Tue, Jan 12, 2010 | 15:54 GMT
Analyst firm says Online gaming market will grow 6% in 2010
Screen Digest, a media analyst firm, has concluded that the online games market will grow 6 percent this year, with motion control being a “much-needed” console feature in order for the boxes to compete.
With the increase of social network games as well as mobile app sales, Screen Digest expects the online games market to be worth 24 percent which is up from 18 percent from last year, reports GI.biz.
It also predicts that Natal and Sony’s motion control will help Xbox 360 and PS3 maintain dominance in the market by offering a unique device other offerings lack.
“Physical retail still dominates in market share terms, but with heavy growth in games content consumption on alternative devices and platforms, competition for gamers’ spend is growing steadily,” said Piers Harding-Rolls, head of games for Screen Digest.
“Motion control games offer a unique respite for console platforms. They are as yet unique and can’t be replicated by alternative platforms or on-demand solutions and so they represent an important development for both Sony and Microsoft.”
The report added that consoles would maintain dominance in living rooms during 2010, and by the end of the year, 20.2 million Xbox 360s, 20.1 million PS3s, and 25.8 million Wiis would be used online.
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Posted in: Development, Internet, PS3, PSN, Xbox 360, Xbox Live
Tags: online games market, Screen Digest
2 comments
#1
Blerk
12/01/10, 4:22 pm
“No shit, Sherlock” on the online games market thing, but I completely disagree on motion control.
#2
blackdreamhunk
12/01/10, 5:20 pm
here is a much better study it backs everything I said last year about consoles
http://www.develop-online.net/news/33622/Study-Industry-hit-by-11500-layoffs-since-late-2008
Study: Industry hit by 11,500 layoffs since 2008
New research also tallies ‘record number of studio closures’
The global game industry has been hit by as many as 11,500 job losses since late 2008, a new study suggests.
Research by entertainment analyst group M2 Research says that “the final count for layoffs since the economic meltdown in late 2008 reached 11,488 worldwide, with the majority of the losses coming in 2009.”
The study has identified staff redundancies from 95 individual studios, adding that 52 of the affected studios were situated in the US.
M2 adds that the majority of layoffs come at “studio level”, with QA staff often being the first to go.
The analysis group adds that 2009 saw a ‘record number’ of studio closures, including 3D Realms (pictured), various Midway studios and EA’s Pandemic Studios.
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