Abstract
Pearl Research' s exclusive 76+ page report analyzes the emergence of Taiwan' s online gaming market.
Pearl Research estimates the online games market in Taiwan, inclusive of MMORPG and casual games will exceed $300 million in 2007. These findings are contained in Pearl Research' s "Online Games Market in Taiwan" study which analyzes the domestic online games market in Taiwan.
Pearl Research' s key findings:
- While MMORPGs continue to represent the largest segment in the market, casual games are growing at a faster pace.
- Compelling and culturally relevant game content, the low cost ($12-$15 per month) to play games and high Internet penetration (15.4 million Internet users) in Taiwan drove growth in the online games market. The introduction of free-to-play games in 2004 help revitalized Taiwan' s online games industry. Game operators believe gamers will contribute more revenue under the free-to-play model instead of under the traditional subscription model.
This exclusive study includes an analysis of these trends:
Online Games
- Growth of casual games and its effect on increasing game adoption.
- What' s popular at Internet cafes and their role in influencing the growth of the games market.
- Key metrics: market sizing and forecasts, size of casual versus MMORPG segment, game operator market share, top titles with concurrent user numbers
- Discussion of relevant trends, current marketplace conditions for online games and the effect of piracy
Table of Contents
METHODOLOGY
GLOSSARY OF TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
II. SOCIO-ECONOMIC OVERVIEW
- ECONOMY
- Per Capita Income
- POPULATION
- UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF TAIWANESE SOCIETY
III. PC HARDWARE, INTERNET AND BROADBAND
- PC HARDWARE
- INTERNET AND BROADBAND
IV. INTERNET CAFES
V. DEFINING ONLINE GAMES
VI. ONLINE GAMES MARKET OVERVIEW
- DRIVERS TO GROWTH
- INHIBITORS TO GROWTH
- UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF ONLINE GAMES
VII. TOP ONLINE GAMES
- Soul of the Ultimate Nation (SUN)
- Webzen
- CABAL
- Fugleman
- Freestyle
- Cayenne Tech
- Rohan
- YNK Korea
VIII. TOP GAME OPERATORS
IX. EXTENDED COMPANY PROFILES
- CHINESE GAMER CORP.
- History
- Strategy
- Games
- Financial Information
- GAMANIA DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT
- History
- Strategy
- Games
- TV Show
- Payment Platform
- Financial Information
- GIGAMEDIA LIMITED
- History
- Cambridge Entertainment Software (CES)
- FunTown
- T2CN
- Financial Information
- INTERNATIONAL GAMES SYSTEM
- History
- Operation
- Online Games
- Financial Information
- INSREA
- History
- Games
- INTERSERV INTERNATIONAL INC.
- History
- Game Development
- Financial Information
- SOFTSTAR ENTERTAINMENT INC.
- History
- Games
- Financial Information
- SOFT-WORLD INTERNATIONAL CORP.
- History
- Strategy
- Games
- Financial Information
- WAYI INTERNATIONAL ENTERTAINMENT
- History
- Games
- Financial Information
- WINKING
- Fantastic Melody Online (FM Online)
- USERJOY
- The Legend of Three Kingdoms Online
X. ONLINE GAMER BEHAVIOR AND PREFERENCES
XI. SOFTWARE PIRACY
- Forms of Piracy
- Government Anti-Piracy Enforcements
XII. RETAIL AND DISTRIBUTION STRUCTURE
- TOP CONVENIENCE STORE CHAINS
XIII. CONCLUSIONS
TABLE OF FIGURES
- Figure 1: Online Games Market Forecast 2006-2010 Data Table, $m
- Figure 2: Key Country Metrics
- Figure 3: Taiwan' s Population by Age Group
- Figure 4: Major Cities in Taiwan (population, thousands) October 2006 Data
- Figure 5: Correlation between PC Ownership and Education Levels
- Figure 6: Taiwan' s PC Penetration and Monthly Income (Income in USD)
- Figure 7: Growth of Internet Users in Taiwan (in millions of users)
- Figure 8: Broadband Penetration by Age Groups
- Figure 9: Photos of High-End Internet Cafes in Taiwan
- Figure 10: Examples of Web, Casual and MMORPG Games
- Figure 11: Online Games Market Forecast 2006-2010 Graph, $m
- Figure 12: Online Games Market Forecast 2006-2010 Data Table, $m
- Figure 13: Payment Models for Top Online Games
- Figure 14: Most Popular Online Game Forums April 2007
- Figure 15: Screen Shot of SUN
- Figure 16: Screen Shots of CABAL
- Figure 17: Screen Shots of Freestyle
- Figure 18: Select Top Titles in Operation in Taiwan
- Figure 19: Online Publisher Market Share CY 2006
- Figure 20: Comparison of Public Taiwanese Game Companies
- Figure 21: Game Company Revenue Growth 2003 to 2006
- Figure 22: Screen Shots of Wonderland Online
- Figure 23: Screen Shots of Huang Yi Online
- Figure 24: Chinese Gamer Financials 2003-2006
- Figure 25: Title Shots of Recent Updates of Lineage
- Figure 26: Screen shots of Gamania' s Maple Story and Mabinogi
- Figure 27: Hosts of Dian Wan Te Gong
- Figure 28: Gamania Financials 2003-2006
- Figure 29: Earnings of Gamania' s Subsidiaries (NT in 1,000s)
- Figure 30: Screen Shots of FunTown Games
- Figure 31: Screen Shots of T2CN' s Freestyle
- Figure 32: Gigamedia Financials 2003-2005
- Figure 33: IGS' s arcade consoles
- Figure 34: Screen Shots of Feng Sheng II
- Figure 35: Screen Shots of We Dancing Online
- Figure 36: IGS Financials 2003-2006
- Figure 37: Screen Shots from Audition
- Figure 38: Screen Shots from Dekaron
- Figure 39: Logos for Iron Phoenix, M2 and Swordsman Online
- Figure 40: Interserv Financials 2003-2006
- Figure 41: Screenshots from La Frontera
- Figure 42: Screenshot from Rich Online
- Figure 43: Softstar Financials Q3 2005-Q3 2006
- Figure 44: Screen Shots of Perfect World
- Figure 45: Screen Shots of Battle and Battle Dungeon in RF Online
- Figure 46: Soft-World Financials 2003-2006
- Figure 47: Characters from Yulgang
- Figure 48: Poster for SF Online
- Figure 49: Wayi Financials 2003-2006
- Figure 50: Screenshots of FM Online
- Figure 51: Screenshots of The Legend of Three Kingdoms Online
- Figure 52: Player categories by age groups
- Figure 53: Preferred form of fees
- Figure 54: Monthly spending on online entertainment (in NT$, NT$33=$1)
- Figure 55: Monthly spending on online games (in NT$, NT$33=$1)
- Figure 56: Player Experience
- Figure 57: Reasons for playing online games
- Figure 58: Factors in Choosing Games
- Figure 59: Favorite Type of Game
- Figure 60: Preferred Graphic Styles
- Figure 61: Reasons for Dissatisfactions
- Figure 62: Game Prepaid Cards
- Figure 63: Top Convenience Store Chains in Taiwan
- Figure 64: Rest Area at an Hi-life Store
