The kinder, gentler world of casual gaming |
Internet stereotypes abound, including one with regards to the world of online gaming.
It is generally thought of as populated by reclusive, young males huddled over game consoles in darkened rooms where, as The Guardian puts it, they engage in “straightforward, male-oriented power fantasies.” (https://tinyurl.com/2e527pcm).
As with many stereotypes, this one is inaccurate since it misses a whole genre of video games — kinder, gentler, family-friendly, and catering mostly to women.
It’s called casual gaming and the signpost of a casual game is that it’s simple and quick to learn, can be played for a short time, such as on a lunch break, and involves puzzles, word games, or non-violent, family-friendly action.
Data suggests casual games have a high engagement rate among women and users over age 40.
Even though you may not have heard of the term casual gaming, you’ve probably played at least one. An original casual game was Solitaire, which was part of a collection of games........