微交易平均消费额编辑本段回目录
游戏邦注：本文作者是Jeferson Valadares，其为Flurry游戏部门总经理，该公司携手iOS和Android游戏开发商旨在制作更多获利丰厚的游戏。
数字推广游戏的出现损及零售便携游戏行业利益。此威胁性的根本在于iOS和Android设备不断增加，它们成为强大便携游戏平台，开始抢占任天堂DS和索尼PSP的市场份额。在早前报告（游戏邦注：2008-2009年，2009-2010年）中，Flurry预测iOS和Android在美国便携游戏领域所占营收份额将从2008年的1%提高到2010年的34%。
据估算，这期间任天堂在美国便携游戏领域的营收份额将从75%降至57%。任天堂首席执行官岩田聪一直持明确态度，他们认为智能手机游戏毫无价值，最终会令玩家厌烦。相反，摩根证券电子游戏元老分析师Michael Pachter曾在2011年4月表示，“任天堂将同苹果和Android共同享这片市场，”因为“1美元游戏将继续涌入市场。”据Flurry估算，如今攻势主要来自每笔14美元的虚拟交易，这归根于免费游戏的病毒式传播。
这里我们将详细分析iOS和Android免费游戏（游戏邦注：这是当前智能手机游戏的主要商业模式）的交易规模。此报告基于本月初公布的分析数据，Flurry表示，在前100名iOS应用营收榜单中，游戏收益所占份额高达75%，其中65%来自免费游戏。下图主要分析350万名用户在iOS和Android游戏中的消费情况。
Transactions vs Revenue by PriceTier from flurry.com
左栏主要呈现免费游戏交易规模的分布情况：换而言之就是用户在99美分-100美元交易中的消费次数。每笔交易相当于游戏虚拟商品或货币。我们把数据分成3块：10美元以下；10-20美元；20美元以上。你会发现71%的交易集中在10美元以下，16%分布在10-20美元之间；13%分布在20美元以上。每笔交易的平均数额是14美元。
下面我们就来谈谈14美元平均消费额，咋看此数值似乎有点偏高。出现此平均额有两大原因。首先，在“10美元以下”部分中，多数交易都集中在9.99美元水平，再来就是4.99美元，接着是99美分。其实从整体来看，消费99美分用户还不到总交易次数的2%。为何如此少用户在免费游戏中消费1美元，而此价位在该商业模式中又极其普遍？因为免费游戏促使用户形成一种不同决策理念。其决定内容是是否进行消费。数据表明，约有3%用户会在免费游戏中掏钱。用户的高度投入将会影响其消费行为。会出现14美元高消费额的第二个原因是，高端消费者的消费额度非常高。在所有定价中，超过5%交易的消费额高于50美元，此数额同顶级零售掌机和PC游戏价格不相上下。
接着来看看3块价格区域各自的营收情况。根据图表我们发现，每组范围的总收益是同各零售价的交易量相对应。低端价位非常拥挤，也就是说汇集非常多笔交易。虽然10美元以下区域占总交易量的2/3，但其营收只占总营收的1/3。我们在“20美元以上”区域发现“鲸鱼用户”群体。其实深入分析“20美元以上”区域就会发现，30%收入是来自50美元以上的交易额。游戏设计师应当瞄准这些能够带来主要收益的少数交易行为。因此，游戏要关注鲸鱼用户。
据Flurry预测，2011年底，美国iOS和Android游戏总营收将突破10亿美元。数字推广深入娱乐和媒体行业（游戏邦注：包括电影、报纸。电视、音乐和书籍）。电子游戏行业也不例外，便携游戏已开始感受到其所带来的威胁性。身处该领域的各个公司，不是既有公司还是新秀公司，需理解和发挥用户粘性作用，将粘性转换成营收。移动领域的免费商业模式（这要得益于用户能够随身携带此设备，且设备能够连接网络）正在探索创造价值，获得营收的新方式，超远原先的1次1美元模式。（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译）
Consumers Spend Average of $14 per Transaction in iOS and Android Freemium Games
by Jeferson Valadares
[Editor's Note: Jeferson is Flurry's GM of Games, who works with iOS and Android game developers to build more profitable games]
Digital distribution of games is disrupting the retail portable game category. At the heart of this disruption is the proliferation of iOS and Android devices, which is doubling as a powerful portable gaming platform and challenging Nintendo DS and Sony PSP for gamer mindshare. In previous reports (2008 – 2009, 2009 – 2010), Flurry measured that iOS’s and Android’s revenue share of the U.S. portable game software category exploded to 34% in 2010 from just 1% in 2008.
