Casual Roundtable: “We can thrive from recession”

CasualGaming.biz spoke to some of the biggest companies in the business, including PopCap, Oberon, RealGames, SPIL, Nickelodeon, Muskedunder and PlayFirst.

To read out Reoundtable in full, click here for Part One and click here for Part Two.

Here’s a taster of what the industry had to say:

Tomer Ben-Kiki – CEO, Oberon Media: “I believe when all is said and done that the casual games business will emerge from this crisis stronger and more profitable.”

PopCap: “When economic times are tough, the most broadly appealing, cost-effective forms of entertainment tend to not only survive – but thrive.”

Peter Driessen – CEO, SPIL Games: “Regardless of the both adverse and opportunistic effects, casual games are here to stay. This industry is deeply rooted in today’s society and will become even more significant as time goes on.”

Magnus Alm – CEO, Muskedunder Interactive: “It will be possible to find a larger user base who are getting more and more used to free entertainment – therefore the ad-based business models will win in the long run, when the economy swings back on track.”

Harold Zeitz – COO of RealGames: "As consumers tighten their budgets, they’ll become increasingly selective in the games they chose to purchase and play - the best services and games will thrive, while lower quality content will face some challenges."

Dave Williams – SVP and General Manager, Nickelodeon Kids and Family Games Group: “I do think that some players in the space are going to struggle, particularly those who need access to outside capital and high valuations to fund growth and investment and/or haven’t reached profitability and need cash to fund existing operations.”

John Welch – President and Co-Founder, PlayFirst: “I do believe the economy is already having an adverse effect on the casual games sector because the lack of investment capital flowing into the sector will strain businesses and therefore reduce the amount of content developers are able to produce.