Making Sense of Casual MMOs
Sonja.Kangas@souplala.net Feb. 09

About me
Sonja Kangas
Game Director of GuppyLife
Researcher (Youth Research Network & Souplala)
Finland / Denmark
http://souplala.net
Sonja.Kangas@souplala.net

This presentation
Focus on casual MMOs
Discuss differences between Hard Core vs. Casual MMOs
Foresee the rise of niché MMOs and hybridization of
social virtual worlds and online multiplayer communities

Define: Casual
Hard Core and Casual often used as common terms even
though:
Casual player (quests instead of raids, less time and money spent
in games, no or short history in gaming)
Casual gameplay (simple mechanics in easy to learn puzzle,
word trivia and arcade games)
Casual game (Any type of gameplay, any genre, simple rules, easy
to play (genre), lower budget compared with HC games)
Carrying different meanings and values
E.g. casual gamer can play hard core games casually
Casual is not equal to easy or simple

MMO - Persistent online worlds
MMO – Massively Multiplayer Online
POW – Persistent Online World
SNS – Social Networking Service
VW – Virtual World
A synchronous, persistent network of people,
represented by avatars, facilitated by computers [1].
To play, socialize, network, hangout, create and share
ideas, things, events or objects.
[1] Robbins-Bell 2008

Online gaming categories
MMORPGs Virtual worlds
Alpha World
World of Warcraft
Second Life
Everquest Lineage
Habbo
Emerald Island Muxlim
Stardoll
Carzz
Cartrider
GuppyLife Cyworld
Casual MMOs Playful SNS
Partial source: Forrester Research (2007)

History put short
MMO genre started from the evolution of text-based
virtual worlds: MUDs and existing genres of digital games
Virtual (graphical) worlds started from graphical chat
rooms such as The Palace and Alpha World
Multiplayer online games focused on role playing games at
first which soon added RPG extension to MMO
MMORPGs (and other MMOs) started within current
game genres
The starting points of casual MMOs were more social,
introducing novel type of gameplay and new genres

Development trends
SNSs
MMORPG
MUD
Casual
Visual
Online
online chat
gaming MMO
Playful Niché
edugames
Chat
MMO
online
Virtual
worlds
-1990 2000 2007-

Casual MMO
Casual MMOs different development branch of
multiplayer online games than MMORPGs
MMOs, VWs and SNSs are merging into hybrid products
Besides casual and social gaming, another trend is MMOs
for niché user groups (e.g. Muxlim.com, GuppyLife.com,
Gem island (casino), Emerald Island, Carzz.com)
MMOs supporting existing brands (e.g. line of Disney
MMOs, BarbieGirls etc.)
In this presentation Hard Core MMOs are all multiplayer
online games that do not fit into the definition of casual
MMO

Typical misconception
It is often claimed that players spend less time and money
playing Casual MMOs than Hard Core MMOs
Casual MMOs catch idle gamers where as HC MMOs
attract and immerse players on a different level
WRONG!
Both Casual and HC MMOs have potentially high
stickiness and efficient business models
There are number of other issues differentiating Casual
MMOs from Hard Core MMOs

Casual MMO vs. Hard core MMO
Social activity: chatting and hangout Social activity: co-op playing, raids, chatting
Free-to-play up to certain point Monthly fees
Player retention shorter Player retention longer
Focus and key factor of immersion: players Focus and key factors of immersion: quests, tasks
Motivational factors: social, liking, enjoyment Motivational factors: competition, achievement,
social
Goal: social interaction and activities Goal: gameplay and achievement
Interaction in game: discussion Interaction in game: functional
Main business model: Micropayment Main business model: Game box + subscription
Easy to start playing Suppose some game literacy
Invited by friends Joined in with friends
Typical game types: puzzle, card, action Typical game types: RPG, FPS, action
Around 10% active players out of registered Around 80% active players out of registered
users (after 6 months) users (after 6 months)
New game genres Existing game genres

Casual and HC MMO lifecycles
Hard core MMO
Entry Practise Mastery Burnout Recovery [2]
Casual MMO
Entry Explore Socialize Burnout Recovery
[2] Wu-chang Feng et. al: MMORPG study 2007. Nick Yee: Daedalus project 2008.

Player retention (% / month)
120
100
80
60 hc
casual
40
20
[3]
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
[3] Data from public sources (e.g.Whirled, SL and WoW). Based on averages & estimations!

Motivational factors in MMOs
12
10
8
6
Hard Core
Casual
4
2
[4]
0
Social Enjoyment Competence Relaxation Appearance Recognition Liking Achievent
(reputation) (advancement)
[4] Partially based on Frederick Herzberg’s model of Motivational Theory (1959). Estimation!

Click.
Front page image from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7PhJp3ciRQ
Sarah Robbins-Bell:
http://connect.educause.edu/Library/EDUCAUSE+Review/HigherEducationasVirtualC/47220?time=12
33873024
Nick Yee: http://www.nickyee.com/daedalus/
Wu-chang Feng et. al.: http://www.thefengs.com/wuchang/work/cstrike/netgames07_long.pdf
Forrester Research: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_24/b4038403.htm
Frederick Herzberg: The Motivation to Work (1959)
Virtual goods summit presentations: http://vgsummit2008.com/program/