Data Filter: The News & Numbers That Matter

Electronic Gaming Business, May 7, 2003

Top 20 Online Gaming Information Providers (March 2003)
Destination            Unique Visitors (in mill.)
IGN Entertainment      6.08
GameWinners.com        4.67
GameSpy Industries     4.45
GameSpot               4.17
Gigex                  3.58
CheatCC                3.57
Nintendo Co.           3.03
CheatPlanet.com        2.7
EA.com                 2.49
RealOneArcade.com      1.85
Playstation Sites      1.55
Game-Revolution.com    1.51
GamingClub.com         1.49
Gamers.com             1.12
XBox.com               1.11
GameZone.com           1.09
UGO.com                1.09
WheelofFortune.com     1.06
UbiSoft Entertainment  0.988
CheatCodes.com         0.981
Source: comScore Media Metrix (includes U.S. home/work/school locations,
numbers rounded)

The total audience size for gaming information online was 35.4 million unique visitors in March, according to comScore Media Metrix, up from 35.1 million in February. Gaming content online is a relatively mature category, with user surfing habits well-established and hard to change, so most changes are trivial. EA.com was down about half a million uniques from Feb., while Nintendo was up by about as much as Zelda ramped up for its blistering release. Clearly, some of the major cheat sites have become remarkable eyeball magnets, yet few game companies seem to take advantage of the opportunity. Six of the top 20 in this list are fairly rudimentary cheat sites that corral more than a third of the online gaming audience, yet a cursory glance at this group reveals few gaming advertisers. Hmm.

Recently Announced Titles

Publisher/Partner: EA
Title: The Sims 2
Developer: Maxis
Platforms/ETA: PC/Q1 2004

Publisher/Partner: EA/Lego
Title: Bionicle
Developer: Argonaut
Platforms/ETA: All/Fall '03

Publisher/Partner: Nintendo/Konami
Title: Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes
Developer: Silicon Knights
Platforms/ETA: GCN/Q1 '04

Publisher/Partner: LucasArts
Title: Armed & Dangerous
Developer: Planet Moon Studios
Platforms/ETA: Xbox,PC/Q4 '03

Publisher/Partner: Gathering of Developers
Title: Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic
Developer: Triumph Studios
Platforms/ETA: PC/July 2003

Publisher/Partner: UbiSoft
Title: Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu
Developer: UbiSoft - Montreal
Platforms/ETA: PS2,Xbox,GC/Q3 2003

Publisher/Partner: Majesco
Title: Advent Rising
Developer: GlyphX Games
Platforms/ETA: Xbox,PC/Q1 2004

Publisher/Partner: Kemco
Title: Rogue Ops
Developer: Bits (UK)
Platforms/ETA: PS2,Xbox,GC/Q3 2003

UK Game Sales (All Formats)
This Week  Last Week  Title/ Publisher
1          *          Legend of Zelda (Nintendo)
2          1          Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell (Ubi)
3          *          Midnight Club II (Take2)
4          3          Championship Manager (EA)
5          2          The Sims (EA)
6          4          FIFA 2003 (EA)
7          6          X-Men2:Wolverine's Revenge (Activision)
8          7          Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (Take2)
9          8          Dancing Stage Party (Konami)
10         11         The Getaway (Sony)
Source: ELSPA, for Week ending May 5

There is remarkable consistency in the UK charts, with most titles having stayed in or around the same spot for several weeks running. Konami's Dancing Stage Party Game is a good example of a title gaining popularity gradually (presumably by word of mouth), as it has moved from number 17 to number nine on the chart in the past four weeks.

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