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Joy Sticks: _On-the-go gaming takes off in popularity as players embrace its low difficulty, accessibility_

By Matthew Overstreet

March 8, 2012 1:53 a.m.

Game players come in every shape and size, and in today’s world of smartphones and Facebook gaming, it’s getting harder to find someone that doesn’t play games, even casually.

Casual games are titles that aren’t meant to be played for long lengths of time or even meant to really immerse the player. Casual games, like “Angry Birds” and “Bejeweled” are meant for gaming on-the-go.

Not that they aren’t fun games with good gameplay and interesting mechanics, but you don’t play them to learn something about yourself, lose yourself in a compelling story or compete with others. And that’s fine ““ most of the people who play games purely for enjoyment probably don’t care for these other gaming experiences.

Even those of us that do enjoy these “deeper” video gaming experiences can still find a little bit of relaxation in casual games. What this translates to, then, is that Facebook and mobile games are becoming more and more lucrative.

Zynga, the developer of games such as “FarmVille,” “Mafia Wars” and “Words With Friends,” is one of the most popular suppliers of casual gaming entertainment. In November, the company was estimated to be worth between $7 billion and $9 billion. At that time, 150 million users were playing Zynga games each month.

One of the first harbingers of this modern casual gaming boom, and a huge contender in this market still, is Nintendo. The Wii first launched in 2006 and used a revolutionary new motion controller that opened up the experience to those who had never even touched a gaming console.

The console has featured games with easier difficulty levels, less complicated gameplay and easier-to-access game styles as well. Which isn’t to say that there haven’t been more traditional games of high quality on the Wii. Nintendo’s focus, though, has been on family-friendly material from the start.

It’s a tactic that has paid off, with more than 94.97 million units shipped worldwide as of Dec. 31. It worked so well, in fact, that we’ve seen similar motion control peripherals released for the Sony PlayStation 3 and in the Xbox 360’s Kinect.

Part of this success, and part of what makes casual gaming so appealing, is the accessibility for first-time players that the Nintendo Wii offers.

In the past, one of the biggest barriers to getting any game was the fact that you needed an expensive console or PC. With mobile games, if you have a smartphone or even a low-end computer, you already have the means to run them.

The accessibility and on-the-go attribute that these games possess is especially appealing to busy college students. It’s quick and easy to play a game of “Cut the Rope” when the professor’s lecture gets dull.

Mobile games are also cheap, easy to find and, like the Wii, tend to be pretty simple to play because of their limited input options. Which, once again, is a big deal for people who don’t have much time to dedicate to games.

Whether you like casual games, or think they’re a waste of time, there’s no denying that they represent a huge market that’s only just getting started. The future of all gaming ““ marketing, design, distribution ““ may be determined by how this generation of mobile and casual gaming pans out.

_To get more information on this topic, or to brag about your high score in “Bejeweled,” email Overstreet at [email protected]. _

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