• by Tameka Kee , November 14, 2007

Bingo!

That and nearly two dozen other online games are coming to a PC near you, thanks to AOL's revamp of the Games.com site it acquired two years ago.

Results of an Associated Press-Ipsos poll conducted for AOL drove both the redesign of and offerings by Games.com.

The poll of more than 2,000 adults surveyed in mid-October found that 44% of all online adults who play games said they play versions of them online. While nearly half said they have played action, sports or role-playing games, two-thirds said they preferred playing casual card, word, board and puzzle games.

It's the latter group that AOL is targeting with its do-over of Games.com.

According to Jim Watson, programming director for AOL Games, Games.com had great organic search traffic and a wealth of casual gaming content, but the navigation structure and design scheme were "far from being optimal, because it was hard for users to find the games they wanted."

The retooling includes a more streamlined structure that's "easier on the eyes," and smart search technology that helps users find their favorite games with fewer keystrokes. Watson says that by the end of 1Q 2008, page view and time-spent metrics will help AOL determine if the redesign was a success.

As part of the revamp, AOL will add 20 new titles to the Games.com roster, bringing the total to about 400. Titles--including Bingo and Multiplayer Solitaire--are hoped to generate more page views for Games.com and inventory for advertisers, in part by featuring leader boards that flash onscreen and interstitial theme changes between levels.

Watson says Games.com hadn't been optimized for advertisers in the past. Creating more opportunities for brands to reach their audience (primarily females ages 30-45) while reaching for a wider demographic also moved the retooling forward, he says.

"AOL has this perception of being a walled garden, and Games.com is an opportunity to get beyond that," says Watson. He adds that while the company will still strive to deliver the best quality experience for its core, female casual gamer, "We'll be expanding our sports and arcade games to reach out to men and young adults more aggressively."