Gaming Roundup: Data Bits On Online And Mobile Gaming

Here’s a roundup of two gaming features. One on online gaming and the other on mobile phone gaming. I am just bullet pointing some of the interesting numbers in the stories. Sourced data does not always indicate accuracy and so by getting these numbers out there, I hope to get a dialogue going on whether you think these are valid or not.

Online Gaming: [via The Financial Express]
– One big gaming portal is launched in India every year, according to industry estimates.
– While casual gaming portals require an initial investment of at least $5 million, massive multiplayer online games (MMOG) need at least $25 million to kick off.
– The online gaming industry makes money from advertising, subscription and organised cyber cafes, and Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) is between 25 percent and 40 percent.
– According to IMRB, advertising, comprising advergames, in-game placements and on-site ads, forms 11 percent of the total revenue at Rs 2.24 crore. Subscription comprises 31 percent of the advertising income at Rs 6.6 crore.
– Players like Reliance and Sify get about 58 percent, or Rs 12.17 crore, of their revenues from Web Worlds and Game Dromes.
– Though the user base for online gaming has doubled in last two years, penetration is still below 5%.

Mobile Phone Games: [via Business Standard]
– New generation of mobile phone games Ramayan 3392 AD, 3D-Sachin Tendulkar, Rounders (a poker game based on a Hollywood movie) and a host of other film celebrity games are going to be launched soon.
– Apparently, the cost of these games range from Rs. 40 lakhs to Rs. 60 lakhs or nearly four to six times what companies have spent so far on making mobile games.
– The higher cost is not expected to be passed on to consumers with companies planning to keep the price at Rs 50 per download, or Rs 5 per play.
– The new launches could lead to a 40 percent to 45 percent in the Rs 130-crore mobile gaming industry.

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