Not all gamers are hard-core

As video games go, there's not much to "fl0w." The graphics are two-dimensional. There aren't any points to win or lose. Nothing explodes.

But the game, which lets players maneuver plankton-like creatures through a hypnotic primordial soup, has been a hit. It's the most downloaded PlayStation 3 game, and critics have given it high marks -- Gamespot.com called it "honest-to-God fun."

Fun and video games don't always go hand in hand. The complexity of many games has increased dramatically, especially when it comes to game consoles, requiring dedication and button-mashing dexterity that the average person doesn't possess.

But games such as "fl0w" are on the cutting edge of a counter-movement toward games that are quick and enjoyable and don't require weeks to learn.

Long derided by the industry, so-called casual games are now seen as an antidote to the long development cycles and bloated budgets of big console games such as "Madden NFL" and "Halo" -- which, like a Hollywood movie, can bring in big profits or flop spectacularly.

"It's the biggest thing happening right now in the games business," said IDC analyst Billy Pidgeon.

The casual games category has a wide range of offerings, including "fl0w," solitaire and online puzzlers such as sudoku, played on platforms including consoles, personal computers and cell phones. The Casual Games Association, a trade group, estimates that 150 million people worldwide -- many outside the demographic of typical gamers -- play them.

Publishers like the games because they're relatively cheap to produce. Developers like the instant gratification of being able to create a game in months rather than years. And there are more game consoles, such as the Wii and several hand-held systems, on which to play them.

"It requires some level of concentration, but not really deep thought," said David Little, 66, a research programmer in San Diego who plays sudoku on his PC.

Jason Schutte, a 29-year-old marketing consultant in Milwaukee, is a dedicated gamer who uses "Collapse," a puzzler, and other short casual games as the equivalent of a brain detox.

"It clears my mind," he said.

Players are expected to shell out $1.2 billion in 2012 to download casual games to computers, up from more than $430 million last year, according to market research firm DFC Intelligence. When revenue from subscriptions and advertising on casual gaming sites is tossed in, the figure is expected to reach $2.3 billion by 2012 from $932 million in 2006.

And that doesn't include sales from games downloaded onto consoles such as the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

In November 2005, Microsoft launched an online marketplace, Xbox Live Arcade, which lets players purchase games to download to their consoles. Sony followed last year with PlayStation Network, and Nintendo also has an online shop for its Wii consoles.

Digital distribution via game consoles gave smaller games a new sales outlet that's more consistent than retail. Stores tend to cycle through titles much faster, causing sales to drop off sharply within weeks of release.

Encouraging experimentation

Casual games are relatively new to consoles, but they've been big business on personal computers for years.

Yahoo uses games to keep people on its ad-filled website. Real Arcade sells downloadable games as well as monthly subscriptions to its 550 titles. Neopets and GoPets generate revenue from sales of virtual items.

In a recent survey by Parks Associates, 34 percent of consumers play online casual games at least once a week, compared with 29 percent who watch online videos and 19 percent who use social networking sites.

At the same time, developers have started experimenting thanks to casual games. Id Software's John Carmack, for example, produced a cell-phone version of his "Doom" game that sold more than 1 million copies. He has since created another series of cell-phone games called "Orcs & Elves."

With a big-budget console or PC game, "you can't just go try your wacky pet idea," he said. "This is back like the good old days, when you could just go out and try something cool."