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 Chrissy Snow
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WonderdogSoftware.Com - The latest updated Video Game Walkthrough; Game Guide
EA Jumps on Casual Games Bandwagon New division to focus entirely on pick up 'n play. Say what you like about casual games; your derision won't change the fact that investments in cellphone, handheld and Xbox Live Arcadestyle downloads are currently paying out like onearmed bandits for the big developers. Exhibit A came a few weeks ago with the announcement of SCi Interactive's SoGoPlay casual games only development label. Today, further evidence comes in the form of a another tripleA challenger deciding to step into the ring of hardcore casual games development. The publisher: Electronic Arts. Their newly formed label: EA Casual Entertainment.
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The new company will be headed up by former Activision exec. Kathy Vrabeck, who will take the helm as President. All over the world, she says, consumers are playing games that don't require hours of intense concentration. Whether it will be playing Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix on the Wii with the family or downloading Madden NFL 08 on a phone, quicktothefun games are bringing new players and new demographics to interactive entertainment. We wrote to EA to see if they were interested in explaining how the EA Casual brand intends to differentiate itself from competitors like SoGoPlay.
EA Casual Entertainment is a new group dedicated to the global and rapidly growing market for easy access games on all platforms. The inspiration for the creation of the division is the recognition that many consumers want to play games that don't require hours of commitment, intense concentration and deep skills. EA has the talent, the ideas and the franchises to compete in this genre. This division is modeled after The Sims with studios and publishing working sidebyside on a broad array of easyaccess games for all platforms.
EA told WDS that EA Casual will leverage the success of their Pogo casual gaming brand as a means to attract and retain fans. Pogo (according to EA, at least) is the stickiest site on the Internet, with 18 million people playing every month, and 1.5 million paid subscribers.
The last few years have seen an incredible rise in the visibility and significance of the casual gaming dollar in the overall business of video games. Quick and easy fun comes complete with a quick and easy development price tag one that conveniently sidesteps the inherent risks associated with costly nextgen development. More and more, the big publishers are regarding the popularity of cellphone, download and internetbased games as a nobrainer lowrisk, highreturn business model.
By way of example, last January saw casual gaming studio Mumbo Jumbo expand to a size large enough to flatout purchase Relic Entertainment (the guys behind SiN). With the growing ubiquity of Wii and popularity of download services like Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network, expect to see this trend continue. Each copy of Catan sold moves that almighty development dollar further and further away from a business model based on servicing a notoriously fickle hardcore demographic.
MEMBER COMMENTS
hmmm...
Author: luminaire28, 06/06/2007 08:37 PM PDT
I thought EA was already making casual games... i mean you can't get much more casual than Madden and their other yearly games....
not surpised
Author: psgamer92, 06/06/2007 07:55 PM PDT
after the success of the Wii i think we are going to start seeing more causal games this gen. DAMN CAUSAL GAMERS!...
EA is in everything...
Author: Kokoru, 06/06/2007 07:02 PM PDT
They are basically the closest thing to a monopoly we have in the video game industry... I wouldn't be suprised if one day they bought out Nintendo, or Sony or something crazy like that lol....
Ritual Entertainment, Not Relic
Author: MikeyW, 06/06/2007 04:23 PM PDT
Hate to quibble, but it jumped out to me since they're based in my hometown....
Wow
Author: gimpage, 06/06/2007 03:27 PM PDT
Why pay for any of the casual games? Just go to onemorelevel.com and play those games on the comp. Can you really play Madden 08 on your phone? ...
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