We've heard a lot of talk lately around these parts that more and more established game developers are going the way of the free-to-play model. Well it turns out there's a very good reason for that. A recent study conducted by PlaySpan, in conjunction with Frank N. Magid Associations has shown that an astounding 77% of gamers (and 110 million Americans) spend more time playing free-to-play games than pay-to-play games. The December 2012 study surveyed current gamers between the ages of 13-54, where it was deemed that 52% of these gamers were men and 48% were women.
It seems as though people have absolutely no problem buying things that don't really exist, as a new report from PlaySpan is purporting that the sale of virtual goods reached approximately $2.3 billion in 2011. The numbers seem to indicate that one in four individuals spent money on virtual goods last year, with the average coming out to $64 a year per consumer. In an added bit of news that will shock no one, the bulk of these customers are male, with roughly half of guys ages 13-24 saying they bought virtual do-dads in the past year.