Viacom Embraces Casual Gaming
Why would kids want to watch Dora the Explorer when they could actually BE Dora the Explorer? Such questions ensnare Viacom, owner of Nickelodeon and MTV networks. The company plans to spend $100 million on casual games, according to this NY Times story.
Grunwald Associates is indicated in the article as noting in a study that young folks engage in TV and their related websites simultaneously. Several other interesting statistics are published in the article, such as:
The N, Nickelodeon’s teenage network, has dozens of games for children aged 12 to 17. Slightly younger players are directed to Nick.com, which drew an average of 7.9 million visitors in February and is expected to add 185 games this year. The youngest players of all are welcome on the sites of Nick Jr. and Noggin, where games are meant to be played by children “on the laps of their moms,” Ms. [MTV Networks’ Nickelodeon Kids and Family group President Cyma] Zarghami said.
This same company owns Neopets, the Shockwave gaming site, and the Nick.com arcade. Many interesting factoids and tidbits for researchers are found in this article, and it’s well worth the read.
References:
Stelter, B. (2008, March 18). Online games by the hundreds, with tie-ins. The New York Times. [Online.] Retrieved March 17, 2008 from: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/18/business/media/18adco.html?_
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March 17, 2008 at 8:42 pm
[...] Viacom Embraces Casual Gaming Why would kids want to simply read about Dora the Explorer when they could actually BE Dora the [...]
April 18, 2008 at 11:38 am
Just read your post for the first time, looks great
Gonna have a look at the rest of your blog!
Viacom meh lol just more crappy games from a money grabbing firm. I doubt they would make anything like GTA hehe