Mobile Gaming - Social Motivations White Paper

Mobile Gaming:
Social Motivations
REPORT CONTENTS
Executive Summary ..................................................................................................... 3
Informational Sources for Discovering Favorite Games ....................................................................................... 3
Motivations for Playing Mobile Games....................................................................................................................... 3
Online Sharing ..................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Segments ...................................................................................................................... 4
Summary of Key Findings ........................................................................................... 5
Demographics and Behavioral Market Segments .................................................... 6

Mobile Devices and Platforms Used for Gaming .................................................................................................... 6
Mobile Gaming Behaviors ............................................................................................................................................... 7
Time spent playing mobile games ............................................................................................................................................ 7
Money spent on mobile games..................................................................................................................................... 7
Games downloaded per month ...............................................................................................................................................10
Discovering Mobile Games ....................................................................................... 11

Online sources used to discover mobile games....................................................................................................13
Social Play in Mobile Games ..................................................................................... 14
Sharing Mobile Gameplay Experiences ................................................................... 19

How do mobile gamers share gameplay experience? ........................................................................................19
Why do mobile gamers share gameplay experiences? ......................................................................................22
What social or sharing features are important? ....................................................................................................24
How do others see you in mobile games? ..............................................................................................................26
Game Communities .........................................................................................................................................................27
Appendix .................................................................................................................... 30
Mobile Gaming: Social Insights White Paper by Everyplay & Unity Technologies
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
A total of 3,055 people were surveyed about their preferences and behaviors in mobile gaming, with an
emphasis on social communities and sharing. The top 3 conclusions focused on how players discover games,
what drives them to continue playing a game, and the reasons they share game-related content online.
INFORMATIONAL SOURCES FOR DISCOVERING FAVORITE GAMES

Those that utilize only iOS devices or only Android devices discover games from both online and offline
sources at roughly the same frequency. In other words, there is not a significant difference between users of
iOS devices and users of Android devices with regards to game discovery. For example, 35% of iOS users and
34% of Android users frequently discovered games by looking at those that were featured in an app store.
However, 47% of individuals that utilize both devices frequently discovered games through being featured in
an app store. This relationship (in other words, the lack of difference between iOS and Android users) was
consistent across all the online and offline sources of information to discover one’s favorite games.
Unsurprisingly, those that 1) play more hours per week, 2) download more games per month, and 3) spend
more money per month, are more likely to frequently utilize various online and offline informational sources
to discover favorite games compared to their less engaged counterparts.
MOTIVATIONS FOR PLAYING MOBILE GAMES

Passing time was universally evaluated highly across all the segments; the difference between lowly and
highly engaged players was relatively small. Thus, the primary motivations for high and low engaged players
are mainly driven by passing time.
Conversely, compared to less engaged mobile gamers, highly engaged gamers (those that spend more,
download more, and play more) are motivated to play mobile games in order to express themselves in a more
creative manner. Specifically, the highly engaged player is between 1.16 and 1.33 times more likely than is the
lowly engaged player to cite that finding “new and creative ways to solve challenges or express creativity” is a
motivation to play mobile games. Similar stark relationships exist between highly and lowly engaged players
in subsequent motivations, including sharing, cooperative behaviors, and competitive engagement.
ONLINE SHARING
The most frequently stated reason for sharing content is to tell others about a game they may like. In other
words, the primary reason for sharing game content for all segments is informational in nature.
Additionally, those most highly engaged in playing mobile games share content (either game play or game
related) more frequently than less engaged players. However, the difference between low and high
engagement users becomes more pronounced concerning bragging rights. High engagement users are more
motivated than are low engagement users to participate in challenges, share achievements with others, and
post information regarding their high skill level. Thus, bragging rights factor more into a high engagement
user’s decision to share game related content online compared to a less engaged user.
SEGMENTS
Three types of player segments were defined through this study.
Primary Segments
In addition to gender and age, the three primary segments were:

hours spent playing mobile games per week (less than an hour, 1-4
hours, 5-10 hours, and more than 10 hours), games downloaded per
month (0-1 games, 2 games, 3-4 games, 5 or greater), and money
spent per month on games ($0, $1-$9, and greater than $10). The
high-paying, greater than $10 per month group was further broken
into Little Whales ($10-$19), Whales ($20-$49), and Super Whales
($50+).
Secondary Segments
The secondary segments revolve around motivations and
behaviors. The four motivation groups are people who
express a high motivation to play games to relax, to be social,
to achieve, and to be creative. The two behavioral groups are
sharers (those that frequently share their progress with others
online or offline) and socializers (those that enjoy discussing
mobile games with others online or offline).
Tertiary Segments
The final group of segments is characterized by social media

