Whoever thought that there would come a day when we would differentiate video games as being casual and serious? I have always loved video games and only lately have I realized these categories. So what is casual gaming? According to Wikipedia, a casual game is:
Any computer game targeted at a mass audience of casual gamers. Casual games can have any type of gameplay, and fit in any genre. They are typically distinguished by their simple rules, in contrast to more complex hardcore games. They require no long-term time commitment or special skills to play, and there are comparatively low production and distribution costs for the producer. Casual games typically are played on a personal computer online in web browsers, although they now are starting to become popular on game consoles, too. Casual gaming demographics also vary greatly from those of traditional computer games, as the typical casual gamer is older and more predominantly female.
(Let’s talk more about that last sentence sometime in the future.) Anyway, so casual games are those games you’d find online like on Yahoo Games, Bigfishgames, Gamefools, and other similar sites. They’re pretty easy to play – you can finish a game in a day if you play a lot. They are fun and relatively cheap, especially compared to console games.
I, for one, am a big fan of casual games. They are a great way to kill time. Hardcore gamers out there, don’t be so quick to down them. Trust me, if you find yourself having fun at at least one casual game, I wouldn’t be surprised at all.