"Casual games appeal to people of all ages, gender and nationalities. It’s estimated that there are more than 200 million players via the Internet. A majority of those who purchase casual games, however, are over 30 and female. In addition, casual games are usually played for a short period of time, from five minutes to 20 minutes – though it’s common for people to play game after game for hours.

More than 200 million people worldwide play casual games via the Internet. In 2009, the world wide connected casual games industry had revenues in excess of $3.0 billion on mobile, iPhone, social networks such as Facebook, PC, Mac and Xbox LIVE Arcade platforms.

Developed for the general public and families, casual games are video games that are fun and easy to learn and play. The games are platform agnostic, meaning they can be played via the Internet, PC and Macintosh computers, Facebook, Xbox, PlayStation, iPhone, Nintendo DS, Wii and even mobile phones and PDA. They’re nonviolent, arcade-style games that involve puzzles, words, board and card games, game show and trivia. Popular games are Mahjong, Tetris, Solitaire, Bejeweled, Mystery Case Files, and Farmville.

Over 400 casual games are developed and launched on major web portals, thousands of iPhone and thousands of social games are launched every year. Typically, the Top 20 games each year generate the majority of the revenue.

Budgets for casual games downloaded on the internet typically range from 100,000 - 500,000 USD.

Budgets for casual games on social networks, such as Facebook, typically range from 50,000 - 400,000 USD. "