behaviors. Online sharers are those that frequently share mobile
game content and progress online, while online video sharers are
those that frequently share video online. Finally, Twitter users and
YouTube users are those that frequently share game content on
Twitter and YouTube, respectively.
SUMMARY OF KEY FINDINGS
Word-of-mouth remains as the top discovery source for mobile games. Of the word-of-mouth sources, the
most frequently used method for discovering games is verbal recommendations from a friend, followed by a
friend showing game play. The most used online word-of-mouth source is an invitation on Facebook from a
friend. Figure 1 describes the relationships more fully.
Online / Offline word-of-mouth sources
A friend shows gameplay to me 29% 53% 19%
A friend tells me verbally 35% 57% 8%
TwiGer post from someone I follow 16% 81%
Facebook post from a friend 8% 37% 55%
Invite (not on Facebook) to play the game from a friend 7% 35% 59%
Facebook invite to play the game from a friend 10% 34% 57%
Frequently SomeLmes Never
Figure 1: Word-of-mouth sources used to discover new games
The App Store has become the virtual “water fountain” where mobile gamers gather to discover new games.
The App Store offers featured apps, charts, and user reviews, which are among the most used online sources
of information about mobile games.
Mobile gamers that spend the most time playing games also tend to spend the most money on mobile games.
Heavy buyers, who account for only 10% of the player base, make up 2/3 of the mobile gaming revenue.
These gamers also tend to engage more in social play in mobile games, share their mobile gaming
experiences more frequently, and be more involved in gaming communities. Super Whales, or those that
spend over $50 per month on games, spend on average about $108 per month. While this group only
constitutes 1% of the sample size, Super Whales contribute nearly 29% to the mobile gaming revenue.
Gaming communities around a mobile game have many benefits to the mobile gamer and encourage mobile
gamers to return to the game. The most important aspects of social play in mobile games are centered on
allowing mobile gamers to challenge and compete with other gamers and compare their progress against
others through leaderboards. Indeed, those that pay the most value these game features significantly more
than Non Payers and lesser paying segments. For example, 31% of Little Whales (those that spend between
$10 and $19 dollars), 41% of Whales (those that spend between $20 and $49), and 40% of Super Whales (those
that spend more than $50) play to be the fastest, most skilled player.
DEMOGRAPHICS AND BEHAVIORAL MARKET SEGMENTS
Table 1 summarizes key demographic information about the surveyed population.
Gender Male: 48%

Female: 51%
Prefer not to say: 1%
Age 18-24: 27%
25-34: 41%
35-44: 20%
45+: 12%
Mean: 31.55 (Male = 29.2; Female = 33.5)
Employment Status Employed, part time: 19%
Employed, full time: 47%
Full or part-time student: 14%
Not employed, looking for work: 11%
Not employed, not looking for work: 7%
Retired: 1%
Disabled, not able to work: 2%
Table 1: Basic demographic information of study population
MOBILE DEVICES AND PLATFORMS USED FOR GAMING

Android phones were the devices most used for mobile gaming. Overall, mobile gamers can be classified by
which mobile device platform they use for mobile gaming: Android, iOS, or both (Figure 2).
Most popular mobile devices used for gaming Mobile device platform used
Android phone
Both
iPhone 14% iOS
iPad 40%
Android tablet
Kindle Fire
Other (please specify) Android
46%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Figure 2: Most popular mobile devices for gaming and mobile platform
Unsurprisingly, High Payers, especially those that spend $20+ per month and $50+ per month, are most likely
to own and use a tablet.
Non Payer Medium Payer High Payer $20+ $50+

iPad 22% 32% 38% 39% 46%
Android Tablet 20% 21% 30% 34% 35%
MOBILE GAMING BEHAVIORS
As previously mentioned, mobile gamers can be segmented by three key mobile gaming behaviors.
Individuals that fall on the high end of these segments can generally be considered highly engaged mobile
gamers. The three segments are 1) Time spent playing mobile games per week, 2) Money spent on mobile
games per month, and 3) Mobile games downloaded per month. Each segment is discussed in more detail
below.
Time spent playing mobile games

