Getting Serious With Casual Play in the Game Industry

You can find signs of the revolution everywhere. One of the fastest-growing parts of the game industry is centered on so-called casual online games, PC-based titles that users can generally start playing in minutes and usually don't require the mastery of some combination of multiple buttons to enjoy. The upheaval has spread to the console market.


You might think that the face of one of the hottest areas in gaming right now is a young male in his 20s who owns the latest supercharged gaming system  from Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT)  or Sony (NYSE: SNE)  -- or both.

You'd be wrong.

Instead, the epitome of the new-era gamer is a woman in her late 30s or early 40s who plays on an average PC.

Yes, the video game industry seems to have been turned on its head.