October 20, 2005
XFire
XfireTM is a new, free tool that automatically keeps track of when and where gamers are playing PC games online and lets their friends join them easily. It works regardless of game type, server browser, or gaming service that a player is using. Xfire eliminates the hassles of running multiple programs like IRC, instant messengers, or in-game friends lists to keep track of when and where a gamer's friends are playing. It supports the best and the latest online PC games including server- and non-server-based First Person Shooters, Real Time Strategy, and Role Playing Games.
Xfire was founded by Dennis "Thresh" Fong (World Champion of Quake) and Mike Cassidy (former CEO of Direct Hit). Xfire, Inc. is funded by Draper Fisher Jurvetson, New Enterprise Associates and Granite Global. Xfire is based in Menlo Park, CA.
Posted by richard ting at October 20, 2005, 11:59 AM
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.