Companies go gaming

Gaming has a reputation as an activity confined to lazy teenagers and students who are not too fond of studying. This image is, however, changing with the average age of gamers being far closer to 30 than 13.

A recent report by the US trade organisation in conjunction with the Entertainment Software Association suggests that the average age of gamers is 35 while the average age of the most frequent game purchaser is 40. Another surprising fact is that 40% of all game players are women.

Gaming has also grown into a multibillion-dollar industry worldwide. In the US alone game software sales exceed $10 billion, making it one of the biggest entertainment industries around.

Considering the popularity and strong revenue growth of the industry, it is hardly surprising that telecommunications companies — looking to find new revenue streams to supplement their dwindling voice revenues — are getting into gaming.

Telkom, Internet Solutions, Vodacom and iBurst have all started to invest in their online gaming platforms. Last year Telkom joined forces with the Amateur Gamers Association of South Africa to launch Do Gaming, a gaming information portal and online gaming platform. iBurst invested in its online gaming service iGame, while Internet Solutions is growing its online gaming presence through IS Gaming.

The latest telecoms entrant in the online gaming market is Vodacom Gaming. The Vodacom Gaming Service is in a trial phase and will be followed by a “proof of concept” period before going live. The new gaming platform includes a PC multiplayer gaming service and a dedicated gaming website offering news, reviews and gamer forums.

There are also numerous independent gaming news websites that serve the South African gaming community, including LazyGamer, NAG and Xbox 360. The recently launched MyGaming has also shown strong growth, notching up more than 100 000 impressions in its first month. MyGaming runs regular competitions and will also serve its membership through sponsored gaming LAN events.

It is clear that gaming is no longer consigned to a young market looking to avoid homework. It has grown into an industry that is not only generating billions in revenue but also attracting a much broader audience than before.