New Study Shows That More Gamers Buy In-Game Virtual Goods On Their Tablets Than Smartphones

PlayFirst and Frank N. Magid Associates have revealed the results of a new study on Tablet and Smartphone Gaming. The new study shows that 61 million gamers prefer to play games on their tablet and 31 percent buy in-game virtual goods. The study shows that in-game virtual good spending is three-times the amount than that for smartphone gamers.

From the Press Release
PlayFirst Inc., a global leader in mobile games for families and friends, and Frank N. Magid Associates, Inc., a leading media and entertainment research firm, today announced results from the annual Tablet and Smartphone Gaming, Magid Media Futures study. According to the study, the tablet has emerged as the mobile platform of choice for gamers: 61 million total gamers prefer the platform, and that number has increased nearly 70 percent year-over-year.  Sixty-nine percent of all tablet owners regularly play games, and of those tablet gamers, 31 percent are buying in-game virtual goods, spending an average of $48 each in the last 12 months.  This means in-game virtual good spending for tablet games is about $914 million, nearly three-times the share of smartphone in-game virtual good spending, which stands at $341 million.

Despite lower spending, the study shows that consumers continue to embrace the smartphone for gaming with a total of 54 million users playing games on their smartphones, nearly a 50 percent year-over-year increase. Nineteen percent of smartphone gamers are paying for in-game virtual goods and are spending $32 each on average.

“Despite its strong growth in the last three years, mobile gaming is still at the beginning stages of its global expansion on smartphones and tablets,” said Marco DeMiroz, president and CEO of PlayFirst. “Because it’s so easy and convenient, mobile gaming has become a mainstream consumer entertainment pastime, right alongside watching television and movies. In fact, it is replacing traditional home entertainment as tablets offer a rich and compelling user experience.”

“We started seeing the emergence of the tablet as a huge gaming platform last year,” said Mike Vorhaus, president of Magid Advisors. “Now tablet gaming growth is pushing big increases on in-game virtual goods spending and driving big revenue. The tablet is really the TV of video - the great majority of tablet owners love tablet gaming, and the tablet is becoming their go-to device for gaming.”

The Magid Media Futures report also shows that gameplay has emerged as the number one entertainment activity on tablets. The average tablet gamer downloaded nearly 25 games in the last 12 months, and one out of five of those are paid games. In comparison, the average smartphone gamer downloaded nearly 20 games in the last 12 months.

According to the study Android continues to make headway but iOS still leads in total number of gamers. iOS gamers are slightly more likely to play games, purchase games and buy in-game virtual goods compared to Android users, and iPhone users are more likely to pay for smartphone games by a wide margin.

To learn more, visit the official PlayFirst website.