About 50% of mobile
Hours spent playing mobile games per week gamers spend between 1-
4 hours a week playing
mobile games, while 14%
50%
spend 10 hours or more
per week playing mobile
games. There were no
significant differences
25%
between male and female
11% 9% 3% 2% gamers or gamers of
different ages.
LESS THAN 1-‐4 HOURS 5-‐9 HOURS 10-‐14 15-‐24 25+ HOURS
AN HOUR HOURS HOURS
Mobile gamers can be segmented based on time spent playing mobile games:
• Very Casual Gamers: play less than 1 hour per week (N=349; 11%)
• Casual Gamers: play 1-4 hours per week (N=1526; 50%)
• Serious Gamers: play 5-10 hours per week (N=777; 25%)
• Hardcore Gamers: play 10+ hours per week (N=404; 14%)
MONEY SPENT ON MOBILE GAMES
On average, mobile gamers spend $4.58 on mobile

games per month. Male gamers spend more than Average money spent per month, by
female gamers. Mobile gamers between the ages of gender
35 and 44 spend the most, on average, while gamers
between 18 and 24 spend the least. Female $3.49
Mobile gamers that use Apple iOS for their mobile Male $5.63
gaming tend to spend more than their Android
counterparts. However, the greatest spending comes All mobile gamers $4.58
from mobile gamers that use both platforms. Indeed,
there is a slight but significant linear relationship $0.00
$1.00
$2.00
$3.00
$4.00
$5.00
$6.00
between using both iOS and Android devices and
playing longer, downloading more, and spending
more. This relationship is not nearly as prevalent or as
strong for gamers that only use iOS or Android.
Average money spent per month, by Average money spent per month, by
age device platform
18-24 $3.73 Android $3.36

25-34 $4.35
iOS $5.26
35-44 $6.07
Both $7.28
45+ $4.79
All mobile gamers $4.58 Overall $4.58
$0.00 $2.00 $4.00 $6.00 $8.00 $0.00 $2.00 $4.00 $6.00 $8.00
Mobile gamers can be divided into four segments based on how much money they spend monthly on mobile
games:
• Non Payers: spend $0 per month (N=1788; 59%)

• Medium Payers: spend $1-9 per month (N=816; 27%)
• High Payers, or Little Whales: spend $10 or more per month (N=452; 15%)
• High Payers can further be broken into two additional segments:
o $20-$49 a month, Whales (N = 140; 5%)
o $50+ a month, Super Whales (N = 37; 1%)
While the preferences of the different game genres are clear across the whole sample (puzzles are the most
popular while creation games are the least popular), there are less stratified preferences among the heaviest
payers (Whales). In other words, Whales enjoy many different genres and varieties of mobile games, while
other groups have clear preferences.
Non Payers make

up the largest Player and revenue shares
percentage of
mobile gamers at Player Share Revenue Share
59%. The 10% of
players that are 67%
considered “High 59%
Payers” make up
two-thirds of the
revenue from
mobile gaming. 24%
18% 15%
8% 10%
0%
Non Payers Low Payers Moderate Payers High Payers
Spending also increased as
Money spent by time playing mobile gamers invested more
time playing mobile games.
Those players that spent at least
10+ hours $15.15
five hours per week playing
5-10 hours $4.90 mobile games invested higher
than average playtime, with
1-4 hours $2.55 those playing at least 10 hours
per week spending over three
Less than an hour $0.66 times the average.
All mobile gamers $4.58 Delving into the data deeper,

there is a clear relationship
$0 $2 $4 $6 $8 $10 $12 $14 $16
between time spent playing
games and money spent; those
that play more mobile games
tend to spend more money on
mobile games. The following
chart illustrates this relationship.
Hours played by money spent

70%
60%
50% Non
40% Medium
30% High
20%
$20+
10%
$50+
0%
Less than an 1-‐4 hours 5-‐9 hours 10-‐14 hours 15-‐24 hours 25+ hours
hour
Figure 3: Hours played per week by the average amount of money spent per month
Games downloaded per month
The typical mobile gamer downloads 2.76
mobile games per month. There were minor
Male 2.92
differences between male and female gamers
and age groups (slightly more downloads per
month for males and younger gamers). Mobile Female 2.64
gamers that use both Android and iOS devices
download about 50% more games per month All Mobile Gamers 2.76
than gamers that use only one platform.
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3
18-24 2.87 Android 2.56
25-34 2.72
iOS 2.69
35-44 2.77
Both 3.81
45+ 2.61
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 0 1 2 3 4
Mobile gamers can be separated into four segments based on the number of games they download each
month:
• Very Light Downloaders: download 0-1 games per month (N=1119; 37%)
• Light Downloaders: download 2 games per month (N=886; 29%)
• Moderate Downloaders: download 3-4 games per month (N=555; 18%)
• Heavy Downloaders: download 5 or more games per month (N=495; 16%)
DISCOVERING MOBILE GAMES
Mobile gamers use a variety of online and offline sources to discover new mobile games (see Figure 3). App
store features, such as featured app lists, top charts, and user reviews, are the most frequently used online
sources. Female gamers are more likely than male gamers to discover a new mobile game from Facebook
(friends’ posts, invites, and ads). Male gamers are more likely to discover a new mobile game through
gameplay videos or websites devoted to mobile games or games in general.
Online sources used to discover mobile games

