Online gaming has become a force to reckon with, even in the local market place. Although not as highly visible or controversial as Internet gambling, gamers are increasingly taking to the Internet to play their favourite games, while a recent US report estimates that revenues from Internet games will top $950 million this year. Last year, advertisers spent about $150 million buying space on casual game sites or in the games themselves, up from $74 million in 2002, according to DFC Intelligence, a game industry research firm in San Diego.

According to Mark van Diggelen, Chief Executive Officer of SkillPod Media the Online Gaming Agency – a tenant in the Maxum Business Incuator at The Innovation Hub - the world is talking about the opportunities that the online gaming realm offers. Just yesterday the New York Times ran an article that re-iterated that More Marketers Are Grabbing the Attention of Players During Online Games. SkillPod Media has positioned itself as a provider of innovative online gaming and eMarketing solutions, which include new advertising opportunities such as games tournament sponsorship, fixed banner campaigns, in-game advertising, advergaming and the traditional run-of-site advertising campaigns,

SkillPod Media is a global new media consultancy specialising in custom game development and advertising solutions that focus on gaming-related marketing. Since its inception in April last year, SkillPod Media has grown its client base to include major South African website publishers such as Independent On-Line (IOL), Ananzi and Telkom’s Aardvark. They also have a growing international footprint, with clients from Canada, the United States, England, New Zealand and India.

SkillPod Media assists its Clients in launching world-class online gaming solutions. “We offer a flexible approach by providing solutions that range from free game sites and simple white labeling to full customisation to meet our clients requirements”, says van Diggelen. Services include gaming-based strategies in awareness creation, improved user acquisition and retention, optimisation of all Touch Points and greater conversion rates.

The company’s online gaming platform, GameZBoost, offers over 350 free play games, a player registration engine, high score boards, in-game chat, a game tournament engine and the ability for users to challenge each other, with many other interactivefeatures on offer.

“Very few other companies offer the ease of syndication that we can with our gaming platform. This had caught the attention of some of the top publishers and newspaper groups around the globe”, adds van Diggelen.

Having been involved in web development since the onset of the Internet in South Africa, van Diggelen developed a passion for community and has spent the last seven years focused on online gaming and its powerful community-creation ability. Since taking up residence at The Innovation Hub, he has been impressed by the precinct’s own sense of community. “The interaction with people so far has been phenomenal. Already, there are a number of synergies that have come up”, he says.