The Market for English Language Client-Based Free-to-Play PC Games
October 13, 2010
This new 235 page report focuses on the growing market for games that are distributed for free and generate revenue through optional business models such as virtual items or subscriptions.» Order NOW!
In the ever-changing gaming industry, it is a daunting task to properly define and analyze a market segment in the gaming industry. Especially in the relatively new free-to-play (F2P) segments everything is constantly changing and evolving. In an attempt to achieve such a goal, DFC Intelligence narrows down the research scope as specific as possible even though sometimes it may seems arbitrary.
This report aggregates actual revenue and registered users (RU) of client-based F2P PC online gaming market that are published in the English language from 2006 to 2009 and a five-year estimated forecast from 2010 to 2015.
The report covers the F2P online games that meet following criteria: 1) require a thick game client download and installation, 2) allow a user initially to play for free with optional microtransaction-based in-game item purchase and/or subscription for premium content, 3) run on PC platform, and 4) target English speaking countries with a goal to generate most of their revenue in North America.
Popular games that fall into the category include but not limited to Aeria Game’s Shaiya, EA’s Battlefield Heroes, Gala-Net’s Flyff, Joymax’ Silkroad Online, KingsIsle’s Wizard 101, Nexon America’s Maple Story, Perfect World’s Perfect World, Sony Online Entertainment’s Free Realms. This also includes some former subscription based games that are going to a free model starting with Turbine’s Dungeons and Dragons Online in fall 2009.
In this report, we first define the free-to-play (F2P) games by business model and by distribution platform. Also, the report aggregates actual revenue and registered users (RU) of the client-based F2P PC online games in North America from 2006 to 2009 and provides a five-year revenue and RU forecast from 2010 to 2015. The report was developed with a combination of secondary and primary research. Usage data was collected from multiple products over the course of four years and interviews with executives from more than 20 F2P game-related companies were conducted in 2010.
Included with this order is a Powerpoint executive summary report from Pando Networks on Online Game Delivery. This report examines actual performance of downloading content on broadband networks and how it varies by country and city around the globe.