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
App Store: featured apps
App Store: top charts
App Store: user reviews
Gameplay video
Website: all games
Facebook post
Facebook invite to play
Other invite to play
Website: mobile games
In-app advertisement
Facebook advertisement
Mobile game discovery app
Twitter post
All mobile gamers Male Female
Figure 4: Percentage of gamers that have used online sources to discover mobile games
High Payers used all online sources more often than all mobile gamers to discover new mobile games.
Similarly, Non Payers used all online sources less often. The same tendency can be seen with hardcore gamers
and very casual gamers.
An intuitive relationship emerges when evaluating the same sources of information by spending habits. In
most cases, the heaviest spenders learn about their new favorite games from a multitude of sources,
indicating this group is more actively looking for information as compared to other segments. This includes
online and offline sources of information. Figure 4 illustrates this relationship more fully.
% of Payers Frequently Using Game Info Sources

70%
60%
50%
40%
30% Non
Medium
20% High
$20+
10% $50+
0%
Figure 5: Sources of FREQUENTLY used game information sources by spending type
ONLINE SOURCES USED TO DISCOVER MOBILE GAMES
For sources of word-of-mouth information, friends are an overwheming wealth of first-hand knowledge.
Compared to online word-of-mouth sources, offline communication leads the way in which information about
games is acquired. Considering the heavy engagement segments (spenders, frequent gamers, donwloaders,
sharers, and socializers), Whales are more likely than the other segments to more frequently utilize all forms of
the online and offline word-of-mouth sources (see Figure 5). Compared to the other high engagement
segments, Sharers rely on offline word-of-mouth sources much more heavily than online sources. It seems,
then, that sharers rely on offline word-of-mouth sources to acquire information about games, but then heavily
utilize online sources to further disseminate information about the game (and their progress and
accomplishments).
% of Highly Engaged Segments Frequently using Word-of-Mouth

Sources
Twitter post from someone I follow
Invite (not on Facebook) to play the game

from a friend
Facebook post from a friend
Facebook invite to play the game from a

friend
A friend shows gameplay to me
A friend tells me verbally
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Socializer Sharer $10+ spent 5+ games downloaded 10+ hours
Figure 6: Online and offline word-of-mouth information sources
SOCIAL PLAY IN MOBILE GAMES
Social play, or playing a game with friends or other players, was most important for highly engaged mobile
gamers. One quarter of all mobile gamers selected “Very Unimportant” when asked about the importance of
social play in mobile games, while only 5% selected “Very Important.” The average rating, on a scale of 1-5
(with 1 being “Very Unimportant,” 5 being “Very Important,” and 3 being neutral), was 2.58, putting it on the
“unimportant” side of the sliding scale. There are no significant differences based on gender, age, or platform.
Those that do value social play (Socializers) tend to spend more money than the average gamers and most of
the other highly engaged segments. Specifically, Socializers spend on average $8.74 per month, while the
average of those surveyed spent almost half that per month. Socializers do not significantly differ from the
average regarding the passing time, sharing, and competitive motivations to play mobile games. Where they
do differ, unsurprisingly, is in the socializing/cooperation motivations. In other words, Socializers value the
non-social motivations equally to other segments and the average mobile gamer; however, socializers are also
more motivated by social features of mobile games.
For the behavior usage categories, however, the percentage of “Very Important” responses and mean value
increase with further usage (longer playing time per week, more downloads per month, and more money
spent per month) while the percentage of “Very Unimportant” responses decreases (Figure 6). Even so, the
mean value only crosses over onto the “Important” side of the scale for Heavy Buyers, with a mean of 3.19.
Heavy Buyers are also the only segment in which the “Very Important” responses outnumber the “Very
Unimportant” responses (11.2% versus 9.5%).
Importance of Social Play by Payment Segments

3.5 35%
3.2 30%
3
2.9
25%
2.6
2.5 2.5
20%
2.3
15%
2
10%
1.5
5%
1 0%
All mobile gamers Non Payers Low Payers Moderate Payers High Payers
Very Unimportant Very Important Mean Value
Figure 7: Importance of social play in mobile games for spending segment, mean values and percentage of “Very
Unimportant” and “Very Important” responses
(1=Very Unimportant … 5=Very Important)
When splitting this question by amount of hours played per week, there is a similar relationship. In other
words, the more hours per week a person plays mobile games, the more likely he or she is to value social play
(see Figure 7). However, for all groups in the hours played per week segment, more people say social play is
very unimportant than very important. Since “3” is the neutral point, no groups in the hours played segment
are in the “social play is important” territory, which indicates that even for those that play more than 10 hours
per week, social play is relatively unimportant.
Importance of Social Play by Hours Played per Week

