While I was getting a haircut this weekend, the woman cutting my hair mentioned that she was "totally addicted to computer games" right now. When I asked what game she was playing, her answer was Texas Hold 'Em Poker. Intrigued, I asked her several more questions about games, and found her thoughts interesting:
Had never been in the "game section" of Best Buy before, and was overwhelmed with the number of games. She couldn't figure out what to buy.
Doesn't like "all of those fighting games." She thinks she wants to play an adventure game, but can't find any.
Bought the CSI game because she loves the TV show, but the game was disappointing. It was "too easy, you just hold the arrow over stuff and it tells you what to do."
Tried playing some games online, but thought those "Yahoo games are all the same."
Has never read a game magazine or game web site.
Loves The Sims (a gift from her brother), but doesn't like getting involved in "really long games." She feels "guilty" about starting a long game and then quitting.
"Games are expensive" (in reference to $50 prices)
I mentioned the game Puzzle Pirates, where you can win points to buy new clothes for your pirate, and she "loved that idea."
I'm willing to bet she is a very typical casual game customer. She got hooked on a game that required almost no learning of the rules (poker), and wanted to play other games. Disappointed in all of the Bejeweled clones on game sites, she went to Best Buy. She managed to find and buy something familiar (CSI), get it installed on her computer (wow!), and play it enough to be disappointed. And now she's stuck, wondering how to choose her next game.
![[B0009IX7K8]](http://www.mikeyp.com/css/external.gif)
