Survey: 83% Of Casual Gamers Embrace Ad-Supported Games

According to the latest annual global survey on casual gaming from Macrovision, 83 percent of respondents said they would be willing to watch a 30 second ad to play a game for free, indicating what the company sees as "an acceptance of alternative business models," that also includes online trials and cross game promotion. The survey, conducted between June 26 and July 11 and hosted on Macrovision's Trymedia Network, drew the participation of nearly 400 gamers comprising a variegated demographic-- 69 percent were female, for example, and 29 percent were aged 50-60. 83 percent of the participants said they'd be willing to view a 30-second advertisement in order to play a game for free. 53 percent responded that they would purchase the game if given a free trial first, and of those, 54 percent said that 60 minutes of play time would be enough to decide whether or not they'd buy. The number of participants who rely on promotional emails for new info about games rose from 14 to 34 percent, while the percentage of survey participants that use gaming websites to find out about new games rose from 28 percent to 45 percent. The results also show that casual gamers are still less-than-casual about their game playing habits, with 28 percent logging more than nine sessions per week -- 32 percent of those sessions lasting an hour or more. Puzzle gaming is the genre of choice, preferred by 48 percent of respondents, with sim and action titles in second and third place with 26 and 23 percent of the responses, respectively. Said Macrovision executive VP Michael Buccheim, “This year’s survey highlights that advertising is now an increasing revenue option and trials are a must in marketing to casual gamers. Gamers are now turning to advertising and promotional materials to help them make their decisions on which games to play and purchase. The facts revealed in this year’s survey will help the industry to better understand and influence casual gaming purchasing habits.”