Casual games are all the rage on DS. Ever since the likes of
Nintendogs and
Dr Kawashima's Brain Training persuaded people who don't play games that games are actually okay, we've been dealing with a deluge ranging from the likes of PC download titles such as
Cake Mania,
Diner Dash and
Zuma to big TV brands such as
Deal or No Deal.
It's little wonder, then, that French publisher Ubisoft has decided to go all in and set up a casual games division, something that some of its competitors (such as
Eidos) have already done.
"We are developing projects that make people feel playing games is worth their while, allowing them to spend quality time with family and friends, learn a new skill, or improve their daily lives," reckons Pauline Jacquey, Ubisoft's executive producer of casual games, in a less than casual – nay, even evangelical – mood. "By creating games with real-life benefits, we are creating games that appeal to everyone."
The first two games developed by the new division will be marketed as part of Ubisoft's new
My Coach series.
My Word Coach will help you improve your verbal communication and vocabulary in a fun way, and is being developed in conjunction with linguists (not linguinists as we first misread).
Similarly,
My Life Coach will be a DS-based personal coach that gives you the willpower needed to change your nasty habits in a motivating and fun way. But presumably, it won't tell you to stop playing games and go get a life – or at least not until you've completed the last level and unlocked all the secret bonus stars.
On a related note, Ubisoft will also continue to expand its extremely successful DS and GBA
Petz line of games, which teach young players how to take care of a cat, dog or horse and have sold more than 3.5 million copies in the past 12 months.
My Word Coach is due for release in the autumn, while
My Life Coach is scheduled to be the perfect Christmas present for the fat slob in your life.
