More recent casual game releases have plots that feel like they’re lifted from one of those cheap romance novels. So, it really isn’t all that surprising when we hear a company has gotten permission to create a game based on or inspired by one of said books. It isn’t often that a famous author ends up getting tapped for such a game. I-Play’s forthcoming Dying for Daylight is one of those games. They’re working with supernatural romance/mystery author Charlaine Harris.

In case you’ve been shying away from all things “sparkly vampire” related, Charlaine Harris is the author of the Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire series…

Pillowfight Girls a for iPhone and iPod Touch (and iPad) has all the stereotypes: Bonnie, the Catholic school girl with a little plaid skirts and white button-down shirt tied up to there, Jessie, the cowgirl with teenie tiny jean shorts and Julia, some kind of dominatrix-inspired girl with skin-tight black pants and knee-high red boots.

That said, I bet you already know whether or not this game is for you….

One of the more unexpected announcements during Nintendo’s E3 2009 press conference was THQ and I-play’s forthcoming DS visual novel with hidden object and puzzle elements. Women’s Murder Club: Games of Passion features a brand new story inspired by James Patterson’s Women’s Murder Club novels. It’ll be out sometime in Fall, 2009.

Lindsay, Claire and Cindy are investigating a series of murders in Women’s Murder Club: Games of Passion. Apparently, beautiful women are being abducted and murdered. Players read along, find clues and complete casual mini-games to get closer to the culprit behind these heinous actions.

Most notable is the fact that it will be a DSi-enhanced game, making use of the DSi camera…

Most casual games pick one specific genre to stick to, to lure players in and get them addicted. I-play’s latest release, Fabulous Finds, takes a slightly different approach. It has hidden object game aspects, has you solving riddles and also has interior decorating sim elements.

The game has players inheriting a massive home from a deceased aunt who was a tad, no, very eccentric. Her home is filled with all sorts of odd objects. Unfortunately, these objects and the environment isn’t right for you. So you have to find objects to fit themes of upcoming yard sales. Then, when the sale is running, you have to help people find the objects they want or need. After that, you can use the money you make to buy new items and redecorate the house…

Nokia has announced that I-Play will develop casual games for the upcoming N-Gage platform coming Fall 2007, proving once again that the N-Gage name will live on.

If you thought the N-Gage was extinct you are partially correct. The N-Gage gaming phones have almost gone the way of the Dodo bird but the name will survive in the form a mobile game service with content compatible on Nokia Nseries and other S60 3rd edition devices.

The first two games by I-play will be World Rally Championship and Super Mah Jong (from the makers of Jewel Quest), and will be available in 2008. I-play specializes in what it calls “one-thumb” mobile games.