Casual Games SIG

International Game Developers Association

Special Interest Groups Alternate Reality Games Artificial Intelligence Casual Games Flash SIG Game Accessibility Game Design SIG Game Education Game Preservation Human Resources Independent Developers Intellectual Property Rights Localization Mobile Game Development Online Safety Online Games Outsourcing Positive Impact Games Production Quality Assurance Quality of Life Sex in Games Students Tools Women in Game Development Writing

FAQs What is a Special Interest Group (SIG)? How do I join a SIG? How do I establish a SIG?

The Casual Games SIG serves game developers worldwide who are interested in this accelerating marketplace.

Contents 1 Charter 2 Executive Steering Committee 3 Mailing List 4 SIG Initiatives 4.1 IGDA Casual Games Quarterly 4.2 White Papers 4.2.1 Previous Versions 4.3 Data Reporting Standards 4.4 Casual Games List FAQ 4.5 Sample Contracts 5 Wiki-Specific Projects 5.1 Casual Games Distribution Networks 5.2 Casual Games White Paper 5.3 Directories of Industry Players 5.4 GDC 2008 5.5 GDC 2007 6 External Links

Charter

We provide an independent and balanced resource that:

• facilitates the sharing of knowledge and ideas among developers to help create better games;
• helps developers better understand their customers and how to market to them; and
• promotes initiatives on behalf of developers that encourage the growth of the entire casual games space.

Read the SIG Constitution.

Minutes/agendas of SIG monthly conference calls Casual_Games_SIG/Conference_Calls.

Executive Steering Committee

• Casual Games SIG: Steering Committee - A list of the current members of the Executive Steering Committee as well as an archive list of past members.
• Conference Call Notes - Agendas and notes from monthly steering committee conference calls.

Mailing List

Sign up and talk shop with 900+ casual games industry professionals from all sides of the business. Pose your tough technical and business questions to the community and help others with their game development dilemmas. You can also search the mailing list archive. http://seven.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/casual_games

SIG Initiatives

IGDA Casual Games Quarterly

The IGDA Casual Games Quarterly newsletter is produced by the Casual Games SIG, and features interviews, data and analysis, post-mortems, and other content centered around current industry issues.

Please note that the Casual Games Quarterly, as with all activities of the Casual Games SIG and the IGDA at large, is a volunteer-produced publication. Please help build this valuable resource. Volunteer by contacting Wade Tinney: wade -at- largeanimal.com

Vol. 4, Issue 1: Spring 2009

Vol. 3, Issue 2: Fall 2008

Vol. 3, Issue 1: Spring 2008

Vol. 2, Issue 4: Summer/Fall 2007

Vol. 2, Issue 3: Spring 2007

Vol. 2, Issue 2: Winter 2007

Vol. 2, Issue 1: Fall 2006

Vol. 1, Issue 2: Winter 2005: The Business Issue

Vol. 1, Issue 1: Summer 2005: The Technology Issue

IGDA Online Games Quarterly

The Casual Games Quarterly began life as the Online Games Quarterly, a publication of the Online Games SIG, prior to the formation of the Casual Games SIG. Here are links to past issues of the Online Games Quarterly.

Vol. 1, Issue 2

Vol. 1, Issue 1

White Papers

The IGDA Casual Games White Paper is a comprehensive overview of the casual game industry. Every year, dozens of the top professionals in the casual gaming space, spanning all aspects of the industry including developers, publishers, portals, tool providers and more, collaborate to produce the definitive reference work on casual games.

The 2008 White Paper is here at last! More than 50 volunteers put together a fantastic, in-depth report on the current state of almost every facet of the casual game industry. You can download it here (3.7 MB PDF).

We are looking for volunteers to help create new sections for social games and iPhone games. If you are interested in pitching in on this effort, email the SIG Steering Committee.

Previous Versions

You can check out the previous version of the white paper (created in 2006) can be found here (in pdf format). The paper follows on the success of the 2005 edition, and is a must read for anyone working in the casual games industry. The latest revision of the 2006 white paper also lives on this wiki and can be updated by the community here: 2006 Casual Games White Paper

Data Reporting Standards

This initiative is an industry-wide effort to create standards for sharing sales data electronically between partners rather than via disparate paper reports. Help us move the industry forward. Learn more and download the standards specifications here.

See the February 2007 press release.

Casual Games List FAQ

There have been several recurring discussion topics on the Casual_Games mailing list. As a result, we've built the Casual Games List FAQ. You can use this as a initial resource before posting to the list.

Sample Contracts

Sample Contractor Work-for-Hire Contract Template

Sample Mutual Non-Disclosure Agreement

Wiki-Specific Projects

Casual Games Distribution Networks

• View and contribute to documenting the network reach of the casual games aggregators/distributors. To assist developers and publishers with better visibility into where their games are distributed by the aggregator/distributors in the industry, we have created this comprehensive resource.

Casual Games White Paper

• 2008/2009 Casual Games White Paper - This is the latest version of the white paper (3.7 MB PDF).
• 2006/2007 White Paper - This is the previous wiki version of the Casual Games White Paper. The previous printed version was 2006.

Directories of Industry Players

• Developers
• Publishers
• Aggregators
• Portals - Portals / Retailers / Distributors
• Tools and Technology

GDC 2008

• Casual Games at GDC 2008 - A listing of casual games related sessions and events at GDC 2008.

GDC 2007

• Casual Games at GDC 2007 - A listing of casual games related sessions and events at GDC 2007.

External Links

• Casual Games SIG: Recommended Reading - A list of books and articles of interest to casual games developers.