Videogame Franchises Competing With Free Online Sports Games
 |
World Golf Tour Has Virtual Versions
Of Real-Life Golf Courses |
Free online sports games are "increasingly popping up and competing with established sports video game franchises from EA, Take-Two Interactive Software Inc.'s 2K Games and other big companies," according to Lawton & Kane of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. Quick Hit Football, produced by online sports gaming company Quick Hit Inc., "doesn't have any NFL teams, players' names or images in its game," but it is "free." Quick Hit "plans to launch its browser-based football game by September." In April, online entertainment company OnNet USA Inc. "launched free online baseball game MLB Dugout Heroes and also struck a deal" with MLBAM for use of its MLB teams and ballparks. S.F.-based World Golf Tour Inc. in October "launched a free, browser-based golf game that has virtual versions of real-life golf courses created from [HD] photographs for gamers to play." MLB Dugout Heroes has "amassed over 75,000 downloads since its launch," while World Golf Tour "gets over 250,000 unique visitors a month." Massachusetts-based research firm IDC indicated that the number of U.S. online PC gamers is "projected to increase to 180.6 million in 2012 from 153.5 million this year." The new online sites "generate revenue from advertising as well as micro-transactions offered to gamers." For example, users of Quick Hit Football "can pay 25 cents to $1 for items such as new players and equipment." In World Golf Tour, players "can buy different golf clubs that sell for as low as $1 or as much as about $8." EA Sports VP & Exec Producer Andrew Wilson said that the "challenge for EA isn't small online game publishers but the fact that sports fans are spending more time online overall." Wilson: "You're starting to see sports games really go back into that PC space." Lawton & Kane note EA "has started adding online components to its sports game" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 5/20).
|
