New York--Casual Internet gamers now have their own version of virtual world Second Life, but without the need for a technology degree.

About three weeks ago, startup FlowPlay, which has the backing of Intel Capital, launched a virtual world on the Internet where users can play casual games and interact with other game players.

Similar to Second Life, visitors to www.ourworld.com create avatars or virtual identities that live on the Internet, doing everything from visiting a coffee shop to catching a movie to dancing in a nightclub. Actions win you credits or “Flow” which can be used to change the look and appearance of your avatar.

The service, which is free for the first twelve-and-a-half hours, costs $6 a month, giving subscribers access to about 100 casual Internet games, like Mozak and Jewel Quest. Popular game Bejeweled will be available next month.
 
“By combining games, a way to earn (virtual) currency and meet people, we have a virtual community that didn’t exist," said Derrick Morton, chief executive of Seattle-based FlowPlay, noting virtual worlds like Second Life are too technical for the casual-game audience. “Casual gamers must be able to play without reading directions. Anybody can plop down (into FlowPlay) and click three buttons to play games, shop and visit (places).” FlowPlay raised $3.7 million in venture capital funding in February.

The service works like other virtual worlds, where users are first given a generic avatar and as they engage in actions -- like winning a level on a game or becoming a barista at the virtual coffee shop -- they gain credits that can be used to buy virtual products like clothes. Users can also go to a virtual theater to watch YouTube videos or to SplatterBox, where they can create drawings with a program similar to Microsoft Corp.’s (MSFT) Paint. Users interact through a text box at the bottom of the screen.

“The marketplace is ripe for a more advanced version of casual games,” said Michael Schutzler, chief executive of BlueSeven Partners, a Seattle consulting company and an angle investor in FlowPlay. “Casual games are a multi-billion-dollar global industry.”

While much of the attention is focused on video games from the likes of Sony Corp. (SNE) and Microsoft casual games are wildly popular on the Internet. According to recent research conducted by Information Solutions Group, and commissioned by PopCap Games, a maker of casual games, the casual-game market has more than 200 million players online. Unlike male-dominated computer games, casual games appeal to a broad segment of the population, and increasingly woman.  

“If you look at the demographics, the folks that play casual games are much more women than men and women tend to gravitate toward other women,’’ said Robert Enderle of market research firm Enderle Group. FlowPlay “may be addressing an unmet need simply because of the nature of the environment,” he said. Getting people to pay to play the games and interact may be a whole different thing however, given games and interaction is readily available for free on the Internet.

FlowPlay currently has around 14,000 subscribers, although not all of them are paying customers. Users to the service have been early adopters and kids, but Morton hopes to attract more of general casual-game audience overtime. On average people are staying on the Web site for 40 minutes, with two-thirds of visitors there to play games. FlowPlay is aiming to have 1 million monthly unique visitors by the end of the year.

In addition to making money by charging a monthly subscription, Morton said the company is looking to forge sponsorships for the virtual stores in www.ourworld.com. For instance, FlowPlay wouldn’t mind having a real coffee brand sponsor its coffeehouse.

As to whether virtual worlds are a fad, the 50-year old CEO doesn’t think so.

“People want to communicate and meet other people," said Morton. "People have been emailing and chatting for years now. This is just the 2.0 version.”