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That's right! Grandma's got game. Grandpa too!

Earlier this month, the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) launched a new casual gaming portal on their website. The casual games are mostly variations of popular card and puzzle games like solitaire, poker, Hexxagon and Bejeweled. The most popular game on games.AARP.org right now is Mahjongg Toy Chest with over 12 million game plays.



The new AARP games were made by a company called Arkadium. Kenny Rosenblatt, CEO of Arkadium had this to say in a June 19th AARP press release:

"Casual games are not just for teenagers who like video games. A significant portion of online game players are actually over 30, and it’s making organizations like AARP realize the value of adding a Game Arena to their site to encourage engagement."

Why is the AARP getting into the casual gaming business? Three reasons:

1. Video games are a great way to keep seniors mentally sharp and help them exercise their minds.
   
   
2. A study cited by Sami Hassanyeh, Vice President of AARP Web Strategy and Operations in the above mentioned press release, shows that "boomers" spend about 100 minutes playing games online. The AARP needs to adapt and follow their audience as they evolve and become more online savvy.
   
   
3. And while seniors are playing games online, the AARP can push marketing messages to them. For example, when I tried to play a game of AARP Skeeball this morning, I had to suffer through an assload of Nurisytem ads. Why Nurisytem? A lot of old people are overweight. According to the Canadian National Population Health Survey, 32% of seniors are considered overweight.
   

The only thing AARP is missing in their new game lounge is a full screen and large text mode for seniors with poor eyesight.


methodshop

Labels: games, tech news