Study: Vietnam, India Gaming Population To Hit 25 Million By 2014

A new report from San Jose-based Pearl Research forecast the number of gamers in Vietnam and India to exceed 25 million by 2014, thanks to growing economies and an increasing amount of internet users. Pearl said that in Vietnam, there are over 50 online games on the market, a significant number considering the country's online game market just began gaining traction in 2004, Pearl said. The top online games can have 200,000 users. Locally-developed games tailored for domestic audiences are also a growing trend. Vietnam also has 22 million internet users and an internet penetration rate of 25 percent, which gives online game makers more opportunities in the region. “The Internet cafes that Pearl Research visited in Vietnam were consistently crowded with users playing online games,” according to a press release for Pearl's report. In India, there is an internet user base of 40 million, according to Pearl, but that audience can be challenging to reach due to “infrastructure issues and a nascent gaming culture.” India boasts 180,000 Internet cafes, as well as a burgeoning economy, large English-speaking middle-class and an established IT sector, which offer opportunities for game makers. Pearl said, “Both markets are driven by rising incomes, increasing PC and Internet penetration rates, and a large population of youth that are actively seeking out entertainment content.”