One of our biggest challenges marketing Club Casual Games turns out to not to be selling our site and products, but the idea of playing games per se!

You wouldn’t think this were hard. Hey! We have games. Really good games. Good games are fun. We have free trials of good games. And totally free online games too. That’s right, instant free good fun!

Well I’m sold, for starters. But the folks who’d most enjoy playing often stubbornly refuse to even look.

Despite the explosive growth of casual games over the last five-plus years, the outdated view that games are for kids and unkempt geeks is unfortunately alive and well.

In a moment of clarity over a glass of Chateau de Cardboard this evening, I realised we’re dealing with a classic Green Eggs and Ham situation. With apologies to Dr Seuss:

Would you play games with a mouse?

I would not, could not, with a mouse.
I will not, will not, in my house.
I would not play them here or there.
I would not play them anywhere!
Games? I do not give a damn.
I do not like them Sam-I-Am!

Try them, try them, you will see!
You may like them, they are free!

I do not like them on PC
I do not play games, you know me!
Games are all just crash and blam,
Do not subscribe me, Spam-I-Am!

And so on…

Of course by the end of Seuss’s story, the grouch is so worn down that he does eventually try the dish just to shut Sam up. And it turns out the green eggs and ham are delicious and suitable for consumption anywhere, any time. Just like casual games really.

So gamers, how do we convert the masses of unenlightened grouches to the true pleasures of casual gaming?

Do we try to seduce, or do we just follow Sam’s fine example and harass everyone until they give in? Suggestions welcome.

Loved reading this article from our friends at ClubCasualGames.com - we loved working with them a on their game couple of years ago.