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Video gaming is increasingly becoming a social experience : Nielsen

Published

19 years ago

October 7, 2006

MUMBAI: Nielsen Entertainment today released its third annual Active Gamer Benchmark Study in the US.

This shows that the social elements of video games are becoming an increasingly important part of the overall gaming experience. The research found that among the roughly 117 million active gamers in the US in 2006, more than half (56 per cent ) play games online, and that 64 per cent of all online gamers are women.

Moreover, while gaming has conventionally been thought of as a solitary experience, the new study reveals that active gamers spend upwards of five hours a week playing games socially, led by teenagers who are socially involved in gaming about 7 hours per week.

The research also shows that although teenagers continue to comprise the largest percentage (40 per cent) of Active Gamers, more than 15 million of these gamers (almost eight per cent) are now 45 years or older. While women make up nearly two- thirds of all online gamers, men still outnumber women in the overall video game universe by more than two-to-one.

Among the study‘s other key findings:

* Though older females make-up the largest percentage of casual gamers, active gamer teens and young adults also comprise a considerable portion of this market, with more than half playing casual games an hour or more
a week.

* Demonstrating a loyal fan base, the majority of active gamers who say that they usually pre-order a title, or buy it the first day of its release, choose Role Playing games. But while such games typically are thought of as catering to the older gaming audience, they are the most popular genre among active game playing teens.

* With next-generation gaming building steam, what will drive active gamers to these advanced console platforms will be the desire for better
graphics and richer game play experiences.

Nielsen Interactive Entertainment senior VP Emily Della Maggiora, says, “The Active Gamer 2006 Report comes at a pivotal time in the evolution of the video game industry. The expansion of next generation hardware and technology in the marketplace is simultaneously delivering new ecosystems of social exchange, interactive entertainment, media experiences and advertising models.

” We see everyday how important online gaming is in terms of connecting people and bringing communities of gamers together. From a simple battle in Halo to a more immersive communal experience, online gaming has the power to unite gamers across the street and/or around the world.”

PC-Based Online Gaming Makes a Comeback: Just a few years ago, talk within the gaming industry speculated whether the personal computer could survive as a viable gaming system and successfully compete against console giants and handhelds. Nonetheless, PC-based gaming recently has evolved into a platform that provides a unique gaming experience for vastly different gaming audiences.

Among casual gamers, for example, online games offer simple and engaging encounters that are attracting both existing and new gamer audiences, especially older women. Plus, the growth in broadband access has helped redefine Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOG) that let communities of gamers connect in ways that consoles and handheld platforms can‘t match.

Even so, handhelds, like online games, have themselves experienced the most growth year-over-year, thanks to innovative software and hardware, plus expanding multimedia options.

Examining the Forces Driving the Growth of Video Gaming : This Nielsen Entertainment study examines the dynamics influencing the growth of the video game industry. Analysding recent attitudes, activities and purchasing behavior of more than 2,000 consumers over the age of 13 who play games at least one hour a week, the new research identifies several compelling factors, including changing demographics within sectors of the Active Gamer population and the resurgent popularity of PC and handheld games.

Video Game System Ownership and Usage: Given the penetration of personal computers in US households, it is not surprising that 64 per cent of active gamers play on PC-based systems. These systems offer users connected experiences through Massively Multiplayer Online Games that other platforms cannot match. Personal computers also are the platform of choice for players of casual games, especially among women, 64 per cent of whom play video games online.

Among the console universe, Sony‘s PlayStation 2 dominates overall ownership at 59 per cent. This is followed by nearly matching levels of ownership between Microsoft‘s Xbox (33 per cent) and Nintendo‘s GameCube (30 per cent). With Microsoft‘s Xbox 360, the newest console entrée into the market, having 15 per cent ownership among Active Gamers. Notably, there is large cross ownership among Active Gamers and systems. The majority of Active Gamers also own at least a console and one other platform, with the level of cross-ownership between consoles and handhelds more than doubling (seven per cent to 16 per cent) between 2005 and 2006 to date. This is due, in large part, to the Nintendo DS and the Sony PSP and the unique gaming experiences they provide to millions of gamers

But unlike consoles, handheld ownership among Active Gamers is significantly more gender balanced. Furthermore, there is surprising power in portability. Active Gamers generally average about 14 hours a week on their consoles, while they often play as much as 17 hours a week on handhelds. About one quarter (24 per cent) of Active Gamers also play games on their mobile phones.

