUAL GAMES
The title most often cited as the first successful casual game is Microsoft Solitaire, a simple Klondike solitaire PC game developed in 1989 that was bundled with Microsoft Windows. But if casual games are defined as easy to learn with simple controls and addictive game play, PC casual games existed well before Microsoft Solitaire, with the most ubiquitous casual title being the puzzle game Tetris. Tetris was developed in 1984 by a Russian computer programmer and released for IBM (MS DOS) computers in 1986. It was adapted for Windows computers in 1989 (releasing around the same time as Microsoft Solitaire) [1] and as the free pack-in game for Nintendo’s Game Boy. Since then, Tetris has been developed for numerous personal computer, gaming and mobile platforms.

Casual-style games also helped fuel the popularity of arcades and video game consoles in the 1970s and 1980s with titles like:

• Pong (Atari, 1972)
• Breakout (Atari, 1976)
• Othello (Nintendo, 1978)
• Pac-Man (Namco/Midway, 1979)
• Centipede (Atari, 1981)
• Donkey Kong (Nintendo, 1981)
• Frogger (Konami/Sega, 1981)
• Ms. Pac-Man (Namco/Midway, 1981)

CASUAL GAME INDUSTRY PIONEERS
Although simple electronic games that appeal to a mass market audience had existed for decades, it was a critical mass of Internet access and broadband adoption that laid the foundation for a large and growing casual game industry in the late 1990s. Now a new market of consumers were going on the Internet to find ‘entertainment’ as opposed to visiting computer retailers in search of ’software.’ This tipping point shifted access to fun, simple PC games from limited shelf space in retail outlets with limited traffic from mass-market consumers to the unlimited world of an Internet-enabled personal computer in the home or office.

As the Internet developed and browsers became more sophisticated, games emerged that used a web browser as the client. Simple single player games were made using HTML until web-based technologies like Flash and Java allowed browser games to become more sophisticated. Many casual-style video games originally released in the 1970s and 1980s, along with classic board (checkers, chess) and card games (solitaire, hearts, black jack, poker) were recreated as Flash or Java games.

In the late 1990s, companies began to see an opportunity to aggregate games and cater to online gamers. Early players include:

• Mplayer – Mplayer was a free online PC gaming service and community that operated from late 1996 until early 2001. Some of the more popular titles included casual card and board games along with more “hard core” games like Quake. At its peak, MPlayer had more than 20 million unique visitors each month and offered more than 100 games. [2] Initially the service was subscription-based, but by early 1997 they became the first major multiplayer community to offer free games subsidized with advertising revenue.
• Slingo, Inc. - Founded in 1995, Slingo, Inc. developed the hugely popular Slingo game that launched on AOL in 1996 and went on to become one of the most popular casual game franchises.
• ClassicGames.com - ClassicGames.com was a java-based game site that allowed people to play hearts, spades, bridge, checkers, chess and other games in a multiplayer format. In 1997 ClassicGames.com was acquired by Yahoo [3] and re-launched in March 1998 as Yahoo! Games.
• Pogo.com - After a series of mergers and re-branding, the Total Entertainment Network, Inc. launched Pogo.com on September 2, 1999, and the company renamed itself to Pogo.com with a business strategy focused on easy-to-access and simple browser games that would appeal to a broad audience and attract enough unique users to drive advertising revenue. Pogo was acquired by Electronic Arts in 2001. [4]

CASUAL GAME INDUSTRY BEGINS
Soon casual game “portals” and developers began to multiply. Many were new divisions within established Internet/technology companies like MSN Games (Microsoft), AOL Games (American Online), and RealArcade (RealNetworks, Inc.). Others were start-up companies typically founded by former game industry professionals who recognized the opportunity to create independent games and/or expand the industry, including:

• Reflexive - Founded in 1997 as one of the first casual game developers, Reflexive’s early hits include Ricochet Xtreme. In 2003 they launched the Reflexive Arcade gaming system.
• GameHouse - Founded in 1998 as a game development studio, GameHouse is best known for creating the popular Collapse! series of games. The company was later acquired by RealNetworks, Inc. and integrated into the RealArcade service.
• PopCap - Founded in 2000, PopCap’s flagship game Bejeweled is one of the most recognized and emulated titles in the casual game industry.
• Trymedia - Founded in 1999, Trymedia was one of the first companies to focus on technology that powers the “try before you buy” model.
• Funkitron - Founded in 2001, Funkitron is one of the earliest casual game developers started purely to make games for this new casual market. They were also the first developer to create games from known brands (Scrabble Deluxe and Boggle Supreme) specifically for the downloadable market.

