Emerging markets will spend billions on games this year Gamers are expected to spend billions of dollars in emerging markets this year such as Brazil, Mexico and Russia, according to market researcher Newzoo, based in Amsterdam. Newzoo’s data shows that gaming is spreading rapidly around the globe, thanks to online play, mobile games, and new ways to pay for games such as free-to-play games with micro-transactions. In Brazil, gamers are expected to spend $2 billion on games in 2011. “Brazil is leading Western countries when it comes to the popularity of new game platforms and business models,” said Newzoo chief executive Peter Warman. The growth in Brazil is due to the uptake of social, mobile and massively multiplayer online games, all of which depend on free-to-play business models, where users play for free and pay real money for virtual goods. Games on Facebook and the Google-owned social network Orkut account for 11 percent of spending, while casual game sites account for 15 percent.
Product Manager HQ | A comprehensive resource for product managers GamesIndustry International GameSetWatch MyndPlay - Mind controlled movies and video training platform Exclusive Interviews for The Games Industry - Gaming Insiders o Interviews Q&A: Yakuto Games Founder Jordan Kirk Much like Mediocre, the two-man studio behind Smash Hit and Does Not Commute, Yakuto Games is an indie studio that proves that you don’t need a lot of manpower to build a gorgeous mobile game. The three-person studio recently launched its first title, Table Tennis Touch. Founder Jordan Kirk joined us for a Q&A. Q&A: Klei Entertainment Founder Jamie Cheng Before founding the Vancouver-based games studio Klei Entertainment, Jamie Cheng was an AI programmer on games like Warhammer 40,000K: Dawn of War, and The Outfit. Q&A: Quetzalcoatl Creator 1Button 1Button is a three-man indie studio whose many games (ON/OFF, Mr. Q&A: Lifeline Creator 3 Minute Games 3 Minute Games is a skunkworks-style studio that operates from within Big Fish Games’ Oakland office with the goal of making lots of games very quickly, testing them out in the marketplace, and seeing if it can discover new hits. Q&A: inkle Co-Founder Joseph Humfrey Q&A: Snowman’s Ryan Cash
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