In Depth
MTV Gives Casual Games a Closer Look
Viacom’s MTV Networks has a more than casual interest in those so-called online casual games.
The media giant is investing more than $100 million to develop more of these games. Presumably they’re good for more than wasting time at one’s desk during work. (Not that that’s something you or I would ever do, of course.)
MTV Networks has already acquired the No. 1 site for casual games,
AddictingGames.com, which draws 10.7 million unique visitors per month. According to comScore Media Metrix, those visitors spend an average of 30.5 minutes on the site during each visit, playing games that range from Foxy Sniper and Killer Whale to Rollercoaster Rush and Mini-Putt 2.
With such a big stake in casual games, MTV Network put together a significant study on the subject, with 3,520 interviews conducted among gamers from ages 8 to 60 in five demographic groups: kids and tweens; teens; young adults; adults; and boomers.
While all of the groups were actively involved with gaming, they had different reasons for being strongly connected to online casual games. Younger gamers participated to do things they can’t do in real life. Among adults, moms used games as “my time” to relax and escape, while dads used games to recharge themselves and to compete. Boomers said they felt physically transformed after playing online because the games kept their minds sharp and refreshed.
“Whether it’s competition, aspiration or relaxation, online casual games often serve necessary emotional and physical functions for gamers, making these games more crucial than casual for those who play most,” said Colleen Fahey Rush, MTVN’s executive VP of research. “While the reasons for playing vary among age groups, it’s clear that online casual games play an important and often essential part in the lives of gamers.”
More casual games can be played for free, and that’s the way the users want it. Fortunately for them—and for Viacom—there’s a high level of acceptance of advertising on gaming sites, allowing game developers and distributors to pay their bills.
To be sure, nobody really likes to see advertising while they’re gaming. The MTV Networks survey found it was almost universally mentioned as the most annoying part of the online gaming experience.
Nevertheless, the survey found that even the youngest players understand that games are free because advertising pays the bills. And nine of 10 survey respondents said they prefer having advertising on game sites to paying a fee.
The respondents noted that advertising becomes a burden when it disrupts the game itself or causes a delay in game playing.
“You get to a level and suddenly a pop-up [ad] comes on and you lose the game … that pisses me off,” said one 25-year-old male survey participant.
Game players said they prefer banner ads on game sites because they’re the least disruptive. They also like games sponsored by an advertiser. Less popular were streaming video ads that appear while a game loads or starts. Pop-up ads were the least popular.
Those banners and other ads can be good for the marketers as well.
Among those who actually noticed the ads, nearly 34% of dads who play games said advertiser-sponsored games created a better impression of the featured brand. Depending on the demographic, the percentage of people who had a better impression of the marketer sponsoring a game hovered at about 20%, with about 75% saying there was no change. The others said they had a worse impression of the sponsor.
The study found that online gamers talk about and share their favorite games. Search also plays a big role. While 49% of those surveyed said they found games through referrals from friends, 40% used search engines to find game sites.
No single site dominated the casual gaming category. The most popular gaming destinations listed by the surveyed group were gaming-specific sites, including MTVN’s Shockwave.com and AddictingGames.com.
MTV recently added community features to those sites.
Action and adventure games were most popular with kids and tweens, while puzzle games were the favorite among adults and boomers preferred card and casino games, the survey found.
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