PREMIUM CASUAL GAMES ON THE INTERNET
By 2000, more than half of all Americans had Internet access. According to a study conducted as part of the Pew Internet & American Life Project, the most enthusiastic new adopters were women who made up more than half of all Internet users, with older women coming online at a slightly higher rate than other user groups. For women on the Internet, playing online casual games was a popular activity [5] and by the latter part of 2000 more than half of all Internet users were making online purchases and the majority of shoppers were women. [6] The time was right for developers and publishers to monetize their popular games in a new way.

In 2001, a number of companies began developing and distributing downloadable games. A “try before you buy” model that allowed players to try the game for a limited duration (or with a limited feature set) resonated with the predominantly female players, and many of them paid (typically USD $20) to unlock the full game. Early titles that helped prove the viability of premium downloadable games include:

• Bejeweled Deluxe (2001) - After strong success with the free browser version of Bejeweled, PopCap created a deluxe downloadable version with enhanced features and higher quality graphics/audio.
• Super Collapse! (2001) - A deluxe downloadable version of the popular Collapse!, a free browser game developed in 1998 by GameHouse.

CASUAL GAMES EXPLODE
The casual games industry had grown from almost nothing in 2002 to well over $600 million in 2004 [7] and was attracting big investment. A new crop of companies including PlayFirst, Big Fish Games, Oberon, and iWin were founded and grew rapidly while independent casual game developers popped up all over the world. A succession of smash hit titles including Zuma, Diner Dash, Mystery Case Files, and Virtual Villagers defined new genres and expanded the market. Established portals like Pogo launched subscription services that offered play without advertising, enhanced community and personalization features, and access to a large library of premium downloadable games.

At the same time, online casual games were being licensed across platforms including mobile phones, PDAs and video game consoles. Today, most of the large video game companies have a stake in the casual game market, which is estimated to grow to $1 billion worldwide by 2008. [8] With the explosion of the industry, trade associations and publications emerged including:

• Casual Games Association (CGA) - An international organization founded in 2005 by members of the casual games industry.
• Gamezebo - An online publication and community founded in 2005 by Joel Brodie with previews, reviews, editorials and more for casual gamers and the industry.
• International Game Developers Association (IGDA) - In July 2005, a casual games special interest group (SIG) was formed within the IGDA to support the growing number of casual game developers.

SEE ALSO

• Definition of Casual Games

EXTERNAL LINKS & SOURCES

• Casual Games White Paper at Independent Game Developers Association
• Casual Game article at Wikipedia
• Tetris article at Wikipedia
• MPlayer article at Wikipedia
• Pogo article at Wikipedia
• PopCap article at Wikipedia
• Slingo article at Wikipedia
• Videotopia history of arcade games
• Pew Internet & American Life Project
• Gamezebo
• Casual Games Association
• IGDA Casual Games SIG

Share This

SIGNS OF LIFE
Spring has sprung in Snapshot Adventures: Mystery of Bird Island, the newest game created by the talented people at Large Animal Games and published by iWin. At first glance, it looks like a variation on popular hidden object games like Mystery Case Files, but that perception changes quickly once you start to play — Snapshot Adventures can’t be described with a comparison to other casual titles.

GONE TO THE BIRDS
In Snapshot Adventures, the goal is to travel around the U.S. photographing birds while gathering clues to solve a mystery surrounding the plane crash and disappearance of your grandfather, a famed naturalist.

At each location you receive photography assignments from one of your grandfather’s quirky colleagues. As the game progresses, items are earned that assist your ability to photograph birds. There’s a limit to how much gear you can schlep, so choices are made depending on time of day and objectives for the assignment. Once the required shots are taken, photographing additional birds will earn bonus points. The assignment is repeated if you fail to take the required photos before time or film runs out.

