Mumbai, Mar 12 (ANI/Business Wire India): PlaySpan, the leader in monetization solutions for online games, virtual worlds, and social networks, today announced the publication of a free downloadable report that addresses market opportunities for developers and publishers to optimize revenue streams by including integrated microtransactions and pay-as-you-go revenue models.
The report can be found at http://corp.playspan.com/pressroom.html.
Until recently, online games and virtual worlds have been monetized primarily through subscription-based revenue, where users pay a monthly fee to play or participate. But that model has started to erode, forcing publishers to begin evaluating more flexible payment options that provide for richer, in-game player experiences.
Among the myriad choices of games and virtual world environments, the report cites up-front subscriptions as a large barrier to acquiring customers, as well as unreliable advertising models that are highly subjectable to seasonal and economic fluctuations.
"If you look at subscriptions as a reliable way to derive revenue from games, we have to understand that this model is stagnant, and it really limits choices for gamers," said Karl Mehta, CEO of PlaySpan.
"Using microtransactions and a secure in-game commerce platform, players have more flexibility in terms of their overall experience, and it helps establish a safe environment that eliminates issues related to fraud and gold-farming. Not only does this give publishers greater control of the game environment but it also increases their ability to monetize in-game content more effectively. Furthermore, it legitimizes the in-game commerce market and alleviates a number of the most common billing hassles for game creators," added Karl.
Gartner expects U.S. broadband penetration to increase to 77 per cent of households by 2012 from 54 per cent in 2007, and according to entertainment industry research firm DFC Intelligence, the total PC game revenue is expected to reach 19 billion dollars by 2013. (ANI)
