More women are expected to join the ranks of online gamers as the market in Hong Kong expands, says a digital entertainment expert.
It follows a survey, commissioned by the Hong Kong Productivity Council, which revealed that online gaming subscriptions had grown from US$30.7 million in 2005 to US$35.93 million last year. It is expected to reach US$41 million this year, a 14.2 per cent increase.
Boris Cheng Chin-wing, director of the China Game Publishers Association (Hong Kong), said the recent development of 'casual games' such as Audition Online and Talesrunner - where the players act as a dancer or a runner - had brought in female gamers.
He said male gamers made up more than 90 per cent of the market as most online games involved fighting and missions.
'But now these casual games have become the favourite of women gamers. They are not required to stay focused for two hours to complete a mission to have fun in these games,' he said.
Mr Cheng said there could be up to 500,000 active online gamers in the city and the market remained competitive.