14 DAY TRIAL // Electronic Arts' Casual Entertainment division has announced that it plans to introduce a new franchise of casual games, based on the For Dummies brand created by Wiley Publishing. The development duties will be handled by Beanbag Studios and the games will target the Nintendo DS and the PC.
The first release in the new franchise is available at the moment on Pogo, the online gaming portal, and teaches everyone how to play different poker games, from the ever popular Texas Hold'Em to Seven-Card Stud. There are tutorial modes, which teach the basics of every game style, and practice matches, during which a coach advises on the best moves.
In the future, more downloadable For Dummies games will be launched. The list includes Solitaire For Dummies which is coming in September, Brain Training For Dummies sometime in October and Sudoku For Dummies during the month of November. If the initial launches are successful, Electronic Arts will consider the possibility to create more titles in the series in 2009.
November 2008 will witness the release of the Nintendo DS game in the For Dummies line, which will offer tutorials and practice games for Solitarire, Sudoku and crossword puzzles. Is there really a market for Solitaire tutorials? The launch of Travel Games For Dummies will likely answer that question.
Robert Nashak, who is the vice president at EA Casual Studios, thinks that "For Dummies offers an entirely fresh take on the world's most popular games. By teaming up with the most recognized name in the area of self-improvement, we can provide not only fun games, but also everything it takes to learn and master them".
So, basically Electronic Arts believes there's a segment of gamers out there that is unwilling to learn a game using the countless pages of information and hints that are available online and it tries to market a game for them. The whole "casual game" movement might have taken a step too far with this one.