Casual gaming community sounds like an active retirement community.
Mindfuse has announced that their game world of Gatheryn will launch in 2009. What pray tell is Gatheryn you ask? Well, it's a fantasy setting world that is powered by steam, but we'll leave the "full of hot air" jokes on the shelf today. The developers are focusing on "gamers looking for a more mature and enjoyable pastime" according to Joseph Walters, the CEO of Mindfuse. He goes on to describe a little bit more:
Were very interested in the detailed aesthetics of the steam-powered genre, and our aim is to draw players into a romantic, vibrant world where story, community and puzzle-solving are the focus. Gatheryn provides an alternative to gamers who crave immersion and social interaction, but not the violence associated with similar games currently available.
You lost me at "not the violence" but then I like seeing big four digit numbers float over my enemies' heads. Also from the press release:
Gamers will recognize some of the most beloved casual titles of all time, including puzzle and action games. Playing these games not only advances the story, but players earn in-game gold that can be used to buy accessories, personal pets, clothes, apartment decorations, vehicles and more.
I applaud their ability to take a risk and see their vision through. Do casual gamers have the drive to advance a story even if it is just a by-product of playing some puzzle game they enjoy? These guys are bringing a full game out of the ground on minimal funding, and have hired some pretty big hitters from LucasArts and an engineer from Shockwave. Can they pull it off? My optimism is being smothered by a blanket of concerns. Am I that out of touch? Let's discuss.
