Finding a gift item that's sure to appeal to mom can be extremely challenging; most importantly, it should reflect the hectic lifestyle many moms now lead. So why not give her a gift that's guaranteed to provide hundreds of hours of leisure-time entertainment AND stress relief, without breaking the bank?
"Casual" computer/videogames -- those family-friendly, non-violent puzzle, word, trivia and classic arcade-style games that are now played by more than 50 million women regularly -- are one great gift idea that will first surprise, then enchant and ultimately bring a smile to any mother's face. Sites like PopCap.com and RealArcade.com offer a wide range of casual games which can be played in 'trial mode' for free.
Games like Bejeweled, Diner Dash, Bookworm and Chuzzle are even more fun than they sound, and collectively consume more than 3 billion hours of women's leisure time per year. Available for PCs, Macs and mobile devices, casual games are inexpensive (usually around $20 each) yet provide many more hours of entertainment -- and even relaxation -- than the traditional "hardcore" games that most moms steer clear of.
And according to Michele Lewis, a busy mother of four who home-schools her children while holding down two jobs, "They're a great way to take a break, relax for a little while and de-stress after a long day." Dr. Carl Arinoldo, a Stony Brook NY-based psychologist, author and noted expert on stress management and stress relief, adds, "Casual word and puzzle computer games such as 'Bejeweled' can help people exercise and enhance their concentration and focusing skills; and, by seriously attending to the word and puzzle games, people can control stress by cognitively 'blocking out' the negative stresses of the day, at least temporarily."
Best of all, casual games can be purchased online via web download, so the game is available instantly. And there's literally something for everyone in the casual games genre, from spelling words with tumbling alphabet blocks to caring for the fish in a virtual aquarium.
PopCap Games, the leading developer and publisher of casual games, recently added a printable/email-able gift certificate to its website (www.popcap.com). This gift certificate makes it even easier to give the gift of games to anyone, because it can be mailed or emailed quickly and easily, or inserted in a card (standard CD jewel cases won't fit in most cards). And neither the gift-giver or the recipient need to know in advance which game mom might like best; she can try all of PopCap's games for free on the company's website, then use the gift certificate to purchase the deluxe version of the game she likes best.
Check out these popular sources of downloadable games:
Yahoo Games ( http://get.games.yahoo.com/ )
PopCap Games ( http://www.popcap.com/ )
AOL Games ( http://games.aol.com/ )
Real Arcade ( http://www.realarcade.com/ )
Microsoft Games Zone ( http://zone.msn.com/ )
SOURCE: PopCap Games
CONTACT: Garth Chouteau, +1-415-602-8147, or garth@popcap.com
Web site: http://www.popcap.com/