According to Reuters, 2011 will be the year of the casual, mobile based video game. Video game sales were down four percent from 2009 level, but social, Facebook games and iPhone and iPad titles are expected to make up for the less-than-stellar sales levels in 2011. Industry insiders expect new revenue for gaming in the form of "downloadable content, mobile games, and in-game micro-transactions."
While you can't argue with the proven success of Farmville (and those ubiquitous other "'Villes") and mobile games like Infinity Blade and Angry Birds, I wonder how long it will be before more the "casual" market demands more in-depth content. I tried to play a little CityVille not long ago, and was struck by the possibilities of Facebook gaming, and how poorly that particular title realizes that potential. What could have been a compelling city-sim is quickly revealed to be an advertisement for itself, a pointless time-sink and an overall annoyance.
Since it's nearly 2011, let's look ahead. I predict that someone will "crack" the divide between casual and 'core gaming in 2011. The right title could easily bridge the divide and provide casual players with the insta-gratification they demand while simultaneously delivering a deeper experience to those gamers looking forward to it. I'm not sure what that title will be, but consider the prediction made.
Source: Reuters
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EliteCaptainShell
Please no.
I'll still play both hardcore and casual.
(mostly Hardcore)
Tsuiyo
Well...
Kinect is definitely going to be a pretty casual device (let's face it). PS3 is still going to be a hardcore system (it doesn't matter that the Move can sense backward and forward motion, it's still just a more expensive version of the Wii). There will definitely be more downloadable games, what with Windows's tablet device and the obligatory new iPhone that will be coming out next year.
I think next year will pretty good year for games in general, both casual and hardcore (have we come up with a good definition that distinguishes the two yet?).
Tylerr
Guess your another 360 fanboy who doesn't know about all the ps3 exclusives that are coming out.
Really...how can any gamer say that 2011 is going to be casual with all the hardcore games that are coming out, sad, just sad.
TrustFall
From a money to value ratio (99 cents) Angry Birds was the best video game of the year. Hundreds of levels, as much challenge as you want, that was a true cross over title and it deserves credit. With it moving to consoles it will get more complex but the best games have always been simple premises executed perfectly. It's the same reason that Pac-Man, Super Mario Brothers, etc are legendary. I'm not saying Angry Birds will have that kind of longevity, but I think it's the first true cell video game that bridges the gap between hardcore and casual gamer.
keyatzin
What does the video game industry want from us?
There were a lot of good games this year, on top of that there's dlc, and subscription fees (higher on the 360); and this year just about every other game had a collector's edition or limited edition, or both. Almost forgot all the peripherals, including Move and Kinect.
We don't have anymore money in our pockets simply because they want us to keep giving it to them.
But casual games aren't even after the same market, they are impulse buys, because casual consumers, unlike the hardcore, don't research every option before they buy one; and they don't have to. For them it isn't an investment.
Kensan_Oni
Video Game Sales aren't the only thing that are down at the moment. This is senseless sensationalism that is just marketing Social Networks, and not caring about the larger picture.
maybeimdreaming
I laugh whenever I read "videogames are down by X percent from last year".. do they ever consider that maybe it's because there simply wasn't as many quality games RELEASED that year?
fallenmoogla
I thought this year was the year of casual games.
TD_ThA_MoNsTa
I agree with cardinalsfan1122, 2011 will be growth overall in the gaming industry.
Malapropism
i feel expecting someone to crack the divide between casual and core games in 2011 is completely unreasonable, i think it's more likely to happen in 2012 or 2013, considering how long it takes to develop a console game is around 2 years, and how long it takes to develop one of these cheap tacky button click games, six months at best? i mean how long does it take even for a console to get remarkable games, and you expect that to happen in one year?
i can easily see these things becoming more and more separate from eachother, one will continue to be like an mmo and the other will just be really expensive, possibly even more expensive when a new console comes out
cardinalsfan1122
2011 will definately not be the year of casual gaming. It will be a good year for gaming overall. Casual games are a growing genre that doesn't mean "core" games will be shrinking. Gaming is growing and growing and gaining more momentum by the day. I think the WII opened up alot of people to gaming which normally would not have played many games if any. Gaming will keep growing in 2011 in all genre's not just casual games.
bhogos
DAMN YOU MICRO-TRANSACTIONS
Blue_Vortex
Pretty much every year of gaming we've had "casual" games, there's just some "casual" games that are played so much in attempts to get the top score or be the best of the best that "core" gamers turn them into more "hardcore" games.
Anyways I think any game that has spontaneous health regeneration is not a "hardcore" game, but that doesn't mean they're still not fun. Games first most are meant to be fun and entertaining and what else to make game fun by making it easier to step into (by having spontaneous health regeneration). But then again I guess "hardcore" is more of a reference to sophisticated story, world, and game mechanics.
Also while you're probably moving your mouse over to click the thumbs down button, I really don't understand the hype of angry birds, I tried it but just couldn't get into it, oh well to each his/her own.
kanabo master
It's the year of the PS3 gamer,which is why their trying to divert attention away from hardcore games .I'm also guessing G4 is being paid by Microsoft to promote the kinnect and ignore PS3 games .
nightsnipe
You can call it that while I play
ES:V
Ghost Recon
Gears 3
Battlefield 3
ME3
Dirt 2
Forza 4
MK9
Brink
and w/e else I forgot to mention. This year I bought 4 games, next year it looks like my wallet it gonna get raped
DreamingDarklyRobin
Mass Effect 3, Dead Space 2, Elder scrolls V, another Call of Duty, GoW 3, Crysis 2, Deus Ex, Mortal Kombat, L.A. Noire, Red Faction, Rage, Batman, XCOM, and of course Duke Nukem.
How can anyone honestly believe Casual games are the future, sure they'll sell a lot but they will NEVER have the quality that a core game can have.
morrelloman
Does this mean Mass Effect 3 is not coming out?
CALiiGeDDon
Gears of War 3 Fluff's Revenge
Dead Space 2 The Cuddle Monster
Ghost Recon Future Solder Peek-a-boo
Those sound like casual games right?
skillsthatkills
there are way too many "hardcore" games in 2011 to call "2011 the year for casual games"
The Monkey King
inb4 "hardcore" gamer rage.
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