Online gaming is a subset of the global gaming market but is one that has grown rapidly. Since the internet transcends geographical and physical boundaries, online gaming customers can log on to sites from almost anywhere in the world. The growth in online gaming has been driven by the increased spread and penetration of broadband services, by the popularity of gaming generally and by the online gaming industry itself that has continued to promote its services around the globe. The adoption of the European Information Society 2010 Strategy ('2010') by the European Commission in 2005 was an important step in driving towards the objective of making the European Union a more dynamic and competitive economy. The deregulation of telecoms industries coupled with the growth in the popularity of cable as a medium have resulted in an impressive expansion of both numbers of broadband households as well as broadband penetration. Similar developments in other territories should provide further impetus for broadband penetration around the world.(http://www.zerosumng.com/industry1.htm “global online gaming”)
As the gaming industry prepares for the launch of the next generation of gaming consoles, discussions are heating up as to the potential impacts that may ensue. Previous transitions have revealed that entrance into the next gaming cycle often results in higher costs, bigger budgets and larger production teams. As the current gaming cycle comes to an end and the industry prepares for the next generation, these impacts are believed to reach new levels. THQ’s Philip Holt sees the new consoles as moving in the right direction towards a more realistic gaming experience, “Graphics are increasing at the same rate, but the perceived value that this brings to the entertainment experien ...