What Mom Really Wants For Mother’s Day (NAPSA)—It may come as a surprise to some, but the fastest- growing segment of the online games market is “casual games,” those nonviolent, easy-to-learn games that can be enjoyed in quick spurts. Women, many of them moms between the ages of 25 and 54, make up nearly twothirds of players. Why Do MomsLove Online Games? Game designers have gotten the message: Women want different games than men. Most women don’t want shoot-’em-ups. Cater- ing to women, gamedesigners cre- ate games that emphasize construction over destruction and creating order out of chaos. Casual games include word, puzzle, matching and classic card games. Many of these games— such as solitaire, hearts, hangman, backgammon and chess— have been enjoyed in theoffline world for decades, making them instant favorites online. And, perhaps most important, they don’t demand hoursof playing time. Fast Fun—Momsare busy people. Casual games are designed to be played in short 10- to 15-minute bites or even less. Many popular, casual games aretypically two to four minutes in length, so moms looking to enjoy their “me” time after they put their kids to bed or during a coffee break can play repeatedly without wasting an entire afternoon or evening. Guilty Pleasure—Ask a group of online playing momsif they are “gamers” and they’ll most likely tell you no. Ask them if they love to play games on their computer and they'll admit yes. Many momsfeel guilty about the precious minutes they spend playing Millions of Moms now unwind with online games. games online, but the mental escape far outweighsanyguilt. With two children, two cats, two gerbils and a husband, Cheryl C. rarely gets time to herself. For the past five years, the Seattlebased mom has turned to World Winner.com when she needs an escape. “When I play word games, the worries of the world just seem to melt away,” Cheryl explains. Game On—If you thought Mom was competitive about throwing the best dinner party or havingthe prettiest flower garden on the block, online game competitions may be just what she needs. While casual games are undeniably fun, some games sites, such as WorldWinner.com, keep players engaged by offering tournaments in popular online games, including Solitaire, SCRABBLE Cubes and Bejeweled 2. For a minimal entry fee, Mom can compete against other players in the game of her choice to win cash and merchandise prizes. WorldWinnerwill host a series of special Mother’s Day tournaments. For more information, visit www.worldwinner.com.
