<![CDATA[Gawker: valleywag, casual games]]> http://tags.gawker.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/gawker.com.png <![CDATA[Gawker: valleywag, casual games]]> http://gawker.com/tag/valleywag/casualgames http://gawker.com/tag/valleywag/casualgames <![CDATA[RealNetworks to spin off its games business]]> RealNetworks' games business grew revenues 33 percent since the first quarter of 2007. CEO Rob Glaser thinks it could grow even faster on its own. RealNetworks announced today it plans to spin off the casual games business and "may precede the spin with an initial public offering and sale of up to 20 percent of the shares," according to a press release. RealNetworks will also buy back $50 million worth of stock.

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<![CDATA[BusinessWeek releases "Web-based" games that download to your computer]]> With great fanfare, BusinessWeek released a compilation of twenty "free, independently developed Web-based games" on its website today. "Casual games," free games that are easy to play and addictive (think Tetris), are big business. Nickelodeon recently announced it was developing 600 games for its websites. Why is BusinessWeek playing tastemaker in this market, though, under the guise of praising the outlandishly simplistic videogames for their "design"?

Whatever the reason, the magazine's editors failed at BusinessWeek Arcade. A number of the listed games, like Echoes, aren't Web-based at all. When I click "Play Now," the games attempt to download to my computer. Finally, we've found an audience for whom even casual games are too hard a concept.

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