40% of freemium gamers buy IAPs

A new report from NPD has claimed that four out of ten gamers who have played a freemium game have gone on to make an in-game purchase.

The organisation also found that females are significantly more likely” than males to play freemium titles, but on the flip side are less likely to buy an IAP.

In addition, only 15 per cent of gamers who are aware of freemium games choose not to play them. It estimates that 38 per cent of all US citizens aged two and up are currently playing a freemium game of some kind.

The majority of freemium gamers who opt to pay to upgrade their experience do so within the first month of playing a particular game,” NPD analyst Anita Frazier stated.

Males and those ages 18 to 34 are traditionally seen as a big part of the core gamer audience, so it’s likely these groups are not quite as engaged with freemium because the gaming experience is quite different from what they are used to from the games they play on consoles, handhelds or PCs.

At a minimum, for these gamers a freemium game would provide a different experience, like a snack versus a full meal.”