Why so casual?

I’ve seen some comments on some websites wondering why we are making TE: CotRB into a casual game, as opposed to a hardcore one. So, this is a shout out to our hardcore gaming sisters.

What it boils down to is that hardcore gamers already have options. Bioware always has some kind of romantic aspect to their games, as do games that happen to have titles with the words Final, Fantasy and some kind of roman numeral in them.

Where we saw a need was in the casual gaming space. There just isn’t a huge selection of casual games with a strong romantic element in them. And we wanted to make games that everyone (from our grandmothers to our sisters) could enjoy, just like romance novels. It’s a natural fit. Casual games are there when you want a fun interactive experience, but aren’t in the mood to tackle a 100+ hour rpg.

So, hardcore gamer girls, please don’t feel like we’ve forsaken you! The way we see it, this game might be just the thing to scratch your romance itch while you wait for the latest Dragon Age downloadable content, and right after you’ve finished the latest Final Fantasy to be released in the US. Tiger Eye is only $9.99 after all! (Besides, we’re award-winning casual game developers – stick with what you know, right?)

4 Responses to “Why so casual?”

1. Mary Meerkat says:

   February 25, 2010 at 10:39 am

   I hope this means you won’t dull down the action too much! I can see where you are coming from, and can appreciate the idea. I would be interested in seeing if you guys could tackle something “hardcore” after making Tiger Eye. Those games, like Final Fantasy, seem geared towards men. I want a game that has good action (not just obscene violence), romance, and made so the heroine isn’t some busty bimbo!

   Reply
   • Mari says:

     March 5, 2010 at 7:16 pm

     Hi Mary,

     Don’t worry! You’ll still see a lot of action in the game. We’ve tried very had to keep all the core book elements.

     So, it sounds like you’re looking for a girl-targeted romantic RPG? That sounds like fun!

     Reply
2. Giancarlo says:

   March 29, 2010 at 9:53 am

   I think casual gaming is currently in a boom, and I think you guys are keying into this definitely. You can look to iPhone/iTouch games for an example of how big the market for casual gaming is becoming, nevermind the countless amounts of people that get hooked on Facebook’s casual games, such as Fishville. Even the micro-transactions/smaller scaled games that Playstation, Xbox, and Nintendo do over their respective online networks are booming.

   Reply
   • Mari says:

     March 29, 2010 at 11:22 am

     Good points, Giancarlo. I’m currently playing Social City on Facebook – and that has an interesting micro-transaction system to it. It’s the first Facebook game I’ve really gotten in to. But, I can see the appeal.

     The iPhone/iTouch is definitely an intriguing platform – I’d like to know more about it. I’m also very interested in seeing what becomes of the iPad. Do you think it will become a true casual game/mobile gaming contender?

     Reply