Why “Casual” Doesn’t Mean “Easy”

December 9th, 2009 - 177 views


Why “Casual” Doesn’t Mean “Easy”

“Casual” games have been all the rage in the games industry over the past few years.  From the explosive growth of online games to the major First-Party support of the Wii, the “casual gamer” and the entire supposed market space has become a great buzzword and mainstay in game development.  Entire divisions of large companies have cropped up solely around the idea of casual, and smaller companies and developers striking it rich in this wild west of an audience.

But seriously.  What does “casual” really mean?

Of course anyone can point out games that are casual versus hardcore.  Wii Sports and Farmville are casual games, sure.  Call of Duty and World of Warcraft are not.  But what does that actually signify?  And if you’re going to base independent or corporate projects and future sales figures on these genres, doesn’t it make sense to understand what they are and how they work?

By using the Game Design Canvas, we can break down both casual and hardcore games and find out what really makes them tick.  When we contrast them as you’ll see in a moment, there aren’t as many differences as one would assume.  However, one major difference betrays a casual game as a casual game, and that one difference influences the game’s audience, the viable platforms, sales methods, everything.  It is the difference that sets it apart from the hardcore titles and gives it its soul.

CanvasFillInBlank2 Why “Casual” Doesnt Mean “Easy”

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Scott Kim takes apart the art of puzzles

December 8th, 2009 - 122 views


Scott Kim takes apart the art of puzzles


At the 2008 EG conference, famed puzzle designer Scott Kim takes us inside the puzzle-maker’s frame of mind. Sampling his career’s work, he introduces a few of the most popular types, and shares the fascinations that inspired some of his best.


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Imperial City: The Crown of the King

November 25th, 2009 - 143 views


The Brazilian company PlayArms, Recently entered the Casual Games Market with style with the launch of its first game : Imperial City – The Crown of the King.


Imperial City


All set in Petrópolis – RJ, with photo-realistic scenarios, challenges with increasing difficulty, is a great option for fun, to learn about the history and culture of this great Brazilian city, and to know large and important historical monuments, magnificent landscapes and much more than this city has to offer. After playing this game, you surely will also be eager to know this beautiful city.

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Game Design Tutorial: Making Your Game by Breaking Your Game

November 20th, 2009 - 146 views


Game Design Tutorial: Making Your Game by Breaking Your Game

Another great tutorial from The Game Prodigy.

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The Minds Behind Some of the Most Addictive Games Around

November 14th, 2009 - 92 views


James Turner from O’Relly Radar made this great interview with Jason Kapalka, the creative mind behind many of PopCap’s success games.

The Minds Behind Some of the Most Addictive Games Around

If you’ve wasted half your life playing Peggle, Bejeweled, Zuma or Plants vs. Zombies, blame these guys!

The gaming industry tends to focus on the high end products, first person shooters that crank out a bazillion polygons a seconds and RPGs which spend more time developing the plot in cut scenes than in actual gameplay. But for every person playing Borderlands, there are scores playing casual games like Bejeweled and Zuma.PopCap Games has been at the forefront of casual game development, with a catalog that includes bestselling titles like Peggle and Plants vs Zombies, in addition to the two previously mentioned. I recently had a chance to talk to Jason Kapalka, one of the founders and the creative director of PopCap. We discussed the evolution of PopCap, how the casual gaming industry differs from mainstream gaming, and the challenges of creating games that can be engaging, without being frustrating.

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Game Design Lessons: From Seconds to Hours of Gameplay

November 4th, 2009 - 112 views

 

Game Design Lessons: From Seconds to Hours of Gameplay


Excelent tutorial from The Game Prodigy! It worths a look!


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Game Design Lessons: From Seconds to Hours of Gameplay

Phoenix Lib is now MAC OS Compatible

September 17th, 2009 - 100 views


With the invaluable help of Johannes Stein, finally, Phoenix Lib is now compiling both in MAC OS and Windoews through Lazarus.


Now we finally have a great engine based on Pascal to develop Multiplatform games. In the near future, I intend to also test it on Linux, and perhaps also in newly released version of Free Pascal for iPhone, where it will possibly work with very few modifications.


Also, I am helping Andreaz Lake in testing the new Build of Phoenix Lib, and it is adding many new features and news, and I can say, Phoenix Lib has everything to be the definitive engine for game development! I already started the conversion of Abra Academy – Returning Cast for this version of Phoenix, who will serve for the launch of its Japanese version and the MAC OS versions! My new games are also now being developed all this new version of Phoenix Lib!


Keep in touch… Soon we will have many more news!


Forum Online

August 17th, 2009 - 85 views

Wagenheimer’s Game Development Blog forum is now online!


There you can ask any question about the Asphyre, Phoenix Engine or about any of the Games done by me. Please make a visit and feel free to make any question!


http://www.wagenheimer.com/forum

Druids – Battle of Magic – New Version Available

August 14th, 2009 - 115 views



druidsbattleofmagi feature Druids   Battle of Magic   New Version Available


There is available a new version of Druids – Battle of Magic Game, with with several improvements :

  • Totally new High Definition Music and Sfx.
  • Improved Graphics, Visual Effects and Particles Effects.
  • New Loading Screen.
  • Many Bugs Fixed.
  • Better Windows Vista/Windows 7 Support.
  • Now you can change Music and Sfx Volume.

Who still does not know the game, it is worth taking a look. And for those who already know, new music and effects are the most attractive one to further improve the experience. Be sure to check it out!

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Download the demo version of Druids – Battle of Magic.

Abra Academy hits Top 1 in Japan

July 24th, 2009 - 109 views


Abra Academy hits TOP 1 in Big Fish Games Japan.



abraacademy feature Abra Academy hits Top 1 in Japan


Abra Academy – Returning Cast is also beeing converted, and will be ready very soon.


If do you want to see more info on the Japane Abra Academy, please visit it´s official website : Abra Academy Japan