July 23, 2004
Online Gaming Explosion Creates New Opportunities For Advertisers
by Ross Fadner
In only a few years, online gaming has grown to an 800 million dollar industry, according to new Yankee Group figures. The nascent industry already commands 450 to 550 million in advertising dollars, and industry professionals seem to think that the online gaming market is now fertile ground for advertising growth.
"The Internet has created a whole new marketplace for gaming," notes Yankee Group Analyst Michael Goodman. He says that the types of game players have evolved just as the online game offerings have evolved.
The average online gamer is no longer an adolescent male. So-called casual games, for example, which are simple card or puzzle games, attract a predominantly female audience over the age of 45.
The expansion of online gaming to a broader audience will result in new opportunities for marketers, says the Yankee Group's Goodman. With these platforms, he says, "you already have the critical component: connectivity," which he notes carries two significant benefits for advertisers.