the not-so casual gamer

What is a casual gamer? It's a term that gets used a lot more lately, as a larger audience is introduced to the world of games. It's also become a very lucrative demographic, because console manufacturers and game publishers aren't interested in selling their product to existing customers. They are in the business of making money, after all. And that includes reaching a wider audience. As games become more accessible, the definition has been muddied somewhat. Is a casual gamer someone who is content to play solitaire on a Windows 95 desktop? Or Diner Dash for days on end? What about sports gamers, who ground themselves in some form of reality instead of the blood and guts escapism of first person shooters? What about players of flight simulators?

In this month's article at The Cultural Gutter, I examine that the casual player of flight simulators may not be so casual after all.