Casual & Social Monitor

London, 22 July 2010 – Consumer data from Newzoo’s new Social Gaming Monitor 2010 shows a large overlap between two favourite pastimes: playing computer games and using social networks. Of all 28.2 million British social network users, 90% also plays computer games. Vice versa, 78% of all 32.5 million Brits that play games are active on social networks. As such, it’s not surprising that an increasing number of “social games” are offered through platforms such as Facebook. The survey reveals that 61% of all social network users play games within the network adding up to 17.5 million British social gamers. This is 42% of the total online population aged ten years and up; a percentage almost matched by the US (41%) and leaving Germany (30%), France (35%), Netherlands (27%) and Belgium (35%) behind.

Women like to play but men pay

The majority of games on social networks are free to play. Money is spent on in-game items, additional levels and giving friends virtual gifts to enhance their game experience. The share of people willing to do this is comparable to traditional game websites and ranges from 12% in the Netherlands to 32% in Germany. The UK and US are in-between. Social games are most popular with women - 56% of all social gamers - but men are more likely to spend money, making up 65% of paying social gamers.

Alex Agostini, Director of Business Development at social games publisher 6Waves comments: "2010 will be a year of transition for most social gaming companies. Transition from management of explosive growth to search of higher efficiency"

Social games, side dish or main dish?

It is hard not to run into a social game when active on a social network but there are signs that social games are attracting a steady crowd. More than half (54%) of UK social gamers plays three or more games a month and exactly half (50%) plays frequently: three or more days a week. There is room for growth too, as only 23% spend more than an hour a day on social games and 48% play a single game not more than a period of four weeks. But with 61% of social gamers stating Facebook as their main online gaming destination there is no question that social networks provide an opportunity as well as a challenge to all “traditional” console and online game platforms.

Peter Warman, MD of Newzoo adds: “There is no game company out there that does not have social networks high on the agenda. The big question is if playing games on social networks is tapping into a new group of consumers, adding more time and money spent to existing gamers or taking time , players and budget away from game websites and consoles. The same accounts for iPhone, iPod and iPad gaming. With our surveys we aim to get a grip on these major shifts in the games market.”

Newzoo’s Casual, Social & Mobile Gaming Monitor

The Social Gaming Monitor is part of the Casual, Social & Mobile Monitor and aims to provide in-depth and up-to-date consumer market data on the hottest topics and business models in the games market. Main platforms are social networks, casual game websites and mobile devices (including iPod, iPhone and iPad). It also includes an update on other game platforms: consoles, MMOs and PC games (boxed products and via digital distribution. The surveys have been performed in the US, UK, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Belgium involving more than 10,000 respondents from national panels representative of the total online population of 10 years and older (field work June 2010). Information about the Monitor and all market data products of Newzoo can be found on www.todaysgamers.com.

Contact

Newzoo

Thijs Hagoort, co-founder

T: +31 (0)20 6635816

E: thijs@newzoo.com

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