A Casual Conversation with Namco about Casual Games

{sidebar id=1}When I think of Namco, I think of my old school favorites like Pole Position and Pac-Man but after talking to Katie Welka, the Associate Producer at Namco Networks, I was absolutely amazed by all the cool new games that are coming out for casual gamers on the PC.

I wanted to focus on how the recent addition to the Collector’s Edition games has affected the way Namco designs and market their games. I was also very impressed with how concerned with accessibility they are.

Rebecca Fortelka, AbleGamers:  What makes a Collector's Edition game different from a standard game in the casual industry?

Katie Welka, Namco Networks: The Collector's Edition of a game offers additional features, such as concept art, desktop backgrounds, screensavers, puzzles, bonus levels, and/or a strategy guide for a higher price point—usually $19.99.

RF: How do you think the Collector's Editions of games have influenced your design practices?

KW: From a design standpoint, we find ourselves thinking about what a user who really liked our game would want more of so we can offer that to them in our Collector's Edition. As we do user tests, we survey them on what they enjoyed about the game. If we see that a particular puzzle or mini-game within the tested game is popular, we may evaluate how to add more levels to that puzzle or mini-game so that it can be played in more depth in the Collector's Edition.

RF: How have Collector's Edition games affected you as a developer?

KW: As a publisher and developer of casual games, the induction of Collector's Edition games has so far proven to have a positive impact. PC downloadable casual games typically have a low "conversion" rate (on average, only about 1 to 3% of the people who try a casual game buy it), and prices for these games have gone down to as low as $2.99 on some sites. At the same time, casual gamers are demanding more quality and content. By offering consumers a game they love with even more of the content they admire, we make them happy.  Selling at a higher price point satisfies the cost to make a quality game.  As a developer, we must also prepare for the demands that a Collector’s Edition will require well in advance—all within keeping to the same tightly-managed development schedules to which we must adhere to.

RF: How have Collector's Edition games affected the consumer?

KW: Collector's Edition games are still very new to the industry, so it's hard to say what the ultimate effect will be. I have seen many forums on this topic, and a wide range of heated opinions. In the end, I think the consumer wins. Collector's Edition games don't alienate the consumer—that's one of the great things about it. If the consumer doesn't want to or cannot pay $19.99 for a game, they do not have to, but can still play a version of that game for the price they're used to.

RF: What Collector's Edition games has Namco made and what is one of your favorites?

KW: Towards the second half of 2010 you will see a number of our titles coming out as both standard and Collector’s Editions games.  We don’t want to let the cat out of the bag just yet, but there are several titles slated.

RF: What kind of features do your games include that promote accessibility to all users?

KW: The PC Downloadable department at Namco Networks creates and publishes games with the intention of making them easy to pick up and play for a wide range of ages and abilities. Most of the games we’re currently developing use what we call "one-click" functionality. Anyone who can operate a mouse can play these "one-click" games. In addition, we avoid forcing our players to perform tasks with strict time limits, so that people who play our games are not penalized for taking longer than an allotted time to perform a task or react to something.

RF: What steps do you take when designing a game to make sure your games are accessible to all users?

KW: When designing a game, we do multiple tests throughout production both in-house and with the public to gather feedback on a variety of subjects, including usability. Most recently, while testing a Hidden Object game we were working on, we found that users with limited mobility of their hands were having trouble with a drawing mini-game that required them to hold down the left mouse button and drag the mouse along a symbol. The mini-game had little room for error—the lines in which the player was allowed to draw were fairly thin, and touching the edge required the player to start the mini-game over. The player could not advance until the mini-game was completed. In response to the feedback from our limited-mobility users, we made the mini-game more forgiving, allowing a much wider area to move the mouse, and the option to skip if they wished to return to regular Hidden Object gameplay.

In closing I want to thank my friend Katie Welka who an AP at Namco who helped me with the interview. Kelly Loughlin the PR Manager at Namco Networks also, thanks to

I will leave you with some great games from Namco that are PC based and casual those are accessible to most of our users!

• Star Trigon- A great puzzle game that is fully accessible to the ablegamers
• Journalist Journey: The Eye of Odin- Hunt& find puzzler that use a mouse or touchpad and might be difficult for people who suffer from colorblindness.
• Mishap: an Accidental Haunting- Hidden Object Game- that use a mouse or touchpad and might be difficult for people who suffer from colorblindness.
• The Otherside: Realm of Eons- Hunt& find puzzler that use a mouse or touchpad and might be difficult for people who suffer from colorblindness.