Online gaming set to quadruple by 2010

***wraggster*** · August 30th, 2006, 15:37

Article Via CVG

The world of online gaming in the US is set to be worth a staggering 4.4 billion by 2010

Analysts: we sometimes treat their prognostications with not so much a pinch, but more like a truckload of salt. Still, it's always fascinating to take a peer through their crystal balls to see what the future of gaming might hold. Especially when we broadly agree with what they're saying.

So it's an interesting and welcome report comes our way this morning form US research and analysis firm Parks Associates, which predicts that the North American online game market will quadruple by the year 2010 - reaching $4.4 billion, up from the $1.1 billion it was worth last year in 2005.

Holy expanding online Batman, but it's scarcely a surprise when you consider the success of titles like World of Warcraft which have opened up a whole new audience to the joys of playing together on the interweb. Add in the growth of handheld online capabilities in the DS and the PSP, Microsoft's thrust with Live Anywhere, the added attractions of the PS3's PlayStation Network Platform and the massive surge in the uptake of broadband, and you've got a whole bunch reasons to start gaming online.

That's not even mentioning the financial incentives for games companies (but we will), with monthly subscriptions in the MMO market and in-game advertising ready sources of revenue which mean they have a vested interest in making online succeed. It's a rare combination which is good for the game companies as well as the players.

Although the major markets vary a touch according to local conditions, we can probably expect similar levels of growth in Europe and, as we already know, Asian gamers in markets like Korea and China are gong online crazy, so we can probably expect even more rapid growth in them there parts.

More interesting stats thrown up by the report? Well it seems PC players are still leading the way ahead of their console cousins. Parks' report found that PC gamers spend around 18.5 hours a week playing games, console users around 13.6 hours and handheld owners a mere 8.9 hours, but over 70 percent of PC gamers play online multiplayer games.

So gaming's future's bright and it certainly seems the whole world will be enjoying it online.

**jamesmc3stripe** · August 30th, 2006, 16:02

ach well i remember the good old days of the snes with analog out put and great 2d garaphics i wonder if ill be syaing in 15 years time awww i remember the good old days with the ps3 and its great 3d graphics and hd output:d lol and MMO well lets see what the future holds i hope we get some sort of 4d space suit game thing tht you play underwate?:S lolol

**jamesmc3stripe** · August 30th, 2006, 16:02

water*

**Gene** · August 30th, 2006, 17:56

2010... well at least not 2100.

anyway thanks for the info. seems like the world will slowly turn into a mere vurtual reality. Reminds me of The Termanator, for some reason....Hehe.