Verizon has announced today that broadband customers in New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island can now sign up for a new on-demand PC gaming service that will allow unlimited access to 1400 games for $9.99 USD a month.
Gamers can play as often as they want, and can even download the games to laptops and play anywhere, given you have Internet (the games must ‘phone home’ first).
“With unlimited games, our FiOS and HSI (High-speed Internet) broadband customers can do away with those annoying game-rental late fees and the hassles of storing and cataloging game discs,” adds Susan Retta, vice president for Verizon broadband marketing. “And when customers are away from home, they can access their account from any broadband connection to play online games or download new games to play later.”
A few of the included games are “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader,” “Jewel Quest,” “The Price Is Right,””Boggle” ,”Risk,””Bob The Builder(TM),” “Clifford The Big Red Dog,” “SpongeBob(TM”) Teaches Typing,” “American Girl and “Zoo Tycoon,””Bejeweled Twist(TM),” “Diner Dash(R),” “Agatha Christie(TM),” “Virtual Villagers(R),” “Splinter Cell(TM)” and “Prince of Persia(TM).”
Result for: pc gaming
According to analysts at Citigroup, the in-game advertisement market should reach $1 billion USD in revenue by 2014, marking a 40 percent growth from the current market, an expected $600 million revenue for 2009.
The report states that “in-game ads have higher engagement” than traditional ads used online and that “advertisers’ appetite for in-game marketing appears to be increasing.”
Citi expects to see the large growth in the PC gaming space, as well as in games played online.
The report is the second in recent weeks to forecast revenue for the up-and-coming in-game advertisement market, with PricewaterhouseCooper estimating a significantly higher jump to $1.4 billion USD by 2013.
Result for: pc gaming
Microsoft has announced that new updates headed to its Games for Windows Live platform, will include a significant ramp up in anti-piracy measures.
All “Games for Windows” will now use “zero day piracy protection” that includes server side authentication “on top of a further layer of authentication required for online play.”
“This update and other features currently in development represent a tipping point in the evolution of Games for Windows Live as a leading online PC gaming network,” added Ron Pessner, general manager of Games for Windows Live.
“In the coming months, we will continue to deliver on our promise to provide gamers and publishers with the industry’s best connected gaming experiences through the Live service.”
