There's no saying if Apple will finally decide to release iPhone in China, but a recent study might help the company decided. According to the business intelligence and consulting firm Pearl Research, while the road will be tough, Apple has users who'll take up the gizmo. Drop by the full article to learn more.

There has been a lot of buzz about the upcoming 2008 ION Game Conference. If you plan on attending the event, then you might be interested in knowing that early registration for the event has now been opened and will close by March 17 this year.

For more information on the 2008 ION Game Conference, scoot on over to the full article.

 

Given that the 2007 Online Game Development Conference (OGDC) is just a few more days away, we'll be updating the previously reported speaker list with a fresh new 8-pack. This latest announcement includes the presence of industry bigwigs like GameSpy director Todd Northcutt, as well as PopCap Games business development director James Gwertzman. Here's the full list:

• JJ Richards - GM, Xbox Live, Microsoft
• Charles Merrin - Vice President, RealArcade, RealNetworks, Inc.
• Brett Close - President & CEO, 38 Studios
• Todd Northcutt - Director, GameSpy Technology, GameSpy / IGN Entertainment
• Tom DuBois - Producer, Global Online Studio, Electronic Arts
• James Gwertzman - Director of Business Development, PopCap Games
• Victor Wachter - Online Community Relations Manager, Cryptic Studios
• Craig T. Dalrymple - Community Relations Manager, EverQuest II, Sony Online Entertainment
  

Also confirmed to be arriving at the event are groups like IBM, Nvidia, Electronic Arts, Microsoft Game Studios, Cartoon Network, K2 Network, Multiverse, DigiPen, Pearl Research, Fox Interactive Media, Gas Powered Games, Midway Studios, WildTangent, High Voltage Software, Flagship Studios, and Ensemble Studios.

Keep posted in case more information on additional speakers is announced, as this year's OGDC goes down this May 10 to 11, at at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel, Seattle.

An official press release said Pearl Research's 77-page study on the "Online Games Market in Taiwan" has found that the growing local MMO and casual games market will most likely exceed $300 million this year. Given that the market worth is about a third of Blizzard's World of Warcraft revenue, that's a huge space to be filled by U.S. companies. Unfortunately for them, it's not easy as cake.

U.S. companies such as Blizzard Entertainment already established a foothold in the local market, although the Taiwanese (as Asians) are more inclined to play free-to-play MMOs than pay-to-play MMOs. The majority of the market actually spend more on free-to-play, microtransaction games than on subscription-based MMOs, said the study.

Also, the study has highlighted that the nation has its own game development industry and a "robust development community" who are also working on delivering games on the online platform. Some analysts believe that U.S. companies could enter the market with the right partner and right content, but they would also need the right price, too.

Much of the boom in the online scene is attributed to low cost game content (around US$ 12 to US$ 15) that caters to their cultural way of living, as well as popular trends. Coupled with a 67% increase of Internet subscriptions to broadband connections, the MMORPG market became the largest segment of the US$ 300 million market.

Casual games have also increased in popularity in Taiwan, garnering a 35% share of the MMO-casual games market, with the remaining 65% for the MMO titles. The study was a trend analysis of data compiled since 2006 to identify the growth and direction of the local Taiwan market in MMO and casual games.

While both outsourcing and development in China is expected to continue its growth in the coming years, a new report from Pearl Research warns that outsourcing may not be as cost-effective as it may seem.

According to GamesIndustry.biz, the new report warns companies of various pitfalls in Chinese outsourcing, as the region's videogame market is set to exceed US$ 1.3 billion in 2008.

Pearl Research highlights travel, training and project management costs eroding savings made in areas such as low labor costs. Concerns over product quality, protection of intellectual property and competition for skilled employees are also some of the challenges that outsourcing presents.

As the market matures, however, Pearl Research says that the long-term quality of output will mature right along with it. The report also notes that online casual gaming will make up 30% of the Chinese games market in 2008, while the most popular Chinese MMORPGs can generate US$ 80 million annually.

It has been the common practice of some developers and publishers to have their products outsourced. This means that certain aspects of production are given to other companies, typically from third-world countries, to have smaller expenses (and therefore more profits). We're pretty sure we don't have to reiterate to you how low they sometimes pay third-world workers.

Regardless of your stance on this matter, it seems that it will continue - and continue to boom in the coming years. San Francisco-based firm Pearl Research forecasted the games market in China will exceed US$ 1.3 billion in 2008. The study focuses not on game development outsourcing alone but also on the country's domestic games market.

In case you're wondering about the company's findings, here are the highlights worth mentioning the most:

• Online casual games continue to gain traction and are expected to constitute 30% of the online games market by 2008. MMORPGs still constitute the largest online gaming segment in China. Top MMORPGs can generate US$ 80 million annually in China.
• Compelling and diverse game content, the low cost of playing games at an average of US$ 0.05 per hour, and the lack of entertainment options in China drove growth in the online games market.
• China will continue to flourish as a game development and outsourcing destination due to its low cost structure, large labor force and robust infrastructure. Companies can increase their production capabilities and achieve cost savings of 20% to 40% by outsourcing disciplines such as art creation.
• Outsourcing to China comes with significant challenges. These challenges include concerns over product quality and intellectual property protection, cultural differences and the competition for skilled employees.

When it comes to MMORPG, no one beats the South Koreans. They have the highest subscribers (millions of them) registered for the more popular games. In fact, Pearl Research, a San Francisco-based firm estimated South Korea's online PC and mobile games will be somewhere around billion in 2007.

And to show you how seriously they take their games over there, last year a South Korean man collapsed and, unfortunately died after a 50-hour marathon playing session with World of Warcraft. Now that's serious addiction! As a result, the South Korean government started offering welfare programs treating its online-game addicted citizens.

To the list of addictive MMORPG titles, you can add Silver Potion. The game has a cool website which seems viewable via Internet Explorer. It doesn't have much text but it does have an English voice-over. From that narration and the first screenshot, it looks like Silver Potion is going to be a sci-fi, action-adventure heavy on post-apocalyptic world Angst. Which is how they like they're MMORPG in Korea, we guess.

We hope Silver Potion comes with a potion that treats addiction to this game!