International research firm Parks Associates envisions a bright future for casual gaming. The firm predicts the "premium" casual games business will be worth a very cool $1 billion by 2013 and the key to all of it is social networking.
Parks Associates president Stuart Sikes says "a persistent identity and integration with social network sites" will allow casual gaming to maintain its core audience, while expanding its reach at the same time."As companies try to capture subscriber dollars, these offerings will serve as differentiators in a very competitive market," he added. He says social networks and other game communities should been seen as marketing and distribution channels.
On a side note, we'd like to report that PopCap Games plans to open its Peggle theme park in the summer of 2013. See you there!
Reader Comments (10)
Posted: Feb 25th 2009 11:07PM (Unverified) said
Wii will have considerable market share of this demographic.
Posted: Feb 25th 2009 11:10PM (Unverified) said
Well, it's an professional analyst prediction, so we know what that means. Sell your Nintendo and BigFish shares now.
Posted: Feb 25th 2009 11:10PM (Unverified) said
someone didn't get the memo that all pop cap related posts have to include a drug cartel metaphor
Posted: Feb 25th 2009 11:44PM Courtney said
Hell, I thought PopCap alone already raked in like a billion a year.
Posted: Feb 26th 2009 12:30AM (Unverified) said
Did I miss something with the whole peggle thing. Is it really that good, or we just making fun of it? I'm lost sry don't crucify me.
Posted: Feb 26th 2009 1:33AM zuburi said
I was just playing it, without knowing about this story. It's good, very addicting. I think it's one of the best time wasters, along with Tetris and Freecell. It could have been too hyped up for you to like it, but probably not. Try it!
And don't be tempted to waste money on anything else by Popcap, Peggle is a serious, serious anomaly.
Reply
And don't be tempted to waste money on anything else by Popcap, Peggle is a serious, serious anomaly.
Posted: Feb 26th 2009 3:11AM (Unverified) said
I seem to have stopped using all the social networking sites i signed up for... mainly because their initial usefulness was overridden by all the stupid games that kept popping up and interrupting things...
Does anyone over 15 still use facebook, etc? Maybe its just me...
Does anyone over 15 still use facebook, etc? Maybe its just me...
Posted: Feb 26th 2009 3:16AM Deone said
It'll never make that much money. Because the world ends in 2012. Suckers.
Facebook started out exclusively for college students, so probably.
Facebook started out exclusively for college students, so probably.