Along the way, pieces of the mystery are revealed through non-interactive storytelling screens drawn in a sketchbook style. Unlike many casual games, the map used to track your journey doesn’t show progress relative to completing the overall story, but perhaps the reason for this approach will reveal itself beyond the one-hour mark.

In addition to completing your assignments, you must fill your field journal with photos of 111 species in stationary and flying shots. Photos are scored based on a set of criteria cleverly called PEEP (Process for Equitable Evaluation of Photos). From within the field journal you can also share your bird photos via email.

At the end of each assignment, new shots are scored, added to the field journal, and new birdsongs are unlocked. Duplicates shots are eliminated by selecting the best composition, hoping your eye for photography matches the PEEP. Although the game’s judgment is debatable at times, the selection process is fun and evokes a feeling that nature photography is in your blood.

Early in game play, an additional module is unlocked that allows you to create fantasy birds, download new birds from the wilds of the Internet, and photograph them in locations across the fantasy map. I was too immersed in the story mode to spend much time in this module, but was impressed with the added dimension and the ability to feel connected to other players through their creations.

Overall, the game’s production values meet or exceed the highest standards in downloadable games. The visuals, while simple in comparison to some of the higher-end casual games, are well-balanced to support game play and evoke feelings of nature using multiplane animation, subtle movement of trees, and great attention to authentically detailed birds and bird sound effects. The acoustic guitar music is distinct, enhancing the game’s feel without being intrusive.

TIME’S UP
I’m feeling optimistic about my career as a bird photographer and determined to find out what happened to my eccentric grandfather. While I’d much rather be outside in Mother Nature’s world, on those days when April showers are nurturing May flowers I can escape to a virtual world and gain a greater understanding of the varied species of birds that make the *real* world a magical place.

As for our virtual Mother Nature, her sun is shining, birds are chirping, and flowers are blooming in Snapshot Adventures. $18.47 is a small price to pay in support of new life in the world of PC casual gaming.

:: DOWNLOAD THE FREE TRIAL OF SNAPSHOT ADVENTURES ::

Disclaimer: One-Hour Reviews are pure editorial fun, unbiased by anything other than the B-Labber’s perspective as a fan of casual games and a media professional.

Share This

I promised to post the slides from my talk Beyond Games: Strategically Crafting Your Intellectual Properties, but unless you attended the Powerpoint is not much more than an appetizer without the subsequent courses. So in the spirit of nourishing clients, colleagues, students, and anyone else who happens to read our B-Log, this multi-part series will fill out the plate, starting with the basics.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY 101
According to the United States Patent & Trademark Office, the term Intellectual Property means:

Creations of the mind; creative works or ideas embodied in a form that can be shared or can enable others to recreate, emulate, or manufacture them. There are four** ways to protect intellectual property - patents, trademarks, copyrights or trade secrets.

** Actually there are more than four ways to protect intellectual property. See the bottom of this post for details.

To illustrate how an idea becomes an intellectual property, let’s say you have a brilliant idea.

Your idea is to invent a new light bulb that will use up to 80% less electricity than a regular incandescent bulb. People who want to reduce energy costs will love this new light bulb.

And since a reduction in energy usage equals a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, people who want a green lifestyle will also love this new light bulb.

What a brilliant idea! But until you do the work to create a tangible expression of your idea…

Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.

–Thomas Edison

Something written, visual, digital or physical like a diagram, prototype, or perhaps a working product…

It’s nothing more than a brilliant idea. In other words…

IDEA + TANGIBLE EXPRESSION = INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

CREATIVE COMMONS is a non-profit that offers another form of intellectual property protection, an alternative to full copyright, by providing free tools that let authors, scientists, artists and educators easily mark their creative work with the freedoms they want it to carry. You can use CC to change your copyright terms from “All Rights Reserved” to “Some Rights Reserved.”

The text of this post uses a Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike license. The images (a key element of the message) were purchased at a very reasonable cost from istockphoto.com with their standard license. Feel free to link to or reference this post, but if you want to copy, syndicate, or redistribute the full post please purchase image rights.

