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Gameplayer has published an article examining the rise of casual gaming titles, and their impact on the creation of games for the "hardcore" gaming audience. The article includes comments from Lionhead's Peter Molyneux, PopCap's Jason Kapalka, and Epic's Cliff Bleszinski.

Consider this: the Casual Games Association estimates that the sector has grown 20 per cent year on year for the last four years, so it’s understandable to see all the big publishers chasing the cash. From EA Casual to Ubisoft’s Games For Everyone, which includes titles like My Word Coach and Petz, the limited shelf space in game retailers has seen traditional genres like the FPS, driving sims, and the RPG under threat from fitness, pet grooming, and cooking titles.

Craig Holland, the CGA’s marketing director, highlights the level of migration there’s been: “From tracking our attendance at the Casual Connect shows over the last three years, we can definitely see an influx of developers and publishers from the big-budget core game side of the games business. There is a lot of activity in this area, though we have not made an attempt to quantify it or track the migration numbers of developers who have left core to now focus on casual.

But hardly a day goes by when the games press does not mention some core developer that announces it is working on a new casual game.” So, are self-professed hardcore gamers right to be concerned about the influence that casual gaming is having on their hobby?

Gameplayer: Are 'Casuals' Killing Gaming?

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