45% 3.5
40%
35% 3
2.9
30% 2.7
2.5 2.5
25%
20% 2.1
2
15%
10% 1.5
5%
0% 1
Less than an hour 1-4 hours 5-10 hours 10+ hours
Very Unimportant Very Important Mean Value
Figure 8: Importance of social play in mobile games for hours played segment, mean values and percentage of “Very
Unimportant” and “Very Important” responses
(1=Very Unimportant … 5=Very Important)
The top reasons mobile gamers provided for why they play mobile games — 1) to pass time while waiting, 2)
to relax, and 3) to serve as a diversion from something else — indicate short play intervals (see Figure 8). The
next reason, “to get to the next level or stage,” indicates a desire for accomplishment or moving forward
within the game. These are the primary desires for a mobile gaming experience: to play in short time intervals
and make progress within the context of the game (advance the story, reach the next level, etc.).
Reasons mobile gamers play
To pass time while waiting 4.4

To relax 4.0
To serve as a diversion from something else 3.9
To get to the next level or stage 3.8
To solve challenges or express creativity 3.1
To get excited 2.8
To play with other players 2.8
To connect with friends or family 2.7
To do something that I could not normally do 2.5
To be the most skilled person playing 2.4
To express myself differently 2.3
To work collaboratively with a team 2.2
To prove to my friends that I am the best 2.2
To experience emotions 2.2
Figure 9: Mean value of reasons why mobile gamers play mobile games
(1 = Strongly Disagree … 5 = Strongly Agree)
The high spending group and behavioral groups (sharers and socializers) evaluate the motivations to play
mobile games somewhat consistently; the motivations do not differ significantly.
Top Motivations by Whales, Sharers, Socializers
5
4.5
3.5
2.5
Pass time Diversion Get to the Find creative Play with Be the fastest Prove I am
next level solutions others the best
Heavy Payer Sharers Socializers
Figure 10: Mean values of motivations to play mobile games by Whales, Sharers, and Socializers
The list of 14 motivations to play mobile games can be roughly broken into four categories – relaxation,
socialization, achieving, and creativity. Segmenting mobile players by those categories reveals some
interesting relationships. Those that play games to relax spend significantly less money ($4.70) than those
motivated by socialization ($9.20), achieving something ($8.30), and being creative ($8.80). Relaxers also
download about one less game per month compared to the other three motivation segments. By nature,
relaxers seem to want to be able to jump into a game quickly and effortlessly be able to disengage. Mobile
gaming for this group of people appears to be a secondary or even tertiary activity compared to those
motivated by socialization, achievements, and creativity.
When breaking the motivations up by payment segment, a more nuanced picture is painted. Namely, High
Payers crave competition, escapism, and excitement, whereas Non or Medium Payers evaluate those
motivations lower in importance.
Motivations to play games by payment segments
5
4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
Non
1.5
Medium
1
High
Figure 11: Mean values of motivations to play mobile games by payer type
SHARING MOBILE GAMEPLAY EXPERIENCES
Mobile gamers like to share their gameplay experiences both in-game and externally through social media
and communities built around the games they love to play.
HOW DO MOBILE GAMERS SHARE GAMEPLAY EXPERIENCE?

