E3 2008: Ubisoft announces yet another casual gamers series - what is it with all these horses?

Far be it for me to be pessimistic but hasn't Ubisoft already announced more casual games than is healthy for a publisher? Clearly brain training and pet games seem to be a requisite of any gaming portfolio these days, but aren't they supposed to be supplementing the 'proper', big budget games?

I remember a time - about five years ago, around the time of the first Splinter Cell, Beyond Good and Evil and Prince of Persia when Ubisoft was like the new pariah of the games industry. Going on their current release list - which includes the games Figure Skating, Animal Genius, Imagine Teacher, Personal Yoga Training, Fashion Dogz and My Health Coach: Weight Management - you could be forgiven for assuming it was an accolade they decided they didn't really fancy.

Anyway, rant over and I'll actually get on with the point of this story, which is - Ubisoft has announced a new series of casual games which go under the label 'Ener-G'.

The first three games which have been announced for the series are: Ener-G Horse Riders, Ener-G Gym Rockets and Ener-G Dance Squad. Excited yet? Thought not.

Starting with Ener-G Horse Riders, the game will let players search for and tame a variety of horses around a farm, create the perfect horse by choosing from 11 breeds and a variety of colours and personalities, then enter them in challenges and obstacle courses. Confirmation isn't in yet on whether you'll be able to stroke your steeds with the DS stylus, but - rest assured - we'll be cracking out the Stop Press headlines once it is.

The second game announced is Ener-G Gym Rockets. In this one you take part in five different gymnastic events, with the ultimate goal being to work your way to the Olympics and compete for a gold medal.

Players will be able to practise on the balance beam, floor exercises and more, and even create their own individual routines by combining more than 100 moves.

Finally there's Ener-G Dance Squad, which has you competing to be world champion of modern dance. Yes, that includes R&B, funk, pop and - my personal favourite - tribal.

You play as a girl called Laura and, throughout the game, will meet other dancers and learn new routines. There are 12 opponents to dance off against, you can change outfits and accessories and there's a choreography option where you can combine moves to create unique routines. Even the music can be customised, and a replay option lets you watch back your finest shapes.

And that's it. Something for everyone. Everyone aged 10 and under and in possession of at least one pair of ballet shoes or a Barbie doll anyway. Good on Ubisoft - we admire a publisher that readily takes risks with the games it publishes.

*Note heavy sarcasm*