1.6 bln Internet users play online games
A 2009 Entertainment Software Association report pegs the average age of the casual online gamer at 35 years, up from 33 in 2008 and representing a demographic with high spending power. Hyzonia.com, a leader in adver-gaming in the Middle East, notes that the global downturn has helped define online advertising and gaming as a more effective and cost-efficient solution to attract consumers.
It also points to recent brand-impact studies affirming the long-term potential of “Adver-gaming” as a preferred advertising tool, explaining that associating a brand with the fun of gaming enhances brand metrics such as brand awareness, message association and purchase intent. The game-based advertising sector was worth around USD 120 mln in 2004 and is expected to surge to USD 1.8 bln by the end of 2010.
Hyzonia.com has announced the upcoming implementation of enhancements to its web platform to attract the estimated 38% of the world’s 1.6 bln internet users who play online games.
“More advertisers are being drawn to online advertising's competitive rates and its ability to extensively reach target audiences, especially in light of the financial crisis,said Maryam Alimardani, Managing Director of RENA, the Dubai-based creator of Hyzonia.com. “The generally mature captive audience of online gaming will transform internet advertising into an integral part of brand media advertising, especially in regions such as the Middle East where internet penetration rates are rising exponentially.”
“Numerous popular brands now offer dedicated sections in their web portals for adver-gaming. Hyzonia.com has accordingly made substantial investments to capitalise on this growing trend, boosting our capacity to provide more unique services to our clients,” added Maryam.
The Hyzonia web platform operates a “Cloud” system made up of thousands of individual applications distributed on the Internet. Built on top of Microsoft .NET technology, it enjoys high reliability and security standards; if one of the applications fails, the problem remains isolated to that particular problem application. Moreover, Hyzonia.com does not require special platforms, high-end device, downloads or installation.
