Downloadable games poised to rocket
Published: 02 Oct 2003 13:00 BST
The market for downloadable games is poised to take off, with revenue from purchases of downloadable games projected to jump from $52.7m (£31.6m) in 2003 to more than $760m in 2007, according to an IDC study released on Wednesday.
IDC said the widening demographic of gamers and continuing distribution of broadband services are giving a push to the US online PC gaming market.
"After years of experimentation and evolution, the online PC gaming industry is closer than ever to reaching substantial and ongoing profits," Schelley Olhava, programme manager for interactive consumer services and consumer devices at IDC, said in a statement.
The industry, prompted by the rise in popularity of online gaming, is witnessing significant change. Last week, America Online said it would integrate WildTangent-produced online games into its instant messenger service. In some markets in Asia-Pacific, gaming has beaten online shopping in popularity.
IDC said Wednesday that practically any genre of game -- from serious role playing games to casual ones such as pool or poker -- can be found to fit interests and skill sets of different segments of the online community.
But, for the market to see continued growth, the industry needs to widen the scope of content and move toward the e-business model of delivering downloadable games for a fee, the research firm said. Content quality must be high to support subscription-based gaming, and casual gaming Web sites will continue to earn money through advertising and sponsorship, IDC said.
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