Video games as an entertainment experience: During the past six months, active gamers purchased, on average, four games. Of those, 90% were bought in retail stores, with the remaining 10% purchased online. On average, Active Gamers spend 47 hours playing each individual game they‘ve purchased.

But video games must compete for wallet share and clock time with other forms of entertainment. Active Gamers spend an average of $58 a week on entertainment, $16 of which goes to video games. They also average about a quarter of their weekly leisure time (13 out of 55.3 hours) playing video games. After gaming, music is the second most popular activity among the majority Active Gamer groups, though it is tied for first among females at nine hours.

Methodology: Surveys for the 2006 Active Gamer Benchmark Study were conducted online from July 3rd to July 9th with 2,200 active gamers, who were 13 years old or over, owned a gaming device and played games at least one hour per week.

To help get a better understanding of the gamer and their thoughts, emotions and social groups the report included two additional methodologies. First is an immersive behavioral segmentation analysis, where the research identified and defined 5 distinct groups of gamers. Second is a qualitative element where focus groups were conducted that serve as ancillary support and aid discovery to the quantitative findings

Applications

Moltbook, the AI-only social network, sparks hype, doubt and fear

Published

1 month ago

February 3, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

CALIFORNIA: Moltbook, a Reddit-style social platform built exclusively for artificial intelligence agents, has emerged as the latest obsession in Silicon Valley, drawing intense attention for its explosive growth and surreal bot-driven interactions.

The platform hosts more than 100 communities where AI agents post, argue and joke about topics ranging from governance theory to esoteric “crayfish debugging” concepts. Within days of launch, Moltbook recorded tens of thousands of posts, nearly 200,000 comments and more than 1 million human visitors observing the activity.

Yet the numbers and the autonomy are under scrutiny, as per media reports. A security researcher has suggested as many as 500,000 accounts may trace back to a single address, raising doubts about Moltbook’s membership claims. Many posts could also be the result of humans instructing their AI tools to publish content, rather than bots acting independently.

The platform runs on agentic AI, powered by an open-source tool called OpenClaw, formerly known as Moltbot. Unlike chatbots such as ChatGPT or Gemini, these agents are designed to perform tasks on users’ devices, from sending messages to managing calendars, with minimal human input. Once authorised, they can interact freely on Moltbook.

Some tech figures have hailed the platform as a glimpse of a post-human internet. Head of crypto custody firm BitGo Bill Lees, called it evidence that “we’re in the singularity”.

Academics are less convinced. Petar Radanliev, an AI and cybersecurity expert at the University of Oxford, said the idea of agents acting independently was “misleading”, describing Moltbook instead as automated coordination within human-set constraints. Columbia Business School assistant professor David Holtz, dismissed the spectacle as “thousands of bots yelling into the void and repeating themselves”.

Beyond hype, security worries loom large. ESET global cybersecurity advisor Jake Moore, warned that granting AI agents access to emails, private messages and files risks prioritising efficiency over privacy. Andrew Rogoyski of the University of Surrey said high-level system access could lead to serious damage, from erased data to compromised company accounts.

Even OpenClaw’s founder Peter Steinberger, has felt the darker side of attention, with scammers hijacking his old social media handles after the platform’s rebrand.

For now, Moltbook remains a strange digital zoo: part experiment, part spectacle, where AI agents banter about philosophy, productivity and, occasionally, their fondness for their human operators.

Applications

Apple appoints Avtar Ram Singh as head of international marketing

Published

1 month ago

February 2, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

CALIFORNIA: Apple has handed a bigger global brief to a long-time insider. Avtar Ram Singh has taken over as head of international marketing for the App Store, Apple Arcade and the Apple Games app, deepening his remit across one of the company’s fastest-growing businesses.

“I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as head of international marketing, App Store, Apple Arcade and Games App at Apple,” Singh said while announcing the move.

The promotion crowns nearly seven years at Apple, where Singh has led services marketing across Southeast Asia and India and previously served as head of marketing for Southeast Asia content and services, business lead for Apple Podcasts in the region and interim marketing lead for the App Store internationally.

