Ebuyer ran a Facebook poll that gathered 8850 responses and insights into gaming apps on mobiles and tablets. The research is interesting because mobile gaming is really shaking up console gaming.
Console games are far more expensive than mobile games. DLC is liked by console and PC gamers but not embraced by mobile gamers.
I suspect ebuyer’s research might be a little worrying for game developers. It shows only 41% of gamers would be willing to pay up to £2 for a gaming app and only 35% willing to pay up to £5. Can you imagine getting a console game for £5?
At the same time gamers didn’t want in-game advertising in their apps. 43% “dislike” in-game ads and 40% “hate it”. That doesn’t leave much room for anything else.
These demands make for a challenging gaming market.
David Wood, Marketing Director at Ebuyer, said:
“The last year has seen a boom in the use of tablets and smartphones for gaming, and we understandably take an interest in what makes people tick when using them for recreation.
“It’s really interesting to see what app developers can improve on, whether it’s awkward controls, advertising or problems – responding to these criticisms will undoubtedly shape the future of gaming.
“Our findings also imply that people prefer to pay quite highly for premium versions of titles rather than downloading free alternatives; this may be more obvious in future, as developers begin to drop cost-free options on their prized creations.”
Do you think the low price points expected by mobile gamers is harmful to the industry? Or just reflective of the puzzle games that are most popular as apps?
