The online gaming business of Sanoma Entertainment has grown rapidly, and co-operation crosses divisional borders of the Sanoma Group.
"We developed the casual online gaming site Pelikone.fi in autumn 2007. Älypää, which focuses on online quizzes, was acquired a bit later," tells Fernando Herrera, Head of Online Gaming at Sanoma Entertainment.
"In the beginning everyone kept saying there is no room for new actors in the online gaming market. We prove this wrong; especially women got interested in our casual games. Pelikone.fi reached market leadership faster than we could expect," Herrera says.
"Entertaining and non-violent casual online games are modern versions of games such as patience, sudoku or crossword puzzles – now we just use PC for playing instead," Herrera reckons.
The casual online gaming sites of Sanoma Entertainment have a total of around 1.8 million visitors a month. In last February the Pelikone.fi site alone had over 990,000 unique visitors.
"In addition to the well-functioning concept, cross-Division co-operation within the Sanoma Group has been crucial for the success." Herrera says.
One of the first partners was Sanoma News, as Pelikone.fi was launched as a part of the tabloid site Iltasanomat.fi. It was essential that both benefited: Iltasanomat.fi increased its total visitor count helping it take the number one position as Finland's largest site, whereas Pelikone.fi got more visitors.
Similar solutions have been developed with web sites of Sanoma Magazines' several women's titles, such as Cosmopolitan. Co-operation exists also with Finland's leading daily, Helsingin Sanomat, and a broadcasting company, Nelonen Media.
Potential to expand online gaming business from Finland to abroad is also being investigated. Sanoma offers countless possibilities.
Sanoma Entertainment is the electronic media division of the Sanoma Group.