Over this same time period, we calculated that Nintendo’s U.S. portable game revenue share contracted to 57% from 75%. All the while, Nintendo chief executive, Satoru Iwata, has remained outspoken, calling smartphone games worthless and warning the gaming industry of boring consumers. In contrast, Wedbush Morgan Securities veteran video game analyst, Michael Pachter, stated in April 2011 that “Nintendo will have to share the market with Apple and Android” because “the onslaught of $1 games is going to continue.” By Flurry’s calculations, the onslaught is now coming in at a crushing $14 per transaction and from within the Trojan horse of freemium (a.k.a. free-to-play) games.
Here we dissect transaction sizes within iOS and Android freemium games, the current juggernaut of smartphone game business models. This report builds on analysis released earlier this month, when Flurry revealed that games drive 75% of revenue generated among the top 100 grossing iOS apps, of which 65% were generated from freemium games. In the chart below, we look at how 3.5 million consumers spent their money across top iOS and Android freemium games.
The left-hand column shows the distribution of transaction sizes within freemium games: in other words, how many times consumers spent anywhere from $0.99 to sometimes over $100 per transaction. Each purchase equates to a virtual good or currency in the game a consumer is playing. We organize the data into three price buckets: under $10; from $10 – $20; and over $20. You’ll see 71% of all transactions are for amounts under $10, 16% are for spends between $10 to $20 and 13% are for amounts greater than $20. The average amount spent per transaction is $14.
Let’s spend a moment on the $14 average, which may seem high to you at first blush. There are two reasons the average settles here. First, within the “under $10” bucket, most transactions cluster at the $9.99 level, followed by $4.99, and finally $0.99. In fact, in total, consumers spent $0.99 less than 2% of the time. Why then would so few consumers spend just $1 in freemium games when this price point is so popular among premium games (the pay-before-you-can-play model)? Because freemium games drive a different decision-making mindset for consumers. They simply are deciding whether or not to spend. Our data shows that around 3% of consumers will spend money in freemium games. A deep commitment to the game experience appears to influence their buying habits. The second reason the $14 average seems high is because the high-end of the spending spectrum is very high. Among all purchase price points, over 5% of all purchases are for amounts greater than $50, which rivals the amount paid at retail for top console and PC games.
Now, let’s look at the amount of total revenue generated per price bucket. Scanning this column, we see the amount of revenue generated per price bucket is flipped in comparison to the price points at which the bulk of transactions occur. On the low end, we’re “packing sardines;” that is, accumulating a lot of small transactions. While the under $10 bucket delivers about two-thirds of the transactions, it only accounts for about one third of the dollars. On the other end of the spectrum, at the “over $20” spend-level, we find the “whales.” In fact, further breaking down the “over $20” category, 30% of the total revenue is generated from transaction sizes of over $50. If you’re a game designer, your main take away is that very few transactions—and consumers who complete those transactions—make up the bulk of your revenue. Therefore, your “meta-game” should be about whale hunting.
By the end of 2011, Flurry estimates that total U.S. iOS and Android game revenue will surpass $1 billion. Digital distribution has already affected notable Media & Entertainment industries including film, newspaper, television, music and books. The video game industry is no exception, with portable gaming already feeling the impact. The key to any business playing in this space, whether incumbent or challenger, will be to understand and command consumer engagement, and turn that engagement into revenue events. The freemium business model on mobile, enabled by a device that is always with consumers, and always connected, is unlocking profound new ways to deliver value and extract revenue from consumers, and for far more than just $1 at a time.（Source：flurry）
