Marketing Opportunities in Online Games

"Games" is one of the top 10 search terms on any search engine.

What does this mean? Of course this is proving its popularity!

As at present time this market is on boom, mostly every one using web tends to play any type of game as this is the way of relaxing from the continue stress of work or many are strictly using web for the purpose of playing who tend to be more aggressive Web users, spending an average 53 hours per month online, versus 24 hours spent by most other Web users. Heavy gamers also tend to go online about 24 days per month, while the typical user goes online 17 days per month. Game Web sites offer an alternative to in-game advertising but reach much of the same audience. Game sites reach almost half of the Internet universe.

     The online game market is expected to reach $4.4 billion by 2010. Several game publishers have reported unsatisfactory earnings in recent years. The fiscal increase in the game market is at least in part contingent to the release and adoption of next-generation consoles like the Microsoft Xbox 360.               

In-game advertising has immense prospects but the growth of

 in-game advertising generates the question that whether gamers responds to ads placed in the games they play and the studies show that the bulk of gamers fall into the 18 to 44 year-old age group, who all appeal to market.

·        25% of gamers are considered hardcore, or heavy, gamers playing 16 or more hours per week

·        75 % Light or medium gamers, playing less than 16 hours per week.

Typical gamers have disposable incomes; 20 percent report annual incomes over $75,000 per year so it can be said that marketing opportunities are emerging in Online Gaming Venues

                 In-game advertising is expected to reach $732 million by 2010

Marketers searching for 18 to 34 year old males who can look to massively multiplayer online games (MMOG) for opportunities, while these opportunities exist in certain genres, brands must be creative to make an impact in certain massively multiplayer online game. The MMOG category comprises of determined worlds where thousands of people play and interact concurrently. Most gamers are male between ages 18 and 34.This category of game fall into four genres:

·        Fantasy: (89.1 percent market share)

·        Sci-fi and superhero:  7.1 %

·        Combat simulation and first-person shooter: 0.9 %

·        Social and other situation-based: 2.9 %

For advertising messages, social and real-world-like titles offer apposite milieu. In social and real-world-based games standard ads add legitimacy, though some marketers opt for deeper amalgamation The MMOG category takes up a considerable portion of that, offering a social, engaging experience in which marketers can reach consumers.