It’s started…

June 5, 2006 on 1:51 pm | In This blog |

I’ve always enjoyed playing little games. I grew up playing computer games of all shapes and sizes, and lost many a day at the arcade. I always gravitated towards the little games, the quick to learn, hard to master, 5 minutes of fun that the industry is now calling ‘casual games’. For a long time I was a little embarassed to admit that I enjoyed little games more than hardcore games. I’d be playing Tetris while others were playing Doom.

I’ve been in the business of casual games for about 7 years now and in the last couple of years it’s become recognised as an industry. Although we both came from a commercial background, Tom and I started 3RD sense in 2001, as much because we liked playing little games as a way of making money. An ever-growing belief that casual games are just plain great content has held us (and many others) in good stead. And this emerging industry is becoming more credible by the moment, with articles in C|Net, The Hollywood Reporter, CNN and the Beeb.

Of course, the credibility is great for companies like us, but best of all it’s great for the people who play these games. You no longer need to be embarassed about your little habit. It is increasingly the norm for people to entertain themselves by playing a little game. It’s the perfect way to switch off for fifteen minutes. And the result is an explosion in the variety and quality of casual games that are available to players.Â

I’m in the business so I might be biased, but my prediction for the medium (or even quite short) term future is that casual gaming will overtake its elder sibling, the hardcore gaming industry.

For any of us involved in casual games, the last couple of years has been a rollercoaster and the ride over the next few years is going to be even more exciting. So stay tuned to keep track of my version of the little games revolution as it evolves.

The Little Gamer