Check back for Part II of Beyond Games: Strategically Crafting Your Intellectual Properties.

Share This

Not long ago, we helped the Center for Culinary Development help one of their clients get inside the head of tweenies, those amazing young’uns moving out of kidhood into adolescence. This past week we finished a planning project for Discovery Girls, another company whose product targets the tween age. Add to that our own efforts running a community of young (and not so young) girls and you’ll get a hefty sum of insight into what’s ticking in their developing brains and how that’s influenced and shaped by their exposure to media.

And boy are they exposed to media. In-your-face, in-your-hand, user-created, on-demand, personalized, social, commoditized, multisensory multimedia.

It’s hard enough for adults to digest the bits and bytes. So imagine you’re back in that time of brain development Piaget calls the Concrete Operational Stage where imagination climbs into the back seat and logic takes over the wheel. Although your thinking is still mostly literal, understanding of abstract concepts is just around the corner. The world used to revolve around you, but now you recognize you’re part of a system of relationships. You’re no longer learning to read — you’re reading to learn. You’re also developing socially while establishing your personal boundaries and values. Not to mention the onset of puberty…

Phew! How did you survive?

Let’s assume your brain was back in that transitional time of tween age during the late sixties / early seventies. Instead of spending time playing video games, e-mailing friends or cruising the Internet, you were playing backyard sports (NOT the computer games), writing letters to your pen pal and cruising the hood on things with two or more wheels. Of course this is a generalization, but you get the drift. Today’s tweens are in a different (sometimes virtual) world.

Share This

I’m tempted to join the debate about whether this is sheer brilliance or blind arrogance, but that wouldn’t be much fun. Instead, let’s see what we get for free. But first…

An Open Letter to the Original Bookworm

Dear Lex,

Thank you for many, many hours of hypnotic word puzzling as you stood to the side, a witty and knowledgeable companion. Your insatiable appetite helped expand my vocabulary, and you were very forgiving when I burned down the library. Sure you’re a bit of a nerd, but I’m happy to see your career taking off. Can’t wait to see what’s in store now that you’ve wormed your way into the big time.

Your friend, the B-Labber

P.S. Admittedly, I played the free web version of your game. Oh, and the free trial of Bookworm Deluxe. Sorry.

Words and Meanings
When you read PopCap’s witty description and Gamezebo’s stellar review of Bookworm Adventures, it sounds like a crazy mash-up of adventure story wrapped around a word game with characteristics of a role-playing game; help Lex save the library, create words to fight bad guys/gals, earn treasures, gain powers, save the girl. My initial impression was — yuck, what a schizoid game! And why does it have to be about saving the girl?

But as a bit of a bookworm myself, I know when you combine words into sentences, the meanings can be subjective and broadly interpreted (especially when it comes to marketing copy and product reviews), so I had to see for myself.

The Clock is Ticking
In my hour of trial, I found the fundamental appeal of Bookworm is still intact. It’s mostly about creating words from a selection of 16 letters on a 4×4 grid. Letters don’t have to be adjacent, although you must click them in sequence to spell the word because the interface doesn’t allow you to rearrange letters as you form the word. The better the word, the better you fare in achieving your goals.

Lex is still witty and helpful. This time he’s not just lobbing definitions — he’s head-butting monsters! Unlike a “serious” fighting game, you don’t directly control the battering, you just create a word then click the “Attack” button (analagous to “Submit” in previous versions of Bookworm) and Lex does the rest. It’s all cartoony violence that shouldn’t be too offensive for family gaming.

The storyline is well-integrated and filled with interesting tidbits from mythology. The visuals are high-quality, the audio is engaging, and the writing is good. The game appears to have tons of play value, with a lengthy adventure mode and several mini-games for interstitial and ongoing play.

But don’t be fooled into thinking a spending premium of more than 200% over other high-budget productions plus a 50% premium on the price equals an exponential increase in quality and fun — the game is good, but (like most sequels) it’s more evolutionary than revolutionary.

Time’s Up
Bookworm Adventures is another fine offering from the talented folks at PopCap. Like any well-executed product, it doesn’t lose sight of the core audience (word gamers) while offering a range of emotional “hooks” to (in theory) attract a more diverse audience. Still, I need to be straight with my little green friend, so here goes…

Dear Lex,

Congratulations on your new game. I’m very impressed with your fighting abilities. Did you learn those moves in a book, or are you working with a stunt double?

