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Thursday, 11 December 2008 |
By john mce
 The future of online gaming isn't just Halo 2 or Second Life. It's draughts, chess, pool and other so-called casual games. There's no guns, there's no action, but with over 82 million players in the casual gaming sector these games have twenty times more users, while EverQuest and World of Warcraft receive all the media attention.
Online gamers aren't just spotty teenage boys, it's housewives, grandmas and granddads these days. Supposedly it is mainly women 35 to 54 who play casual games online. The market is worth hundreds of millions of dollars every year, mainly through advertising since most players are reluctant to pay to play such games.
Casual games seem to be reaching new audiences online. Microsoft, Yahoo! And EA are all expanding teams to release hundreds of casual games for these users, but they are all waiting to make the next Tetris.
Released in 1987, Tetris changed the gaming industry by proving that a simple shape puzzle could make millions, even next to Super Mario World and the like. Today, Tetris serves as an excellent example of how massive |
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 11 December 2008 )
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