My parents are not exactly what you would call early adopters. So when they do something, you know it has hit critical mass. And, boy, does my mother like to play the computer game Bejeweled. She’s certainly not alone.
According to Verizon Communications Inc. Chairman and CEO Ivan Seidenberg, during his speech at this year’s CES show, three-fourths of broadband users play games online. And Verizon, which Seidenberg says wants a share of the $11 billion game industry, “is carving out a space for itself” with its Verizon Games on Demand and Verizon Game Network, so users can run a game off Verizon servers, use games that already reside on the Verizon network or access other game services via Verizon connections.
Anne Coulombe, director of product marketing for middleware and games at SeaChange International, says gaming is starting to take off now with cable and telephone companies because they want to increase their ARPUs and build customer loyalty. “The online gaming industry has literally boomed,” she says, adding that it’s not just for young men anymore. “This isn’t about rivaling the Xbox,” she says. People from other demographics are attracted to games like Bejeweled, and some want older games from years ago to come back, adds Coulombe.
Service providers like the telcos are positioned ideally to move on the game opportunity, Coulombe says, because they have two-way networks, so they can bring voice into the services package and they can offer special QoS options targeted at gamers.
So we thought this would be the ideal time to take a good look at what service providers are doing to make a play for gamers. In our cover story, xchange Editor at Large Charlotte Wolter offers insight on service provider efforts to win the battle for gamers.
I also wanted to use this space to note that this month marks the 10-year anniversary of xchange magazine. xchange launched its first issue in March of 2006 following the passage of the Telecom Act. At its inception, xchange was positioned as a CLEC magazine, but we always went to C-level executives at service providers of all stripes and our coverage quickly evolved to appeal to incumbent and other telcos of all sizes as well as cable companies, wireless entities, ISPs, managed services providers, application service providers, content companies and the like.
To commemorate this, our 10th year in business, xchange has created a couple of new, special features. Then & Now is a one-page Q&A we have been running each month in 2006 featuring an industry leader talking about the past decade and what lies ahead. This month’s Then & Now features the colorful telecom pioneer Royce J. Holland. Our new Rewind section on Page 11, meanwhile, offers a look back at communications headlines from 1996.
We also have other anniversary surprises in the pipe, so please stop by our booths at the Spring 2006 Channel Partners Conference & Expo, COMPTEL’s Spring 2006 Convention + Expo and TelecomNEXT shows this month to visit with our staff and see what’s in store for this special year.
Until next time,
Paula Bernier
Editor in Chief
