• Reuters, Tuesday, July 17, 2007 11 AM

"Casual" was the buzzword of this year's E3 conference in Los Angeles, championed mainly by Wii-maker Nintendo, which is widely being regarded as the leader of the next generation of video games. This year's E3 stressed the importance of reaching out the mainstream--and for good reason.

Casual games, often described as simple puzzle or card games (but refers to anything straightforward that could be learned in a few minutes), have been a massive success for Yahoo and MSN on the Web, especially among middle-aged women. Next-gen hardware makers, believing that many of their sons and daughters will scoop up their consoles, wants to attract parents, too.

However, analysts worry that the casual games market is already becoming saturated. Following a steady flow of research showing that "casual games are for everyone" the supply of these simple titles is increasing dramatically. "There may be a 'casual' glut by 2008," UBS analyst Ben Schachter warned in a note to clients. Indeed, Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft may have arrived at that party a bit too late. Besides, who needs to log onto the Wii and learn how to use that crazy (but cool) controller when the Internet is easier and more accessible?

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