A recent study from PlayPhone has revealed the top users of mobile gaming applications, leaving developers and marketers of the industry wondering what the best strategies really are for getting new games noticed. The study showed two major conflicting target audience groups – middle aged women and Generation Y. While women above forty years of age are said to spend the most time utilising mobile applications, it also showed that members of Gen Y are more likely to spend the big bucks.
PlayPhone conducted a survey with 1,000 mobile gamers in the U.S. in a bid to try and decipher the challenges that both marketing agencies and developers face, hoping that this information would provide further insight into strategies that companies may need to implement if they want their app to be a success in the charts. According to PocketGamer.Biz, of the women who utilised apps for more than one hour per day, 62% were married and all were over the age of 40. While older women may spend more time addicted to their mobile apps, it seems, however, that it is the younger generation that are creating more revenue for gaming companies. The age group of 29 to 35 revealed that these users would be willing to spend upwards of $10 on a worthy app, however within this age group, it was the 30 to 39 year olds making up 48% of this spending frenzy.
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While these studies have shed some insight into the target audiences for which developers should be marketing to, it also showed that 72% of survey members weren’t exactly comfortable with handing over their credit card details to make app purchases – a hurdle that will need to be jumped in order for games to generate greater in-app purchases. Unrelated studies in the past have also shone a light onto the social aspect of mobile gaming, with backing from this survey, stating that people are 47% more likely to download an app if they are invited by a friend through a messaging system.
So basically, if you can target to the married woman, entice the younger generations with in-app purchases and create a messaging system to invite friend’s to play – you’re on the way to having yourself one hell of a successful iOS or Android mobile application.
Oh, and just remember, you’ll need one mind-blowing idea for a game too!
After 5+ years in development, we're excited ... 
