(20August 2007 3:20 pm)

MUMBAI: Playing games is still a more popular online activity in the US than watching short video clips or visiting social networking websites, according to Casual Gaming Market Update, a new report from Parks Associates.

According to the findings, 34 per cent of US adult Internet users play online games on a weekly basis, compared with 29 per cent who watch short online videos and 19 per cent who visit social networking sites with the same frequency.

Parks Associates research analyst James Kuai says, "Despite the growing popularity of YouTube, MySpace, and Facebook gaming remains the king of online entertainment, driven largely by casual gaming activities. Gaming also has business advantages.

"Unlike sites for social networking and video streaming, which rely solely on advertising revenue, casual gaming has more mature and heterogeneous revenue models, including web-based and in-game advertising, try-before-you-buy, subscriptions, and micro-transactions."

Kuai adds, "The casual gaming industry cannot rest on its laurels. In order to counter the growing competition from other online activities, the industry needs to continue to grow its fan base and find ways to better monetize its existing audience."

Casual Gaming Market Update provides analysis of the current dynamics and future direction of the rapidly growing casual gaming industry, including quantitative forecasts, competitive analysis, consumer perspectives, and profiles of companies in the casual gaming value chain.