Mobile gamers engage in a variety of activities to share their mobile gaming experiences with their friends
and other gamers (Figure 10). The most common sharing activities are traditional word-of-mouth
communication with friends (either telling them about the game, or showing them the game). Rating the
game on the app store is the most common way of sharing gameplay experiences with other gamers they do
not know.
Frequency of engaging in gameplay sharing activities
18% 37% 44% 45% 58% 63% 65% 70% 70% 76% 88% 91% 93%
60%
49%
46% 46%
35%
32% 30% 24% 26%
21%
23%
14% 10% 9% 10% 7%
7% 5% 5% 6% 6%
4% 4%
Frequently Sometimes Never
Figure 12: Frequent sharing by heavy engagement segments
When considering the most heavily engaged mobile gamers, the Whales are more likely than the heavy
downloading segment and heavy game time segment to share game progress in any way.
% of Gamers Frequently Sharing
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15% 10+ hours
10% 5+ games
5% Non Payer
Medium Payer
0%
High Payer
$20+
$50+
Figure 13: Frequency mobile gamers engage in sharing activities
When it comes to sharing gameplay experiences outside of the game, mobile gamers have turned to a variety
of social media platforms. Facebook is the most widely used, followed by YouTube, Skype, and Twitter. All
other social media platforms are used by less than 20% of mobile gamers. The heaviest engagement groups
(more than $10 per month, and more than 10 hours played per week) also more frequently utilize all forms of
social media in order share their progress with others.
% of Spending Segments Frequently Sharing on Social Media
50%
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Facebook YouTube Skype Twitter Google+ SnapChat Tumblr What's Pinterest
App
Non-Payer Medium Payer High Payer $20+ $50+
Figure 14: Frequently using social media to share mobile gameplay experiences
While Facebook sharing seems to be becoming ubiquitous, some players are also utilizing YouTube and
Twitter (the second and third most popular social media sites) to share mobile game content. Twitter sharers
spend per month on games an average of $11.20, while YouTube sharers spend $13.20. Moreover, Twitter
sharers download 5.1 games per month, while YouTube sharers download 4.5 games per month. These
spending and downloading habits are significantly higher than the average, indicating that those who
frequently share their game content on YouTube and Twitter are also more highly engaged.
Unsurprisingly, there are strong and positive correlations between using Facebook and Twitter to discover
new games and using Facebook and Twitter to share mobile game experiences. While discovering games via
these social media sites does not necessarily engender sharing via these sites, it does indicate there is a strong
relationship between discovery and sharing. In other words, those that discover, share, and those that share,
discover.
Mobile gamers like to receive messages that remind them of in-game events, such as receiving in-game
progress updates or notices about a high score being passed. These are all notices of things happening in the
game or reminders about things players can do in the game.
A^tudes towards types of messages from a mobile game
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Your turn noLficaLon Progress reminder A friend passing your Screenshot of Video of gameplay
score gameplay
Love them Nice to have Don't care
Figure 15: Mobile gamer attitudes towards different types of messages from a mobile game
Those that indicate they “love” to receive messages are intrinsically different from those that are generally less
enthusiastic to receive social media messages. Specifically, individuals that enjoy getting messages spend on
average $15.84 per month and download 5.51 games per month. Conversely, individuals that are less
enthusiastic about social media messages only spend $3.89 per month and download 2.6 games per month.
This indicates that “love” of receiving social media mobile game message is conceptually related to high
engagement. In other words, staying abreast of one’s mobile gaming accomplishments and challenges via
social media messages is just another way for highly engaged mobile gamers to maintain their level of
interaction.
WHY DO MOBILE GAMERS SHARE GAMEPLAY EXPERIENCES?

Mobile gamers have a variety of motivations and reasons for sharing their mobile gaming experiences (Figure
16). The most common reason is simply for players to tell others about a game they enjoy. People enjoy
talking about their hobbies, and mobile gamers are no different. For some, there may be the additional
motivation of getting their friends to play. Many games are more enjoyable when played with friends. Sharing
gameplay experiences also allows many mobile gamers to be creative. Finally, sharing their expertise through
tips and tricks or showing off their accomplishments or achievements are significant reasons for sharing. High
Payers enjoy sharing more than Non Payers, and hardcore gamers enjoy sharing more than casual gamers.
Reasons mobile gamers share gameplay experiences
Tell others about a game
Be creative
Get real-life friends to play
Respond to challenges or requests
Share tips and tricks
Share achievements with others
Participate in in-game contests
Show that I achieved something difficult
Be part of the game community
Gain friends/followers in-game
Make game reviews
Be recognized in the game community
Record what I'm playing
Create tutorials / walkthroughs
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4
All mobile gamers Non Payers High Payers
Figure 16: Reasons for sharing mobile gameplay experiences

When delving a bit deeper, four predominant themes emerge for the reasons to share game play experiences:
Creative expression, socializing, competition, and community sharing. While Whales score the highest for
these four categories compared to the less frequent spenders, the heaviest spenders value competition and
community sharing more so than creative expression and socialization. Enjoyment of sharing, for Whales,
seems to hinge on these two factors (competition and community sharing). Game developers that are
interested in targeting Whales should consider increasing the amount of features that include competition
and community sharing elements.
Video games allow for some people to express themselves creatively. However, creative expression via mobile
games does not seem to be strongly related to social play and interaction. Indeed, those that highly ranked
creative expression as an important activity indicated social play was lower in importance than people that
evaluated creative expression as less important. Thus, creative expression through video game play is
conveyed individually and not socially. Additionally, those that enjoy expressing themselves creatively still
spend more money on games per month, download more games per month, and play games for longer
amounts of time per week compared to those that do not enjoy creative expression. Creative gamers, then,
are still committed to gaming, just do so on a more individualized basis compared to other highly engaged
segments.
WHAT SOCIAL OR SHARING FEATURES ARE IMPORTANT?

