In a recent article written for RPG Vault, PlayFirst CEO John Welch discussed the evolution of gaming and the impact of casual games like PlayFirst's Diner Dash on the future of the marketplace. The feature examined the blurring of lines between the "casual" and "core" labels used to describe gamers.

Interestingly, where casual gamers have been traditionally viewed as people who occasionally play solitaire on the computer, and core gamers are the select few who are really devoted to their games, we are now seeing these roles merge. Casual audiences are behaving like core gamers - playing longer, later, faster and demanding smarter games - and core gamers are enjoying less hardcore experiences, as demonstrated by the popularity of titles like Wii Sports and Guitar Hero. Our research suggests that casual gamers are starting to do what core gamers have done for years, adopt and grow communities around their favorite content experiences.

So what's the cause of this gaming mash-up, and more importantly, what does it mean for the industry at large? First, stating the obvious, games are fun... but playing the same type all the time becomes monotonous. Gamers are looking for variety, and games are becoming more pervasive in our culture, thus players are switching in and out of causal and core games. Just look at the double-digit conversion rates for casual games on XLA, or watch how traditionally core game mechanics such as economic and life sims are being simplified and brought to the broader mass market.

RPG Vault: The Evolving Face Of Gaming

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