Although I enjoyed spending an hour in your adventure, my time has expired and I’ve returned to reality. I’ll still visit you in the free web version of your original game. I promise not to burn down the library again, especially now that I know you can beat the you-know-what out of me…

Your friend, the B-Labber

With the holidays approaching on top of everyday life, I don’t have much time to play games and $30 would buy a nice gift for someone on my list. I don’t know that my opinion would change if the game cost $20, although I’m more likely to make an impulse purchase at that price. But the real clincher for me — no Mac version, and no free web version to make me feel happy about getting something for nothing (not to mention putting some ad dollars in PopCap’s pocket).

‘Fess Up!
Of course, this review is subjective and the meaning can be broadly interpreted. Discussion or debate? Bring it on. But first, form your own opinion by downloading the free trial of Bookworm Adventures.

Share This

Last Month on Media Clash
To the stunned surprise of many, a Wall Street analyst predicted MySpace could be valued at $15 billion in the next 3 years. Blind to the irony that such a huge valuation can be attached to an entity whose main assets are people they don’t own or control, investors are salivating as they search hungrily for more tasty morsels among the hundreds of social network upstarts.

photo by kylemac

Meanwhile, Google forked out $1.65 billion to purchase YouTube and secure their claim in the television of today’s on-demand generation. Shortly after the Wall Street feeding frenzy died down, packs of lawyers descended to crack down on unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material so big media companies will play (and pay) on the island.

On the other side of the island, disruptive media continues to spawn and spread faster than mega corporations can assimilate it. In previous episodes, Revver attracted talent from YouTube because of their willingness to split advertising revenue. But it appears fame is indeed attached to fortune as evidenced by the migration of the EepyBird Coke and Mentos experiment from Revver to Google.

photo by Rich Childs

Next on Media Clash
Will MySpace continue their rapid growth, or will their fickle youth audience become disillusioned if News Corp redefines personal expression to preclude anything referencing competition or offensive to advertisers?

Will YouTube remain a place where independent talent has a shot at being discovered and the average Gary has a sandbox for freedom of expression and a shot at fifteen minutes of fame? Or will big-moneyed media attempt to restrain the audience they so desparately want to retain?

photo by kylemac

Will the new breed of disruptors survive as a species? Or will they give birth to the innovation, then snooze quietly as others swoop in to profit from their labor?

photo by luist & his inner pig

Stay tuned as we follow these intriguing characters and discover if it’s possible to evolve toward a peaceful co-existence.

Share This

But first, a MOO of thanks to the casual game industry for allowing me a full sixty minutes of free trial. After all, I’m no different than most female casual gamers, and most female consumers in general — I love getting something for nothing and, when it comes to parting with my hard-earned twenty bucks, I’m a savvy shopper.

Fresh Milk or Udder Bull?
Let’s start with first impressions from the marketing materials. Cute name, cute theme. Production values are high, as I’ve come to expect from Big Fish (one of my favorite publishers/developers). The copy says:

Cash Cow is a brand new experience that you won’t want to put down!

• Totally original puzzle experience!
• Gorgeous landscapes & dazzling special effects!
• Watch your farm come to life!
• Two unique ways to play!

All those exclamation marks might get me excited if the screen shots and videos didn’t tell a different story. Cash Cow looks suspiciously like a new twist on the same old “match adjacent sets” game. So let’s boot up the ‘ole PC and find out what makes this a brand new experience.

A MOOving Story
Like many casual games, Cash Cow uses a story theme to provide context, emotional connection, and motivation for play. In this case, it’s the classic conflict-resolution equation:

Meet character X. X has problem Y. Resolve Y by doing Z.

X = Buck the Cash Cow (a male cow, ironically).
Y = Too much debt, the bank is threatening to foreclose.
Z = Match coins to achieve a goal in each level. Complete all levels, problem solved.

Nothing brand new here, but let’s look…

Inside the Bucket
Indeed, Cash Cow has a few game play twists that tie in nicely with the theme. Here’s the poop.