Mobile gamers like social features that allow them to compete with and compare themselves to other players
(see Figure 17). Not surprisingly, respondents that most frequently selected “love it” tended to be from the
three most engaged groups (10+ hours per week, 5+ games downloaded per week, and $10+ spent per
month). Compared to the average, these groups “loved” the sharing features in mobile games often by a
magnitude of 2:1.
Across the whole sample, the most popular social feature was the ability to respond to challenges from other
players. Leaderboards, which show how a mobile gamer compares to other gamers, was also a popular feature.
The least popular features were those that involved sharing achievements within the game and externally via
social media.
Attitudes towards social or sharing features in mobile games
33% 34% 40% 50% 50% 60% 70%
49% 45%
46%
39% 36%
34%
26%
18% 22% 14% 13%
12%
Respond to Leaderboards See other Make in-game In-game chat Share updates Share updates
challenges players game friends in-game externally
Love It Nice to Have Don't Care
Figure 17: Mobile gamer attitudes towards social or sharing features in mobile games
By looking at payer segment type, a little more nuance is illustrated. In general, the more a person spends on
mobile games, the more he or she “loves” in-game social features.
Percent of payment segments loving social features
50%
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15% Non
10% Medium
5%
0% High
$20+
$50+
Figure 18: Mobile gamer attitudes towards social or sharing features in mobile games
Mobile gamers provided a similar indication about social or sharing features that would motivate them to play
longer. Across the sample, competitive play was most popular, while voice chatting was least popular. The top
features were those that allowed them to challenge and compete with other players. When considering these
features by the most engaged mobile gamers, socializers, sharers, and Whales are more likely than are heavy
gamers and heavy downloaders to evaluate the features as more important (see Figure 19).
Social features importance by highly engaged segments
10+ hours 5+ games Non-‐Payer Medium Payer Heavy Payer
$20+ $50+ Sharers Socializers
4.5
3.5
2.5
Figure 19: Social features that would motivate mobile gamers to play longer
(1=Strongly Disagree … 5=Strongly Agree)
HOW DO OTHERS SEE YOU IN MOBILE GAMES?

When playing mobile games, there are often settings for how the mobile gamer is identified within the game.
Most mobile users prefer something other than their real name and photo, or only use their real name with
real-life friends.
Appearance in mobile games

50%
45% Real-life friends I play
40% with see
35%
30%
25%
20% In-game friends seect
15% all applica
10%
5%
0%
My real My My Nothing - I I dont play Random players seect
name & nickname nickname have no mobile all applicab
photo (e g with stylized with an identity games with
log in with or no photo avatar this group
Facebook) image of people
Figure 20: Preference for identity and appearance to other mobile gamers
GAME COMMUNITIES
When players interact socially about a game, they slightly prefer in-game communities over external
communities. On a scale of 1 to 7 (1 = “prefer in-game communities,” 7 = “prefer external communities,” and 4
is neutral / no preference), the mean for all mobile gamers was 3.48. This is slightly on the “prefer in-game
communities” side of the sliding scale. This trend carried across all demographic and behavioral segments.
There are many benefits of a strong game community for both the mobile gamer and the publisher, whether
that community exists within the game or externally (see Figure 18). Game communities provide a great
source for tips, advice, and shared content. Many mobile gamers believe that a thriving game community
makes the game feel more alive and motivates them to return to the game, especially amongst High Payers and
hardcore gamers. Unsurprisingly, highly engaged players tend to evaluate these statements more positively
than do their less engaged counterparts (see Figure 19). Sharers lead the pack of the highly engaged groups,
as they tend to be much more supportive of gaming communities compared to heavy downloaders and
frequent players. Considering the motivations to play games as groups (relaxation, socialization, achieving,
and creativity), those motivated to play to relax closely match the sample averages, once again indicating that
relaxers are more casual gamers and are less engaged than those motivated by socialization, achieving, and
creativity. Games with communities typically motivate players to return to the game who are already highly
engaged.
Agreement with statements about gaming communities
Great source for tips and advice 3.8
Great source of shared content and entertainment 3.4
Make the game feel more alive 3.3
Allow me to exhibit my game skills 3.1
Motivate me to return to the game 3.1
In-game friends motivate me to return 3.1
Allow me to make new friends 3.0
Groups or clans make game more meaningful 3.0
Figure 21: Mobile gamer agreement with statements about gaming communities
Agreement by highly engaged segments
Non Medium Heavy $20+ $50+
4.5
4.3
4.1
3.9
3.7
3.5
3.3
3.1
2.9
2.7
2.5
Source for Source of Feels more Exhibit my Motivate me Return to Allow me to Game
tips shared alive game skills to return the game so make new experience
content that I don't friends is more
let them meaningful
down
Figure 22: Gamer agreement with statements about gaming communities

Table 2 summarizes the relative scores and ranking for each of the money spending segments. Each statement
has more agreement in the higher paying groups. Highlighted items show where they differ from the overall
rankings for all mobile gamers.
Ranking Non Payers Medium Payers High Payers

