Here is a summary of Arthur's talk at Casual Connect Conference which took place in Seattle this week. As soon as they have the the podcast, I will update this post and put a link.

Building Strong Brands In A Storm Of Competition by Arthur Humphrey


http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=24576

************ UPDATE AUGUST 18 ************

Finally the whole speech is on podcast. You can download it from here



Download Arthur's Slides/Audio at Casuality 09

An interesting and thoughtful (not to say true) piece. Thanks for the link, Carla.

Agreed. Arthur said exactly what I've been thinking for a few years now.

Absolutely true! I have tried out my fair share of match-3 and hidden object games but they do not feel like games that will lure me to the company and discover what else they have to offer. If anything, I find these repetitive games to be temporary amusements that create no loyalty or personal attachment to the company.

I respect LDW for many reasons and this is the only company I have been interested in enough to join their forum.

I agree I use to play match 3 games a lot but after awhile they get boaring. However they have made some improvements on some match 3 game for ie Iwin games website is one of them. On that website can compet aganst others.

Thanks for the link Carla!

Arthur, you make great points and I, for one, agree with keeping on the long-term goals approch, maintaining integrity and innovation rather than the 'quick-fix' of making minor modifications to an existing idea.

I also linked to the Gamezebo reviews. All I can say is that if the little Virtual Villagers can brave the storm...so can LDW!

You all are doing great and I expect great things from well intended people who have managed to keep my attention for these many years!

I think that this company will be known as one of the greats of the casual game world, if not already.
I like this company and will be sticking around for years to come, just waiting to see what you come up with next.:)

I've played the "Three in a Row" genre and the "Hidden Object" genre sometimes, but they seem to get repetitive despite an underlying theme they may have. (E.g. tropical,old,city,space,fast food joint.)

This is my favorite forum, because, well, it just seems to friendly and welcoming (there are no internet trolls hanging around, there also just seems to be unwritten rules that keep this forum in this place, like if you mess with a regular, then all the regulars to this forum would get on your case, and in all my years here, I've only seen a tiny, tiny, TINY few get banned. The mods here do a great job.)

You are truly my favorite company.

I have been a member of this forum since 02/25/07. For over 2 years now, I have known Arthur. I consider him a friend, an honest, and true person. With Arthur, it is what it is and that's what you get. I admire that genuine quality. I feel I am much the same way, so when I read this article, it didn't surprise me to see what I was reading. It was very candid and truthful. In some ways, I can see other game developers getting "put out", or slightly offended by the observations made. I have to agree with what was said.

I have 11 hidden object titles in my game arsenal. After awhile, I stopped getting them because it got to feel as if you've seen one, you've seen them all. The game didn't change, and as it was said in the article, the experience was pretty much the same for everyone who had the game. "find the key up here", "find the boot over here".

I have a few match 3 games but after a while it didn't matter if I was matching crystals, life-preservers, or platypus', it was the same game every time I opened it up. There great for me, if I really am just looking to pass the time away and really don't want to put much brain effort into what I am doing.

The article I just read was dripping with truth. Games, like the one's LDW puts out, are ever changing and depending on what you do with your game, can actually have a great impact on the outcome. The variables are plentiful which makes my game experience different from anyone else who is playing the game.

Way to go LDW. Way to go Arthur.

Great article Arthur! I agree with it 100%. LDW games are the only ones I've wanted to play over and over. The others I play once and never go back to. Thanks for creating your great family oriented games.

Kudos. I have said before and will say again, only a gamer could develop such an addictive arsenal of games within the "casual" game market. I hope you never lose that. Your understanding of how important a web presence is to the gaming community comes from that and that quote almost made me cheer.

Other developers may be offended at the candid nature of the comments, but they would be wise to heed the advice given - very wise indeed. Then again, you could just keep the secrets for yourself and let them falter and fail. I think it is wiser still to offer the advise and let those that will accept it, use it. Sometimes the creations of others are what inspire us to keep improving, keep creating and keep exceeding.

I continue to be more and more impressed with you and the company you all have established. You have earned my loyalty as a customer and I am happily anticipating your next development.

If only the rest of the business community could understand this one simple concept: Quality is far more valuable than Quantity!

LDW get's it, most of the "core" game developers get it, so why not the other casual game studios? I guess there will always be those that are just out to make a quick buck.

I was also, understandably, delighted to see that Arthur pointed out Fan Fiction to help drive home his point. (of course I'd LOVE to know if he pointed out any stories in particular! lol)

Yes !!!! I deifinately agree with this article ..... I have played some of the hidden object games I get to the like 7th level and I am bored with them...... the games I am finding on other sites these days .... I am beggining to find more and more of this story !!!!! So it seems the only games that seem to suit me are LDW's!!!!