His new portfolio spans three pillars of Apple’s services push. The App Store, which Apple positions as a safe and trusted discovery platform, now attracts more than 850 million average weekly users globally. Since 2008, developers have earned over $550 billion on the platform.

Apple Arcade, the company’s gaming subscription service, offers unlimited access to a catalogue ranging from brain teasers to big-name franchises. The recent addition of Sid Meier’s Civilization VII Arcade Edition brings a AAA PC title to iPhone, iPad and Mac from 5 February.

Then there is the Apple Games app, unveiled at WWDC as a unified destination for games from the App Store and Arcade. It aggregates titles in one place, surfaces personalised recommendations, tracks events and achievements, and lets users compete with friends or connect controllers for a console-like experience.

Singh arrives with a hybrid background in strategy, data and creativity. His career spans digital and social media marketing, business intelligence, content, editorial and analytics across culturally diverse markets. He has worked on brands including P&G, Accor, Audi, UBS, Nikon, Samsung, Sony, Pizza Hut, HBO and Singapore Airlines-linked businesses such as Scoot.

Before Apple, Singh led strategy at Falcon Agency, focusing on performance marketing and ROI-driven digital frameworks. He earlier ran the social practice at Publicis Singapore, where he oversaw operations, business development and regional social strategy for multinational clients. His career also includes roles at Ogilvy-linked Circus Social, Rocket Internet ventures Lazada and Zalora, and research firm IDC in Bangkok, where he analysed technology markets and won early awards for collaboration and client retention.

At Apple, he has been close to several service launches and expansions, including Apple Fitness+ in Singapore, Apple Creator Studio, global podcast subscriptions and new App Store marketing tools.

The timing is notable. Apple’s services business has posted record years, and gaming is becoming a sharper battleground as platforms chase engagement and recurring revenue. Singh’s brief sits at the intersection of content, community and commerce.

In a market where attention is scarce and loyalty scarcer, Apple is betting that sharper storytelling and smarter marketing can keep users inside its ecosystem. Singh now holds the megaphone. The real test will be how loudly the world listens.

Applications

Cloud nine in the capital Bharathcloud plugs Delhi into its AI plans

Published

1 month ago

January 30, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Bharathcloud is bringing its cloud closer to power. The Hyderabad-based sovereign AI cloud services provider has opened its Delhi office, marking its formal entry into North India and setting the stage for its next phase of growth.

The expansion comes as India’s digital transformation fuels rising demand for AI-ready cloud infrastructure, driven by wider adoption of artificial intelligence, machine learning, the Internet of Things and data-heavy applications. With the new office, Bharathcloud plans to onboard more than 100 employees in 2026, strengthening its workforce to support customers across government, enterprises, MSMEs and social sectors.

The Delhi presence is expected to sharpen the company’s engagement with organisations seeking secure, scalable and cost-efficient cloud platforms that comply with India’s data sovereignty requirements. It also positions Bharathcloud closer to policy, public sector and enterprise decision-makers in the region.

Founded in Hyderabad, Bharathcloud offers AI-ready cloud infrastructure including Kubernetes-as-a-Service, zero-trust security architecture and multi-level data protection frameworks. Its platform supports AI and ML workloads, blockchain application migration from hyperscalers and distributed data management, with an emphasis on reliability, low latency and operational continuity.

“With the Delhi expansion, we are positioning Bharathcloud to engage more closely with AI-driven enterprises and technology hubs in North India,” said Bharathcloud co-founder Rahul Takallapally. He added that the move would help nurture local cloud and AI talent while accelerating the adoption of secure and resilient AI infrastructure across sectors.

The company currently operates in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kolkata, Lucknow and Chennai, employing over 200 people and serving more than 1,500 clients across manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, IT and media. Aligned with national initiatives such as Digital India and Make in India, Bharathcloud continues to focus on building indigenous AI-cloud infrastructure to support data localisation and the country’s growing appetite for next-generation digital solutions.

With its Delhi office now live, the company is signalling a clear intent: to make sovereign, AI-ready cloud infrastructure not just an alternative, but a mainstream choice for India’s north as well as its tech capitals.