
Total online gaming market revenues for Asia-Pacific in 2005 stood at US$3.2bn and will rise to US$6.8bn in 2010, according to market research firm In-Stat.
"The increase in speed and consistency of internet connections provided by ISPs and telecoms operators [in Asia-Pacific] continues to greatly facilitate the development of online gaming," said In-Stat analyst Bryan Wang.
"Online games are no longer restricted to slow-action strategy games."
The In-Stat research, Asia Pacific Online Gaming Market: Understanding the User, predicts that Japan will lead the regional online gaming market with estimated revenues of US$2.8bn by 2010.
China is expected to be the second largest market in the region, with revenues of US$2.1bn by 2010.
Some 53.2 percent of Asia-Pacific respondents in In-Stat's survey indicated that they play online games.