If it werent for you guys I would be bored out of my mind !!!! And I love this forum I have made so many new freinds on here !!! so keep up the good work LDW

Glad it has been said!

Most of the non LDW games I play are core games, most involving lots of money and many discs. For casual game play, I have two time management, one hidden object, and no match three games on my pc. I also have PT, VV1 & 2, and VF. I spent a total of $20 on the three non LDW games as opposed to $20 a piece for VV1, VV2, PT and $15 for VF (which I bought using my VV3 savings ) I would not spend even the $6.99 for most of the "played one, played them all" games currently on the market. If I want to play any of the other kajillion hidden object, time management or match threes out there, I will play the free online version. Half an hour and I have had my fill for a month or so.

I have not bought any other casual games for the PC since discovering this site and the supportive community maintained by LDW. A large part of the reason I am willing to save my nickels and dimes to buy LDW games (and directly from LDW) is not just the quality and value, but the confidence that if I have a problem, it will be taken care of to the best of their collective abilities.

I just buy games from Last Day Of Work,and Amaranth.I have a Shockwave membership,and play games as long as i want.Ther are a lot of gamesites,where you can play games free.I buy games from Walmart on c.d. when i find them on sale.I hate hidden object games.

I have a Shockwave membership also, and would not have discovered LDW's games if not for it. I play core games to the hilt and play nothing else when I'm really into one. As Emri said, Shockwave allows unlimited play on any games for a very small monthly fee. They are mostly casual games. I use those as "time killers," and my daughter and her friends love them.

I don't have a count on the hidden object games we've had, but at the last hard drive "clean out" I uninstalled 43 hidden objects and 27 time managements. The hidden object games that have a story line I usually finish in an hour or two. Those that don't, I don't even play. I absolutely hate the ones that have objects that look like they are pasted on top of the image and/or don't even go with the theme. Time management games are just the way Arthur described them - they are all copies of Diner Dash, and no more interesting.

I could have played my Shockwave version of VF forever, without any additional cost and without any annoying changes to the game (that some other game hosting sites have.) I chose to buy it from LDW because of these forums. I absolutely, whole-heartedly agree that web presence matters (not just for casual games, either) and yes, we (the customers) care.

I love the hidden object games as something fun to do with my fiancé, but just like BB I cannot stand them when there is no storyline or the objects do not have anything to do with the game. These games do not last a long time and they come and go really quickly while my LDW games are here to stay.

I personally go to Big Fish Games to browse through the games and figure out what to try next.

I love this!!

Arthur, you said it perfect! This is along the lines of what I tell people when I talk about LDW, not only as a game maker, but as a company. The reason that I love your games are that they are unique. I can play 5 slots at a time in any of my games, and still have a unique experience in each and every one of them. Add the quality of your web presence, and you have a winner!

I hope that other developers will heed your advice. And if not, well then, at least we know that we can count on you and LDW to continue to produce great games following a time-tested strategy!

I cannot agree with Arthur more, and this is why I buy LDW games!

I love this forum .

The other day I went to wal-mart an bought a big fish game for 10.99 I never buy from big fish in my opininon I just dont like it ... but I said this could be a good one read the cd cover three times making sure that it was not a "search" game ...got home and played it .... It was a search game ... played for 30 mins. was bored deleted from my computer and gave it to my cousin.... i was so angry i was ripped off 11 dollars do not like those games there is no reason to make them accept to make a little profit !

I love LDW keep it up

I think that what I said in another thread (about VV4 in General Discussion) could be said here:
with the VV games, we are in love for our villagers and for their destiny, and also we get a "story" to follow! The story of Isola! This makes our fidelity, especially when the achievement is good!!

I just listened to the entire podcast while looking at the slides and it was brilliant! I don't recommend it for all ages but I personally found it absolutely clever and charming.

Wonderful talk & slide show Arthur & Carla! I get new ideas popping in my head for innovative games all the time and it makes me very picky in what I purchase. This talk has helped me recognize what things I should look for before even trying out a game.

I'm not sure whether I'd prefer a "spiritual sequel" or direct one for my personal favorite, Virtual Families If there is a new one with a subtitle, there's a whole lot of potential but there is also so much potential for a new similar game. Even if there is no sort of sequel, I'm also hooked on the Virtual Villagers series and really looking forward to the fourth installment.

Whatever you release, I'm good! Game on

I just love that link of the mere-cats I just love them. I had to share that.