Last week I touched on the phenomenal success story that has been mobile gaming over the past five years. Its appeal lies in its accessibility, drawing in anyone capable of working a smartphone regardless of age, gender or taste. However, gaming’s assault on popular culture isn’t limited to the mobile arena alone. Adolescent males have ceased to be the only big spenders in virtual town, and corporate console wars have taken on a life of their own in what has been dubbed by commentators “the battle for the living room.”

New hardware competing for sales is hardly a revelation; this has been happening ever since the second household appliance came on the market. Every few years the big guns of the console world would take turns persuading the consumer of just how much more firepower they had than their competitors. N64 or PlayStation? Xbox, Gamecube or Playstation 2? Their targets were either established gamers or impressionable children born into the console generation; loyalty was preferable to expansion. The formula became well-established, even boasting a dedicated Wikipedia page entitled “Console Wars”.

Then Nintendo threw something of a curveball, and suddenly consoles broke away from mainstream gaming to become part of mainstream culture. The Wii’s release in 2009 was the first time a major games company explicitly made everyone its target, and allegedly spent $200m on advertising in doing so. Rather than chasing down the same-old players with the same-old tastes, the Wii – whether you care for the console or not – showed us that anyone can like games. A specific Family Edition was released in October 2011, and as of September 2012, total Wii sales reached almost 100 million: 30 million more than either of its major rivals.

This little slice of history serves to demonstrate that games have become a medium in their own right; no longer mere suburbs on the fringes of the entertainment industry. Videogames cater to all ages and demographics, boasting a burgeoning range of genres and archetypes. While traditionalists may staunchly insist on their PC gaming pedigree, the powerhouses of the industry are adapting to reflect their newly broad audience, and for that we have reason be thankful.

The term ‘casual gamer’ is often applied derogatively: a brand affixed to the hordes of amateurs perceived to be swarming like a plague on the face of gaming. ‘Dumbing-down’ in games, whether real or imagined, is blamed on the newcomers in search of light relief without the learning curve. In reality, an infusion of new blood will work in everyone’s favour. Not only have ‘casual’ gamers lodged the medium permanently in the public eye, new perspectives inevitably lead to innovation and evolution, pushing the field in new creative directions. If a little family-friendly gameplay is the trade-off for one fewer generic shooters, so be it.

Casual, carefree and unaccountably mistrusted, the living room laypeople are a powerful force in gaming.

Read Angus' Re:roll - Week 2 column on mobile gaming.

Angus Morrison runs a YouTube channel on games and their critical reception at www.youtube.com/RErollGaming