Increase projected for Japan's online game market

Organizers of the Online Game Forum have estimated that the online game market in Japan will expand by 62 percent this year, the Mainichi Daily News reported. The market is projected to rise from 57.8 billion yen ($72 million) as of December 2004 to a total of 93.8 billion yen ($855 million) by the end of the year. The Online Game Forum is an event planned by the Kanto Bureau of Economy, Trade, and Industry, which promotes industrial development in the greater Tokyo area. Participants at the forum include Koei, NHN Japan, and Electronic Arts. The estimation is based on the 2004 sales from 16 online game makers.