You will spark some different synapses as you try to group sets that are not merely visual matches. Cash Cow requires you collect five specified groupings of adjacent coins (as shown in the image to the left) to create nickels, dimes, quarters and dollars. Remove a grouping of coins to create a glowing coin. Earn power-ups like:

• Piggy Bank - Remove a group with two glowing coins to earn a piggy bank. Click the bank to remove all adjacent coins.
• Gold Nuggets - Remove coins adjacent to the gold nuggets and earn bonus cash.
• Coin Roll - Remove all coins of a particular denomination from the board.

Cash Cow’s “two unique ways to play” are:

• Classic (aka “story mode” in many casual games) - Progress through levels, advancing the storyline by earning items at successful completion of each level.
• Timed - Continuously remove coins to prevent a timer from running out.

And now the free trial has run out. Time to…

Fork Out the MOOla
Bottom line, Cash Cow is a fun, well-executed game that may bring twenty dollars worth of happiness to many casual gamers.

But me? I’m quite blissful with one hour of something for nothing. My twenty bucks will stay in the bank until a game comes along that treats me like a Sacred Cow and delivers a *truly* brand new experience.

Share This

Although casual games appeal to a range of demographic segments, successful online gaming portals such as BigFish, Pogo, MSN Games, and PopCap recognize over-forty women as the Cash Cow demographic. According to Wikipedia:

…The expression [cash cow] is a metaphor for a dairy cow, which after being acquired can be milked on an ongoing basis with little expense.

Risks of a cash cow include complacency, with management ignoring the need for change as market forces erode value…

While a valid description, the cash cow metaphor is not particularly flattering, nor does it give enough credit to this esteemed group of women. So in the B-Lab, we’ve adopted a new metaphor — Sacred Cow. Quoting Wikipedia again:

In Hinduism, the cow is considered sacred and its protection is a recurrent theme in which she is symbolic of abundance, of the sanctity of all life and of the earth that gives much while asking nothing in return. Most Hindus respect the cow as a matriarchal figure for her gentle qualities and providing nurturing milk and its products for a largely vegetarian diet. Hindus do not worship the cow, yet it holds an honoured place in society…

Where’s the Beef?
As the casual game industry matures, many in the biz are pondering how to care for their blessed bovines and expand the market.

photo by chrisada

Most are taking the no-brainer approach to their Sacred Cows by extending successful games into successful franchises, taking a good game mechanic and giving it a new face and a slightly new twist, maximizing all revenue models, and expanding distribution. A perfectly reasonable strategy, but what happens as market forces erode value?

photo by popofatticus

Some, like Kongregate, are focused on acquiring new cash cows, more specifically, cash bulls. Jim Greer, co-founder of Kongregate, sees their target as “mostly young (14-34) and mostly male (that’s who makes games, mostly).” If executed properly, this strategy could help expand the market, the theory being if you encourage young male developers to create games they like to play (as opposed to games for their mom) you will attract other young males.

Happy Cows
There are a lot of smart people in the casual games industry, and many of them have heard us B-Labbing about this for a while — core casual gamers are a captive online audience and their purchase/play patterns have been decoded over and over again. Offer them some of the obvious non-game applications:

• Edu-tainment - Sacred Cows, being women who give much while asking nothing in return, will often spend money on their kids/grandkids before themselves.
• Productivity - Women see loads of value in products that will save precious time, as opposed to killing time.
• Lifestyle Products - Why no products aligned with evergreen or trend-driven lifestyle interests?

These apps exist all over the web, but have yet to be aggregated, merchandised, and monetized in a way that’s meaningful to Sacred Cows.

Think outside the bucket!

Share This

The B-Log is a forum for communicating and sharing information with partners, affiliates, and anyone with a passion for pop culture and emerging media. We reserve the right to use it as a soapbox, sandbox, or playground.

The face of media is changing, thanks in part to the emergence of easy-to-use, open source publishing platforms like WordPress. Some believe old media is a crumbling edifice. Others believe new media is a house of cards.

It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.

–Author unknown, often misattributed to Charles Darwin

We can’t predict the future, but we believe that change is good.

Share This