During a Casual Connect USA 2014 panel on eSports that Mike Vorhaus moderated, he shared the following data from the US: “12 percent of gamers have watched eSports in the last year. an increase of 9 percent compared to 2013.”
Mike Vorhaus is the senior vice president of Frank N. Magid Associates, Inc. and the president of Magid Advisors. Frank N. Magid Associates is a consumer research and strategic consulting company, of which Vorhaus runs the internet and gaming part of the company.
He met Frank Magid years ago, but it took Magid four years to persuade him to join the company. Vorhaus started the Magid Internet and New Media research and consultation practice in 1995. His consulting has included the launch of new services and programing and the development and implementation of online and offline marketing programs. Film projects he has consulted on include You’ve Got Mail and The Matrix. In 2001, he started Magid Gaming Practice; his first two clients were EA and Sony Online, and he now works with most of the major gaming companies.
New Media Research
Vorhaus provides research and consultation services to major traditional media companies about their new media initiatives, as well as consulting with leading internet and gaming companies.He also provides advice to venture capital and private equity firms about investments in the media space.
He has been extensively involved in video and PC gaming strategies as well as the development of gaming concepts.
A Commitment To The Industry
His first gaming work with Sony, and then with Pogo on casual games, established a lasting commitment to this industry. His first game work was Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune Online. Later, he worked on the brand name and imagery of what became Pogo, previously Total Entertainment Network – Ten. He especially enjoyed working with the Pogo staff and players, calling them “super nice people.” He appreciates games simply because they are a good break from work and life, and he continues to work in internet and gaming because he loves them both.
For his personal gaming, he has been enjoying Hearthstone lately. Tablet is his favorite device to play on. He has never used Android; his choice was iOS because he likes Apple, as well as the size and UI of iOS.
He loves the old console shooter games and owns PS2, PS3, and Xbox One. But he hasn’t bought a next generation console yet because he doesn’t play much on console any longer; his focus has shifted mainly to tablet now.
The next important trend coming to the games industry, according to Vorhaus, is trans-platform gaming and UltraViolet gaming.
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