Casual Games Association Publishes Casual Games Report

The Casual Games Association has released the 2007 Casual Games Report, highlighting the sector's continued strength and growth.

According to the report, casual gaming is a $2.25 billion a year industry, and is currently growing at a rate of 20 percent per year. Over 200 million people were reported to play casual games online each month, and while men and women play casual games at a nearly equal rate, women are far more willing than men to pay for them, representing 74 percent of paying casual game customers. While casual games were typically played in short increments of five to 20 minutes, the report said it is also very common for people to play the same game repeatedly over a period of several hours.

Jessica Tams, managing director of the Casual Games Association, said, "The Casual Games Report offers some of the most interesting insight ever on the industry. Already more people play casual games than any other type of videogame and the industry continues to grow at a very healthy rate. The 2007 report is a great primer on the industry and provides a comprehensive overview that is accessible to new entrants and yet valuable to veterans."

The most popular casual games as determined by the report were:

• Solitaire
• Tetris
• Bejeweled
• QQ Games Collection
• Diner Dash Franchise
• Mystery Case Files

The report also includes a history of the casual games market, an overview of the industry's business models and profiles of the 12 leading casual game companies. The 2007 Casual Games Report is available for purchase at research.casualgamesassociation.com for $1,500, or $500 for new Casual Games Association Members.