But with the Wii, the definition of a casual game changed, and the industry is taking note.  People love games, and always have.  So why ignore them? 

Social media platforms like YouTube and MySpace have also brought the very idea of a video game to debate.  One could argue that social networks and user-generated content sites are games like any others, perhaps more befitting of the “casual” label than, say, Halo, but a game no less.  As Jill Braff mentioned: Is a 33-year-old female who plays a mobile game 20 hours a week any less “serious” than an 18-year old who plays World of Warcraft for the same amount of time?

It’s the growing user base, and the quickly changing definition of a “Gamer,” that will make the casual games business grow to approximately $1 billion this year, as RealNetworks’ Charles Merrin mentioned on a panel.  Still a small number compared to the roughly $30 billion video game industry as a whole, but we can consider 2007 a marquee year in the evolution of games in general, not merely casual or serious games. 

With 25% of people over 50 playing games, according to Jill Braff, and 80% of parents saying they play games with their children, according to ESA, the idea of what a game can be has completely changed.  For the mobile game space, the image of a 3-minute session at a bus stop is even misleading.  NPD says that 75% of people play mobile games at home, with 25% playing more than 20 minutes.

In essence, game design is completely up for grabs, and it’s anyone’s guess what the next major jumps will look like.  Bottom line: There’s a demand for innovative ideas, not merely innovative technology.  The way consumers and advertisers respond to those ideas will help shape the direction of the industry.  The next 2 years will be interesting to watch.

Scott Goldberg