PlaySpan survey finds women buy more virtual goods

Research and consultancy firm, Frank N. Magid Associates, and PlaySpan today announced a new study that evaluates attitudes and behaviors of consumers on virtual goods spending. According to the study, 12 percent of the overall population surveyed reported that they had bought virtual goods in the last 12 months.

However, a closer look at the habits of virtual goods buyers reveals that virtual world visitors are the heaviest virtual goods buyers, with 46 percent of these consumers buying virtual goods (from virtual worlds, games or social networks) and nearly one third of iPhone owners buying from the same platforms.

The largest demographic of consumers who have reported buying virtual goods were females ages 25 to 34 (17 percent), followed by males 12 to 17 and 18 to 24 (both at 15 percent), females 12 to 17 (15 percent) and females ages 35 to 44 (15 percent).

Consumers are buying these goods from the following places:

1. Marketplace of the virtual world or game that a user is playing in (29 percent)
2. The official Web site of the virtual world or game (29 percent)
3. A web site of an authorized reseller of the virtual items (25 percent)
4. A web site of an unauthorized reseller of the virtual items (8 percent)
5. Another player (7 percent)
6. Other (5 percent)
7. Not sure (27 percent)

Ethnic breakdown of virtual goods purchasers:

1. Asian American (16 percent)
2. Others (15 percent)
3. Latinos (14 percent)
4. Caucasians (12 percent)
5. African American at 10 percent

While the greatest number of consumers (51 percent) that bought virtual goods said they were not sure how much they spent last year, those who did recall (27 percent) said they spent less than $50 in the last year on virtual goods, with the average price of all transactions averaging $30. Another group of consumers (15 percent) said they spent $100 or more, driving substantial annual revenue per user

Virtual goods, according to the study, were defined as non-physical objects that are purchased and exchanged on the Internet in games, virtual worlds and social networks. The actual description of virtual goods can be simple items such as virtual points or tokens or more complex items such as avatars.
The survey was conducted between April 20 through April 25, 2009. It was a nationally representative online survey of 1,927 people, of whom, 1,697 were between the ages of 18 and 64 and 230 were between the ages of 12 and 17.