Online market massive by 2012

Industry researcher DFC Intelligence believes the online gaming market will be worth more than USD 13 billion by 2012, GamesIndustry.biz is reporting.

Digital distribution on home consoles will account for around USD 1 billion of that, apparently, but the biggest earner will still be monthly subscriptions to online worlds. PC gaming downloads and virtual sales are expected to make up around 40 per cent of the pie.

And while MMORPGs dominated online gaming cash flow in 2006, the report seems to think the fastest growing genres will be first-person shooters, sports and racing games.

"For PC games, digital distribution is expected to become the leading business model in East Asia," said the report. "However, the videogame console systems are expected to see strong growth in digital distribution and by 2012, revenue from digital distribution on console systems is expected to pass USD 1 billion."

Although East Asian countries are leading the online gaming market, DFC expects European and Japanese markets to bulge over the next five years.