In order to try and get a taste for the 'casual gaming' scene I tried out Jewel Quest which is apparently one of the most popular. It was quite fun for a short while but ultimately it got to feel very samey, and not just because the gameplay doesnt change much. A large part of it was because I'd played this game (or one very similar to it) in the 80's. In fact, all the ones I looked at were the same, Bejewled, Diner Dash, these are just graphically jumped up versions of games from my old Commodore 64 era. These raises three questions:
1. Is it just coincidence? The games for the C64 were simple out of necessity, but is it that simplicity that appeals to casual gamers? After all, if these games were popular then, why should they not be popular to a new audience now?
2. Will 'casual gamers' catch up? I grew weary of these games a long time ago and began to look for games which were complex and fulfilling. Will casual gamers find the same thing? Will they become bored with such simplicity and begin looking for more?
3. How can you plan to create a successful game like this? The puzzles or principles are so simple, it seems like luck is what makes such a simple game become as popular as the likes of Tetris or dissappear into obscurity like so many other of these games (even ones which might be exactly the same).
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