I can’t quite believe what I’m about to write: We are approaching the first anniversary of the Casual Games Association Conferences. It seems funny now, but when I got together with Rutger Peters and Erik Goossens from Zylom to start planning that first Amsterdam conference back in late 2005, we weren’t at all sure that it was even a good idea. And get this: I figured I could manage the CGA in my “spare time” while still working a fulltime job. Who was I kidding?
The good—no, make that great—news is that even the optimists seriously underestimated the size of the market and the widespread interest in industry development and collaboration. Less than 12 months since that kick-off conference, we have had over 3,000 attendees at our events—we’re practically selling them out! Amazing. Exciting. Exhilarating.
We have been told that one reason for the extraordinary success of the conferences is that we endeavor to make the content especially relevant to the local markets. Our hope has always been that, as a consequence, we can foster worldwide growth and interest in casual games (and within the Association). And it’s working. For instance, our show in Kyiv this November was attended by 306 casual games professionals, 92% of whom were new to the CGA events. When we started the Casual Games Association, we focused primarily on game content—perhaps because that was my background. (Sorry.) But since then, we have come to recognize three distinct constituencies (at least) within the Casual Games Association: game content (including development, publishing, merchandising, and platforms); brand marketing; and commerce (online, advertising, retail). While we have always had something for the Content and the Commerce factions at our conferences, at CGA Europe: West in February (and in the articles within this magazine) you will see greater attention devoted to marketing and commerce. We believe that this broader focus will make for a stronger industry.
This magazine is itself a reflection of our growing strength and vitality. It includes updates from Microsoft, Real, and Shockwave about their willingness to share advertising revenue with developers (wow); there’s a discussion with Mark Cottam and Paul Jensen of MumboJumbo concerning how content publishers are supporting the growing success of retail casual games and alternative platforms; plus Paul Thelen of Big Fish Games shares an outline of opportunities available for content creators entering the casual space—just to name a few of the excellent articles you’ll find in this issue. In fact, I think this is our best issue yet, with articles that are worth not only reading but sharing with a colleague who is not yet a part of the Casual Games Association.
It really wasn’t that long ago that we were visiting Amsterdam for the first time, and yet we have come so incredibly far since then—which makes looking forward into 2007 even more exiting. Just wait to see what we have in store for you this year!
