Study Says Women Spend More Money Than Men on Virtual Goods

As the research made by analyst firm VG Market and in-game monetization
provider Playspan, women are spend more money on purchasing virtual
content.

The report reveals that 75 percent of the respondents (a sample size of 2,221
respondents was polled) have used real-world money to pay for virtual goods, and
that roughly half expect to continue to spend about the same amount of
real-world cash over the next 12 months.

Additionally, women over the age of 25 are stepping up their games and
spending more than everyone else. When looking at the median spent on
first-party purchases within social-network games, the average female spent $55
dollars, compared to only $30 for males. Females also spent twice as much ($50
compared to $25) when comparing purchases of in-game currency and the median
overall expenditure was higher for females than males, at $80 to $60,
respectively.

“The report demonstrates a number of significant trends and monetization
opportunities available to both first-party publishers and third-party
marketplaces through the sale of digital goods,” said VGMarket president Michael
Gluck. “Each type of digital good has a unique level of demand, and the amount
of money that a consumer spends on digital goods continues to vary widely by
genre.”

Other highlights from the report:

• Respondents prefer to buy for free-to-play games, MMOs, and
  social-networking games
  
• North American women over the age of 25 are spending the most money on
  digital goods.
  
• Respondents spent more money on digital goods in social-networking games
  (such as Farmville) than in any other genre over the last 12 months.
  
• In-game currency, virtual gifts, and wearables were the most popular types
  of digital goods purchased over the last 12 months.

You may find the full report via GamesIndustry.