A few years ago, if someone used the phrase "casual games," you probably would have imagined someone playing darts or shuffleboard in a newly smoke-free bar somewhere. Only recently, aided by Nintendo's DS and Wii juggernauts and download services like Xbox Live Arcade, have casual games become serious business. Everyone and their dog is stumbling over themselves to create casual games. EA, Eidos, Ubisoft: everyone is doing it. Of course, PopCap has been doing it for a while now. Gamesindustry.biz recently sat down to talk with Jason Kapalka, chief creative officer for PopCap games.Speaking to the success of casual games, Kapalka notes that PopCap enjoys nearly a 20% conversion rate on Xbox Live Arcade titles. That's 1 in 5 people who decide to buy a PopCap game -- Heavy Weapon, for example -- after playing the trial version. This is compared to less than 10% rates for the PC and mobile markets. So, yes, casual games can certainly mean big bucks for a smart company.
That said, Kapalka also states that the low cost of creating casual games makes knockoffs a very real problem. As Kapalka puts it, "a three person studio isn't going to build a knock-off of Warcraft. But they could crank out a clone of Bejewelled in a few months." He notes that many independent developers make knockoff games as a means to fund larger projects. The only problem with this, according to Kapalka, is that it rarely pays off and developers are forced to make more simply to survive. The end result is less creativity in the industry.
Kapalka also takes time to discuss the recent announcements from major publisher opening casual branches. Hint: EA's focus will be on buying properties, not creating them. The interview is definitely worth reading. Hit the "read" link to check it out.
[Via 1UP]
