I’m New Here
December 8, 2008 by Amy Tucker
Filed under Gaming
Hi. I’m Amy and I’m taking over Gamer Lite. I figured I’d give you my take on casual gaming. While I LOVE my PC and PS3 games, casual gaming holds a special place in my heart. I write for several other sites, including SimsGamer.com, and when I’m not writing I’m usually playing some type of game.
In writing for Ironic Gamer, I found that most people don’t think that casual gaming is real gaming.
Well, try telling that to the”over 200 million people [who] play casual games each month over the Internet.“ I still remember my first experience with casual gaming. [You always remember your first time, right?] I was a freshman in college and someone emailed me a link to Bejeweled. I ended up missing the day’s classes because I couldn’t stop playing the damn game.
The addictive quality of casual games is one reason why they’re so freakin’ popular. Another reason why these games are so popular is that they’re so accessible; anyone can play them. My mother-in-law used to play hours of solitaire and I can guarantee you that she’s never picked up a PS3 or 360 controller. The third reason that casual games have console and PC game companies green with envy is that the time investment for maximum payoff is relatively short. I can spend fifteen minutes on Diner Dash and I’ve earned enough to upgrade my skates. I spend fifteen minutes on Assassin’s Creed and I’ve learned how to control Altaïr well enough to not accidentally kill myself.
In our culture of procrastination and “get it now”, casual games satisfy both wants quickly and with bright colors and badges. When’s the last time a PS3 or 360 game gave you a badge? Wait, PS3 did introduce “trophies” but those take a long time to get.
The point of all of this is that casual gaming is addictive, fun and here to stay. Console gaming is taking its cues from casual gaming and who would have ever thought that would have been possible when Bejeweled was released?
I am a closet casual gamer. While my Sims addiction is strong and I’m not looking for a cure (mmm Sims 3 in February…) will never truly go away, sometimes a cup of tea and some Luau bingo over on Pogo (you’d think I was 80 or something…) is what I need to unwind before bed or to just relax my brain.
The funny thing is I didn’t want to admit how much I loved the games until a friend of mine bought me a year-long subscription to Pogo as a gift. After I pretended it was a crappy gift she busted me when she saw how often I was online when she was.
She’s a very forgiving friend. LOL
Welcome to site, glad to see that the site is in good hands!
I used to be a hard-core gamer growing up, but I think I’m becoming more of a casual gamer as I get older, I’m guessing having less time for gaming is the reason.
Looking foward to reading your future posts!