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Android games more lucrative and addictive than iOS?
If that wasn't odd enough, Android users also click ads three times as much as iOS users -- and ad clicks have a higher conversion rate on Android, too. "This led us to stop advertising on Apple and throw all of our marketing dollars onto Android," Gattis, says. "It really just makes sense from a financial point of view."
Trying to analyze this new data is difficult. The ad clicks and conversions is probably down to superior targeting by Google -- but why do Android users spend more on in-app purchases? Android doesn't even have a proper in-app purchase system yet! Similarly, why do Android users play the game three times as much as iOS users? The game is functionally identical on both platforms. It looks similar, too. It can only really be a fundamental difference in Android and iOS user demographics.
Could it be that Android users are simply more hardcore? Maybe Android users originate from the Windows school, where gaming is part of their lifeblood, while Apple users know relatively little about hardcore gaming. The alternative angle is that Apple users, being wealthy and affluent types, are too busy working to play an MMO for extended periods of time. It would be very interesting to see the average age of Pocket Legends players on both platforms.
It's hard to form solid conclusions on the numbers from one game developer and one game, however. Without a lot more data from the developer, or from other developers, we can only really draw anecdotal conclusions about which platform is better for developers.
Download Pocket Legends for Android / iOS [Free]
Comments
6
Subscribe to commentsmacboy14Mar 9th 2011 7:31AM
It could be that iOS users tend to be kids. Think about how many kids have iPod Touches. Because the users are kids, less money is spent on apps and in-app purchases.
Sebastian AnthonyMar 9th 2011 9:30AM
@macboy14 That's a good point! I hadn't looked it from that angle.
InsomnihackMar 9th 2011 9:08AM
Or it could be that iOS gaming currently craps all over Android. Look at the quality and range of games on iOS compared to the handful on Android. There's no comparison.
Why would people waste money on in app purchases in Pocket Legends when there are so many thousands of other awesome iOS games to choose from? Perhaps that easily explains the disparity.
Sebastian AnthonyMar 9th 2011 9:31AM
@Insomnihack Yep, that's another possible answer; good point :)
I wish there was some more demographic data...
halophoenixMar 9th 2011 11:24AM
@Insomnihack This is actually the most likely conclusion. Pocket Legends' business plan relies on you downloading the game for free, and then spending real money for "platinum," or in-game money you can spend on items, customization options, and access to additional zones and content.
When you're gaming on Android, it's an easier sell to make because you don't have a lot of other well-polished, high-caliber games to play. It makes it easier to spend some cash on a game with that kind of polish and design that looks good and has lots of content to unlock. If you're using iOS, why spend money when you can just go download another game - likely for free or for a low one-time cost - and play that instead?
I think the data here is interesting, but it needs to be framed up in terms of Pocket Legends and the way it works/the way gamers play it. What's true for them is definitely not true for all game developers, and shouldn't be mistaken for an overall trend.
AnthonyMar 12th 2011 8:52AM
Despite Android being more popular than iOS, about 95% of kids that have smartphones have iPhones.
The majority of my friends have Android phones, but have bought iPhones for their kids as in the high school community it's apparently "the cool thing". That's might be a positive for kids games but for games targeted at adults which Pocket Legends is, it's not good. Also they've recommended it to their technophobe parents (70+ years old) as it's a basic phone and easier to use than Android, and people that age don't play games
Take the kids and old people out of the figures and Android increases it's lead even further. I'd love to see the ownership figures for 18-49 year olds.