16 RESEARCH DUBIT Talk of the Playground: Apps Dubit asks kids for their views on which mobile games they’d like to see move into the toy aisles…
WITH 71 per cent of children playing games on mobile devices, it’s no wonder the likes of Where’s My Water? and Fruit Ninja have been turned into toys. But which other games are in the best position to turn themselves into successful plush characters and collectables?
THE GENDER DIVIDE Mobile gaming is big. How big? Dubit’s research of 500 six to 11 year olds reveals that 71 per cent of children play mobile games across all ages. That’s starting young – and you’d expect it to be dominated by the boys, but it isn’t. When girls are
between 11 and 12 years of age, surprisingly 87 per cent are playing games on mobile devices, compared to only 62 per cent of boys. Despite more girls playing mobile games than boys, boys tend to engage for longer periods of time, spending an average of an hour and 18 minutes a day on mobile games, compared to 54 minutes for girls. Girls’ relative lack of engagement means that despite there being fewer male mobile gamers, boys actually represent a larger proportion of the market. Aggregating across the sample of 500 children, boys notched up a total of 205 hours and 24
minutes of mobile gaming a day collectively, whereas girls only accumulated 175 and a half hours.
APPS VS TOYS It’s still the toy that rules, however. Compared to mobile games, Dubit’s research shows that toys keep kids occupied for longer – while 31 per cent of kids will play with toys for one to two hours, only 15 per cent will play mobile games for that long. With many apps being free, or costing under one pound, it shouldn’t be surprising that more money is spent on toys than mobile games. However, the divide may be tighter
than expected. Dubit’s research shows the average child (or their parent) spends £1.98 a week on mobile games, compared to £3.41 on toys. As it is hard for children to pay for mobile games themselves, it makes sense that game owners are looking to move in on the more lucrative toy market, where the game can drive the initial brand engagement. In effect, the game advertises the toy.
Mobile gaming is big business,
but it’s going to take something special to knock Rovio’s Angry Birds from its perch.
It’s also true that compared to the traditional method of using cartoons to launch toy lines, games are a relatively cheaper alternative – as Mind Candy is proving.
ANGRY BIRDS ON TOP To find the most popular social games, Dubit presented the young gamers with a list of 17 of the most popular titles and asked which they’ve played. Angry Birds is the most popular mobile game with 72 per cent of six to 11 year olds having played the bird-flinging phenomenon, leaving FarmVille/CityVille in second place (39 per cent). Fruit Ninja (34 per cent) and Worms (31 per cent) claim the third and fourth spots, and both have existing toy deals, as does