Online gaming to generate $8 bln by 2008

The online gaming (OLG) market is ready to experience a nearly four-fold revenue revenue increase by 2008. In-Stat/MDR predicts that the total OLG market will grow from just over $1 bln in 2003 to nearly $4 bln by the end of 2008. The revenue growth will be fueled by advertising and the mlns of new players that are expected by 2008. In-Stat/MDR indicates that roughly half of the U.S. population will participate in online games by 2008, with the massive multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) population peaking by 2005.

The NPD Group took a look at the players, and found that two-thirds of the surveyed 13 to 44-year-olds are using their PC or Mac instead of consoles. The study found that online gamers spent more time playing PC games online than offline (60% compared to 40%), while the opposite was true for connected console gamers. The NPD Group found that males are accounting for a slightly larger portion (53%). May 2004 measurements from Nielsen//NetRatings supported the parity, finding that males accounted for 51% of the 46 mln online gamers.