search technology reviews, news, features, group tests
Popular Searches:   video , dell , dvd
Mobile Edition  | 
 |  Register
 |  Newsletters  | 
Sitemap  |  RSS
RSS
Monday November 23, 2009 5:15 AM AEST
Skip Navigation LinksPC Authority > News > Online gaming more popular than web video
NEWS

Online gaming more popular than web video

by Robert Jaques  on Aug 20, 2007
Tags: Online | gaming | more | popular | than | web | video
But only just.
Playing games is a more popular online activity in the US than watching short video clips or visiting social networking websites, according to new research.

The Casual Gaming Market Update from Parks Associates found that over two-thirds of US adult surfers play online games on a weekly basis.

This compares with 29 per cent who watch short online videos, and 19 per cent who visit social networking sites with the same frequency.

"Despite the growing popularity of YouTube, MySpace and Facebook, gaming remains the king of online entertainment driven largely by casual gaming activities," said James Kuai, a research analyst at Parks Associates.

"Gaming also has business advantages. Social networking and video streaming sites rely solely on advertising revenue, but casual gaming has more mature and heterogeneous revenue models, including web-based and in-game advertising, try-before-you-buy, subscriptions and micro-transactions."

The year-over-year growth rate for frequent online gamers reached 79 per cent, significantly higher than the 46 per cent growth rate for users of social networking sites.

However, the growth rate for frequent users of video streaming sites was 123 per cent, which could pose a "significant challenge" to the gaming industry in capturing the online leisure time of internet users.

"The casual gaming industry cannot rest on its laurels," Kuai warned. "In order to counter the growing competition from other online activities, the industry needs to continue to grow its fan base and find ways to better monetise its existing audience."

Copyright © 2009 v3.co.uk
Email a Friend Email this
Print Page Print this
Tweet This Tweet this
Feedback Send us your tips


Ads by Google

Comments

Be the first to comment on this article.
Thoughts on this article? Add a comment below.
Login or register to submit a comment.
 

Top Stories

Box battle: Telstra takes on TiVo and Foxtel with T-Box trial in Melbourne
It's not quite Foxtel IQ and it's isn't TiVo either. The T-Box lets Telstra users watch movies and TV from the Bigpond site, as well as record and watch digital TV
 
5 More Free Linux Apps You Can't Do Without
More digital Swiss Army knife software, including Linux utilities and tools that are so useful you won't know how you ever did without them
 
Microsoft delivers Office 2010 public beta
Vendor details editions for Office 2010 along with application virtualisation for testing.
 


 
Intel
 
Popular
Most Discussed
PC Authority Featured Retailers
hot bargains from the mwave store
City Software, Australia's online computer store with up to 80% off RRP
special offers from dell
Special promotions from the Apple store - Redeem here
PC Authority Featured Retailers
 
LogMeIn
 
 
Amazing Dell Coupons now available
 
Discover Apple
 

Plan Finder

Powered by WhistleOut

1) Apple iPhone 3GS 16GB35 plans 13%
2) Apple iPhone 3GS 32GB35 plans 1%
3) Blackberry Curve 85206 plans 1%
4) Nokia E7147 plans 9%
5) Blackberry Bold 900013 plans 6%
Three iiNet Virgin Mobile Vodafone
« 1 of »
1) iiNet32 plans 9%
2) Netspace33 plans 3%
3) Optus47 plans 1%
4) Telstra BigPond41 plans 4%
5) 37 plans 1%

Compare: Mobiles | Broadband

PC Authority