1 Great source for tips Great source for tips Great source for tips
and advice (3.75) and advice (3.85) and advice (3.96)
2 Great source of shared Great source of shared Great source of shared
content and content and content and
entertainment (3.30) entertainment (3.49) entertainment (3.68)
3 Make the game feel Make the game feel Make the game feel
more alive (3.24) more alive (3.37) more alive (3.64)
4 Allow me to exhibit my Allow me to exhibit my Motivate me to return
game skills (3.00) game skills (3.16) to the game(3.53)
5 Motivate me to return Motivate me to return Allow me to exhibit my
to the game (2.95) to the game (3.13) game skills (3.49)
6 In-game friends In-game friends Allow me to make new
motivate me to return motivate me to return friends (3.45)
(2.94) (3.11)
7 Allow me to make new Groups or clans make In-game friends
friends (2.89) game more meaningful motivate me to return
(3.09) (3.45)
8 Groups or clans make Allow me to make new Groups or clans make
game more meaningful friends (3.09) game more meaningful
(2.87) (3.44)
Table 2: Ranking statements about gaming communities for different spenders
The reasons for sharing content in mobile game communities also differ significantly by payment spending
type. In all cases, the heaviest spenders indicate they are more motivated to sharing content in game
communities. The need to be creative, however, is the most cited reason why any person, regardless of payer
type, is motivated to share in an online community.
Means of motivations to share in game community

4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
Non
2 Medium
1.5 High
$20+
1
$50+
Figure 23: Payer segment agreement with statements about motivations to share
APPENDIX
Based on the sample, the various paying groups enjoy different genres. For example, non and low spenders
tend to enjoy quick puzzle games more than do the higher payers.
Genres enjoyed by payment segment

90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40% Non
30% Medium
20% High
10%
$20+
0%
$50+
Figure 24: Payer segment genre preferences

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Mobile Gaming:

Summary of Key Findings ........................................................................................... 5

Demographics and Behavioral Market Segments .................................................... 6

Discovering Mobile Games ....................................................................................... 11

Social Play in Mobile Games ..................................................................................... 14

Sharing Mobile Gameplay Experiences ................................................................... 19

INFORMATIONAL SOURCES FOR DISCOVERING FAVORITE GAMES

MOTIVATIONS FOR PLAYING MOBILE GAMES

In addition to gender and age, the three primary segments were:

The final group of segments is characterized by social media

Online / Oﬄine word-of-mouth sources

A friend shows gameplay to me 29% 53% 19%

A friend tells me verbally 35% 57% 8%

TwiGer post from someone I follow 16% 81%

Facebook post from a friend 8% 37% 55%

Frequently SomeLmes Never

Figure 1: Word-of-mouth sources used to discover new games

Gender Male: 48%

MOBILE DEVICES AND PLATFORMS USED FOR GAMING

Non Payer Medium Payer High Payer $20+ $50+

Time spent playing mobile games

MONEY SPENT ON MOBILE GAMES

On average, mobile gamers spend $4.58 on mobile

18-24 $3.73 Android $3.36

• Non Payers: spend $0 per month (N=1788; 59%)

Non Payers make

All mobile gamers $4.58 Delving into the data deeper,

Hours played by money spent

18-24 2.87 Android 2.56

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 0 1 2 3 4

Online sources used to discover mobile games

App Store: featured apps

App Store: top charts

App Store: user reviews

Website: all games

Facebook invite to play

Other invite to play

Website: mobile games

Mobile game discovery app

All mobile gamers Male Female

% of Payers Frequently Using Game Info Sources

Figure 5: Sources of FREQUENTLY used game information sources by spending type

% of Highly Engaged Segments Frequently using Word-of-Mouth

Twitter post from someone I follow

Invite (not on Facebook) to play the game

Facebook post from a friend

Facebook invite to play the game from a

A friend shows gameplay to me

A friend tells me verbally

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Socializer Sharer $10+ spent 5+ games downloaded 10+ hours

Figure 6: Online and offline word-of-mouth information sources

Importance of Social Play by Payment Segments

Very Unimportant Very Important Mean Value

Importance of Social Play by Hours Played per Week

Very Unimportant Very Important Mean Value

To pass time while waiting 4.4

Heavy Payer Sharers Socializers

HOW DO MOBILE GAMERS SHARE GAMEPLAY EXPERIENCE?

Frequency of engaging in gameplay sharing activities

Frequently Sometimes Never

Figure 12: Frequent sharing by heavy engagement segments

Figure 13: Frequency mobile gamers engage in sharing activities

Non-Payer Medium Payer High Payer $20+ $50+