There is a section of the Australian population that many Telcos overlook- gamers! But, Optus has teamed up with Pentanet to attempt to get some of the millions of gamers to sign up for their services! Here’s the story…
You’re wrong about gamers.
When you think of a “gamer”, what do you think of? Many will likely think of a teenage boy playing on a console. But that is only a tiny percentage of gamers in Australia.
67% of all Australians play video games, and I’m pretty sure 67% of Australians are not teenage boys. Among the 67%, 47% are women. And 21% play video games on their mobile phones. Despite what stereotypes might tell you, the average Australian gamer is 34.
There are likely people you know who play video games—your parents, teachers, and bus driver. There are so many more gamers than we think.
Understanding the key players: Optus, Pentanet, and GeForce Now!
To understand Optus’ plan, we need to understand all three players.
1. Optus – Optus are a Tier 1 Telco; we will keep this section short and assume you already know who they are.
2. Pentanet – Pentanet is another telecoms company who is constantly striving to improve its technology. Their focus is on enhancing connection, innovation, and entertainment. And since 2021, they have been the digital distributor for the third key player…
3. GeForce Now – GeForce Now is a cloud gaming service. This means they provide players with downloadable video games that do not require a disk. They have 1500+ video games for people to download and enjoy.
Why does Optus want to get in on the action?
According to an Optus spokesperson, they want a piece of the “emerging segment of the multi-billion dollar global gaming market”. Optus understands that there’s a lot of money in video games.
If Optus can get gamers to their side, it will do wonders for their 5G network. These days, many mobile games allow players to play with (or against) others anywhere in the world. And this provides a fantastic opportunity for Optus to promote its 5G network.
They’re encouraging gamers to use them by enabling them to use SubHub (Optus’ subscription management service) for GeForce games. This way, gamers can have Netflix, GeForce Now, and other entertainment subscriptions in one place!
Will it work?
It looks like it will. 5G is an increasingly popular technology, and there are many gamers in Australia. Doing what you can to make gamers happy is a wise business move from Optus. And the stock market agrees. After this deal was announced, Pentanet’s share price increased by 70%!
With Optus, gamers get a 12-month deal from GeForce now, allowing them to save money and all three companies to rake in more customers. So, that’s why this new proposal looks promising.
Conclusion
Since the big hack last year, Optus has had to develop creative ideas for keeping and getting new customers. Some of their ideas have been controversial, such as their “Data Boosts”. But this latest innovation from Optus, Pentanet, and GeForce Now will get Optus back into many Aussie’s good books. With the gaming market growing every year and Australians from many different age brackets and backgrounds starting to play video games, it seems only wise for the Telco to use them to get their new 5G network off the ground.