Why 'casual retailing' can help grow the market

Jun 19th 2008 at 15:23 by Christopher Dring

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Retail took £16.3 million over the game’s launch weekend alone, and this was largely down to the product’s appeal and Nintendo’s canny marketing ability. However, there was another contributing element to the games success.

Despite being one of the largest gaming releases of the year, Wii Fit was all but absent from independent games retail, and failed to top the indie charts.

Here in the UK, Nintendo avoided the games retail specialists in favour of stores more suited to the game’s target demographic, such as Tesco or Woolworths (or Wiiworths, as it was called).

This could just be the beginning for how casual games really find their feet at retail.

HMV, Zavvi, Blockbuster, Woolworths and Argos have all expanded its gaming range as of late. But not with extra copies of Devil May Cry 4 – it’s through with shelf space dedicated to the likes of Game Party and Carnival Fun Fair Games.

But I think if casual gaming is to be the true revolution it is fast becoming, then it needs to go beyond even the entertainment chains.

Already some firms, such as Lexicon Entertainment, are gearing up to release budget ranges in supermarkets, whereas book store chain Borders has expressed a desire to stock Wii and DS games alongside its Richard and Judy book club titles.

So how long will it be before all retailers get in on the casual act? If casual gamers can be anyone and everyone, then to reach them casual games should be anywhere and everywhere.

Nintendo’s upcoming Cooking Guide should be stocked in Marks & Spencers; Brain Training in Waterstones. What about Baby Pals in Mothercare or Hannah Montana in Claire’s Accessories? Is it time My Health Coach was sold through Boots?

How about a disc version of PlayFirst’s Fashion Dash being sold in youth-oriented fashion stores, or the demo being given away with each purchase? And Starbucks – that’s the ultimate place to sell games, surely? You could have games that are only downloadable at each café, much in the same way iTunes is available for free over the coffee shop’s wifi.

Casual gaming is the exciting, blossoming future of the video game industry, games are expanding out of the bedrooms and into the living rooms, away from the teenage boys and into the hands of mothers and daughters… so perhaps it’s time gaming expanded away from GAME and GameStop, and into the likes of Target, John Lewis and Dorothy Perkins, JC Penny and American Apparel.

As casual gaming continues its march to global domination, casual retailing could be that all-important next step.