The term “casual” has been thrown around entirely too much ever since the meaningless buzzword was invented and subsequently used as a byword for “crap.” Gladly, I’m not the only one who believes this word should be snuffed out, with Dave Thompson of Scottish studio Denki has recently indicated.
“We may not find a particular type of game amusing or appealing,” he explains at the UK’s Develop conference. “”But that doesn’t stop them from being a game of equal worth to those titles that we do. Make the game you love and people who enjoy the things you enjoy will be the audience. If a game is fun people will buy it whatever the label.”
While Thompson is mostly arguing about how “casual” is used as an insult, I think the word should go simply because it has no merit. You can’t simply divide every game in the world into two broad, non-descriptive categories like “hardcore” and “casual.” It’s stupid, and it confuses people.
I would like to simply agree with the title of the Develop session which Thompson held: A game is a game is a game.
