Kongregate Boss Claims "Core Gamers" Spend Big on Free-to-Play

[Andy Chalk]

Kongregate Boss Claims "Core Gamers" Spend Big on Free-to-Play

The CEO of online gaming site Kongregate says core gamers drop an average of $60 per month on free-to-play games.

A few days ago, Facebook's Sean Ryan said the social network famous for its "Ville" games is going to focus heavily [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/121880-Facebook-Aims-For-Core-Gamers] on core gamers in 2013 because that's where the money is. But the amount of money up for grabs, according to Jim Greer, the CEO of online gaming portal Kongregate, is probably higher than you think.

Kongregate's "conversion rate" - the percentage of gamers who actually pay to play - of two to three percent is roughly the same as other online gaming platforms, but the amount they pay is dramatically higher. "The average amount spent per month by a player who does spend is about as high as it gets, $60 a month since January," Greer told Develop. "That's the numbers we're talking about, whereas a typical number for a Facebook game is less than a quarter of that."

Mileage varies from game to game and what exactly defines a "core gamer" is a bit hazy, but it's an interesting re-take on the assumption that they're a dying breed and will soon be consigned to irrelevance as moms and grandparents assume dominance over the gaming universe. Having a huge audience means very little if it's not willing to throw some green around now and then.

"A poker game on Facebook has a more-core male audience, so will be higher, an aquarium game or something like that is about as low as it gets," Greer said. "We think that in terms for a developer, core gamers are just engaged, and in any field it's the most engaged people who are most willing to pay money."

Source: Develop [http://www.develop-online.net/news/43209/Kongregate-Core-players-more-valuable-than-casual]


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[MetalMagpie]

Soooooo, people who are really into video games spend more money on them?

 

[Falterfire]

That seems reasonable (And slightly obvious): People will spend more money on a game if there's more game to spend their money on.

 

[AlexanderPeregrine]

This is hardly a surprising statement. Kongregate has been putting more and more emphasis on the "click a button, get an outrageous-sounding reward for zero effort, and either wait several hours or pay money for another click" anti-games that make Facebook a joke and they're pissing off a lot of people in the process (namely people that hunt badges or rely on them as an indicator of quality).

 

[suitepee7]

i would describe myself as a core gamer, and can safely say "i do not spend $60 a month on free to play." i don't think i've even spent $60 on free to play in my life, and i don't want to. usually freemium games don't hold my attention for very long, so i don't bother investing into them.

 

[Remus]

I spend exactly $0 on Free to Play. All the F2P games that I play, of which there are several, have alternatives to cash, so anything you could buy with cash is still readily available if you just play the game more. I consider myself a core gamer, but a core gamer on a budget. If there's a quality free game out there I'll pick it up. Currently playing:
Tribes: Ascend
Hawken
Planetside 2
LOTRO
....and not one penny spent.

 

[octafish]

I think my problem is the $60 a month figure. Is that for one game? Unlikely. For a few games, probably. I haven't been playing a lot of F2P lately but when I do I tend to spend a little money if I find it enjoyable. I guess if I was playing a lot of World of Tanks, Planetside 2, Tribes, TF2, STO, LOTRO, Guild Wars 2 and The Secret World I guess I could see it adding up.

 

[weirdee]

This is hardly a surprising statement. Kongregate has been putting more and more emphasis on the "click a button, get an outrageous-sounding reward for zero effort, and either wait several hours or pay money for another click" anti-games that make Facebook a joke and they're pissing off a lot of people in the process (namely people that hunt badges or rely on them as an indicator of quality).

that being said, there is a larger portion of interest for actual games on kongregate, which draws in more customers and more games where they fall flat on facebook because nobody apparently wants to spend time on a real game there.

 

[CardinalPiggles]

The most I'd spend on a free to play game is about £10. And I'd call myself a "core gamer".

Free to play games are usually a bit shit, and disappear sooner rather than later, so why invest money in them?

I don't even feel compelled to buy TF2 items.

I must be an anomaly.

 

[Lancer873]

Oh hey, my... boss? Higher power? I'm not sure what you call the CEO of a company you moderate a chat for... but anyways he said something cool.
He's got a fine point. F2P games really are getting better and better. With games like Dragon Nest, Spiral Knights, Tribes: Ascend, and League of Legends, it's hard to say that F2P is a casual business these days, and while his estimates may seem a bit high he's got a fine point. If you build it well then they will come and they will pay, and "they" aren't just casual scrubs with a penchant for easy win buttons.

 

[Strazdas]

I think my problem is the $60 a month figure. Is that for one game? Unlikely. For a few games, probably. I haven't been playing a lot of F2P lately but when I do I tend to spend a little money if I find it enjoyable. I guess if I was playing a lot of World of Tanks, Planetside 2, Tribes, TF2, STO, LOTRO, Guild Wars 2 and The Secret World I guess I could see it adding up.

When i used to play WOT, i was in a clan, where people would jsut go "im durnk tonight ill buy a LOWE" and thne he sells it the next day. and this happens multiple times a month. Some people spent like 100 dollars per month in there. and they still sucked at playing.