Gamasutra Reports Online Gaming Up 10 Percent in US

It appears with all the fancy online multiplayer games released thus far from last year and this eyar are giving a boost to Online Gaming according to the NPD. An NPD report stated that the weekly hours spent on online gaming has risen 10 percent and it also said that on average gamers spent up to eight hours per week which is up from the 7.3 that was last reported.

NPD analyst Anita Frazier said in a statement, "While the percentage of the population that reports playing games has declined slightly, this study details other metrics which point to both stability and growth in both online and offline gaming."

In addition, it appears that online gamers regularly purchase games, even in a tough economy. The report said that 71 percent of online gamers purchased or received one game over the 2009 holiday season, or calendar Q4. Buying habits between 2008 and 2010 didn't significantly change among online gamers either.

"This suggests that online gamers’ purchasing behavior may not have been impacted significantly by the recession and may bode well for future pockets of economic weakness," NPD said.

The PC is the most used platform for online gaming, which is said from the Eighty-Five percent of gamers that said they used that platform of choice. But the Xbox 360 rules the family room for gaming time online and for the third year in a row its the leading home console with 48 percent saying they take online console gaming as well. The Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii are about even at the moment.

Game News, March 2010

Online gaming grows rapidly in Vietnam

Vietnam and India have seen rapid growth in the digital entertainment market and online gaming, the US Pearl Research company has said.

The company forecast that in 2014 the number of online game players will hit 25 million in the two countries, as personal income rises, increasing the number of computers and Internet hits as well as the number of youths online.

According to the Pearl Research’s recent survey, Vietnam has more than 50 online games, although the first games only appeared in the country in 2004. There are around 22 million Internet users in Vietnam. The leading online games can attract 200,000 players who mainly play at Internet cafes.

There are 40 million Internet users and more than 180,000 Internet cafes in India.

Game News, March 2010

Mobile Online Gambling Surge In South Africa

Their has been a huge surge in mobile online gambling in South Africa. It is estimated that over 500,000 citizens are actively gambling online and most of these players are gambling over their mobile phones. This may be due to the fact that more South Africans have access to a mobile phone for gambling, and less access to a laptop or desktop computer.

The National Responsible Gambling Programme (NRGP) in South Africa has stated that the online gambling market is worth over R800 million per year and that this figure continues to grow. Online casino software providers have been investing heavily in new technology to bring some of the most advanced casino games to mobile phone users. Playtech just recently announced the development of new applications that will focus on mobile gaming.

South Africa has been moving towards legal online gambling, but they are moving at a very slow and cautious pace. While the market continues to grow, the SA politicians continue to study the industry and debate on whether or not to legalize the activity.

The current gambling laws in South Africa are unclear when it comes to online gambling, and new legislation needs to be adopted to clarify the laws. Online gambling operators continue to accept South African bets due to the unclear law and lack of enforcement.

Online Gaming News, March 2010