http://www.planbenterprises.com/blog Thu, 07 Feb 2008 04:59:09 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en 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, ... http://www.planbenterprises.com/blog/2007/09/04/the-history-of-casual-games/ Ah, Spring. That time of year when the sun is shining, birds are chirping, flowers are blooming, and people are itchy to get outside and PLAY. I never give up hope that Mother Nature will bring new life after a dormant time, but is there new life in PC casual ... http://www.planbenterprises.com/blog/2007/04/23/one-hour-review-snapshot-adventures/ I recently had the pleasure of being a guest professor (game design) and lecturer at Champlain College in Burlington Vermont. Champlain's Electronic Game and Interactive Development and BYOBiz programs are impressive, and I'm excited to follow the growth of their new Emergent Media Center. I promised to post the slides from ... http://www.planbenterprises.com/blog/2007/03/20/beyond-games-part-1/ Radio silence on the B-Log usually means we're skillfully juggling life and work commitments, and throwing in another ball would spoil the act. Now with a slight breather, it's nice to pitch out a post or two and see where they land. Watch your head! Or better yet, take your ... http://www.planbenterprises.com/blog/2007/02/14/tween-tween-gigs/ While many casual game companies are pumping out sequels and clones faster than a book-loving insect can gnaw through chapter one, PopCap has inched along slowly to capitalize on the success of Bookworm, their classic word game. Now the sequel has arrived with plenty of buzz-buzzing around its plump budget ... http://www.planbenterprises.com/blog/2006/12/01/one-hour-review-bookworm-adventures/ ...I'd create an episodic reality drama called Media Clash: Galapagos Island. It would go something like 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 ... http://www.planbenterprises.com/blog/2006/11/03/if-i-were-an-indie-video-director/ No Bull! I did not know about Cash Cow, a new game from Big Fish, before writing the previous post. Talk about irony! How can I resist a one-hour review? But first, a MOO of thanks to the casual game industry for allowing me a full sixty minutes of free trial. ... http://www.planbenterprises.com/blog/2006/10/30/one-hour-review-cash-cow/ Your Momma's an Oxymoron and a Cow The phrase "hard-core casual gamer" is an oxymoron, but it's also a good term to describe a population of women ages 40+ who are the heart of a market expected to surpass $2 billion in the U.S. alone by 2008, according to the IGDA's ... http://www.planbenterprises.com/blog/2006/10/16/b-labbing-about-bovines-bulls-and-beef/ Welcome to the B-Log, our silly name for Plan B's company blog. 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 ... http://www.planbenterprises.com/blog/2006/09/18/testing/