Analyst: Asian MMO revenues to hit $2.5 billion

Online gaming has blossomed all over the world, but it hasn't been embraced quite as much as it has in Asia. According to data compiled by Pearl Research (via GamesIndustry.biz), revenue from the online gaming market in the region is expected to grow 20 percent from last year to US $2.5 billion.

In their study entitled "Online Games Market in Asia," Pearl Research cites ten publishers that in 2006 made over US $100 million. If that many companies can thrive in the region, who's to say that multiple MMOs can't coexist peacefully (and successfully) in regions dominated by World of Warcraft? Furthermore, to what extent is this profitability from business models such as subscriptions or from microtransactions? If it's the latter, expect to see more of that in future releases elsewhere around the globe.

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