According to a new study by Magid Associates (sponsored by PlayFirst), microtransactions on tablets are far more common than they are on smartphones. Over the course of the last year, tablets have raked in $914 million from in-game purchases while smartphones have only reached a little over a third of that at $341 million.
The study looked at device owners ranging from 8 to 64-years-old. Among that group, almost 70 percent of tablet owners played games, and 31 percent of them bought virtual goods. Each tablet user spent around $48 on these purchases over the last year. With smartphones, only 54 percent of owners played games, and of that group 19 percent bought items in games. Each user also only spent an average of $34 on in app purchases. Tablet owners downloaded an average of 25 games a year, whereas smartphone owners downloaded 20.
Larger tablet screens are conducive to bigger games and longer play sessions, which translates to more in-game purchases. Users are more likely to use their tablet to sit down and play a game for extended periods, whereas on smartphones they are more likely to play in an open moment of free time. Both platforms are growing rapidly and, although the audiences are different, both are an excellent market for games.
Source: GI.biz
