Marketers should look to massively multiplayer online games (MMOG) if they are trying to target 18-34 year old males, according to a new Universal McCann report TrendMarker, Parallel Worlds.
JupiterResearch estimates that MMOG’s generate revenues of $350 billion per year, occupying about nine hours a week for the average player, while most gamers are male and aged between 18 and 34.
The report identifies four genres of MMOG: fantasy (89.1 percent market share), sci-fi and superhero (7.1 percent); combat simulation and first-person shooter (0.9 percent); social and other situation-based (2.9 percent) and adds that opportunities exist for marketers in reality-based MMOGs to enhance users’ gaming experiences via in-game ads. However, the bulk of MMOG games tend to be fantasy-based, a genre that does not easily lend itself to in-game advertising.
TrendMarker, Parallel Worlds also shows that interaction with the virtual world allows marketers to fuse brands with attributes in a powerful way, such as Nike creating shoes for The Sims that made players run faster and Levi Strauss offers virtual designer jeans for purchase in the virtual world There.
The report makes clear that women should not be overlooked in marketing opportunities in MMOGs as, although their numbers are currently relatively low, they are on the rise and make up a large portion of lifestyle based games.
Earlier in the year, DFC Intelligence released a report entitled The Online Game Market, which forecast that the online game market will grow from $3.4 billion in 2005 to $13 billion in 2011 (see Online Games Could Hit $13 Billion By 2011).
Games companies earned $143 million from online console gaming in 2005 in the US and JupiterResearch forecasts that this figure will grow to $2 billion by 2011.
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